Underbody Maintenance; Appearance Care; Repairing Damage to the Finish- Page 495

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Repairing Damage to the Finish

Deep scratches or chips on the finish
should be repaired promptly. Exposed
metal quickly rusts and can lead to major
repairs.

CAUTION

If your Mazda is damaged and needs metal
parts repaired or replaced, make sure the
body shop applies anti-corrosion materials
to all parts, both repaired and new. This will
prevent them from rusting.

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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 bright-metal
surfaces, apply wax or chrome
preservative and rub it to a high luster.



During cold weather or in coastal areas,
cover bright-metal parts with a coating
of wax or preservative heavier than
usual. It would also help to coat them
with noncorrosive petroleum jelly or
some other protective compound.

CAUTION

Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or
strong detergents containing highly
alkaline or caustic agents on
chrome-plated or anodized aluminum
parts. This may result in damage to the
protective coating and cause discoloration
or paint deterioration.

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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
affected.

Maintenance and Care

Appearance Care

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Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1

2017-4-7 11:59:21