Tools, Parts, and Equipment Required
3/8" drive torque wrench
23 mm 6-pt. socket
3/8" drive ratchet (or breaker bar)
10 mm socket or box wrench
2-ramps (mine are Rhino) or floor jack and 2-jack stands
2-sealing washers: Mazda part no. 9956-41-800
Funnel with attached extension tube (PEP Boys)
Measuring cup: 16 fluid oz/1 pint/500 ml (Pyrex glass), or equivalent
Oil drain pan capable of holding at least 3 qts or liters
M/T oil: 2.83 qts (2.68 L) API Service GL-4 or GL-5, SAE 75W-90 (All season). SAE 80W-90 if the temperature never falls below 10 deg C (50 deg F).
To improve shifting smoothness (particularly in cold weather), prolong transmission life and reduce driveline friction, I highly recommend a true synthetic oil as your refill of choice.
Proceedure
Begin by driving the car a few miles to bring transmission oil up to operating temperature or start the process after a run - oil drains more completely and rapidly, and flushes out more foreign matter when it's hot.
Choose a fairly level surface and either ramp the car or jack it up and place jack stands under the frame rails. Make sure the car is in gear and emergency brake on. I prefer ramps as less equipment and time is involved.
Open the hood and remove the air intake snorkel (the FSM labels it the fresh air duct) by unscrewing (using either the ratchet and 10 mm socket or the 10 mm box wrench) the 2-flanged nuts that hold it in place. Release the catch that locks it to the air box intake tube and pull it up to free it from the car, then lay it aside in a safe place. This will give easy access to the transmission when using the funnel and tube.
Taking with you the oil drain pan, the ratchet or breaker bar, and the 23 mm socket (or alternatively a 23 mm box wrench), slide under the vehicle and locate the drain and fill/level plugs. The drain plug is towards the rear of the transmission, offset to the driver's side and points straight down. The fill/level plug is towards the front of the transmission and offset to the passenger side and points forward at a slight downward slope. The two plugs are identical in appearance and should be easy to locate - if the 23 mm socket fits - you've found them. Position the drain pan under the drain plug, remove the fill/level plug to prevent the transmission from becoming air bound while draining, and then remove the drain plug. The oil will be hot and can burn you, so be careful.
Now, return topside to the engine bay, take funnel and tube in hand and position it in the engine bay so that the funnel is near the radiatior and the tube angles down toward the transmission. Allow sufficient time for the transmission to fully drain, replace the old sealing washer on the drain plug with the new one, and go back underneath with your torque wrench in hand. Tighten the drain plug to the FSM recommended setting of 29 to 43 ft/lb (40 to 58 N-m). As always, I torque to the midpoint (36 ft/lb).
Look for the tube dangling down from the funnel above and insert the tip into the fill hole as far as it will go. FYI, my fill system consists of a funnel ~ 5" (127 mm) long from rim to outlet, with connected tube ~ 14" (356 mm) long for a total of ~ 19" (483 mm). The tube O.D. is ~ 15/32" (12 mm) just right to easily slip into the fill orifice. Any setup roughly equivalent to these dimensions should be fine for the fill process. This seems to be a commonly available item at PEP Boys.
Because the fill opening is at a downward angle, it looks like it won't accept the incoming oil without overflowing or spilling. Not to worry as this never happens. How do I know? Because I too was concerned about this so I stayed under the car and observed while either my wife or son poured the oil into the funnel. Never lost a drop. However, you never know and there always could be a first time so I always stay underneath, just in case. You should, too.
The FSM calls for a fill of 2.83 qts (2.68L). Since 2.83 qts = 2 qts, 26 fluid oz, and 2.68L = 2L, 680 ml, and I like to be exact, this is where the measuring cup is employed. After putting 2 qts into the transmission, I use the cup to add precisely 26 oz more to the fill. Likewise, after 2L, the cup can be used to measure out the remaining required 680 ml. Anality rules. Although I know of some who simply dump in the whole 3 qts, I don't recommend this practice. We're never sure how much oil remains in the transmission after a drain (car not being absolutely level) and it's just possible that a full 3 qts refill could overfill the transmission enough to blow seals. If you do it my way I guarantee you'll never have that type of problem.
If you've added the factory specified amount, when you remove the tube from the fill hole, you'll notice no overflow occurs. I see this as confirmation that we added the correct amount since when the car is leveled the oil should flow forward slightly and rise higher, perhaps level with the opening. Replace the sealing washer on the fill/level plug, and tighten it to the same specs as required for the drain plug. Remove the funnel and tube from the engine bay and the drain pan from underneath the car. Reinstall the snorkel in the opposite manner from which it was removed. The FSM calls for the mounting nuts to be tightened to 69.5 to 95.4 in/lb (7.9 to 10.7 N-m) but since that equates to 5.8 to 7.95 ft/lb just snug up the nuts and be done with it.
Return the car to earth, and you're finished.
Happy Motoring!
