The mazda mechanics told me that i need to do it every 3000 miles but my coupons tell me to do it every 5000 miles what do you think?

 

do it when the oil starts to get dirty. depending on how you drive too. i drive my car hard, so i change it every 2500. just check your oil weekly and wipe it on a paper towel. if the color starts to look a dirty brown, change it.

 

ahh... but what does your MANUAL say grasshopper?

 

so stick to what the manual says. got it. sounds better

 

Do it every three thousand. My dealer told me that over the manual. Unless you drive like a grandma.

 

yea grandmas shouldnt be in an rx8 they are meant to be driven hard.

 

I'm doing my oil changes every 2500 miles - simply inserting a quick oil/filter change done personally - between 5000 mile visits to the dealer.

I figure that way -

1. The minimal maintenance is documented at the dealer

2. Regular checkup between dealer visits

3. Only about 3 quarts and a filter - no oil added between servicing - usually down a quart

4. Very minimal added cost - 10 extra oil changes in first 100,000 miles - at cost of about $120.

5. I do most of my own work on the 'stable'

6. It will not hurt

 

My dad's favorite saying that I subscribe to ...."oil is cheap...engines aren't"

Change it often.............

 

Good point.

 

Dannobre:

"Father Knows Best"

John

 

Yes they do. I will change it often

 

manual says if you make short trips daily then to do it every 4K....... if you do more longer trips then every 5K....


just informing you

 

I change my oil every 2.5k - 3k miles.

 

AND if you register on Mazda's site, it'll tell you to do it every 7500 miles....... just another variable to throw in the mix.

 

Remember that with the high power engine when you change the oil you are only draining about half the oil in the system due to the amount that remains in the oil coolers and oil lines. So even after you "change" the oil, half of it is old oil. Change it frequently as suggested.

 

I have built a few motors in my life and from experience every 3000 miles is good insurance and if you drive it like it was ment to be then the 3000 miles is a good time.

 

And MY favorite saying is...

"If you change your oil every 2500 miles, you're pouring perfectly good oil down the drain."

People who study this phenomenon (those who are not under the influence of the oil company lobby) say that engine oil lasts far longer than 3000 miles, and if you change it more often you're wasting money. In cars that have computerized engine oil life monitoring (like BMW), the typical change interval is closer to TEN thousand miles, often MORE.

If you want to waste your money, go right ahead. 7500 miles may be a smidge too long to go under most circumstances with a high-rpm screamer like that in the RX-8, but in the case of a car that uses oil in its' combustion process (and therefore requires topping off at regular intervals, replenishing the oil supply with clean oil), I think anything less than 5000 miles is simply throwing money at the oil companies, falling for oil company and "Jiffy Lube" fairy tales, and perpetuating a myth that should've died three decades ago (when oil could actually be CAUSE of engine failures).

No disrespect intended, but 3000 mile intervals are pure foolishness with modern oils , unless you drive in truly extreme conditions. Just two references:

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=7969

The "cheap insurance myth":
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=7969

There's more, but I don't think I need to elaborate further to promote MY agenda. I wish I could find the article in one of the major auto magazines on this topic (it was in C&D, R&T or Automobile, I've forgotten which), but I've long since forgetten which mag and issue it was in

I'll do no more than 5000 mile intervals in MY car, and I have absolutely zero concern that an oil-related failure will befall my car during the useful life of the engine.

 

i have long ago gone to 5k changes with my prev civic si that was hittng 8k regurarly and it was just fine .. 5k intervals are also easy to remeber so you can stay on schedule .. sorry no change your oil stickers on my windshield

 

If you are using the oil as the reason to change it...new oils will last a lot longer than that. I use full synthetic that will hold its properties for probably 30,000 miles...the problem though is "dirt" in the oil...impurities from wear, combustion, and coming in the air filter.

I tend to have engines that run for a long time...Volvo with 350K,325 with 120K, MX-6 with 190K, all on original engines and going strong.

I would rather waste less than $200 per year doing oil changes (and use expensive oil).....than run dirty oil.

Each to his own....OH...either way you are listening to a big co....you think GM wants your engine to last a long time?? Any bets they are happy if it lasts til the warranty is up...


Cynical oil waster out

The only was to be sure is to do oil analaysis............

 

I thought people weren't too sure about synthetic oil in this car.....I am confused. I have read that 3000mi changes are big scams, but I guess changing your oil often can't hurt the car...just your wallet.

 

if you're bitching about the cost of oil changes you shouldn't be buying a 30K sports car, change it every 2500.

 

I'll have to disagree with your statement, at least regarding the RX8 rotary. For my piston cars, I've gone forever without changing or adding oil. But I've found the rotary to be different. Read my posts in the thread "Anyone ever have the dealer fix poor MPG." In that thread, I report that my mpg goes down 1 to 2 mpg as the oil level drops close to the bottom line on the dipstick at only 3000 miles on the oil. I'm not talking about below the bottom line but still above. At that level, you can't argue that the engine isn't getting enough oil. The engine has enough oil; it just doesn't have enough clean oil. Sure you can add a quart, but I think we can still already conclude we've reached a point of diminishing returns. If an oil change replaces only one-half of the oil, adding a quart isn't going to increase the relative amount of clean oil nearly as much. When mpg goes down 1 or 2 mpg, I believe common sense tells me that ain't good for my engine. I'm no expert at any of this but I did the experiment...on accident! And I'm not going to do it again.

 

The extended oil change in SOME cars such as my Mercedes SLK320 is based on using a very different synthetic oil (0-40 or 0-50) and a monitoring system that tracks the type of driving done. Plus a much larger sump with larger percent changed at oil change.

The Rotary is different - different engine / only about 1/2 oil is changed / sump is small / burns oil in order to lubricant parts of the engine / generally runs rich.

A shorter oil change interval may just be wasting oil but I plan on having RX-8 for 10 plus years - so I just do my thing every 2500 miles.

John

 

most good modern oils last well over 10,000 miles before it even starts to breakdown the additive packages... whcih usually is all you are replacing when you change your oil. The onl way to tell how it is in your car is to send your oil off and have it tested. it's about $100. Have an additive and metals index done. that'll tell how the car is wearing and how much life the oil has left etc..

 

WE ALL HAVE THE HORROR STORIES OF OIL
1.COMES FROM THE EARTH(MILLION YEAR OLD) 2.GAS (MAN MADE OR NOT)3.SOME ARE RUNNING ON CHICKEN POOP!ALL IN ALL BE PREVENTATIVE WITH THE ROTORY AND RESPECT THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT THE SAME OLE MACHINE LIKE EVERYONE ON THE ROAD.3,OOO MILE CHANGE FOR EXCESS HIGH END DRIVING AND 5,OOO FOR THE NORMAL HIT THAT RED LINE EVERY FEW DAYS DRIVER'S..THIS IS ALL...