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:
Quick Release Connector (Emission System) Removal/Installation [Mzr 2.0, Mzr
2.5]
Quick Release Connector Type
CAUTION:
Verify the type and location, and install/remove properly.
Except for Mexico
Mexico
Type A Removal
CAUTION:
Be careful not to damage the evaporative pipe when unlocking the retainer.
NOTE:
When removing the quick r ...
Unfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the seat belt buckle.
If the belt does not fully retract, pull it out
and check for kinks or twists. Then make
sure it remains untwisted as it retracts.
NOTE
If a belt does not fully retract, inspect
it for kinks and twists. If it is still not
retracting properly, ...
Air Bleeding
CAUTION:
If the strainer is removed, impurities may penetrate the power steering system
and damage it. To prevent this, always bleed air with the strainer installed.
Do not maintain the steering wheel fully turned for 5 s or more. The oil
temperature could rise and damage ...
