Mazda 3 Service Manual: 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 the oil pump.

NOTE:

• Add fluid and bleed air using the following procedure. Otherwise, additional time will be required to add fluid because of mesh resistance.

Fluid Level Adjustment

NOTE:

• The following procedure is for adding (adjusting) fluid if the lack of fluid level has dropped as a result of fluid leakage.

1. Working with two people, one person protects the area around the sub tank using a cloth and adds fluid to the sub tank.

CAUTION:

• Do not spread a cloth near the drive belt, otherwise the cloth could get caught in the drive belt when starting the engine causing damage to parts in the engine compartment.

2. The other person starts the engine and idles it.

3. Turn the steering wheel fully to the left and right slowly several times.

• If the steering wheel operation speed is too fast, the fluid may spatter from the filler port. Do not exceed the steering wheel operation speed reference value.

Steering wheel operation speed (reference value)

1. 90 °/s

4. Inspect the fluid level and, if the fluid level has dropped, repeat Step 1—3 until the level is between MAX and MIN on the sub tank while idling the engine.

Power Steering Component Parts Replacement

NOTE:

• The following procedure is for adding fluid to the tank (full amount) after replacing the electric power steering oil pump component or steering gear and linkage.

1. Remove the aerodynamic undercover No.2..

2. Disconnect the return hose from the power steering pipe component.

3. Add fluid until fluid escapes from the return hose.

4. Assemble the return hose to the power steering pipe component.

5. Working with two people, one person protects the area around the sub tank using a cloth and adds fluid to the sub tank.

CAUTION:

• Do not spread a cloth near the drive belt, otherwise the cloth could get caught in the drive belt when starting the engine causing damage to parts in the engine compartment.

6. The other person starts the engine and idles it.

7. Turn the steering wheel fully to the left and right slowly several times.

• If the steering wheel operation speed is too fast, the fluid may spatter from the filler port. Do not exceed the steering wheel operation speed reference value.

Steering wheel operation speed (reference value)

1. 90 °/s

8. Inspect the fluid level and, if the fluid level has dropped, repeat Step 5—7 until the level is between MAX and MIN on the sub tank while idling the engine.