The Mazda 3 was first released in 2004 with excellent reviews. The Mazda 3 is primarily manufactured in Japan, but Volvo and Ford have helped design and upgrade this compact car. Most routine maintenance parts can be found at your local parts store, including aftermarket oil filters. Changing the oil in the Mazda 3 can be accomplished by the average car owner and won't put a big dent in your wallet.
Open the hood and remove the 10mm bolts that hold the cowling (the plastic covering that houses the engine) in place.
Remove the two plastic pins that hold the cowling in place, using the flathead screwdriver. Remove the cowling and store it in a safe place.
Place the oil drain pan directly underneath the drain plug. Remove the plug with a 17mm socket. Adjust the pan as the oil drains out and the flow becomes less. Clean the drain plug and the drain hole after the oil has drained. Replace the plug in the drain hole with the torque wrench.
Move the oil drain pan underneath the filter. Remove the drain plug from the filter with the 6mm hex head socket.
Use a 76mm filter cap wrench to take off the filter cartridge housing after the filter has drained. Remove the O rings with a screwdriver . Lubricate the new O rings with oil and install the new rings.
Replace the oil filter cartridge. Tighten the oil filter housing by hand. Replace the drain plug for the filter housing with a torque wrench and 6mm hex head bit socket. Tighten the filter housing with a torque wrench and a 76mm cap oil filter wrench.
Replace the cowling and add the oil to the car. Start with four quarts and check the dipstick to see if the oil is in the normal range.
