Mazda 3 Oil: Recommended Oil for Mazda 3 and how to change it

Change is good for you, they say, and possibly even as good as a holiday, but no one can know for sure if your car feels that strongly about it.

What's not in question is that cars need their oil changing, whether they want it or not, and changing the oil on your Mazda 3 is one of those few jobs you can still do yourself, if you're game, and you own a wrench, so you don't need to visit a service centre and feel emasculated by having an actual mechanic do it for you.

Of course you should not wait until your oil light comes on - and if it does, be sure to pull over, immediately, turn the car off and call for help, because running out of oil is Very Bad and will cook your engine. So you'll need to know how often to change the oil, and we've provided a handy table here to tell you the recommended oil-change interval and when you'll need to change your Mazda 3 engine oil, plus what the Mazda 3 oil capacity is and what oil type you'll need.

It's also highly advised to change the oil filter every time you change the oil.

So here are the instructions on how to DIY change oil on a Mazda 3.

How to change oil on Mazda 3

Firstly, you're going to want to lift your vehicle, to give you better access to the underside. A trolley jack is your best bet here.

Once that's done, you will locate a panel under the engine bay with four screws/clips. Remove this panel and you will reveal the oil filter and the sump plug, or drain plug.

Next, after putting a pan down to receive the oil, remove the drain plug using your trusty wrench, drain all off the oil. Once it's empty, replace the sump plug, preferably attaching a new washer, if the old one looks at all worn.

To replace the oil filter, move your pan slightly and be prepared, because the filter will drip quite a large amount of oil. Unscrew the filter, loosen and remove.

It's a good idea to half fill the new filter with fresh oil, before screwing it into position, and hand tightening it.

The last, and most important step, is to fill the engine (through the oil cap at the top) with the correct amount of the recommended oil (see our table).

Once you've done that, start and idle the engine for a few minutes, then turn off the engine and check for any leaks, and then double check your dipstick to make sure the oil is at the correct level.

And now you're good to go.

Checking the oil

It's a good idea, in between oil checks, to check your oil level from time to time, and this is how to do it.

Firstly, park your car on level ground, and make sure the engine is warm.

Now you need to allow the engine, and oil, to cool, so leave it parked for around five minutes.

Remove the dipstick and clean it fully, with paper towel or newspaper, and then reinstall it. Wait a few seconds, and then remove the dipstick again and check that the oil level is sitting between the MIN and MAX markings on the dipstick.

If it's below the MIN marking, add some more oil immediately, and think about visiting a service centre.

Do you still change the oil on your car? Let us know in the comments below.