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:
Temporary Spare Tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it is properly
inflated and stored.
NOTE
The temporary spare tire condition
gradually deteriorates even if it has not
been used.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction which
is lighter and small ...
Replacing Interior Light Bulbs
Overhead lights (Front)/Map lights * ,
Overhead lights (Front) * , Overhead
lights (Rear) * , Vanity mirror lights *
Wrap a small flathead screwdriver
with a soft cloth to prevent damage to
the lens, and then remove the lens by
carefully prying on the edge of the lens
with the flathead ...
Hole Cover Removal/Installation
With Car-navigation system
1. Disconnect the negative battery cable..
2. Remove the following parts:
a. Upper column cover.
b. Instrument cluster.
c. Center panel.
d. Center cover.
e. Dashboard upper panel.
f. Multi information display.
3. Pull the hole cover in the direction of arr ...
