Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Maintaining the Finish
Washing
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Before lifting the windshield wiper blades off the windshield, always follow the procedure for moving the windshield wiper blades. Otherwise, a wiper blade, wiper arm, or the hood could be damaged.
Refer to the Replacing Windshield Wiper Blades (Search) section for the procedure on how to move the windshield wiper blades to the service position.
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When the power switch is switched ON and the wiper lever is in the AUTO position, the windshield wipers may operate automatically in the following cases:
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The area of the windshield above the rain sensor is touched or wiped with a cloth.
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The windshield or the rain sensor area in the cabin is hit.
When the power switch is switched ON and the wiper lever is in the AUTO position, do not touch the windshield or the windshield wipers Otherwise, the windshield wipers will operate automatically which could catch your fingers or damage the windshield wipers.
When removing ice or snow, or cleaning the windshield, always make sure the wiper lever is in the OFF position.
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Do not spray water in the motor compartment. Otherwise, it could lead to an electrical shock resulting in an accident.
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When washing and waxing the vehicle, be careful not to apply excessive force to any single area of the vehicle roof. Otherwise, you could dent the vehicle.
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Make sure that the charge lid is closed and lock the doors. Otherwise, the charge lid may be forcefully opened by water pressure causing damage to the vehicle or charge lid.
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When washing the vehicle, do not spray highly pressurized water against the sensor areas of the front and rear bumpers, or rub them strongly. Otherwise, the sensors may be unable to detect obstructions correctly and systems such as the parking sensor may not operate normally.
To help protect the finish from rust and deterioration, wash your Mazda thoroughly and frequently, at least once a month, with lukewarm or cold water.
If the vehicle is washed improperly, the paint surface could be scratched. Here are some examples of how scratching could occur.
Scratches occur on the paint surface when:
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The vehicle is washed without first rinsing off dirt and other foreign matter.
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The vehicle is washed with a rough, dry, or dirty cloth.
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The vehicle is washed at a car wash that uses brushes that are dirty or too stiff.
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Cleansers or wax containing abrasives are used.
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Mazda is not responsible for scratches caused by automatic car washes or improper washing.
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Scratches are more noticeable on vehicles with darker paint finishes.
To minimize scratches on the vehicle's paint finish:
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Rinse off any dirt or other foreign matter using lukewarm or cold water before washing.
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Use plenty of lukewarm or cold water and a soft cloth when washing the vehicle. Do not use a nylon cloth.
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Rub gently when washing or drying the vehicle.
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Take your vehicle only to a car wash that keeps its brushes well maintained.
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Do not use abrasive cleansers or wax that contain abrasives.
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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 damage the protective coating; also, cleaners and detergents may discolor or deteriorate the paint.
Pay special attention to removing salt, dirt, mud, and other foreign material from the underside of the fenders, and make sure the drain holes in the lower edges of the doors and rocker panels are clean.
Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings, industrial fallout, and similar deposits can damage the finish if not removed immediately. When prompt washing with plain water is ineffective, use a mild soap made for use on vehicles.
Thoroughly rinse off all soap with lukewarm or cold water. Do not allow soap to dry on the finish.
After washing the vehicle, dry it with a clean chamois to prevent water spots from forming.
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.
When using an automatic car wash
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Retract the door mirrors.
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The automatic car wash brushes could reduce the paint luster or hasten paint deterioration.
Release the parking brake and use neutral hold mode (automatic car wash mode) when it is necessary to change the shift position to the N position for an automatic car wash.
For details on neutral hold mode (automatic car wash mode) (Search).
When using a high water pressure car wash
High water temperature and high water pressure car washers are available depending on the type of car wash machine. If the car washer nozzle is put too close to the vehicle, the force of the spray could damage or deform the molding, affect the sealability of parts, and allow water to penetrate the interior. Keep a sufficient space (30 cm (12 in) or more) between the nozzle and the vehicle. In addition, do not spend too much time spraying the same area of the vehicle, and be very careful when spraying between gaps in doors and around windows.
Waxing
Your vehicle needs to be waxed when water no longer beads on the finish.
Always wash and dry the vehicle before waxing it. In addition to the vehicle body, wax the metal trim to maintain its luster.
