"If you don't use a Mazda filter, no engine repair

[Rabbler]

Before you burn the parts guy at the stake he may just be reporting on what has happened in the past. Its very common these days for the Mfg area rep to get involved in high dollar warranty claims. Some of these guys (Mfg reps) have zero automotive mechanical knowledge and if he's new to the job may be on a mission (or under pressure from the higher ups) to bring the warranty cost for his area down. What isn't an issue in one territory can be a major problem in others. Maybe your area manager is a ****.
Let's say you do have a major engine failure and they want to deny coverage based on the non OEM filter. Is it worth the time and trouble to fight it? Buy the OEM filter and don't kill the messenger.

 

[JohnBrowning]

What you have to keep in mind is that warranty repairs cost OEM's a lot of money and that cuts into profits directly. They will try anything sometimes to get out of warranty work. They are used to people just taking what they told at face value....Most people are ignorant to the rights that their founding fathers gave them with the Bill of Rights and with in the Constitution so why should they know anything about what is legal and what is not from a car dealership standpoint!I mean think about it you are supposed to learn about the Magnuson Moss Act in the same place you are supposed to learn about the Bill of Rights and the Constitution so if people do not learn the one why would they learn the other!

Regional Service Managers and Regional Parts Managers will play all kinds of games and the OEM does not usually get directly involved until a lawyer gets involved.

I have seen some outstanding customer service at dealerships and I have seen some dreadful customer service at dealerships.

 

[Paul B.]

I hate to present the car Manufacturers perspective, but just because an aftermarket company says their part is equivalent to the original, is no proof that it actually is.
In the case I mentioned earlier, aftermarket filters for Subaru may fit in the same location as the OEM part, but they don't meet the OEM's specifications. If you write the aftermarket manufacturer and ask, they will quote a different bypass pressure for their filter. In some cases like Bosch, Pennzoil, valvoline, they aren't even making the parts, just selling under their name.

 

[SilverC6]

The Mazda OEM filters for my son's RX8 are made by Champion.

The gasket is a little different though.

The PureOne filter should be one of the best filters you could use on your Mazda.

I would keep using them and document your changes.

If you have a warranty claim and they give you grief, rent a car and hire an attorney.

 

[labman]

My son says the Miata forum supports the OEM filter. I chopped one open he left here and the little thing was packed with media.

 

[HyperJinx]

oil and filter changes should always be documented with receipts and a log of when it was performed. It only take a couple of seconds to staple a receipt to a notebook paper and write a few notes. They can try and bluff you but if you have reasonable documentation that you performed proper care, they would have a hard time putting the blame on the owner/operator.

 

[badtlc]

If this is the cartridge filter, there is some truth to this. My mazda dealership was very concerned when I bring my own filters. The rings included with the filters are different than the OEM. They even showed it to me and the non-oem rings are a bit flatter. They said this leads to slow oil leaks that people miss and end up killing the engine.

When I was there a few weeks ago, they had replaced seven 2.3L engines due to these problems. One or two were from a DIY and the rest were from quickie lubes picking up the bill. Mazda didn't pick up the bill in any of them.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: badtlc
If this is the cartridge filter, there is some truth to this. My mazda dealership was very concerned when I bring my own filters. The rings included with the filters are different than the OEM. They even showed it to me and the non-oem rings are a bit flatter. They said this leads to slow oil leaks that people miss and end up killing the engine.

When I was there a few weeks ago, they had replaced seven 2.3L engines due to these problems. One or two were from a DIY and the rest were from quickie lubes picking up the bill. Mazda didn't pick up the bill in any of them.


I doubt it's the o-rings, these cartridges are known to crack when over torqued and there are people that had this problem even though dealer did all the oil changes. A slightly smaller o-ring will cause oil seepage, but it shouldn't be enough to loose all the oil rapidly. Mazda will not pick up the bill for a DIY'er simply because there is no way of proving the correct torque was used. Mazda is just trying to shift the blame for a lousy oil filter cartridge design. The safest thing to do is to do a spin on conversion once out of warranty.

 

[Gary Allan]

Okay, so now we need YouTube video of us torquing down the lid to protect the warranty.