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Hopefully this will help other members who have been looking for a DIY oil change guide (and I apologize if one exists but I could not find a detailed one).
Step 1:
Lay out race ramps on smooth even surface (sweep away any rocks or debris).
Drive up to the ramps, check to ensure even approach and readjust if needed.
Drive onto ramps put car in park (for Autos) or reverse (for manuals) and use the E-brake. Turn the car off.
Insert Chock Blocks behind wheels (as shown in Figure 1).
Lay out all needed tools/parts nearby.
Figure 1
Step 2:
Pop Hood
From underneath the car locate the silver oil sump cover and remove the 7x 1/2" hex bolts. See Figure 2 for reference:
Figure 2
Put this cover to the side for now.
Figure 3
Using gloves (as the oil may be very hot) use the 8mm alan key to remove the recessed oil plug. Be sure that your oil pan is positioned below the plug to catch all of the oil. This step will take about 5-10 minutes so go grab some shop towels and your BEvERage and take a break.
Figure 4
After all of the oil has drained from the sump, locate and remove the oil filter. Oil filter location can be seen in Figure 5.
Figure 5
This is the hardest step and I recommend picking up the same tool the technicians at the dealership use the remove this filter. If you have already gotten this far and cannot get the oil filter off then use the screwdriver method. (Not ideal as your used filter will look something like Figure 6.)
Figure 6
Essentially what you do is puncture the oil filter (use a hammer if needed) with a long screwdriver and use that as leverage to loosen the filter.
After the filter is removed lightly lube your new filter's seal with new oil. Then screw it on hand tight. (Or tighter if you have the correct oil filter wrench tool.)
Figure 7
Next, install your Fumoto oil plug (or regular OEM plug) back into the oil sump as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8
Fill engine oil reservoir with 5-6 qt's of quality 5W-30 oil. This is where a funnel is handy.
Figure 9
Now turn on the engine for a few minutes and look for leaks (I do not recommend going under the vehicle while it is running even with the chock blocks in place.)
If leaks are found simply tighten the leaking part. If no leaks are detected turn off the engine and reinstall the oil sump cover. CAUTION the oil sump surface including the Fumoto valve if used will be hot. Use gloves if needed.
Figure 10
Oil Change Complete.
Thank you all for reading. Hopefully this helps out with changing your own oil.
Feel free to add advice/tips/tricks or PM me errors in this procedure.
This was my first time ever changing my own oil (in the RX-8).
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__________________ 2006 Pontiac Torrent - Traded in 8/2010 2007 RX-8 GT Auto - Traded In - 4/2009 2008 Saturn Sky Turbo - Traded in 8/2010 2009 RX-8 R3 - Traded in 7/2011 2011 Nissan Rogue SL - Traded in 5/2011
2011 GMC Terrain - Current Ride
2009 RX-8 GT - Arrived 9-9-11
Last edited by Are-Ex-Eight; 10-09-2009 at 01:53 PM.
As I have done about 6 oil filter changes on my 8 there a a few things I would recommend.
Sump Guard....you do not have to remove all of the bolts...leave the middle rear one loose so you can swing the silver sump cover around (180 degrees ) and to the rear, it is out of the way, you can still start your car, and it is just that much easier to put back.
The only other issue is if you can't have your car level you are not draining all the oil that is in the sump as the drain plug is toward the front of the car.
Just keep in mind even with the larger sump pan/capacity in the Series II you are still leaving behind 45% of your old oil in the coolers and lines.
Some do the corner lift, one at a time at each side, but you are leaving around 25-30%.
What I am doing now is a double drain, that is a drain, fill, run car for 10 min, drain and oil filter change...it is not ideal but this way you are renewing around 85-90% of your engine oil with fresh oil.
As I have done about 6 oil filter changes on my 8 there a a few things I would recommend.
Sump Guard....you do not have to remove all of the bolts...leave the middle rear one loose so you can swing the silver sump cover around (180 degrees ) and to the rear, it is out of the way, you can still start your car, and it is just that much easier to put back.
