2014 MAZDA MODEL 3 5-DOOR wheel

6–67
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Repairing Damage to the Finish
Deep scratches or chips on the fi nish
should be repaired promptly. Exposed
metal quickly rusts and can lead to major
repairs.
CAUTION
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
 y  Use tar remover to remove road tar and
insects. Never do this with a knife or
similar tool.
 y  To prevent corrosion on bright-
metal surfaces, apply wax or chrome
preservative and rub it to a high luster.
 y  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.
CAUTION
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 fuel lines, frame, fl oor pan, and exhaust
system, even though these parts may be
coated with anti-corrosive material.
Thoroughly fl ush 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.
WARNING
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 aff ected.
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*Some models.6–68
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Aluminum Wheel Maintenance *
A protective coating is provided over the
aluminum wheels. Special care is needed
to protect this coating.
CAUTION
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.
NOTE
 y Do not use a wire brush or any abrasive
cleaner, polishing compound, or solvent
on aluminum wheels. They may damage
the coating.
 y 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.
 y Avoid washing your vehicle in an
automatic car wash that uses high-
speed or hard brushes.
 y If your aluminum wheels lose luster,
wax the wheels.
Plastic Part Maintenance
 y When cleaning the plastic lenses of the
lights, do not use gasoline, kerosene,
rectifi ed spirit, paint, thinner, highly
acidic detergents, or strongly alkaline
detergents. Otherwise, these chemical
agents can discolor or damage the
surfaces resulting in a signifi cant loss
in functionality. If plastic parts become
inadvertently exposed to any of these
chemical agents, fl ush with water
immediately.
 y  If plastic parts such as the bumpers
become inadvertently exposed to
chemical agents or fl uids such as
gasoline, oil, engine coolant, or battery
fl uid, it could cause discoloration,
staining, or paint peeling. Wipe off any
such chemical agents or fl uids using a
soft cloth immediately.
 y  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.
 y  Do not use wax containing compounds
(polish). Otherwise, it could result in
paint damage.
 y  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.
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7–5
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
4. Insert the cover tabs and install the cover.
NOTE
Verify that the cover is securely installed.
Maintenance
 y Always keep the jack clean. y Make sure the moving parts are kept
free from dirt or rust.
 y  Make sure the screw thread is
adequately lubricated.
Spare Tire
Your Mazda has a temporary spare tire.
The temporary spare tire is lighter and
smaller than a conventional tire, and is
designed only for emergency use and
should be used only for VERY short
periods. Temporary spare tires should
NEVER be used for long drives or
extended periods.
WARNING
Do not install the temporary spare tire
on the front wheels (driving wheels): Driving with the temporary spare tire
on one of the front driving wheels is
dangerous. Handling will be aff ected.
You could lose control of the vehicle,
especially on ice or snow bound roads,
and have an accident. Move a regular
tire to the front wheel and install the
temporary spare tire to the rear.
CAUTION


7–7
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
1. Park on a level surface off the right-of-way and fi rmly set the parking brake.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transaxle in Park (P), a manual
transaxle in Reverse (R) or 1, and turn
off the engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning fl asher.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle and away from the vehicle and traffi c.
5. Remove the jack, tool, and spare tire (page 7-3 ).
6. Block the wheel diagonally opposite the fl at tire. When blocking a wheel,
place a tire block both in front and
behind the tire.
NOTE
When blocking a tire, use rocks or wood
blocks of suffi cient size if possible to hold
the tire in place.
Removing a Flat Tire
1. If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel cover, pry off the wheel cover
with the beveled end of the jack lever.
NOTE
Force the end of the jack lever fi rmly
between wheel and cover, or removal will
be diffi cult.
2. Loosen the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise one turn each, but do
not remove any lug nuts until the tire
has been raised off the ground.
3. Place the jack on the ground.
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*Some models.7–10
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
WARNING
Do not jack up the vehicle higher than is
necessary: Jacking up the vehicle higher than
is necessary is dangerous as it could
destabilize the vehicle resulting in an
accident.

Do not start the engine or shake the
vehicle while it is jacked up: Starting the engine or shaking
the vehicle while it is jacked up is
dangerous as it could cause the vehicle
to fall off the jack resulting in an
accident.

