Oil changes

[Latka]

I know this might be early for some, but I was wondering if anybody has attempted to change their own oil and filter in their 2010 mazda 3? I have read the forum for oil changes in the older Mazda 3s but I have heard that Mazda has switched the 2010 to a rotary/screw on oil filter (the easiest to use and most common type) from the older 3's that used a filter that was in a plastic housing with rubber gaskets etc. Do you still have to peel the bottom plastic parts (shield) to get to the oil plug and filter?

Thank you for any information you can give me!

[mikethern]

My car has only 100 miles on it, but I noticed the oil filter location. It looks like a regular screw-on filter, but you probably have to remove the undercarriage cover to get to it. If you to the Fram oil filter website, it tells you what type of oil filter to get....
http://www.power-21.com/FramPower21i/Application.aspx?b=F

[Dubcnea]

i JUST changed mine and no, you do NOT have to remove the under carriage cover now. they made the hole bigger and you are able to do it without taking anything off...other than the filter of course. just make sure that you only partially unscrew it and then some oil drain or it'll splatter all over the topside of the cover and that's no good.

oh and don't forget about the metal washer on the plug...i missed it in the oil catcher and had to drain the new oil out and then put it back in. doh! other than that it was a breeze. i changed it at 380 miles just for peace of mind and to remove any particulates from the newness.

ALSO...i suggest that you do not buy a Fram or aftermarket filter. i did (Wix) but will be using mazda filters from now on. aftermarket ones just aren't the quality that OEM is. go to www.mazdastuff.com and get you a 5 pack for like $30. hella deal and they are genuine mazda parts.

[Dubcnea]

update: here is the filter

http://www.mazdastuff.com/product.cfm?ProductID=2172

they don't have 5 packs now. boo. but this is less than 6 bux (plus shipping...buy a few and save yourself some money).

[mikethern]

Here's a 5-pack...

http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazda-oilfilter-genuine.html

Are you sure the Mazda filter is well-made? I wonder if they are made in Japan. I'm sure it's better than Fram filters though. I've been researching filters, and Mobil 1 filters and K&N filters are excellent. See link....
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/opinions.html#recommended

Dubcnea, what brand of 5W20 oil did you choose?

[Dubcnea]

The K&N and Mobil1's are good. but for the price i just don't see how they stack up. if it was for racing and such then yeah i might partake in such brands.

i'm not sure where they are made, but the one i took off is stamped "FoMoCo" which is short for Ford Motor Company. i guess i'm more interested in the fact that it's warranted by Mazda. :) also the construction of it looks solid, but that's just from the top.

I chose Valvoline 5w20 as spec'd in the manual. I used regular instead of synthetic as i've read numerous times that it's best to wait until 1500-2000 miles before switching. i've ALWAYS used valvoline in other cars except for the synthetic variety...i use Mobil1.

good catch on the 5 pack :D

[mikethern]

Does the Mazda oil filter have a bolt on the end of it for easy removal?

[Dubcnea]

Nope, just a normal twist off filter. it shouldn't be a problem to get it off if it's installed correctly (right amount of torque). my stock one was horrid to get off...it was put on far too tight. but from now on it should be no problem. just put it on til it's snug, and then go another 1/2 to 3/4 turn and you're good.

[Latka]

Nope, just a normal twist off filter. it shouldn't be a problem to get it off if it's installed correctly (right amount of torque). my stock one was horrid to get off...it was put on far too tight. but from now on it should be no problem. just put it on til it's snug, and then go another 1/2 to 3/4 turn and you're good.

Thank you for the infomation on the oil changes. I am comming up to my first change and I was hoping there was another that had gone through the process already. I found this site for Mazda filters but do not know if these filters will fit the 2010 3. The site says it is for the Mazda 6 2.5 and that has the same engine as the 2010 mazda 3. Anyways, thanks again and here is the site. 5 pack and wrench for 25.00 bucks.

http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazda-oilfilter-genuine.html

[mikethern]

The site says it is for the Mazda 6 2.5 and that has the same engine as the 2010 mazda 3.

Actually, your link states that it fits the 2010 Mazda3 as well. Click the drop down box in your link.

[graviongr]

I ordered the 5 pack from that link and it was sitting there on the doorstep when I got home today. Pretty quick shipping, it was a little over $11 for UPS 3-day ground, but it worked out great since I couldn't find filters anywhere locally anyways.

It also came with a wrench bit device to remove them I guess, but from what I hear I don't really need it anyways, but it's nice to have just in case.

Thanks for the link. I will soon attempt my own oil change.

[mikethern]

It also came with a wrench bit device to remove them I guess, but from what I hear I don't really need it anyways, but it's nice to have just in case.


