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:
Front Shock Absorber Disposal
1. Place the front shock absorber on a level surface or with the piston pointing
downwards.
2. Drill a 2—3 mm {0.08—0.11 in} hole at the point A shown in the figure
so that the gas can escape.
WARNING:
Whenever drilling into a shock absorber, wear protective eye wear. The gas
...
Power Window Lock Switch
This feature prevents all power windows
from operating, except the driver's power
window. Keep this switch in the locked
position while children are in the vehicle.
Locked position (button depressed):
Only the driver's power window can be
operated.
Unlocked position (button not
depressed ...
Glossary of Terms
Tire Placard: A label indicating the OE tire sizes, recommended inflation
pressure, and the
maximum weight the vehicle can carry.
Tire Identification Number (TIN): A number on the sidewall of each tire
providing
information about the tire brand and manufacturing plant, tire size, and date o ...
