I've been doing 10k oil changes since switching over to synthetic @ 20k. 72k now and no problems. The oil doesn't even look that bad when it comes out... slightly brown is all.

I ran my old Civic (1980) to 15k on the old Mobil1. That car ran to 190k before it was so rusty I had to take it off the road. No problems there either.

 

I'm looking for guidance on what to remove underneath when an oil change is due. The undercarraige has a plastic cover.

Any Mazda service techs out there?

Thanks.

 

If the CX-5 is anything like my Mazda3, then:

Plan A:

If you have a lift:

• Remove two bolts on either side of the tray in front of the half-shafts
• Ease the tray loose on each side and let it hang down
• Drain the oil and remove and replace (R&R) the filter
• Refit the two sides of the tray to their respective carriers
• Grease (very-VERY important) the bolts and reinsert (just a hair tighter than wrist tight)

If you do NOT have a lift:

• Drill out the two plastic retaining pins, remove and discard (first time only)
• Remove the five bolts across the leading edge of the tray
• Remove two bolts on either side of the tray in front of the half-shafts
• Ease the tray loose on each side and slide out from underneath the car
• Drain the oil and R&R the filter
• Grease (very-VERY important) the front bolts and reattach the leading edge of the tray (just a hair tighter than wrist tight)
• Refit the two sides of the tray to their respective carriers
• Grease (very-VERY important) the side bolts and reinsert (just a hair tighter than wrist tight)

Plan B (my preferred method):

• Widen the inspection hole under the oil filter enough to be able to R&R the filter without removing the tray (first time only)
• R&R the oil filter
• Use an oil extractor to remove the oil via the dipstick

Plan C:

• Remove the tray and store in your attic; remount it prior to reselling the car

 

Man, you need a WIDE SCREEN for that post, Dale!!
Good job summing up the process though.

I don't know about the dipstick hole/oil extraction method though. I prefer to get under and remove the plug.
Also there are valves that can be retrofitted that will replace the traditonal oil drain plug. They are said the be quite good and do not leak. I have never tried one so I cannot speak from experience.

But take a lesson from Shipo, and from me. Lubricate the screw/bolts (they have both a #2 phillips head and a 10mm hex head) for the splash shields when you remove them. The nuts that they go into are captured by a fairly flimsey piece of stamped sheetmetal and not very well, as they are press-fit into them. Any excessive pressure on them, like a little corrosion/rust, will strip out the nut from its holder and the nut will just spin in place.

Also, widening the "factory inspection" hole for easier oil filter access is what I recommend too.
It's not hard... a pair of old-school tin snips will do the job in about 10-15 mins. I used a 3" hole saw first to enlarge it, then sheet metal snips to trim it out to size. Just get under the car and make a rough outline where the filter lives. I used a Sharpie. Pull the splash shield off and make your hole there. It makes life SO much easier in the long run.

 

I've been using the oil extractor method for over ten years now and I love it. I never once pulled the drain plug out of any of my last five or six cars.

There are those who fuss about leaving too much crud behind on the bottom of the pan, funny thing though, the first time I used the extractor on one of our cars which predated buying the extractor, you wouldn't have believed the amount of debris that got pulled out of the bottom of the pan. The amount of debris was far reduced the second time I used the extractor, and by the fourth or fifth time the oil was virtually free of shiny bits which reflected the sun light.

 

Really? I don't know why. Granted I wrote the post on a 1920x1080 monitor, but it shrinks down quite nicely for my laptop screen.

 

... Just making as funny about the completeness of your post. I didn't mean it literally.

 

Sorry, went right over my head (probably because I had just completed fifteen hours of work and was about to head home).

 

Best move seems to be removing the entire splash shield. Plan to keep this vehicle for awhile.

Thanks for the help.

 

I changed the oil through the access hole with no problem at all. Did the factory possibly modify the hole dimension at some point for ease of use?