2015 MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR Owners Manual

6–25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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.
2. Lift the hood, grasp the padded area on the support rod, and secure the support
rod in the clip. Verify that the support
rod is secured in the clip before closing
the hood.
ClipClip
Clip
3. Lower the hood slowly to a height of about 20 cm (7.9 in) above its closed
position and then let it drop.
CAUTION
When closing the hood, do not push
it excessively such as by applying your
weight. Otherwise, the hood could be
deformed.
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6–26
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Engine Compartment Overview
Windshield washer fluid reservoirBrake/Clutch fluid reservoir
Engine oil dipstick Battery
Fuse block
Cooling system cap Engine coolant reservoir Engine oil-filler cap
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6–27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Engine Oil
NOTE
Changing the engine oil should be
performed by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Refer to Introduction (page 6-2 ) for
owner's responsibility in protecting your
investment.
Recommended Oil
U.S.A., Canada, and Puerto Rico
Use SAE 0W-20 engine oil.
Mazda Genuine Oil is used in your
Mazda vehicle. Mazda Genuine 0W-20
Oil is required to achieve optimum fuel
economy.
For maintenance service, Mazda
recommends Mazda Genuine Parts and
Castrol
® (U.S.A. only).
(ILSAC)
Only use SAE 0W-20 oil “Certifi ed For
Gasoline Engines” by the American
Petroleum Institute (API).
Oil with this trademark symbol conforms
to the current engine and emission system
protection standards and fuel economy
requirements of the International Lubricant
Standardization and Approval Committee
(ILSAC), comprised of U.S. and Japanese
automobile manufacturers.
80
60
40
20
0
–40 –20
30
100
40
20
10
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
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6–28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Except U.S.A., Canada, and Puerto Rico
Use SAE 5W-30 engine oil.
Oil container labels provide important
information.
A chief contribution this type of oil makes
to fuel economy is reducing the amount of
fuel necessary to overcome engine friction.
For maintenance service, Mazda
recommends Mazda Genuine Parts and
Castrol
® (Mexico only).
(ILSAC)
(Mexico)
Use SAE 5W-30 engine oil. If SAE 5W-30
engine oil is not available, use SAE 5W-20
engine oil.
The quality designation SM, or ILSAC
must be on the label.
80
60
40
20
0
–40 –20
30
100
40
20
10
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
Inspecting Engine Oil Level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on a level
surface.
2. Warm up the engine to normal operating temperature.
3. Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan.
4. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully.
Full
OK
Low
5. Pull it out again and examine the level.
The level is normal if it is between Low and Full.
If it is near or below Low, add enough oil to bring the level to Full.
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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.
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6–30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Inspect the antifreeze protection and
coolant level in the coolant reservoir at
least once a year—at the beginning of the
winter season—and before traveling where
temperatures may drop below freezing.
Inspect the condition and connections of
all cooling system and heater hoses.
Replace any that are swollen or
deteriorated.
The coolant should be at full in the
radiator and between the F and L marks
on the coolant reservoir when the engine
is cool.
If it is at or near L, add enough coolant to
the coolant reservoir to provide freezing
and corrosion protection and to bring the
level to F.
Securely tighten the coolant reservoir tank
cap after adding coolant.
CAUTION


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.
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6–32
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Inspect fl uid level in the washer fl uid
reservoir; add fl uid if necessary.
L
Use plain water if washer fl uid is
unavailable.
But use only washer fl uid in cold weather
to prevent it from freezing.
NOTE
Front and rear washer fl uid is supplied
from the same reservoir.
Body Lubrication
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 hood's secondary latch
keeps the hood from opening when the
primary latch is released.
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