I had the stomach flu yesterday, I was trying to put up a strong front for the kids that I was ok by going out to the garage to play, but it was hard to focus on what I was doing. As the "oil" was coming out I was thinking it sure was clean looking....and red. REDDDDD!! So as I'm struggling trying to get the plug back in, it falls into the drain pan. Then I can't get it to thread in (righty tighty, lefty loosey....except when you're facing the wrong way.....). Besides it had been a long time since I had seen a tranny with a drain plug. I really should have waited till I was feeling better. But I got the oil changed, and now three quarts of new transmission fluid. I've been changing oil and doing my own car (ATV, lawn equipment, house, kids toys, etc) repairs since I was 16 (I was 16 in 1971) and that was probably one of the biggest bone-headed moves I've done.
I have to say that changing the oil on the Mazda 5 isn't much harder than a regular car, cartridge oil filter and all (other than the bone-headed move). Taking the splash pan wasn't hard, and it sure keeps things clean underneath. I think in the future I'm not going to bother taking the plug out of the filter housing to drain it.
Oh...and I'm feeling much better today....
Dave