Appearance Care
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.
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
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Use tar remover to remove road tar and insects. Never do this with a knife or similar tool.
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To prevent corrosion on bright-metal surfaces, apply wax or chrome preservative and rub it to a high luster.
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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.
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 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.
Seat Belt Maintenance
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Clean the soiled area by lightly dabbing it 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.
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Before retracting seat belts which have been pulled out for cleaning, dry them off thoroughly and make sure there is no remaining moisture on them.
If a seat belt appears frayed or has abrasions, have it replaced by an Authorized Mazda Dealer:
If a seat belt is used under such a condition, it cannot function at its full capacity which could result in serious injury or death.
Use a mild detergent to remove soiling from a seat belt:
If organic solvents are used for cleaning the seat belts or they become stained or bleached, there is the possibility of them becoming weakened and as a result, they may not function at their full capacity which could cause serious injury or death.
Clean seat belts diligently if they get dirty. Leaving them uncleaned will make it difficult to clean them later, and it may affect the smooth retracting of the seat belt.
Upholstery and Synthetic Leather Maintenance
Fabric
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Clean the soiled area by lightly dabbing it 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.
Synthetic leather
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Remove dust and sand using a vacuum cleaner.
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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.
