How did Mazda take a simple process like changing the oil in a car and make it as complicated and messy as possible. I just did my first oil change on my 3 and what a pain in the a**. I can do an oil change on a normal car in 15 min. This car is a half day job. While I thought that the paper element filter would be easier, boy was I wrong. What a messy job. With changing the gaskets and handling that paper element, oil is everywhere. And don't get me started with that stupid undercover with the hole that doesn't line up with the filter housing. How long have that been making that panel that they haven't fixed it. I swear, I think the engineers at Mazda sat around a table one day and said how can we make changing oil so bad that owners would rather take it to a dealer and pay a fortune rather than do it themselves. O'k now that I'm done is there a tool for removing the filter housing cap? And any hints, tips and shortcuts for making the job easier would be welcome.

 

rnbrn21,
Call you'r Mazda dealer and order the adapter for the 2.0L engine. Coat me 39.00. Remove the old cartridge system from you'r car and install the new 2.0L adapter then you will have a spin on filter. It's not hard to do. As far as the lower panel is concerned just get a hole saw and expand the now off centered hole so you can get to you'r new spin on filter after making the adapter change over.

 

Wow I didn't know there was that much difference between the 2.3 and 2.0. Mine is just a spin of filter and takes me like 15 min, like you said. as far as the hole that doesn't line up, I've always wondered why it never matched up that's an easy fix and they didn't which is pretty f'ed up. You can do what he said and make the hole bigger. Or I just take that whole damn thing off anyway. its pointless. Oh, what, keep engine "clean" from salt, water, dirt and mud so parts don't rust/corrode? I took the thing off when I did my first oil change and there are no problems/excessive dirt/corrosion/rusting and I have 90,000 miles on the car. On top of that, research shows that Missouri pretty much has the worst road system in the united states. (dips, cracks, bad paving, potholes, loose gravel, rough uneven highways... I drive on hwy 70, I think its the longest highway in the united states and the stretch of that highway in missouri, right in the mid west by st.louis which i have to travel on daily, is like a ***** who has been beaten up too much. Its bad.

Missouri also doesn't have a single toll road/bridge which pretty much means the absolutely minimum funding on our roads and highways.

 

Sounds like a wonderful place to live.

 

The off-centered hole in the splash shield is there for an assembly line final inspection at the factory. It was never intended by the Mazda engineers to give access to the oil filter. Besides, it's way too small anyway.
A hole saw, a pair of tin snipes, or even an old hacksaw blade can solve that little annoyance.
As Frog said, it is easy (4 bolts, I think?) and fairly cheap to convert to the spin-on. As soon as I run out of the back stock of cartridge filters I have in my shop, I will be going that route too.
http://www.mazdastuff.com/product.cfm?ProductID=2869

 

Yes there is a tool


http://www.mazdaparts.org/mazda-oil-filter-wrench.html
As for the 2 plastic plugs, leave them out. It takes me 20 minutes to do an oil change dropping the splash shield and all.
Mind you I have an air ratchet that I remove the splash shield with though.

 

So now, I have a logdical question.
If I convert to a spin off type filter in my 06 hatchback, are these spin filters readily available at auto parts stores?
Would I ask for a filter for a 2.0, or 2.3?
Bob.

 

I've always just used a special pipe wrench (channel locks with a chain instead of jaws) to get the filter off. It was all I had at the time and worked so I kept using it. I've got it down to a 20min job.

Also, is there a difference in the two filters? Why did they choose the canister instead of the spin on?

 

Thanks for the replies. I ordered the spin on filter kit today. That with a bigger access hole will make and oil change normal again. I am a little worried about voiding the warranty but not enough to not make the change. I doubt highly that I'll have any problems before the warranty runs out anyways.

 

Bob,

Yes, they offer filters for the spin on type and a local parts store. Auto Zone and Advanced Auto, O'Rieley's i think is national...

Auto Zone, since i used to work there, carries K&N, Bosch, STP, and Fram spin on filters for the 2.0 I'm assuming if you switch from the canister to the spin on type you'll ask for the 2.0 engine. K&N = $15 Bosch = $12 Fram = $6 STP = $cheap, not even worth the parts used to make it.