How do I change the oil?
 

I'm mechanically inclined, but I have never changed the oil myself in any car. Seems simple enough... but nothing is simple with the FD. I found that I should use Castrol GTX 20/50... and the OEM filter, but nothing about how to do it yourself.

Step-by-step, can someone let me know how to change the oil in my FD. Please include any special steps you might take to check other stuff since you're 'already down there'. AND, where can I get the OEM filter? (No Mazda dealership close to me!)

TIA:)

FSM specs are 10w30.

As for filters...

www.rxecret7.com

http://www.mazdaformance.com/rx7.htm

I haven't done my own oil yet, but only for a lack of jackstands and a jack. After watching someone else do it, I suggest pulling your intake elbow first-only 4 10mm nuts, a hose clamp, and a spring clamp to make getting to your oil filter a lot easier. Be careful around the spring clamp at the back of the intake elbow-I managed to knock the vacuum hose off my MAP sensor.

You should check the Mazda manual, they have a nice step-by-step walk through:

http://www.iluvmyrx7.com/Technical_I...ice_manual.htm

check the "Lubricating System" section. ;)

The oil change is fairly simple and straightforward. You shouldn't have any problems. Here are a couple of extra tips:

-make sure you also buy a new crush washer when you buy your oil filter. put it on the drain plug and throw out the old one.

-I take off the oil filter before I undo the drain plug. it seems to make the oil flow out faster. i also like to give it a relatively long time to drain (30 mins). i like to get out those last little drip-drips of old oil.

-one time i had a hard time getting the old filter off. i probably had put it on a little too tight. you might want to buy an oil filter wrench. i use a steel cup type that fits on the bottom of the oil filter and attaches to a socket wrench extension. the oil filter is small, so you may have to shop around to find a filter wrench that will fit it.

I use regular mobil 10w-30 Oil and the mobil oil filter.

My steps:

-Drain oil for a long period of time.
-Remove oil filter
-Install new filter. install drain plug.
-Fill up.

Really nothing special.

How about lowering the car before filling it up with oil so the dipstick reading is accurate, starting and letting the engine warm up while watching the oil pressure guage(shows 0 at idle), and looking for leaks underneath? Then check dipstick again and top off as necessary?

I've never had to remove my intake elbow, but it sure is a tight fit, having to bend and twist my hand to get to that friggin' filter. I do agree with MastaCow that removing the elbow would make things way easier!

My method:
-Jack up the car, use jackstands
-Remove oil cap and oil filter*
-Remove drain plug, let drain for 15-20 min. or until the dripping is minimal.
-Put everything back together and fill her up.

*I DO use this oil filter cap, which really helps if I need a little extra torque when tightening/loosening. I got it at Kragen, and it looks like a giant socket wrench attachment. You attach it to the filter and use a 1/2" socket driver to turn it. The outer edge is knurled and one can even hand-tighten the filter because of the added grip. It only fits Fram and Penzoil filters--doesn't fit OEM Mazda filters. However, I've never tried it on a K&N oil filter.

i use rubber latex gloves to get the oil filter out.

Taking off the intake elbow is going a bit overboard. I can do an oil change in 15 minute. just need the oil, a filter, a filter wrench, floor jack, oil pan, drain plug crush washer, and a 19mm socket/wrench for the drain plug. Jack up front of car. Slide oil pan under, pull drain plug. Remove filter. wait about 5 minutes (IMO it isn't worth letting the oil drain for 30 minutes because the little bit more you get out of the pan is nothing compared to what is left in the oil coolers, turbo, and other oil passages). Replace crush washer and drain plug. Smear oil on filter gasket and replace. Add oil, usually somewhere between 4 and 5 quarts. Run car and check oil again.

One of the easiest things you can do to an FD and one of the most important things everybody needs to know how to do.

ok, heres what i do,

step one, buy oil and oil filter (this part is pretty simple but youd be amazed at how many people skip this step and end up with a fd on the stands with out any oil at all and no car to go get some in!!!) 5 quarts of oil

step 2, buy blitz rhino ramps and rampextenders for the yellow metal ramps (these should cost you only about 50 bucks but are the best 50 bucks i have ever used on my fd so far) you will have to drill 2 holes in the rhino ramps (these are made of plastic so it should be easy, oh yeah, dont worry if these are made of plastic, they can handle 16000lbs) so that the rampextenders are able to fit in to them. i had to do this cuz my car is dropped 2 inches and has a knights sports front end so my car is only about 4-5 inches off the ground and would scrape on the yellow ramps. with this setup, my car misses the rhino ramps by about 1-2 inches so unless your car is only 1-2 inches off the ground, it will work with out hurting your front end.