You'll probably need the wrench to remove the factory-installed filter. Factories tend to overtighten them. When you put on the new filter, don't use a wrench. And keep the receipts of your filters and oil in case you ever need to prove that you changed your oil for warranty purposes. Keep a log of dates and odometer readings of all maintenance you do to your car.

[mikethern]

Looks like I am going to buy genuine Mazda oil filters after all. Look what I found on page 9-19 of the Mazda3 owner's manual....

"Non-genuine parts and accessories for Mazda vehicles can be found in stores.
These may fit your vehicle, but they are not approved by Mazda for use with Mazda vehicles. When you install non-genuine parts or accessories, they could affect your vehicle's performance or safety systems; the Mazda warranty doesn't cover this. Before you install any non-genuine parts or accessories, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer."

[Latka]

You'll probably need the wrench to remove the factory-installed filter. Factories tend to overtighten them. When you put on the new filter, don't use a wrench. And keep the receipts of your filters and oil in case you ever need to prove that you changed your oil for warranty purposes. Keep a log of dates and odometer readings of all maintenance you do to your car.

This is exactly what the Mazda told me when I told them I change my own oil! Good info for people in case they do not keep receipts and logs normally.

[Latka]

I ordered the 5 pack from that link and it was sitting there on the doorstep when I got home today. Pretty quick shipping, it was a little over $11 for UPS 3-day ground, but it worked out great since I couldn't find filters anywhere locally anyways.

It also came with a wrench bit device to remove them I guess, but from what I hear I don't really need it anyways, but it's nice to have just in case.

Thanks for the link. I will soon attempt my own oil change.

Great! I am glad you tried them. Let me know how the change goes and if there are any snafu's.

[Latka]

Looks like I am going to buy genuine Mazda oil filters after all. Look what I found on page 9-19 of the Mazda3 owner's manual....

"Non-genuine parts and accessories for Mazda vehicles can be found in stores.
These may fit your vehicle, but they are not approved by Mazda for use with Mazda vehicles. When you install non-genuine parts or accessories, they could affect your vehicle's performance or safety systems; the Mazda warranty doesn't cover this. Before you install any non-genuine parts or accessories, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer."

Looks like I will be using Mazda parts for the next five years! ha....I wonder how strict this really is? I guess the answer is only a phone call away.

[mikethern]

I just ordered the 5-pack too. What brand oil you guys gonna use? I just bought Chevron Supreme 5w20 because it was on sale for $2 a quart.

[Dubcnea]

i'm not sure that Mazda would dock you on something like the oil filter unless you used a model that was not made for that engine. i've not heard of an issue with an engine due to the oil filter itself anyways. perhaps the installation was faulty and leaked oil, but never the filter. but it's still a good idea to use the Mazda certified ones.

I used Valvoline for the first change since it's no where near ready for synthetic. when it comes to oil and parts, that's one think i just won't skimp on. is part of it peace of mind? sure...but Valvoline has been around for 10s of years and they do a lot of R&D and i trust that brand. the only other brand i trust is Mobil 1. personally i would not buy a brand just due to the sale price, but that is just me! the most important thing is using the correct weight and such anyways...brand is secondary. just my .02

[mikethern]

Chevron is a solid brand. I wouldn't buy a no-name brand. As for filters, I have read that have been many incidents where Fram filters disintegrated and jammed the engine with fragments of cardboard. That's exactly the type of incident that the owner's manual warned is not covered by warranty.

[Dubcnea]

good point on the fram, although i've not heard of it. i got a Wix because i needed a filter pronto. Mazda certified from here on out though.

i didn't mean Chevron wasn't a name brand, but i've had no experience with it ;)

[mikethern]

The good news is that Mazda's are super reliable, so we probably won't have any engine problems during the warranty, but better safe than sorry.

[graviongr]

Hmm. Just tried the oil change today. I'm starting to have doubts on whether or not these filters listed in that 5 pack link are official Mazda 2010 3 oil filters.

The included wrench bit did not fit the factory installed oil filter. Also, it was black and these 5 pack ones are white.

So I could not finish the oil change because I was unable to remove the factory filter, I tried by hand something fierce but it was on there pretty darn securely, also I was doing this on my back under the car so it was hard to get a good angle and grip in the first place.

Tomorrow I will buy an oil filter wrench / socket set from Harbor Freight and give it another try, but I'm a little uneasy now. And yes I did make sure to select 2010 Mazda 3 2.0L, and I gave them the last 8 digits of my VIN.

Am I just being too paranoid?

P.S. Mikethern: I bought 5 quarts of 5w20 Mobil 1 synthetic oil, it was buy 4 get 5th free so it cost me a shade under $30 for the oil. But I figure that oil will easily last the recommended 5k miles between oil changes.

