the dealership said it takes a special tool to change the oil due to the cover over the filter. can you buy this tool or is there another way? trying to find out b/c i dont trust the dealership. please let me know.

 

that sounds liek bull to keep you from doing your own service. No offense to you but would you say you look like someone they would think may not know what they're doing when they open the hood? Like an easy target (most dealers think this of girls, teens, etc.) The oil filler cap should twist right off. The filter should need just an appropriately sized wrench socket, or allen wrench or something.

 

yea they are b.s. -ing you, but when/if you do change your own oil, i reccomend full synthetic oil. had it done in my car and is well worth the extra bucks, plus your car well thank you in return

 

dealerships will target you if they think can can slip something by you. I took my car in to get a headlight fixed and they made this big story up about my car being in a wreck, when them themselves actually bent the quarterpanel so they made up a story so they wouldnt have to fix it out of their pocket. Sadly they have fix the headlight again....which is going to be an interesting battle...cuz they dont want to pay for it!

So it has happened before so dont let it happen to you!

 

thnx for the tip. the dealership isn't a good one in the area. i let me g/f take the car last time and they over charged her 22 dollars for the oil change b/c they told her the intake was in the way and they had to remove it. hmm..i got under the car and thew intake wasn't near it at all. i returned to find out they were lying to her about it to get extra money. neddless to say i got my money back on it and i haven't returned since. since i have read the replies i just removed the cover over the oil filter and honestly, it doesn't even lock into place when you put it back on. i just haven't had much t ime to mess with the car since i've had it.

oh, i haven't had any luck finding a header for my 3. searched web and local performance shops. anyone own a 3 with a header? if so, where can i find one. thanx

 

www.tunerfix.com has alot of Magnaflow products, maybe you could check them out to see if they have a header for your 3.

 

how is it well worth the extra bucks? besides from what you read on advertisements, what dramatic improvements have you noticed over conventional oil that makes it worth almost 2x as much as a regular quart of oil?

 

Oh wait, you may need a special tool https://www.mazdaforum.com/m_3204/tm.htm

 

will one thing it only costs just under $10 more then the normal oil change, and i actually felt the engine start up smoother and felt a couple extra horsepower which i never noticed with the conventional oil so i thought it was worth it. i figure if its making the engine run better then the normal oil, then i didn't waste my money. if you've never tried the stuff then you don't have to if you like the oil you are putting into it. its really for the person who wants the best for their car

 

i was just curious because i have heard alot of mixed reviews about using synthetic oil. for instance the manager of service or whatever at my Mazda dealership thinks synthetics are a waste "all they are is glorified mineral oil." ...hes under the impression that conventional oil isnt in the place it was 10 years ago - quality has gone up and refining techniques have improved so...he, and a few other mechanically inclined people ive asked - seem to think that conventional oil is just peachy.

i think full synthetic oil would only be worth it if you wanted to put on alot of miles between oil changes....personally - i dont like to leave oil in my car for more than 4000 miles so, having an oil that can be used for 7500 and up isnt really what im looking for. plus im on a budget.

i think what most of car reliability boils down to is how you maintain your car and the quality of the engine - not solely the oil that you use...my dads 93 toyota camry has over 220k miles and has only used conventional oil (no engine problems...still starts like a champ)...just like hondas and acuras that go over 200k miles - im sure all of them weren't using synthetic oil...