Never go under the vehicle while it is
jacked up: Going under the vehicle while it is
jacked up is dangerous as it could
result in death or serious injury if the
vehicle were to fall off the jack.
9. Remove the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise; then remove the
wheel and center cap.
Locking Lug Nuts *
If your vehicle has Mazda optional
antitheft wheel lug nuts, one on each
wheel will lock the tires and you must use
a special key to unlock them. This key will
attach to the lug wrench and can be stored
with the spare tire. Register them with
the lock manufacturer by fi lling out the
card provided in the glove compartment
and mailing it in the accompanying
envelope. If you lose this key, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer or use the lock
manufacturer's order form, which is with
the registration card.
Special key
A ntitheft lug nut
To remove an antitheft lug nut
1. Obtain the special key for the antitheft
lug nut.
2. Place the special key on top of the antitheft lug nut, and be sure to hold
the key square to it. If you hold the key
at an angle, you may damage both key
and nut. Do not use a power impact
wrench.
3. Place the lug wrench on top of the key and apply pressure. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise.
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7–11
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
To install the antitheft lug nut
1. Place the special key on top of the nut, and be sure to hold the key square to
it. If you hold the key at an angle, you
may damage both key and nut. Do not
use a power impact wrench.
2. Place the lug wrench on top of the special key, apply pressure, and turn it
clockwise.
Nut tightening torque
N·m (kgf·m, ft·lbf) 108—147
(12—14, 80—108)
Mounting the Spare Tire
1. Remove dirt and grime from the
mounting surfaces of the wheel and
hub, including the hub bolts, with a
cloth.
WARNING
Make sure the mounting surfaces of
the wheel, hub and lug nuts are clean
before changing or replacing tires: When changing or replacing a tire,
not removing dirt and grime from the
mounting surfaces of the wheel, hub
and hub bolts is dangerous. The lug
nuts could loosen while driving and
cause the tire to come off , resulting in
an accident.
2. Mount the spare tire.
3. Install the lug nuts with the beveled edge inward; tighten them by hand.
WARNING
Do not apply oil or grease to lug nuts
and bolts and do not tighten the
lug nuts beyond the recommended
tightening torque: Applying oil or grease to lug nuts and
bolts is dangerous. The lug nuts could
loosen while driving and cause the tire
to come off , resulting in an accident.
In addition, lug nuts and bolts could
be damaged if tightened more than
necessary.
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7–12
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
4. Turn the lug wrench counterclockwise and lower the vehicle. Use the lug
wrench to tighten the nuts in the order
shown.
If you are unsure of how tight the nuts should be, have them inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Nut tightening torque
N·m (kgf·m, ft·lbf) 108—147
(12—14, 80—108)
WARNING
Always securely and correctly tighten
the lug nuts:
Improperly or loosely tightened lug
nuts are dangerous. The wheel could
wobble or come off . This could result
in loss of vehicle control and cause a
serious accident.

Be sure to reinstall the same nuts you
removed or replace them with metric
nuts of the same confi guration:
Because the wheel studs and lug nuts
on your Mazda have metric threads,
using a non-metric nut is dangerous.
On a metric stud, it would not secure
the wheel and would damage the stud,
which could cause the wheel to slip off
and cause an accident.
5. Open the trunk/luggage compartment mat.
Tr unk/Luggage com par tm ent m at
6. Remove the belt for securing the fl at
tire.
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7–14
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
11. Pass the buckle through the wheel as shown in the fi gure and secure it so that
the buckle does not contact the wheel.
(Aluminum wheel)
(Steel wheel)
12. Pass the belt through the buckle, then pull the belt end to secure the fl at tire.
13. (Split-folding type seat)
Return the rear seatback on the right side of the rear seatback to its original
position.
14. Remove the tire blocks and store the tools and jack.
15. Check the infl ation pressure. Refer to
Tires on page 9-9 .
16. Have the fl at tire repaired or replaced
as soon as possible.
NOTE
Do not press the tire pressure monitoring
system set switch after installing the spare
tire. The switch is only to be pressed after
installing the repaired fl at tire or installing
a replacement tire (page 4-16 ).
WARNING
Do not drive with any tires that have
incorrect air pressure:
Driving on tires with incorrect air
pressure is dangerous. Tires with
incorrect pressure could aff ect
handling and result in an accident.
When you check the regular tires' air
pressure, check the spare tire, too.
NOTE
To prevent the jack and tool from rattling,
store them properly.
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