Underbody Maintenance; Repairing Damage to the Finish; It will do more harm than good to wet- Page 490

▼

Repairing Damage to the Finish

Deep scratches or chips on the 

fi

nish

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.

▼

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.

▼

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, 

fl

oor pan, and exhaust system,

even though these parts may be coated

with anti-corrosive material.

Thoroughly 

fl

ush 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 o

ff

 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

a

ff

ected.

Maintenance and Care

Appearance Care

6-52

Mazda3_8JM2-EA

-

20H_Edition1_new

2020-7-10 17:21:34