Well Mazda just upped the Ante on me. Took the car in for a 15,000 mile service, they recommended changing the air filter decoking the intake etc etc. If you read the service schedule it’s not required but what the heck I figured it can’t hurt.

Car was done and the service advisor got a shock. The price came out to more than she quoted me. On investigation she found that the price of the Stock replacement air filter is $48! She wangled the price back down and adjusted the labor to give me the quoted price, and all without me saying anything which was nice for a change. (Browning Mazda in Cerritos)

Anyway I thought I would share the info because I was waiting to get my free AEM intake for lending them my car for testing. If that doesn’t materialize before my 30,000 mile service I am ordering a Greenfilter drop in panel. $48 for a stock filter, who are they trying to kid?

 

Look at the air filter and see if its dirty yourself. If it isnt really dirty no pointing spending the money to replace it before you get your air intake. I haven't even cleaned mine on my MX-5 for 30,000 miles and its exposed openly.

 

green filter is only $55. It takes under 60 seconds to replace the filter too.

I'd tell them to not replace it.

 

Heh, good advice but let me set you guys straight. I wasn't asking for ways to avoid it, I was simply doing a public service announcement so others don't get caught with an overpriced OEM filter charge.

It was part of the 'Service Package' like I said it was not a big deal for me to let them do it, but 'After' the fact I find out the price, well then I would have done it myself for sure. As it was they didn't charge me extra but they could have done.

 

over here stock air filter costs about 55euros

 

Ouch!

 

I've removed my stock filter several times and shaken it out. It takes about 45 seconds to remove and 2-3 minutes of serious pounding to remove of the crap, and about another 45 seconds to replace. Once I spent about 10 minutes vacuuming it out. IMHO it helps to keep it clean. I have 28k miles and will probably vacuum it again in the next week or two, and continue to do this until 50-60k miles when Mazda will replace it free under the reduced HP maintainence program.

 

Greenfilter is a nice piece, I havn't noticed any increase in mpg (really dissapointed) or power (wasn't expected at all anyways). But it looks cool and you won't have to get ripped off in the future.

Dark Knight

 

I agree with your cleaning up the filter every now and then, I did so at the 6k mile service, but you plan on keeping the stock filter for 50k miles just to have it replaced for free? C'mon...