The only other issue is if you can't have your car level you are not draining all the oil that is in the sump as the drain plug is toward the front of the car.
Just keep in mind even with the larger sump pan/capacity in the Series II you are still leaving behind 45% of your old oil in the coolers and lines.
Some do the corner lift, one at a time at each side, but you are leaving around 25-30%.
What I am doing now is a double drain, that is a drain, fill, run car for 10 min, drain and oil filter change...it is not ideal but this way you are renewing around 85-90% of your engine oil with fresh oil.
Someone else can do the math...
I thought about this, but decided to just do the easy change yet do it more often (say 2500 miles instead of 5000). Also, since the RX-8 consumes oil do you think that adding fresh top up oil helps keep it clean and always diluting the oil dirty oil?
__________________ 2006 Pontiac Torrent - Traded in 8/2010 2007 RX-8 GT Auto - Traded In - 4/2009 2008 Saturn Sky Turbo - Traded in 8/2010 2009 RX-8 R3 - Traded in 7/2011 2011 Nissan Rogue SL - Traded in 5/2011
2011 GMC Terrain - Current Ride
2009 RX-8 GT - Arrived 9-9-11
On the 09's does mazda still say to change your oil and filter every 5k miles? A long time ago Mazda sent me a letter stating that instead of changing it every 5k, to change it every 3,750. Every since i stopped getting free oil changes i change my oil every 3k.
I used this tool to remove my Harley oil filter. I had to mod it because when I was under the car it kept slipping open to wider opening so I used the wire to prevent it from sliding wider. The other pic is the dents no holes I put in the filter from the tool they do put the 1st filter on damn tight.
__________________
2009 RX-8 mt Diamond Gray
"...all I have in this world is my ***** and my word and I don't break 'em for no one..."
-Tony Montana
Quote:
Originally Posted by burglar
This car is surgical, and I need to relearn how to exploit that.
i notice that your using synthetic oil i dont wanna ask a dumb question but i thought were not suposed to.. well im new to this and my friend always tells me that i cant cause of performance and that it might **** up the car
You don't absolutely need an oil filter wrench, it can be done fairly easily with your bare hands and I bet even easier with a pair of those mechanix grip gloves. Just takes the proper positioning of yourself under the car to get some good hand torque on it. I have only done one oil change so far but it was pretty easy, other than that sump guard since I took it all the way off. Getting that thing to stay up while I put it back on was a bitch.
I do the thing where I jack on side of the car up and then the other to drain the oil out and it seemed to work quite good. I dont really wanna waste a bunch of oil and change it twice in the same sitting and it was pretty clean after the first change even though there was some dirty that got mixed in still.
I went to the dealer to change oil today
the guy changed the filter and put 4.5qt's of oil in the engine now its about 1-1.5cm above the full line. ****
Im gonna change the oil myself next time. never trust someone else.
I have only done one oil change so far but it was pretty easy, other than that sump guard since I took it all the way off. Getting that thing to stay up while I put it back on was a bitch.
It is less of a bitch if you notice that the middle bolt on the passenger side has an open hole / slot in the pan instead of a closed hole. Just LOOSEN that bolt without removing it, then you can slip the pan off and on without having to align and hold that side of the pan in place. I found it to be very easy.
That said, I prefer the series-I set up much more. The entire oil change can easily be done with an oil extractor from the top without ever getting under the car. I'm beginning to believe that for the series-II, Mazda moved the oil filter under the car along with the additional sump guard and special drain bolt just to discourage people from doing their own oil changes, retaining more dealer control over the process. I really resent that.
here's the reasons why I don't use synthetic or semi synth oil:
-it's more expensive
-"regular" oil is recommended at 10w30,10w40 or 10w50
-it will not prolong the life of my engine
-Mazda tell me NOT to use it
-it will void my warranty
-don't want the hassle of disproving the above
-it will probably mess up my cat (not the meow-meow type)
-my car runs just fine on regular
-tired of countless debate on this
Quote:
Originally Posted by renebree1018
i notice that your using synthetic oil i dont wanna ask a dumb question but i thought were not suposed to.. well im new to this and my friend always tells me that i cant cause of performance and that it might **** up the car
Although I signed up recently I read your forum. I will advice you not to use synthetic or synthetic blend oil in your renesis engine. It will co$$$t you down the line. It happen to me on my 2004 RX8 with low mileage 15,102, 15,000 miles later (5 oil Changes) the car engine gasket needed to be replace coolant was mixing in with the oil. What a milky expen$$e. Stay away from Synthetic engine oil for your renesis engine go Castro GTX 5W20. They are great for piston engines.
