warning MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR 2014 Owners Manual

6–23
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
WARNING
Do not perform maintenance work if you lack suffi cient knowledge and experience
or the proper tools and equipment to do the work. Have maintenance work done by a
qualifi ed technician:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle is dangerous if not done properly. You can be
seriously injured while performing some maintenance procedures.

If you must run the engine while working under the hood, make certain that you
remove all jewelry (especially rings, bracelets, watches, and necklaces) and all
neckties, scarves, and similar loose clothing before getting near the engine or cooling
fan which may turn on unexpectedly: Working under the hood with the engine running is dangerous. It becomes even more
dangerous when you wear jewelry or loose clothing.
Either can become entangled in moving parts and result in injury.

Switch the ignition to off and make sure the fan is not running before attempting
to work near the cooling fan: Working near the cooling fan when it is running is dangerous. The fan could continue
running indefi nitely even if the engine has stopped and the engine compartment
temperature is high. You could be hit by the fan and seriously injured.

Do not leave items in the engine compartment: After you have fi nished checking or doing servicing in the engine compartment, do not
forget and leave items such as tools or rags in the engine compartment.
Tools or other items left in the engine compartment could cause engine damage or a fi re
leading to an unexpected accident.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–24
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Hood
WARNING
Always check that the hood is closed
and securely locked: A hood that is not closed and securely
locked is dangerous as it could fl y open
while the vehicle is moving and block
the driver's vision which could result in
a serious accident.
Opening the Hood
1. With the vehicle parked, pull the release handle to unlock the hood.
Release handle
2. Insert your hand into the hood opening, slide the latch lever to the right, and lift
up the hood.
Lever
NOTE
The lever is located a little to the left of
center when facing the vehicle.
3. Grasp the support rod in the padded area and secure it in the support rod
hole indicated by the arrow to hold the
hood open.
Pad
Clip
Clip
Support rod
Closing the Hood
1. Check under the hood area to make certain all fi ller caps are in place and all
loose items (e.g. tools, oil containers,
etc.) have been removed.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
CAUTION
Do not add engine oil over Full. This
may cause engine damage.
6. Make sure the O-ring on the dipstick is positioned properly before reinserting
the dipstick.
7. Reinsert the dipstick fully.
Engine Coolant
Inspecting Coolant Level
WARNING
Do not use a match or live fl ame in the
engine compartment. DO NOT ADD
COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT: A hot engine is dangerous. If the
engine has been running, parts of the
engine compartment can become very
hot. You could be burned. Carefully
inspect the engine coolant in the
coolant reservoir, but do not open it.

Switch the ignition to off and make
sure the fan is not running before
attempting to work near the cooling
fan: Working near the cooling fan when it
is running is dangerous. The fan could
continue running indefi nitely even if
the engine has stopped and the engine
compartment temperature is high. You
could be hit by the fan and seriously
injured.

Do not remove either cooling
system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot: When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot
out under pressure and cause serious
injury.
NOTE
Changing the coolant should be done by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Brake/Clutch Fluid
Inspecting Brake/Clutch Fluid Level
WARNING
If the brake/clutch fl uid level is low, have
the brakes inspected: A low brake/clutch fl uid level is
dangerous.
A low level could indicate brake lining
wear or a brake system leak which
could cause the brakes to fail and lead
to an accident.
The brakes and clutch draw fl uid from the
same reservoir.
Inspect the fl uid level in the reservoir
regularly. It should be kept between the
MAX and MIN lines.
The level normally drops with
accumulated distance, a condition
associated with wear of brake and clutch
linings. If it is excessively low, have
the brake/clutch system inspected by an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Washer Fluid
Inspecting Washer Fluid Level
WARNING
Use only windshield washer fl uid or
plain water in the reservoir: Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fl uid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
aff ect your visibility, and could result in
an accident.

