Mazda 3 Owners Manual: Emission Control System

Mazda 3 Owners Manual / Before Driving / Fuel and Emission / Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions / Emission Control System

This vehicle is equipped with an emission control system (the catalytic converter is part of this system) that enables the vehicle to comply with existing exhaust emissions requirements.

WARNING Never park over or near anything fl ammable: Parking over or near anything fl ammable, such as dry grass, is dangerous. Even with the engine turned off , the exhaust system remains very hot after normal use and could ignite anything fl ammable. A resulting fi re could cause serious injury or death.

CAUTION Ignoring the following precautions could cause lead to accumulate on the catalyst inside the converter or cause the converter to get very hot. Either condition will damage the converter and cause poor performance.

USE ONLY UNLEADED FUEL.
Do not drive your Mazda with any sign of engine malfunction.
Do not coast with the ignition switched off .
Do not descend steep grades in gear with the ignition switched off .
Do not operate the engine at high idle for more than 2 minutes.
Do not tamper with the emission control system. All inspections and adjustments must be made by a qualifi ed technician.
Do not push-start or pull-start your vehicle.

NOTE

Under U.S. federal law, any modification to the original-equipment emission control system before the first sale and registration of a vehicle is subject to penalties. In some states, such modification made on a used vehicle is also subject to penalties.
While the engine is off, the sound of a valve opening and closing can be heard at the rear of the vehicle, however this does not indicate an abnormality. The vehicle has a selfchecking device and it operates while the engine is off.

Fuel Requirements

Vehicles with catalytic converters or oxygen sensors must use ONLY UNLEADED FUEL, which will reduce exhaust emissions and keep spark plug fouling to a minimum. This vehicle will perform best wit ...

Engine Exhaust (Carbon monoxide)

WARNING Do not drive your vehicle if you smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle: Engine exhaust gas is dangerous. This gas contains carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless, odor ...

Other materials:

Dashboard Precautions
Prevent caustic solutions such as perfume and cosmetic oils from contacting the dashboard. They will damage and discolor the dashboard. If these solutions get on the dashboard, wipe them off immediately. CAUTION Do not use glazing agents. Glazing agents contain ingredients which ...

Side Panel Removal/Installation
1. Insert a tape-wrapped fastener remover into the position indicated by the arrow in the figure. 2. Pull the side panel in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, then remove the clips and hook. 3. Pull the side panel in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, while de ...

Rear Beltline Molding Removal/Installation
1. Fully open the rear door glass. 2. Remove the rear door trim.. 3. Remove clip A using a fastener remover and pull up the rear beltline molding in the direction of the arrow (1) shown in the figure. 4. Remove clip B using a fastener remover and pull up the rear beltline molding in the di ...