MAZDA MODEL 6 2003 Owners Manual (in English)

8-17
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Inspecting Power Steering Fluid
Level
2.3-liter engine
Inspect the fluid level in the reservoir at
each engine oil change with the engine off
and cold. Add fluid if necessary; it does
not require periodic changing.
The level must be kept between MIN and
MAX.
Visually examine the lines and hoses for
leaks and damage.If new fluid is required frequently, consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
3.0-liter engine
Inspect the fluid level at each engine oil
change. Add fluid if necessary; it does not
require periodic changing.
The level must be kept between the H and
L marks.
Visually examine the lines and hoses for
leaks and damage.
1. Park on a level surface, well off the
right-of-way, and set the parking brake
firmly.
2. Turn off the engine and allow it to cool.
3. Remove the filler cap and attached
dipstick.
4. Wipe them clean and put them back.
5. Remove again and inspect the level.
6. It must be between H and L. Add fluid
if necessary.
Don’t overfill.

If new fluid is required frequently, consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Power Steering Fluid
To avoid damage to the power steering
pump, don’t operate the vehicle for
long periods when the power steering
fluid level is low.
NOTE
Use specified power steering fluid
(page 10-3).
CAUTION
High
OK
LowTighten
Loosen
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8-18
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Inspecting Automatic transaxle
Fluid Level
The automatic transaxle fluid level should
be inspected regularly. Measure it as
described below.
The volume of fluid changes with the
temperature. Fluid must be checked at idle
without driving at normal operating
temperature.
1. Park on a level surface and set the
parking brake firmly.
2. Idle the engine about two minutes.
Push down on the brake pedal.
3. Move the shift lever through all ranges
and set it at P.4. With the engine still idling, pull out the
dipstick, wipe it clean, and put it back.
5. Pull it out again.
The proper fluid level is marked on the
dipstick as follows.
Fluid hot scale A
When the vehicle has been driven and the
fluid is at normal operating temperature,
about 65°
C (150°
F), the level must be
between Full and Low.
Fluid cold scale B
When the engine has not been running
and the outside temperature is about 20°
C
(70°
F), the level must be between Full and
Low.
Automatic transaxle Fluid
(ATF)
•
Low fluid level causes transaxle
slippage. Overfilling can cause
foaming, loss of fluid, and transaxle
malfunction.
•
Use specified fluid (page 10-3). A
nonspecified fluid could result in
transaxle malfunction and failure.
CAUTION
Sudden Vehicle Movement:Shifting the shift lever without first
depressing the brake pedal is
dangerous. The vehicle could move
suddenly and cause an accident.
Make sure the brake pedal is applied
before shifting the shift lever.
WARNING
Full
A
LowFull
B
Low
Full
A
Low
Full
B
Low 2.3-liter engine
3.0-liter engine
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8-19
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Fully insert the dipstick. When adding
fluid, inspect with the dipstick to make
sure it doesn’t pass full.

Inspecting Washer Fluid Level
Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir; add fluid if necessary.
Use plain water if washer fluid is
unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather
to prevent it from freezing. •
Use the cold scale only as a
reference.
•
If outside temperature is lower than
about 20°
C (70°
F), start the engine
and inspect the fluid level after the
engine reaches operating
temperature.
•
If the vehicle has been driven for an
extended period at high speeds or in
city traffic in hot weather, inspect
the level only after stopping the
engine and allowing the fluid to
cool for 30 minutes.
NOTE
Inspect the fluid on both sides of the
dipstick in a well lit area for an
accurate reading.
CAUTIONWa s h e r F l u i d
Substitute Washer Fluid:Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the
windshield, affect your visibility, and
could result in an accident. Use only
windshield washer fluid or plain
water in the reservoir.
WARNING
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8-20
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
All moving points of the body, such as
door and hood hinges and locks, should
be lubricated each time the engine oil is
changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on
locks during cold weather.
Make sure the engine hood’s secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when
the primary latch is released.This air filter may be cleaned with
compressed air and reused, or replaced,
depending on its condition. Unless it is
very dirty, simply shake it to remove
foreign particles. Each time you inspect it,
wipe inside the air cleaner housing with a
damp cloth.