Although I signed up recently I read your forum. I will advice you not to use synthetic or synthetic blend oil in your renesis engine. It will co$$$t you down the line. It happen to me on my 2004 RX8 with low mileage 15,102, 15,000 miles later (5 oil Changes) the car engine gasket needed to be replace coolant was mixing in with the oil. What a milky expen$$e. Stay away from Synthetic engine oil for your renesis engine go Castro GTX 5W20. They are great for piston engines.
As a newbie, I suggest you be careful on what advise you give.
You need to look around a bit more, there are thousands of RX-8 owners and their engine oils, while I personally use Castrol GTX3 15W40 Dino, there are many who use Synthetics with NO Issues at all, and since the 09 RX-8 model Mazda Japan Sell/use a Synthetic Engine Oil.
If you had Coolant seeping into your engines combustion area (I take it that is what occurred), you would have needed an engine re-build?, I can assure you this is not the Type of Oil Related.
Neither is a Foamy, milky dipstick oil type related..
Synthetic oil has been proven time and time again to be superior to mineral oil in every aspect. The chemical properties are simply better.
Also wanted to share that I have seen an average of 5% increase in my gas mileage on this oil vs. the break in oil...not sure if that's within the noise or not but we will see if it continues.
__________________ 2006 Pontiac Torrent - Traded in 8/2010 2007 RX-8 GT Auto - Traded In - 4/2009 2008 Saturn Sky Turbo - Traded in 8/2010 2009 RX-8 R3 - Traded in 7/2011 2011 Nissan Rogue SL - Traded in 5/2011
2011 GMC Terrain - Current Ride
2009 RX-8 GT - Arrived 9-9-11
Fumoto Oil Plug Drain Valves (HIGHLY recommended) is "guaranteed" to -40F, .....here in Chicago the temperature can drop to -60F with wind chill.
Wind chill does not affect the temperature of metal nor anything else for that matter. It applies to humans as the wind has an evaporation effect of any moisture on your skin, this evaporation requires heat which is why you body loses heat and is effectively exposed to a lower temperature with no wind.
What the wind chill factor will do for inanimate objects is cool them down to the actual air temperature at an accelerated rate vs. if there was no wind present.
Happy fumotoing.
__________________ 2006 Pontiac Torrent - Traded in 8/2010 2007 RX-8 GT Auto - Traded In - 4/2009 2008 Saturn Sky Turbo - Traded in 8/2010 2009 RX-8 R3 - Traded in 7/2011 2011 Nissan Rogue SL - Traded in 5/2011
2011 GMC Terrain - Current Ride
2009 RX-8 GT - Arrived 9-9-11
yup, u r absolutely Wikipedia right!....still my butt gets cold really damn fast!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Are-Ex-Eight
Wind chill does not affect the temperature of metal nor anything else for that matter. It applies to humans as the wind has an evaporation effect of any moisture on your skin, this evaporation requires heat which is why you body loses heat and is effectively exposed to a lower temperature with no wind.
What the wind chill factor will do for inanimate objects is cool them down to the actual air temperature at an accelerated rate vs. if there was no wind present.
I will advice you not to use synthetic or synthetic blend oil in your renesis engine. 
It will co$$$t you down the line. 
It happen to me on my 2004 RX8 with low mileage 15,102, 15,000 miles later (5 oil Changes) the car engine gasket needed to be replace coolant was mixing in with the oil. What a milky expen$$e. 
They are great for piston engines.
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