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:
Expansion Valve Removal/Installation
1. Disconnect the negative battery cable..
2. Discharge the refrigerant from the system..
CAUTION:
If moisture or foreign material enters the refrigeration cycle, cooling ability
will be lowered and abnormal noise will occur. Always immediately plug all open
fittings after removing ...
Power Steering Fluid Inspection
Fluid Level Inspection
1. Verify that the fluid level is between MAX and MIN of the sub tank when the
engine is cold.
If the fluid is not at the specified level, adjust the fluid level (MIN-MAX
on sub tank) by adding/draining the fluid.
Power steering fluid type
Mazda Gen ...
System
The system operates only when the driver
is in the vehicle or within operational
range while the key is being carried.
NOTE
When the battery power is low, or in
places where there are high-intensity radio
waves or noise, the operational range
may become narrower or the system may
not operate ...