Using Washer Fluid Without Anti-freeze
Protection in Cold Weather: Operating your vehicle in temperatures
below 4 degrees C (40 degrees F)
using washer fl uid without anti-freeze
protection is dangerous as it could
cause impaired windshield vision and
result in an accident. In cold weather,
always use washer fl uid with anti-
freeze protection.
NOTE
State or local regulations may restrict the
use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
which are commonly used as anti-freeze
agents in washer fl uid. A washer fl uid with
limited VOC content should be used only
if it provides adequate freeze resistance
for all regions and climates in which the
vehicle will be operated.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–37
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Battery
WARNING
Wash hands after handling the battery and related accessories: Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm.


Read the following precautions carefully before using the battery or inspecting
to ensure safe and correct handling:

Always wear eye protection when working near the battery:
Working without eye protection is dangerous. Battery fl uid contains SULFURIC ACID
which could cause blindness if splashed into your eyes. Also, hydrogen gas produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode.


Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with battery fl uid:
Spilled battery fl uid is dangerous.
Battery fl uid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause serious injuries if it gets in eyes,
or on the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately fl ush your eyes with water for 15
minutes or wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.


Always keep batteries out of the reach of children:
Allowing children to play near batteries is dangerous. Battery fl uid could cause serious
injuries if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.


Keep fl ames and sparks away from open battery cells and do not allow metal
tools to contact the positive (
) or negative () terminal of the battery when working
near a battery. Do not allow the positive (
) terminal to contact the vehicle body:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries. Keep all fl ames including
cigarettes and sparks away from open battery cells.


Keep all fl ames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–41
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Tires
For reasons of proper performance, safety,
and better fuel economy, always maintain
recommended tire infl ation pressures and
stay within the recommended load limits
and weight distribution.
WARNING
Using Diff erent Tire Types:
Driving your vehicle with diff erent
types of tires is dangerous. It could
cause poor handling and poor braking;
leading to loss of control.
Except for the limited use of the
temporary spare tire, use only the
same type tires (radial, bias-belted,
bias-type) on all four wheels.

Using Wrong-Sized Tires: Using any other tire size than what is
specifi ed for the vehicle (page 9-10 )
is dangerous. It could seriously aff ect
ride, handling, ground clearance,
tire clearance, and speedometer
calibration. This could cause you to
have an accident. Use only tires that
are the correct size specifi ed for the
vehicle.
Tire Infl ation Pressure
WARNING
Always infl ate the tires to the correct
pressure: Overinfl ation or underinfl ation of tires
is dangerous. Adverse handling or
unexpected tire failure could result in a
serious accident.
Refer to Tires on page 9-10 .

Use only a Mazda-genuine tire valve
cap: Use of a non-genuine part is
dangerous as the correct tire air
pressure cannot be maintained if the
tire valve becomes damaged. If the
vehicle is driven under this condition,
the tire air pressure will decrease which
could result in a serious accident. Do
not use any part for the tire valve cap
that is not a Mazda-genuine part.
Inspect all tire pressures monthly
(including the spare) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures for
the best ride, handling, and minimum tire
wear.
Refer to the specifi cation charts (page
9-10 ).
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operates normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-107 .
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–42
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
NOTE
 y Always check tire pressure when tires
are cold.
 y Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Do not release
air from warm tires to adjust the
pressure.
 y Underinfl ation can cause reduced fuel
economy, uneven and accelerated tire
wear, and poor sealing of the tire bead,
which will deform the wheel and cause
separation of tire from rim.
 y Overinfl ation can produce a harsh ride,
uneven and accelerated tire wear, and a
greater possibility of damage from road
hazards.
 Keep your tire pressure at the correct levels. If one frequently needs infl ating,
have it inspected.
Tire Rotation
WARNING
Rotate tires periodically: Irregular tire wear is dangerous. To
equalize tread wear for maintaining
good performance in handling and
braking, rotate the tires every 12,000
km (7,500 miles). However Mazda
recommends to rotate every 8,000 km
(5,000 miles) to help increase tire life
and distribute wear more evenly.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4 .
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.
Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
 y
 Incorrect tire pressure y Improper wheel alignment y Out-of-balance wheel y Severe braking
After rotation, infl ate all tire pressures to
specifi cation (page 9-10 ) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operates normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-107 .
CAUTION
Rotate unidirectional tires and radial
tires that have an asymmetrical tread
pattern or studs only from front to rear,
not from side to side. Tire performance
will be reduced if rotated from side to
side.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–43
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Replacing a Tire
WARNING
Always use tires that are in good
condition: Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.

Replace all four tires at the same time: Replacing just one tire is dangerous. It
could cause poor handling and poor
braking resulting in loss of vehicle
control. Mazda strongly recommends
that you replace all four tires at the
same time.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New tread Tread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace the tire before the band
crosses the entire tread.
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operates normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-107 .
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It
is recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate
the aging process. You should replace the
spare tire when you replace the other road
tires due to the aging of the spare tire. The
period in which the tire was manufactured
(both week and year) is indicated by a
4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 8-23 .
Temporary Spare Tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it is properly
infl ated and stored.
NOTE
The temporary spare tire condition
gradually deteriorates even if it has not
been used.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction which
is lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire. This tire should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short distance.
Use the temporary spare tire only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which should
be as soon as possible.
Refer to Tires on page 9-10 .
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–46
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
WARNING
Do not replace the xenon fusion bulbs
yourself: Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs
yourself is dangerous. Because the
xenon fusion bulbs require high
voltage, you could receive an electric
shock if the bulbs are handled
incorrectly. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer when the replacement is
necessary.

Never touch the glass portion of a
halogen bulb with your bare hands
and always wear eye protection when
handling or working around the bulbs: When a halogen bulb breaks, it is
dangerous. These bulbs contain
pressurized gas. If one is broken, it will
explode and serious injuries could be
caused by the fl ying glass.
If the glass portion is touched with
bare hands, body oil could cause the
bulb to overheat and explode when lit.

Always keep halogen bulbs out of the
reach of children: Playing with a halogen bulb is
dangerous. Serious injuries could be
caused by dropping a halogen bulb or
breaking it some other way.
NOTE
 y To replace the bulb, contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
 y If the halogen bulb is accidentally
touched, it should be cleaned with
rubbing alcohol before being used.
 y Use the protective cover and carton for
the replacement bulb to dispose of the
old bulb promptly and out of the reach
of children.
Replacing Exterior Light Bulbs
Headlights (With xenon fusion
headlights)
Low/High beam bulbs
You cannot replace the low/high beam
bulbs by yourself. The bulbs must be
replaced at an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Headlights (With halogen headlights)
Low-beam bulbs
1. If you are changing the right bulb, start the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the left, and turn off engine.
If you are changing the left bulb, turn
the steering wheel to the right, and turn
off engine.
2. Make sure the headlight switch is off.
3. Pull the center of each plastic retainer and remove the retainers.
Removal
Installation
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD

6–59
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6. Reinstall the cover and make sure that it is securely installed.
Replacing the fuses under the hood
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work and the fuses
in the cabin are normal, inspect the fuse
block under the hood. If a fuse is blown, it
must be replaced. Follow these steps:
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off, and other switches are off.
2. Remove the fuse block cover.
3. If any fuse but the MAIN fuse is blown, replace it with a new one of the
same amperage rating .
Normal
Blown
WARNING
Do not replace the main fuse and
multiplex slow blow fuse by yourself.
Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform the replacement:
Replacing these fuses by yourself is
dangerous because they are high
current fuses. Incorrect replacement
could cause an electrical shock or a
short circuit resulting in a fi re.
4. Reinstall the cover and make sure that it is securely installed.
/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD/C\FCA&('#*A'FKVKQPKPFD