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:
Opening the Hood
With the vehicle parked, pull the
release handle to unlock the hood.
Insert your hand into the hood opening,
slide the latch lever to the right, and lift
up the hood.
NOTE
The lever is located a little to the left of
center when facing the vehicle.
Grasp the support r ...
Windshield Defrosting and
Defogging
Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
Set the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
If dehumidified heating is desired, turn
on the air conditioner.
WARNING
Do not defog the windshield using the
pos ...
Blower Motor Installation [Full Auto Air Conditioner]
1. Install the SST (49 B061 015A) to the blower motor.
2. Install the blower motor with the SST (49 B061 015A) installed, to
the A/C unit.
CAUTION:
To prevent damage to the sirocco fan, install the blower motor being careful
that the blower motor does not interfere with the ...
