2003 MAZDA MODEL PROTÉGÉ maintenance

8-18
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Inspecting Washer Fluid Level
Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir; add fluid if necessary.
The top of the float should be between
FULL and LOW.Use plain water if washer fluid is
unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather
to prevent it from freezing.
To inspect the washer fluid level in the
front reservoir, pull off the cap. Then,
holding your thumb over the hole in the
center of the cap, lift it straight up. There
should be fluid in the straw. 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.
Washer Fluid
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
Float
Sedan
Hatchback
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8-19
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
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.A viscous paper air filter fits inside the air
cleaner housing, as shown. It’s been
specially treated and should not be
cleaned and reused. Replace it when
necessary.

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
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8-20
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
2. Lift off the air filter cover and remove
the filter.
3. Wipe inside the air cleaner housing
with a damp cloth.
4. Replace the filter.
5. Install in the reverse order of removal.
Replace the filter according to Scheduled
Maintenance (page 8-3).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.
Air filter cover Air filter
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.
To prevent damage to the wiper arms
and other components, don’t move the
wipers by hand.
CAUTION
CAUTION
CAUTION
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8-21
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
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.
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.
To prevent damage to the windshield,
don’t let the wiper arm fall on it.
Push
Plastic locking clip
CAUTION
Pull out Ta bMetal support
•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.
Stiffeners
CAUTION
J39L_EA.book Page 21 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

8-22
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
4. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.
Then install the blade assembly in the
reverse older of removal.

Replacing Rear Window Wiper
Blade (Hatchback)
When the wiper no longer cleans well, the
blade is probably worn or cracked.
Replace it.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.
2. Pull down the blade rubber and slide it
out of the blade holder.
NOTE
Install the blade so that the tabs are
toward the bottom of the wiper arm.
To prevent damage to the wiper arm
and other components, don’t move the
wiper by hand.
Ta b
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the rear window,
don’t let the wiper arm fall on it.
Push
Plastic locking clip
CAUTION
Pull out
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8-23
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
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 order of removal. Don’t bend the stiffeners. You need to
use them again.
Stiffeners
CAUTION
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.
Children 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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8-24
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

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.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.
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 when using 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 10-8)
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
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8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

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-
8).
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
10-8).
WARNING
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.
J39L_EA.book Page 25 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM