Appearance Care; Underbody Maintenance; Maintenance and Care- Page 258

8-44

Maintenance and Care

Appearance Care

Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

▼

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.

▼

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.

▼

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.

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.

Don’t 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.

CAUTION

CAUTION

Driving with Wet Brakes:
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. Dry the brakes by driving 
very slowly and applying the brakes 
lightly until brake performance is 
normal.

WARNING

J56J_8R29_EA_02I_Edition4.book  Page 44  Monday, April 21, 2003  3:44 PM