Mazda 3 Owners Manual: Underbody Maintenance
Road chemicals and salt used for ice and snow removal and solvents used for dust control may collect on the underbody. If not removed, they will speed up rusting and deterioration of such underbody parts as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and exhaust system, even though these parts may be coated with anti-corrosive material.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and wheel housings with lukewarm or cold water at the end of each winter. Try also to do this every month.
Pay special attention to these areas because they easily hide mud and dirt.
It will do more harm than good to wet down the road grime without removing it.
The lower edges of doors, rocker panels, and frame members have drain holes that should not be clogged. Water trapped there will cause rusting.
| WARNING
Dry off brakes that have become
wet by driving slowly, releasing the
accelerator pedal and lightly applying
the brakes several times until the brake
performance returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous. Increased stopping distance or the vehicle pulling to one side when braking could result in a serious accident. Light braking will indicate whether the brakes have been aff ected. |
Bright-Metal Maintenance
Use tar remover to remove road tar and
insects. Never do this with a knife or
similar tool.
To prevent corrosion on brightmetal
surfaces, apply wax or chrome
preservative and rub it to a ...
Aluminum Wheel Maintenance
A protective coating is provided over the
aluminum wheels. Special care is needed
to protect this coating.
CAUTION
Do not use any detergent other than
mild detergent. Before using any
...
Other materials:
Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valve Inspection [Mzr 2.0, Mzr 2.5]
Airflow Inspection
1. Disconnect the section (A) of the ventilation hose shown in the figure.
2. Start the engine and verify that vacuum is applied to the end of the disconnected
ventilation hose while the engine is idling.
NOTE:
Because it is difficult to directly inspect the PC ...
Changing a Flat Tire
NOTE
If the following occurs while driving, it
could indicate a flat tire.
Steering becomes difficult.
The vehicle begins to vibrate
excessively.
The vehicle pulls in one direction.
If you have a flat tire, drive slowly to a
level spot that is well off the road and out
of the way of ...
Front Seat Removal/Installation
WARNING:
Handling a front seat (with built-in side air bag) improperly can accidentally
operate (deploy) the air bag, which may seriously injure you. Read the service
warnings before handling a front seat (with built-in side air bag)..
CAUTION:
After removing a front seat ...