another option you have is to drive you car halfway up a curb to get a little extra space underneath your car if your too lazy to get the ramps and stuff.

step 3, grap the biggest floor jack you can find and a soft peice of wood, place the wood between the jack and the front cross member, this is a peice of metal with 3 large holes drilled in to it, about 2 inches in diameter. there are 2 which are in front of and inback of the oil pan. when your car in on the stands get the jackstand in to position and start jacking, when you got in the air, place jack stands under the cross member or anywhere that is super solid. (never go under a car unless you got jackstands) the manufactors say the ramps will hold 16000lbs but i dont really trust them.

step 4, grab a wrench that fits the oil pan nut and a pan to catch 4-5 quarts of oil.

step 5, take off the nut and go top side and take off the oil cap to let all the oil drain.

step 6, just grap the oil filter and start twisting, if it refuses to come off, you could get a hammer and screwdrive and tap it out or get a oilfilter wrench and get it out that ways. make sure you get the crushseal out with the oilfilter, some times they get stuck. then lub the new oilfilter crushseal with a little oil and twist in on. (your gonna have to invert your hand/wrist to do this, for some reason i can never do this and end up calling my brother which some how can twist his arm in there and pull the sucker off)

step 7, replace the oilpan nut (do not over tighten!!!) and grab a funnel and start pouring oil in to the oil filler, only put 4.5 quarts in to the car. then look under and check if any oil is leaking out, there should be none. then twist on the oil filler cap get your car off the stands and ramps and go for a test drive, keep you eye on the oil pressure for the first couple of miles so that you can tell if your oil is not leaking out and check your oil every week thru the dip stick.

step 8, get rid of the oil and clean everything up.

steps 1-8 condenced version: basically all ya gotta do is to drain the old oil out and put new oil in! kiss (keep it simple stupid!)

good luck

P.S. you might wanna change clothes before you get back in to you car, oil stains are a bitch to clean up!
i personnaly use 10-40w and i change my oil every 500 miles and oilfilter every 1000 miles

my version would go a little something like this... Place pan under car. loosen nut (16mm). Drain oil. remove old oil filter and replace with a new one. replace nut when it stops driping. Duh! fill er up (4.5qt's in the plastic opening marked oil) and dispose of crude oil.

takes me about 20 mins. that includes washing my hands, disposing of the oil and putting everything away. shouldn't take you very long.

Also: Where do you all dispose of your old oil?

storm drains. just make sure the cops or neighbors arnt looking while you do it.:evilgrin:

j/k dont actually do this.

i drink it :-)

nah j/k, leave it at gas stations which can disposed of it properly

Hey, I learned something from this. Crush Washer! I never seen one on my car, but hey, what the hell, why not?

When you do the oil fiter, I recommend using a Purolator Pure One. BUt do not use the PL14622. only use that if the other size is not available. you can fit a slighter larger filter in, the PL14620. it's the MX-6 size from the same year, and costs exactly the same. I figure the bigger element is going to help you out. The stock size is very small. The MX-6 size is the way to go. the fit is a bit tighter in the area, but I pt it in with no tools or removing anything else but the old filter.

What I like to do since i have a hydro. jack that wont fit underneath the car. Cut 4 2x4's 8 inches wide. Slide the first 2 under the front wheels and drive your car onto the wood boards. That gave me enough clearance to get to the oil plug. Use the other 2 to chaulk the back wheels(saftey first). And Iam sure you know the rest. Good luck!

-Jonas

This is why I love my JEEP. I can just sit under it totally upright to do the oil. No jack or jackstands.

To all you guys that Jack up the front of the car or use ramps - Jack the REAR also so the car sits LEVEL while the oil is draining - otherwise you trap a pint or more in the back of the pan!

I lift the entire car onto 4 jack stands. Then I rotate the tires and inspect the brakes/suspension while waiting for all the oil to drain. if I have some extra time I give the inside of the wheels a good scrubbing at the same time.

It seems like it would be hard to keep the car steady while taking off the tires but I guess I could be wrong.

I always let the car down to get all the oil out then I just raise it 1 more time to get to the plug. Also its not like I raise it a story high.

Thats why I use 4 STANDS placed at the 4 stock jacking points - holds the car steady as a rock. I use stands that are each rated for 5000 pounds

Can you suck the oil out from the dipstick tube like they do with a BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, and Nissan ?

:-) neil

You don't need to take the intake elbow off, the oil filter (like the spark plugs) are easy to reach from under the car.

wow a 2 year old thread...