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Changing oil in the Mazda 3 sucks


auxilary

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why?

 

there are 7 or 8 bolts you have to unscrew to get the belly pan off, and remove 2 plastic push clips. Then there are 2 more clips in the rear that pop out under force.

 

The oil filter is a CARTRIDGE instead of screw on type, and comes with 2 separate o-rings you have to install yourself. The lower portion of the filter assembly unscrews, and then you have to take out the filter cartridge by unscrewing a 6mm hex bolt on the bottom.

 

Whoever thought this was a good idea instead of a screw-on type cartridge is a moron. Whoever thought this was a great idea to have people take cars to dealerships for service is brilliant. If it's the same guy, he's an autistic savant.

 

oh, and apparently 5w20 sae dyno oil is a buck more per quart than 5w30 of the same make.

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Try explaining that to someone who has never changed their own oil and complains that their bill is $13 more the the previous persons. I always tell them that if it was my choice it would be a $30 differance. And you should see the confusion on rednecks faces when I tell them that their new Ford truck takes 5w20. Their responce is always the same "I don't want to put no piss watter 5w20 in there, put 10w40 in." Then I tell them Ford will void their warrenty if the run anything but 5w20 in it. Sure pisses them off.

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My Audi's oil filter was a pain and always messy. No way to not let it spill on the engine and suspension parts.

 

I bought an oil filter relocation kit. Still have to remove the dam lower engine cover or what ever it's called.

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I'm going to go against the grain here. A spin on filter has an internal bypass system that allows oil to go through the filter unfiltered, just check the cut apart ones at the local parts stores, they either have a real spring or a pseudo spring that allows the filter to move to the bottom of the filter can. A cartridge filter does not have this feature. A cartridge filter is far superior to a spin on filter IMHO. So, while being a PITA is is a better oil filtration system which spawned the Oberg system, Canton and others that are race bred.

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there are 7 or 8 bolts you have to unscrew to get the belly pan off' date=' and remove 2 plastic push clips. Then there are 2 more clips in the rear that pop out under force.

[/quote']

 

Since you've seen what it's like down there, do you think it's feasible to cut a hole or "door" in that cover, so that you don't have to remove the whole thing next time you do an oil change? Or is the filter assembly so big that you may as well remove the whole underside cover?

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Ironically, there's already a holy in the bellypan. The problem is that it's 3" off center with the filter. Even if you left a hole in there, it would leave a lot of oil splattering everywhere when you do it. Just taking off the pan is a much better idea when doing an oil change on that motor.

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I'm going to go against the grain here. A spin on filter has an internal bypass system that allows oil to go through the filter unfiltered, just check the cut apart ones at the local parts stores, they either have a real spring or a pseudo spring that allows the filter to move to the bottom of the filter can. A cartridge filter does not have this feature. A cartridge filter is far superior to a spin on filter IMHO. So, while being a PITA is is a better oil filtration system which spawned the Oberg system, Canton and others that are race bred.

 

Yeah, but the bypass only happens if the filter gets clogged. Keep your filter clean and it will never bypass. But if it does get clogged, how is having unfiltered oil circulating worse then having no oil pressure?

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Really, Aux are you concerned that your mazda will have no oil pressure when the filter gets clogged? I would think that would be a warranty issue cause the motor is shelling out, unless you never changed the oil. I thought he was just having problems taking it off, I didn't think it was a concern for clogging up. Don't the new cars shut off when the oil pressure falls below say 20psi?

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Really, Aux are you concerned that your mazda will have no oil pressure when the filter gets clogged? I would think that would be a warranty issue cause the motor is shelling out, unless you never changed the oil. I thought he was just having problems taking it off, I didn't think it was a concern for clogging up. Don't the new cars shut off when the oil pressure falls below say 20psi?

 

Most cars do this I thought. Mine does 'cause I bought a pressure switch and hooked it up through a relay to the fuel pump.

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Really, Aux are you concerned that your mazda will have no oil pressure when the filter gets clogged? I would think that would be a warranty issue cause the motor is shelling out, unless you never changed the oil. I thought he was just having problems taking it off, I didn't think it was a concern for clogging up. Don't the new cars shut off when the oil pressure falls below say 20psi?

Well, seeing as how I changed oil at 1100 miles, I don't think I'll run into that problem :)

 

GM uses the same principle on their 3.5l V6 motors. I remember changing my aunt's oil, and using the same cartridge.

 

Engine problems? Mazda has 4 year/50k warranty. I don't think this would be a serious problem: car's been out for 2-3 years now

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Yeah, but the bypass only happens if the filter gets clogged. Keep your filter clean and it will never bypass. But if it does get clogged, how is having unfiltered oil circulating worse then having no oil pressure?

Don't they also bypass at high rpms when pressure is really high?

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I always thought it was only if they get clogged. Obviously only when a large pressure drop exists across them. They all do it so there must be a good reason for it. There are enough 300+ thousand mile vehicles running around with spin on filters that it is kind of hard to claim this is a poor design.

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