Appearance
Car
e
7-4
J W
ater Marks
t Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can
contain harmful minerals such as salt
and lime. If moisture containing these
minerals
settles on the vehicle and evapo
-
rates, the minerals will concentrate and
harden
to form white rings. The rings can
damage your vehicle’s finish.
t Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according
to the instructions in this section. These
steps should be taken immediately after
you find water marks on your vehicle’s
finish.
J
Paint
Chipping
t Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel
thrown in the air by another vehicle’s
tires
hits your vehicle.
t How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping
a safe distance between you
and
the
vehicle ahead reduces the chances of
having your paint chipped by flying
gravel.
NOTE
S The paint chipping zone varies
with the speed of the vehicle.
For example, when traveling at
56 mph
(90
km/h), the paint chip
-
ping zone is 164 feet (50 m).
S In low temperatures a vehicle’s
finish
hardens. This increases the
chance of paint chipping.
S Chipped paint can lead to rust
forming on your Mazda. Before
this happens, repair the damage
by using Mazda touch-up paint
according to the instructions in
this section. Failure to repair the
affected
area could
lead to serious
rusting and expensive repairs.