Have today changed the oil fiter on my 323F (BA) 1.8, nothing of note there I here you say but, I changed the oil 'n' filters only a few weeks back. But all last week I noticed the oil light coming on just for a moment after start up . So after getting no price on a filter from my main Mazda dealer I went to Halfords and bought a Champion filter and fitted that. Now the old filter (weeks old) was completley dry of oil, nothing, empty, not a drip. Relief valve in the middle standing up nice and proud as it shouldn't. This filter is a 'Blue Print', import manufactued by the same people who make filters for Mazda and I trusted it but its let me down . Think I'll be stoppin with either champion or Mazda branded stuff in the future.
In 20 plus years of driving and car DIY I ain't never had this happen to me. No damge done, just my pride. New filter so far so good. What you guys think

Someones gonna end up saying this... Have you got oil in the car

Only joking.. But i'd be worried if theres no oil in the filter

LOL you know it's got oil in Duffman. I think whats happened is the relief valve has jammed open allowing the oil to run back into the sump. So on start up it's been like fitting a new filter every time. Tomorrow me and the wife are back to Bromsgrove motor factors to complain, get me meoney back (£3.50) and adbvise of a possible faulty batch of filters.

That reminds me - last time I did a service, I went to my local Mazda dealer and asked them for an Astina oil filter with a relief (non-return) valve and they told me there was no such thing, so I ended up buying a normal GUD from the local car spares shop. I suppose that's why Edith rattles a bit for the first few seconds when I start her up in the morning. Doesn't appear to cause any ill effects, mind you ...

Well got me money back. The guy said that they'd had a couple returned over 2 months and is was probably a manufacturing fault. No harm done but the motor factors are now well aware of a possible problem.