Photos (note, the blue bar seen in the last photo is an aftermarket, not an OEM, item):
1. Car on ramp
2. Funnel/tube and removed snorkel
3. Funnel positioned in engine bay
4. Location and appearance of drain plug; fill/level plug has identical appearance
3/8" drive torque wrench
23 mm 6-pt. socket
3/8" drive ratchet (or breaker bar)
10 mm socket or box wrench
2-ramps (mine are Rhino) or floor jack and 2-jack stands
2-sealing washers: Mazda part no. 9956-41-800
Funnel with attached extension tube (PEP Boys)
Measuring cup: 16 fluid oz/1 pint/500 ml (Pyrex glass), or equivalent
Oil drain pan capable of holding at least 3 qts or liters
M/T oil: 2.83 qts (2.68 L) API Service GL-4 or GL-5, SAE 75W-90 (All season). SAE 80W-90 if the temperature never falls below 10 deg C (50 deg F).
To improve shifting smoothness (particularly in cold weather), prolong transmission life and reduce driveline friction, I highly recommend a true synthetic oil as your refill of choice.
Proceedure
Begin by driving the car a few miles to bring transmission oil up to operating temperature or start the process after a run - oil drains more completely and rapidly, and flushes out more foreign matter when it's hot.
Choose a fairly level surface and either ramp the car or jack it up and place jack stands under the frame rails. Make sure the car is in gear and emergency brake on. I prefer ramps as less equipment and time is involved.
Open the hood and remove the air intake snorkel (the FSM labels it the fresh air duct) by unscrewing (using either the ratchet and 10 mm socket or the 10 mm box wrench) the 2-flanged nuts that hold it in place. Release the catch that locks it to the air box intake tube and pull it up to free it from the car, then lay it aside in a safe place. This will give easy access to the transmission when using the funnel and tube.
Taking with you the oil drain pan, the ratchet or breaker bar, and the 23 mm socket (or alternatively a 23 mm box wrench), slide under the vehicle and locate the drain and fill/level plugs. The drain plug is towards the rear of the transmission, offset to the driver's side and points straight down. The fill/level plug is towards the front of the transmission and offset to the passenger side and points forward at a slight downward slope. The two plugs are identical in appearance and should be easy to locate - if the 23 mm socket fits - you've found them. Position the drain pan under the drain plug, remove the fill/level plug to prevent the transmission from becoming air bound while draining, and then remove the drain plug. The oil will be hot and can burn you, so be careful.
Now, return topside to the engine bay, take funnel and tube in hand and position it in the engine bay so that the funnel is near the radiatior and the tube angles down toward the transmission. Allow sufficient time for the transmission to fully drain, replace the old sealing washer on the drain plug with the new one, and go back underneath with your torque wrench in hand. Tighten the drain plug to the FSM recommended setting of 29 to 43 ft/lb (40 to 58 N-m). As always, I torque to the midpoint (36 ft/lb).
Look for the tube dangling down from the funnel above and insert the tip into the fill hole as far as it will go. FYI, my fill system consists of a funnel ~ 5" (127 mm) long from rim to outlet, with connected tube ~ 14" (356 mm) long for a total of ~ 19" (483 mm). The tube O.D. is ~ 15/32" (12 mm) just right to easily slip into the fill orifice. Any setup roughly equivalent to these dimensions should be fine for the fill process. This seems to be a commonly available item at PEP Boys.
Because the fill opening is at a downward angle, it looks like it won't accept the incoming oil without overflowing or spilling. Not to worry as this never happens. How do I know? Because I too was concerned about this so I stayed under the car and observed while either my wife or son poured the oil into the funnel. Never lost a drop. However, you never know and there always could be a first time so I always stay underneath, just in case. You should, too.
The FSM calls for a fill of 2.83 qts (2.68L). Since 2.83 qts = 2 qts, 26 fluid oz, and 2.68L = 2L, 680 ml, and I like to be exact, this is where the measuring cup is employed. After putting 2 qts into the transmission, I use the cup to add precisely 26 oz more to the fill. Likewise, after 2L, the cup can be used to measure out the remaining required 680 ml. Anality rules. Although I know of some who simply dump in the whole 3 qts, I don't recommend this practice. We're never sure how much oil remains in the transmission after a drain (car not being absolutely level) and it's just possible that a full 3 qts refill could overfill the transmission enough to blow seals. If you do it my way I guarantee you'll never have that type of problem.
If you've added the factory specified amount, when you remove the tube from the fill hole, you'll notice no overflow occurs. I see this as confirmation that we added the correct amount since when the car is leveled the oil should flow forward slightly and rise higher, perhaps level with the opening. Replace the sealing washer on the fill/level plug, and tighten it to the same specs as required for the drain plug. Remove the funnel and tube from the engine bay and the drain pan from underneath the car. Reinstall the snorkel in the opposite manner from which it was removed. The FSM calls for the mounting nuts to be tightened to 69.5 to 95.4 in/lb (7.9 to 10.7 N-m) but since that equates to 5.8 to 7.95 ft/lb just snug up the nuts and be done with it.
Return the car to earth, and you're finished.
Happy Motoring!
Photos (note, the blue bar seen in the last photo is an aftermarket, not an OEM, item):
1. Car on ramp
2. Funnel/tube and removed snorkel
3. Funnel positioned in engine bay
4. Location and appearance of drain plug; fill/level plug has identical appearance
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