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Use wax which contains no abrasives.
Wax containing abrasives will remove paints and could damage bright metal parts.
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Use a good grade of natural wax for metallic, mica, and solid colors.
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When waxing, coat evenly with the sponge supplied or a soft cloth.
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Wipe off the wax with a soft cloth.
A spot remover to remove oil, tar, and similar materials will usually also take off the wax. Rewax these areas even if the rest of the vehicle does not need it.
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 frame and floor pan, 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.
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.
Aluminum Wheel Maintenance
A protective coating is provided over the aluminum wheels. Special care is needed to protect this coating.
Do not use any detergent other than mild detergent. Before using any detergent, verify the ingredients. Otherwise, the product could discolor or stain the aluminum wheels.
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Do not use a wire brush or any abrasive cleaner, polishing compound, or solvent on aluminum wheels. They may damage the coating.
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Always use a sponge or soft cloth to clean the wheels.
Rinse the wheels thoroughly with lukewarm or cold water. Also, be sure to clean the wheels after driving on dusty or salted roads to help prevent corrosion.
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Avoid washing your vehicle in an automatic car wash that uses high-speed or hard brushes.
Plastic Part Maintenance
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When cleaning the plastic lenses of the lights, do not use gasoline, kerosene, rectified spirit, paint, thinner, highly acidic detergents, or strongly alkaline detergents. Otherwise, these chemical agents can discolor or damage the surfaces resulting in a significant loss in functionality. If plastic parts become inadvertently exposed to any of these chemical agents, flush with water immediately.
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If plastic parts such as the bumpers become inadvertently exposed to chemical agents or fluids such as coolant, or lead-acid battery fluid, it could cause discoloration, staining, or paint peeling. Wipe off any such chemical agents or fluids using a soft cloth immediately.
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High water temperature and high water pressure car washers are available depending on the type of high pressure car washer device. If the car washer nozzle is put too close to the vehicle or aimed at one area for an extended period of time, it could deform plastic parts or damage the paint.
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Do not use wax containing compounds (polish). Otherwise, it could result in paint damage.
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In addition, do not use an electrical or air tool to apply wax. Otherwise, the frictional heat generated could result in deformation of plastic parts or paint damage.
Interior Care
Interior Care
Do not spray water into the vehicle cabin:
Spraying water into the vehicle cabin is dangerous as electrical devices such as the audio and switches could get wet resulting in a malfunction or vehicle fire.
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Do not wipe the interior using alcohol, chlorine bleach, or organic solvents such as thinner, benzene, and gasoline. Otherwise, it may cause discoloration or stains.
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Rubbing hard with a stiff brush or cloth may cause damage.
If the vehicle interior becomes soiled by any of the following, wipe it off immediately using a soft cloth.
Leaving it uncleaned could cause discoloration, stains, cracks, or peeling of the coating, and it will make it hard to wipe off later.
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Beverage or fragrance
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Grease or oil
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Soiling
Instrument Panel Top (Soft pad) Maintenance
Extremely soft material is used for the soft pad surface. If the soft pad surface is rubbed harshly with a dry cloth, it could result in the surface being damaged and leaving white scratch marks.
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Wipe the soiled area with a soft cloth soaked in a mild detergent (approx. 5%) diluted with water.
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Wipe off the remaining detergent using a cloth soaked in clean water and wrung out well.
Active Driving Display Maintenance
Glass and Mirror Maintenance
Use Mazda genuine glass cleaner to remove oil film from the glass or mirror.
When cleaning the interior side of the window glass, gently wipe it with a soft cloth soaked in clean water and thoroughly wrung out.
If there is oil film on the windshield, headlight beams from on-coming vehicles may reflect irregularly especially on a rainy night, and your front vision might be obstructed.
If an antenna or filament is printed on the window glass, gently wipe along the antenna or filament to clean that area.
If some areas require further cleaning, a glass cleaning agent can be used. However, be careful of the following points.
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Follow the instructions on the glass cleaner container.
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Do not use a glass cleaning agent on a window antenna and filaments, and on a rearview mirror equipped with the automatic glare prevention function.
Using a glass cleaning agent may damage the window antenna or filaments, and the automatic glare prevention function may not operate normally.
