Mazda MX-5 2021 Manual page 347

Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Water Marks
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 evaporates, the
minerals will concentrate and harden to
form white rings. The rings can damage
your vehicle's finish.
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.
Paint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown
in the air by another vehicle's tires hits
your vehicle.
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
The paint chipping zone varies with the

speed of the vehicle. For example, when
traveling at 90 km/h (56 mph), the paint
chipping zone is 50 m (164 ft).
In low temperatures a vehicle's finish

hardens. This increases the chance of
paint chipping.
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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.
Follow all label and container directions
when using a chemical cleaner or polish.
Read all warnings and cautions.
▼ Maintaining the Finish
Washing
CAUTION
When the ignition is switched ON and
the wiper lever is in the AUTO position,
the windshield wipers may operate
automatically in the following cases:
The area of the windshield above the
rain sensor is touched or wiped with a
cloth.
The windshield or the rain sensor area
in the cabin is hit.
When the ignition is switched ON and
the wiper lever is in the AUTO position,
do not touch the windshield or the
windshield wipers Otherwise, the
windshield wipers will operate
automatically which could catch your
fingers or damage the windshield wipers.
When removing ice or snow, or cleaning
the windshield, always make sure the
wiper lever is in the OFF position.