Oil Change

26935 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by badtlc, Nov 18, 2006

VioletGray 07

Discussion Starter · Nov 14, 2006

Our 07 has about 1100 miles and I want to do a quick oil change. Did some reading on oil changes and have a question. Are the steps the same for a 2006 Mazda 6 and an 2007? Can I pick up everything I need at Autozone, filters, o-rings, etc?

How much oil is required, 4.5 quarts and can I use Castrol SYNTEC 5w-30?

Thanks

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deadrx7conv

· #2 · Nov 15, 2006

5w20 is what you want even though there is nothing wrong with using 5w30.
Your autoparts store should have everything in stock.
You'll need a torque wrench and special socket for the cartridge oil filter cover. If you overtighten cartridge cover or the oil filter's drain plug, you could cause the plastic to crack which causes the oil to leak out which leads to engine death. This was a problem early on with the 2.3l at quickee lubes. They killed a few engines gorilla'ing that filter cover and its drainplug.

I also don't bother with the filter drain plug anymore. Its a waste of time, I just yank the cartridge cover, swap out cartridges, prefill the new cartridge and torque it in. I haven't replaced that small o-ring in 2 years since I haven't touched the filter cover's drainplug.

At 3 years of age and ~36k miles, my filter cover is beginning to show stress. I'll be replacing it for peace of mind. I haven't had the time or will power to switch over to a standard FL400s(2.0 conversion) canister filter.

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FrozenPilot

· #3 · Nov 15, 2006

Procedure is the same as '06, note the sizes of the drain plugs, otherwise the parts are the same. OE filter prices run about what you'd find at an autoparts store. Fram looks to be the closest in construction to OE vs Purolator. Filter should come with o-rings for the filter drain plug and cap. I highly recommend Motorcraft 5w-20 or Havoline 5w-20, but you can use a 5w-30, approximately 4.5 quarts to fill, maybe slightly more as I noticed on my 6.

I used a 6mm hex wrench on the filter drain plug, nothing special about that. Nor did I use a torque wrench. The cap and drain will turn pretty smoothly until they stop. Don't force them tighter. Use an oil filter cap wrench to remove the filter cap.

I just saw a $29.99 oil change coupon from my local dealer... makes me glad I did the job myself!

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badtlc

· #4 · Nov 16, 2006

IMO, don't waste your time with 5w30. These engines are great on oil and 5w20 will give you better protection than a 5w30 because of the better startup protection. Get some Syntec 5w20 and love it!

The cheapest aftermarket filter for the 6i is the Wix for around $5 from what i have found. You should be able to get an OEM filter from your dealer for around $6. The Fram filter is $8.57 at wal-mart, so it definitely isnt cheaper.

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VioletGray 07

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 16, 2006

Thanks for the replies. I hope to get it done this weekend. I called Mazdastuff.com about a filter wrench and was kept on hold for about 5 minutes. Can I pick up this oil filter wrench at Autozone or one of the local auto parts stores? None of the local dealers have them in stock.
If I can pick one up at an Autoparts store, what kind size do I need?

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FrozenPilot

· #6 · Nov 16, 2006

Its a 75.6mm diameter, 14 sided cap. Its fairly common, though it helps to put a single paper towel between the cap and wrench to fit snug. I'm not sure how much I paid, I originally bought it for my Saturn 4 years ago.

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nightracerx

· #7 · Nov 16, 2006

All procedures are the same. You can pick up everything at Wal-Mart, they are cheaper than Autozone. I saw Valvoline makes a filter wrench that fits our filter cover, it was at my local Wal-Mart for about $8. For filter, I recommend get the Mazda or Motorcraft one, Mazda is cheaper than Motorcraft and quality are the same. Don't get the Fram at Wal-Mart. For oil, you can use 5W-20 or 5W-30, the Mazda6 overseas use 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, so it's okay to use 5W-30. They use 5W-20 in the US because they need to raise up the average fuel economy for entire Mazda and Ford fleet to meet the US standards, you won't really notice the fuel economy difference while you drive but under computer calculations 5W-20 saves fuel.

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badtlc

· #8 · Nov 16, 2006

All procedures are the same. You can pick up everything at Wal-Mart, they are cheaper than Autozone. I saw Valvoline makes a filter wrench that fits our filter cover, it was at my local Wal-Mart for about $8. For filter, I recommend get the Mazda or Motorcraft one, Mazda is cheaper than Motorcraft and quality are the same. Don't get the Fram at Wal-Mart. For oil, you can use 5W-20 or 5W-30, the Mazda6 overseas use 5W-30 instead of 5W-20, so it's okay to use 5W-30. They use 5W-20 in the US because they need to raise up the average fuel economy for entire Mazda and Ford fleet to meet the US standards, you won't really notice the fuel economy difference while you drive but under computer calculations 5W-20 saves fuel.
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Not to stir up this crap again, but please don't believe this fool and the "5w20 is only for CAFE standards." That is complete, and utter, bull crap. There is way too much empircal evidence to show that 5w20 protects as good as 5w30 and better in extreme cold startups. The main reason 5w20 is not spec'd over seas is because of availability. Refineries over seas just dont make it and there is no use spec'ing an oil consumers can't buy.

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64microbus

· #9 · Nov 17, 2006

I've had one oil change in my '06 6i. I needed an oil change urgently because it was due and I was going on a long road trip. I pulled into a quick lube type place. While they're servicing my car, the guy tells me there'll be a $25 charge to pull of the skid plate that's covering the oil filter. I'm thinking it's a big metal modular skid plate, plus I really need the oil change done, so I okay it with a protest. A COUPLE of minutes later, the guy shows me the skid plate. I'm like, WTF, how do you charge $25 to take that off!? In the end, I paid it, I'll just never go to that place again. Anybody else with an '06 experience a place charging to take off the mini-skid plate?

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deadrx7conv

· #10 · Nov 17, 2006

Sorry, but as long as stooopid auto manufacturers add more and more stooopid covers, you will have to pay the surcharge. And, even though the plastic cover is easy and quick to remove, mechanics need to make a living. An oil change is a 5 minute plug pull & filter swap. When the automakers make it difficult(and turn it into a 1/2 hour exercise), you will pay for it. Add the extra time for correct filter removal/installation on the 2.3, and $25 seems reasonable enough. Hourly shop rates aren't cheap.
I actually get offended when people cry about the amount they pay their mechanic. Its funny that they have no problem wasting that money on gambling, latte, beer, or other less important garbage.

For those that don't get charged a small surcharge, I'd seriously worry about the 'quality' of the job being performed. My favorite is a vehicle in which some grease monkey 'lost' the cover. I've also seen holes cut into some by quick lube hacks. You get what you pay for. And, when you try to be cheap, you get what you deserve!

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badtlc

· #11 · Nov 18, 2006

I've had one oil change in my '06 6i. I needed an oil change urgently because it was due and I was going on a long road trip. I pulled into a quick lube type place. While they're servicing my car, the guy tells me there'll be a $25 charge to pull of the skid plate that's covering the oil filter. I'm thinking it's a big metal modular skid plate, plus I really need the oil change done, so I okay it with a protest. A COUPLE of minutes later, the guy shows me the skid plate. I'm like, WTF, how do you charge $25 to take that off!? In the end, I paid it, I'll just never go to that place again. Anybody else with an '06 experience a place charging to take off the mini-skid plate?
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You might check your local mazda dealer. A lot are currently doing $20 oil changes which include a good Mazda OEM filter and Motorcraft 5w20 synthetic blend. Pretty dang good deal and you know it "should" get done right w/ no funny charges.

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