Just changed the oil and filter on my wife's 08 Mazda3 and found the oil filter placement to be the biggest pain in the A$$ I have ever dealt with. I would love to find the engineer that designed the canister filter and its placement and run him or her over with my 3.

You have to love the hole in the skid plate that doesn't line up with anything and then the plate won't come completely off. Then the filter is in a canister that leaks oil all over everything when you get it off even if you take the center plug out first.

What a dumb design and what a mess!! Obviously from Mazda's US design studio.

Tom

 

Yes, the design sucks but I think you spent more time complaining about it then if you were to take off the few screws holding the plastic cover underneath and changed the oil that way. Try it next time and you'll make you're life a lot easier and there will be no mess.

 

Well my 3 has 7 10mm bolts on the plastic pan and then two plastic rivets holding the front corners, so the pan won't come all the way off. I can't even swing the pan down out of the way because it hits the ramps the wheels are up on. The whole thing just was not well thought out and Mazda has had years to change it and just doesn't care.

Even after you get it off the cap that holds the canister filter is covered with oil and practically has to be run through the parts washer before it can be put back on. I fail to see how you can do this without getting covered with oil.

I can change the oil and filter on all my other cars (mostly Nissan) and barely get a couple of drops of oil on my finger tips, but not the Mazda 3.

Tom

 

I picked up my own oil & filter (5w20 castrol syntec) and a purulator 1 filter)
and went to a garage that happens to detail my speed3 as well anyway they changed my oil and filter for $10.00... I think it was worth it. Plus I got to look under my speed at how it was put together. It was sweet! I had the better cat back exuast put on when I bought it and wow! big diameter-!! Sorry off the subject a bit...

 

I've no problems removing the cover, filter plug or the filter cap. I filed down a hex wrench to fit the plug and that helped. Like everything else, having the right tools helps.

Sounds like your best bet is to: breathe in; breathe out; let someone else change your oil; move on.

 

Really, so how do you easily get the plastic rivets out on both front corners?

Tom

 

I use a thin, flat-blade screwdriver under the edge of the rivet. When you pry under the outter edge of the rivet, the center will pop up. Sometimes, you can pull the center out with your fingers; sometimes, I use a pair of pliers to gently pull it free. The center of the rivet, or post, has to be completely removed to let the outer piece release. They can be reused.
Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, but I already knew that, but it doesn't make the process "easy", which is part of my complaint about the dumb design.

Tom

 

I certainly agree. Both the plastic shield and the filter could have been much easier, simpler. But, the harder they make it to "do-it-yourself," the more oil changes Mazda dealers do!