If so, what do you use to raise the front end of the car? It's so low to the ground, I'm wondering if the standard style ramps you can buy at auto parts stores will work or if the front end will hit the ramp before the front wheels do? I've had similar issues with other cars before, one was a minivan of all things.

Also, since I haven't looked, how hard is the oil filter to get to?

 

Low profile jack and jack stands.

 

Oil filter is a piece of cake, as long as your hands aren't oversized

Open the hood, stand at the side next to the driver's side front wheel. The filter is rearward of the upper intake manifold against the firewall.


I just use a jack and a stand. Crank up one side, remove the plug, let it drain till it stops, drop that side, crank up the other side, let it drain till it stops, drop that side, crank up the other side again, wait if anything else drains out, replace the plug, drop it, start filling. Change the filter somewhere in the waiting.


Although I think I am going to buy the Pela Pump, since it should remove more oil than this method, with less chance of a mess, less of a hassle in cold weather, don't have to worry about hot oil, can (and should) change it immediately.

And I can use it to change my wife's Mazda5's oil, which is a pain since you have to remove the splash pan to get to the drain plug, so I let a shop do it.

 

I had one of my girlfriends do my last oil change. Well you can see what happened.

 

I use the OEM scissor jack to start the jacking process, then proceed to the floor jack

 

Just get some 2 x 6's angle cut them and drive up on them and then you can jack away.

 

I use ramps, but I have 2 peices of 2x4 infront that I drive up on first before the ramp so that my lip doesnt touch.

Also the oil filter is kind of a pain if you have big hands like i do. But I am able to squeeze through and take it off. I find its easier to use a oil filter cap connect that to a 12" extension and use a rachet to do the first turns then take it off with your hand.

 

So, based on responses so far, are ramps out of the question? Anybody tried using some? I have a bottle jack and jackstands too for safety.

 

Our dipstick doesn't have any "SHARP TURNS" does it?

I know I should know this, but I really don't pay a crapload of attention...

Hmm..

http://www.pelaproducts.com/description.htm


That pump looks amazing.. The PL-650... But if there's sharp turns in the dipstick shaft then what good is it? :P

 

Why bother when the dealer will do it for 20-30 dollars and they wash the car too.

 

RhinoRamps myself. I haven't needed any wood in front of them, but then I'm stock suspension height.

A filter cap and extension do make life easier as well.

Drain, don't pump. Get it all out.

 

1) because I can do it for ~$15
2) when I do it I know it's done right
3) most dealers don't have touchless car washes so you inevitably end up with scratches on your vehicle
4) I enjoy working on my car

 

I've been using ramps for 5 years now. Also, I wear disposable rubber gloves which allows me to get a better grip on that little oil filter.

-1.3L

 

Why bother to raise the car?
I bought that fast drain plug. Installed it and now
all I have to do in place the oil pan under the car, stick my hand under the car
and push the drain plug open. presto, oil drains
10 bucks at O'rielly

 

If you want "all" the oil out, you'll have to raise the car to get the oil to drain from the oil coolers (2 if MT)

So, when you don't raise the car, you're only draining about 2/3rds of the oil. . .

Also, if you overfill your oil, it'll blow back into your intake, gum up your throttle body and ruin your SSV causing massive problems.

I would change the oil yourself for those reasons.

 

1. Because they insist on using 5w20.
2. Because I wouldn't trust them to properly wash my car.
3. Because Autozone et al will freely take your used oil, and new oil & filter are allot less than $20-$30.
4. Because you're assured the job was done right.
5. Because there's a satisfaction in doing things well yourself.

ok, that's sufficient.

 

Yep, I installed a pan ball valve myself, but not everyone has, so I cited the ramps.

 

I had Fumoto Valve, but it drains so fuxking slow so I was like screw this **** and back to Old-schoooool.

Oil change is not a bad thing to do, for me its a good thing, especially on a nice and sunny day

 

My dealer will put in the oil I choose. Yes I did my own when I could. All of it what ever it needed and even things it did not need but I wanted to mod. Yes I modded in the seventies a lot of the same things we hear on here just lower tech then. Now that part of hands on is over but I can still enjoy the red line of the rotary and the feel of a good handling car.

 

I hear ya Old Rotor. There comes a point in life where you've 'been there done that' and your time is worth more than the relatively small bill for services. I was speaking more to the younger folks that have not as yet gained that experience.

I don't do my daughter's Mazda6 oil/filter changes any more tho' since you have to remove an undercover, reposition the drain pan fo sump and filter, and it's a canister type filter. Too much work.

nycgps - The Fumoto is fast enough for me. I just go do something else while it drains.

 

Draining does not remove all of the oil. OD has recently discovered that there is stil about 1 liter in the oil pan even after it stops dripping. That doesn't include anything that might still be in the oil coolers as well. The pump seems to be the best method. Or you can play musical car jacking until you get it all out.

 

^ Liter? We're on the metric system now in MA? Damn liberals (j/k mod's).

True, but you're guaranteed not to get it all with the pump, to include the heavier contaminant elements.

 

Getting it all out is easier said than done. With the series I, you only drain about 55% of the old oil out, with the rest remaining. There's a discussion of this over in this thread:

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/mazmarts-oil-pressure-bypass-install-some-surprising-findings-189899/

Note the picture of the dropped pan showing how much oil remains in just the pan after draining through the oil plug (~1-1.5 qts). Some have had increased the oil being removed by jacking up the drivers side to tilt the pan more towards the hole. Some mention using an oil pump, but it's not clear to me that you really know you've got it unless you measure how much comes out, because you might end up with the pump tube on top of one of the baffles. From the owners manual, of the 6.4 L in the system, you only get 3.5 L out during a normal oil change.

 

I don't believe that it would be a worse choice to pump it out...

It creates a vacuum, and if anything it would be just as good as letting it drip by gravity..

Not going to get it all either way.. I avoid the dealership oil changes because I'm catless, so this would be the easiest approach for me. Mr. Lube oil changes + Mazda filter is $80, the pump is $84, and will last a long assed time.

 

I'll be the guinea pig..

The one I'm looking at has a transparent cylinder, with a level marker so you can measure volume..

Let's see how much oil I can pump out of this thing