Replacing the Air Filter
1. Unfasten the clamps.
Body LubricationAir Filter
Don’t drive without an air filter. This
could result in excessive engine wear.
NOTE
If the vehicle is operated in very dusty
or sandy areas, replace the filter more
often than recommended intervals.
CAUTION
Clamp 2.3-liter engine
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8-21
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
2. Tilt or lift the air filter cover and
remove the filter.3. Wipe inside the air cleaner housing
with a damp cloth.
4. Clean or replace the filter.
5. Install in the reverse order of removal.
Replace the filter according to Scheduled
Maintenance (page 8-3).
Clamp3.0-liter engine
Air filter cover
Air filter 2.3-liter engine
Air filter cover
Air filter 3.0-liter engine
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8-22
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Contamination of either the windshield or
the blades with foreign matter can reduce
wiper effectiveness. Common sources are
insects, tree sap, and hot wax treatments
used by some commercial car washes.
If the blades are not wiping properly,
clean the window and blades with a good
cleaner or mild detergent; then rinse
thoroughly with clean water. Repeat if
necessary.

Replacing Windshield Wiper
Blades
When the wipers no longer clean well, the
blades are probably worn or cracked.
Replace them.
1. Raise the wiper arm and turn the blade
assembly to expose the plastic locking
clip.
Compress the clip and slide the
assembly downward; then lift it off the
arm.
Wiper Blades
Hot waxes applied by automatic car
washes have been known to affect the
cleanability of windows.
To prevent damage to the wiper blades,
don’t use gasoline, kerosene, paint
thinner, or other solvents on or near
them.
CAUTION
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper arms
and other components, don’t move the
wipers by hand.
NOTE
To prevent damage to the wiper arm
blades when raising both the driver and
passenger side wiper arms, raise the
driver side wiper arm first. Conversely,
when setting down the wiper arms, set
the passenger side wiper arm down
first.
CAUTION
Push
Plastic locking clip
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8-23
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
2. Hold the end of the rubber and pull
until the tabs are free of the metal
support.
3. Remove the metal stiffeners from the
blade rubber and install them in new
blades.4. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.
Then install the blade assembly in the
reverse older of removal. To prevent damage to the windshield,
don’t let the wiper arm fall on it.
CAUTION
Pull out Ta bMetal support
Stiffeners
•
Don’t bend the stiffeners. You need
to use them again.
•
If the metal stiffeners are switched,
the blade’s wiping efficiency could
be reduced.
So don’t use the driver’s side metal
stiffeners on the passenger’s side, or
vice versa.
•
Be sure to reinstall the metal
stiffeners in the new blade rubber so
that the curve is the same as it was
in the old blade rubber.
NOTE
Install the blade so that the tabs are
toward the bottom of the wiper arm.
CAUTION
Ta b
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8-24
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Battery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
•
Keep it securely mounted.
•
Keep the top clean and dry.
•
Keep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with petroleum jelly
or terminal grease.
•
Rinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda.
•
If the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables and charge the battery every six
weeks.
Battery
Battery-Related Lead Materials:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer
and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.
Spilled Battery Fluid:
Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC
ACID which could cause serious
injuries, if it gets in your eyes or on
your skin. If this happens,
immediately flush your eyes with
water for 15 minutes or wash your
skin thoroughly and get medical
attention. Be careful not to get battery
fluid on yourself.
Battery-Related Explosion:
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 flames, including
cigarettes, and sparks away from
open battery cells.
WARNINGChildren and Batteries:Allowing children to play near
batteries is dangerous. Battery fluid
could cause serious injuries if it gets
in the eyes or on the skin. Always
keep batteries out of the reach of
children.
WARNING
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8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
For reasons of proper performance, safety,
and better fuel economy, always maintain
recommended tire inflation pressures and
stay within the recommended load limits
and weight distribution.

Tire Inflation Pressure
Inspect all tire pressures monthly
(including the spare) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, top handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page 10-
5).
Tires
Using Different Tire Types:Driving your vehicle with different
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
specified for your Mazda (page 10-5)
is dangerous. It could seriously affect
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 specified for your
Mazda.
WARNING
Incorrect Tire Inflation:Overinflation or underinflation of
tires is dangerous. Adverse handling
or unexpected tire failure could result
in a serious accident. Always inflate
the tires to the correct pressure (page
10-5).
WARNING
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8-26
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or sooner
if irregular wear develops. During
rotation, inspect them for correct balance.
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
•
Incorrect tire pressure
•
Improper wheel alignment
•
Out-of-balance wheel
•
Severe braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-5) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.NOTE
•
Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Don’t
release air from warm tires to adjust
the pressure.
•
Underinflation can cause reduced
fuel economy and poor sealing of
the tire bead, which will deform the
wheel and cause separation of tire
from rim.
•
Overinflation can produce a harsh
ride and a greater possibility of
damage from road hazards.
Keep your tire pressure at the
correct levels. If one frequently
needs inflating, have it inspected.
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 weakened if rotated from side
to side.
Front
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.
CAUTION
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