Mazda 3 Oil Change – How To Change Mazda 3 Engine Oil?

Whether your change oil light illuminates or your vehicle will be due for an oil change soon, you must not miss any Mazda 3 oil change.

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As your engine’s oil gets older, it gets more contaminated and picks up particles when flowing. Furthermore, a contaminated engine’s oil is usually associated with a clogged oil filter. Both the dirty oil and the clogged oil filter can result in significant engine damages.

Therefore, you must monitor when your engine is due for an oil change. 

This article provides you with detailed step-by-step guidance on how to perform a Mazda 3 oil change. Besides, we list the different parts and tools you need to prepare before starting the oil change process. Finally, we provide a cost estimate for the Mazda 3 oil change if you would like to do it yourself and have the job done at a repair shop.

Mazda 3 Oil Change

To change your Mazda 3 oil, there are a couple of things you need to follow, including preparing the required parts and tools, preparing your vehicle, draining the old oil, installing a new filter, adding the required amount of oil, and resetting your vehicle’s change oil light.

• Get the required tools ready

To get started, you need to prepare specific parts and tools associated with the Mazda 3 only, and other general oil change equipment to make the job easier.

• Mazda 3 oil change tools
  • An oil filter suitable for the Mazda 3. There are different types to choose from, including Mobil 1 M1C-153, K&N HP-7013 & PS-7013, Mann ML 1019, or Purolator PL15505
  • The appropriate amount of engine oil
• Other general oil change tools
  • An oil container to collect the old oil and be disposed to a certified recycling location
  • A 17 mm socket or wrench
  • A pair of gloves 
  • A pair of protective glasses
  • The vehicle’s owner’s manual. You will refer to the manual as you’re performing the oil change to locate several vehicle parts. Therefore, you need to have a copy close to you. If you don’t have a vehicle’s owner’s manual for your Mazda 3, you can download a copy from the internet or purchase a hard copy from your local mechanic.
  • Disposal towels for a cleanup

• Prepare your vehicle

Before getting started, you need to find a good location and work area. Usually, if you are a professional mechanic, the garage is the ideal place. If you are changing oil for your personal Mazda 3, you can work anywhere in an open safe area, driveway, or personal garage. 

Use a specific jack or car lift to lift and secure your vehicle as you will be working for a good amount of time under the car. You need to raise the front part of your vehicle as the oil drain plug is located approximately towards your vehicle's front bottom.

• Drain the old contaminated oil

Once your vehicle’s front is raised, and you have the required tools to get started, follow these steps:

• Locate your oil drain plug towards the front bottom of your vehicle. If you had a hard time locating it, you could always refer to the vehicle’s owner’s manual.
• Place the oil container right under the oil drain plug in preparation for draining the old oil
• Remove the oil drain plug using a 17mm wrench or socket
• Allow the old oil to drain in the oil container
• Inspect the oil drain plug and make sure the washer or the sealing is not squished; otherwise, you must replace it to avoid damaging the oil drain plug and the entire oil housing
• After installing the drain plug, you need to tighten it up to 22 ft-lb. You don’t need to overtighten the oil drain to make it easier for the next oil changes and to avoid breaking it in the future.

• Install the oil filter

Once the old oil is completely drained, now it’s time to replace the old oil filter. Replacing the oil filter is very crucial to be done every oil change. Driving a vehicle with a bad oil filter can result in significant issues with your engine that can cause engine damage. 

To replace the oil filter, follow the next steps:

• The oil filter is located under a large plastic belly pan on the bottom side of your vehicle. Refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual to best locate the plastic belly pan
• Take out the plastic belly pan by removing the two plastic fasteners and the hex bolts. 
• Set the plastic belly aside as you’re working on replacing the oil filter
• Some experts recommend widening the plastic belly pan's service hole for a faster oil change in the future. However, it would help if you had the required mechanical skillset before attempting to widening the service hole to prevent any significant issues
• Place the oil container right under the location of the oil filter
• Please take out the oil filter and allow it to drain for a couple of seconds
• As you remove the oil filter, you need to be prepared for a lot of mess as the old oil might splash the surrounding vehicle’s components
• Take a stamped wrench and remove the entire oil filter cap and be prepared for any old oil gushing from the oil filter location
• Please take out the old oil filter and compare it to the new one to confirm you got the right one. Another way to check for the filter is by referring to the vehicle’s owner’s manual 
• When you replace the old oil filter, make sure to replace the O-ring as well and not to leave the old one on the filter’s cap
• Make sure to remove the O-ring gently to avoid damaging the oil filter’s cap
• Remove both the O-ring on the filter housing itself and the one on the filter housing cap
• When ready, replace the old O-ring with the new one that comes with the new oil filter
• Install the new oil filter by sliding it down on top of the plastic bar. 
• Reinstall the oil filter cap and tighten it no more than 22 ft-lb to help make future oil changes easier while securing the oil filter cap

• Pour the required amount of oil

Once you finished draining the old oil and installing the new filter, you are ready to fill the new oil:

• Locate the oil filler cap on your engine. If you still have trouble finding these parts, refer to your Mazda 3 owner’s manual for better understanding. The oil cap is the only hole on top of the engine; thus, it should be easy to find.  
• When refilling the vehicle’s oil, you don’t need to under or overfill the oil capacity. Therefore, start by adding only four quarts of oil.
• After filling the oil, perform a quick visual inspection to make sure no leaks in the filter cap or the oil drain plug
• Close the filter cap and run the engine for a couple of seconds to make sure the oil filter is filled with oil completely
• Put the plastic belly pan back to the bottom of your vehicle 

• Reset your Mazda 3 oil change light

If your Mazda 3 change oil light illuminates, even if you change the vehicle’s oil, the check light will not turn off unless you turn it off manually by resetting it. 

To reset the Mazda 3 change oil light, follow these steps:

• Turn the ignition on without starting the engine. To do so, you must turn it to “second position.”
• Use your vehicle’s main control button to face the application or “A” icon
• Press once on the main control button and select “maintenance.”
• Within the “maintenance” menu, select “oil change.”
• Once you open the “oil change” menu, you can find the “reset” option
• If you click “reset,” your vehicle would want to confirm your choice through a pop-up confirmation window
• That’s it! You did it!

How much does it cost for a Mazda 3 oil change?

To change your Mazda 3 oil, expect to pay between $125 and $150 for both parts and labor costs. If you planned to change your Mazda 3’s oil by yourself, the price drops to $75 and $85.

Conclusion

An oil change is a must task that you can’t miss avoiding engine failure. As your engine’s oil gets older, it doesn’t provide the required lubrication to your engine, causing it to overheat due to friction.

To perform a Mazda 3 oil change, you need to prepare the required parts and tools, drain the old oil, replace the vehicle’s filter and O-ring, refill the oil with the required amount of oil, and reset the change oil light on the dashboard.