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:
Light Bulbs
WARNING
Do not replace the xenon fusion bulbs
yourself:
Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs
yourself is dangerous. Because the
xenon fusion bulbs require high
voltage, you could receive an electric
shock if the bulbs are handled
incorrectly. Consult an Authorized
...
Intake Air Temperature (Iat) Sensor Inspection [Mzr 2.0, Mzr 2.5]
Resistance Inspection
NOTE:
Because the IAT sensor is integrated in the MAF sensor, replacing the IAT
sensor includes replacement of the MAF/IAT sensor.
1. Remove the battery cover..
2. Disconnect the negative battery cable..
3. Disconnect the MAF/IAT sensor connector.
4. Mea ...
Front Lower Arm Inspection
1. Remove the front lower arm from the vehicle..
2. Inspect the arm for bending or damage, and the ball joint for excessive looseness.
If there is any malfunction, replace the front lower arm.
3. Rotate the ball joint stud 5 times. Install the SST to the ball
joint stud, measure t ...