[mikethern]

graviongr, when you take the old filter off, touch the rubber gasket to the rubber gasket of the new filter to make sure it is the same diameter. And make sure you check the dipstick before every drive for a few days to make sure you are not leaking oil. If your engine is ruined from leaking oil, you are sh*t out of luck.

What's the item number on the boxes of the new filters? It should be LF10-14-302

[Dubcnea]

the factory one is very tight...i had to almost dent the factory one with an oil wrench before it would budge. they are put on far too tight. color does not always matter in the way of the filter...it's the part number that's most important.

and i'm not sure but i think i read somewhere that putting synthetic in the engine before a certain number of miles (2500?) was not good. but i'm not 100% sure on that accuracy. just to be safe i used conventional for this change since i only had 400 miles on the car...and will do synthetic the next time.

[graviongr]

Ok I just got home. The part number on the filter is LF05-14-302A.

So does that mean it's not going to fit and I got the wrong one?

Also, to Dubcnea (any underscores in here?), I think you're right on with that, I've heard the same thing. I have 3800+ miles on my vehicle now and was told it should be safe to go synthetic now.

[mikethern]

According to the following website, your filter is okay.....

http://www.mazdastuff.com/product.cfm?ProductID=2172

Here's another discussion about your filter....

http://forum.miata.net/vb/printthread.php?t=295640

[graviongr]

Awesome, mikethern, thank you for that link sir.

[mikethern]

Here's another website that says that it IS the right filter.....

http://cart.scarboroughmazda.com/index.php?cPath=7_61&osCsid=dsopskiic6ro22276682go9i43

This Fram site says it is the right filter too. Where it says, "Enter Competitor Part Number(s)", go ahead and enter LF10-14-302. Then do it again and enter LF05-14-302A. Both result with the same Fram filter....

http://www.power-21.com/FramPower21i/Competitor.aspx?b=F&pn=LF10-14-302&em=True

Notice that 3 Mazda filters are compatible....
http://www.power-21.com/FramPower21i/PartDetailWindow.aspx?b=F&pn=PH9566

[graviongr]

Ok I just finished the oil changes. There were no problems really. I didn't have to take off the under armor thing, there was a hole there to grab the oil filter.

The factory one was on very tight, with my new oil filter wrench bit I was able to finally loosen it. I installed the new one and tightened by hand.

Here are pictures of the old and new filters, incidentally, the old filter was a Ford oil filter. I guess it shouldn't strike anyone as strange since Ford had owned 33% in Mazda until last year. They sold a lot off which is partly how they did so well when the economy bombed and the other big 2 were borrowing money, and Ford didn't... now I think they own like 10% in Mazda or something? I'm no expert, that is just from what I read.

The original filter says "FoMoCo". (http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i297/gravionGR/Mazda%203/mazda_ford_oil_filters01.jpg)
Part number of the Ford filter. (http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i297/gravionGR/Mazda%203/mazda_ford_oil_filters02.jpg)

You can notice that the factory filter is just a smidgen taller than the new one.

Anyways, I did it all on my back under the car, I didn't need to jack it up, so worrying about that was one less worry I didn't have to deal with.

Used the Mobil 1 synthetic, and I ran the engine for a while and so far so good, no leaks to report. I think everything went well in general, thanks to the advice and encouragement from everyone here. :)

[mikethern]

Did you put a film of oil on the filter gasket?

[TheMAN]

the 2010 oil filter (any engine) is the EXACT same as the 04-09 2.0l mazda3
some 09 mazda6s uses the cartridge bullshit so you don't want to ask for a 09 mazda6 filter and chancing getting a wrong one!

if you got an LF10 filter then good for you... it's as tall as the original LF8J factory filter

the engine in the 2010 is still mostly ford, just like most other parts in the car... the ford's lesser stake at mazda has nothing to do with the use of ford parts or not... fact of the matter is, the 2010 has been in development WAY before the financial crisis hit or ford's sale of mazda... you can't just change designs/suppliers overnight!

[Fred]

Ok I just got home. The part number on the filter is LF05-14-302A.

So does that mean it's not going to fit and I got the wrong one?

Also, to Dubcnea (any underscores in here?), I think you're right on with that, I've heard the same thing. I have 3800+ miles on my vehicle now and was told it should be safe to go synthetic now.

Mobil 1 website talks about a number of car manufacturers delivering new vehicles with synthetic.

[Dubcnea]

i don't think you're wrong, Fred...but i'm one of those 'better safe than sorry' guys. i'll take my chances and run conventional for one change rotation. ;)