2001 MAZDA MODEL 626 tires

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
In Case of Emergency6-26
If you’re unsure of how tight the
nuts should be, have them
inspected at a service station. The
specified torque is 90 to 120 N·m
(9.0 to 12.0 kgf·m, 65 to 87
ft·lbf).
WARNING
!
Loose 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. Always securely and
correctly tighten the lug nuts.
WARNING
!
Metric Studs and Lug Nuts:Because the wheel studs and lug
nuts on your Mazda have metric
threads, using a nonmetric nut
would be 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.
Be sure to reinstall the same nuts
you removed or replace them with
metric nuts of the same
configuration.
WARNING
!
Incorrect Tire Air Pressure:Driving on tires with incorrect air
pressure is dangerous. Tires with
incorrect pressure could affect
handling and result in an
accident. Don’t drive with any
tires that have incorrect air
pressure. When you check the
regular tire’ s air pressure, check
the spare tire, too.

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Appearance Care7-4
078-15A1E

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.
078-16A1E

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.

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
MaintenanceBecause your Mazda is a large piece of intricate machinery, it needs regular care in the form of maintenance
and servicing. Many owners prefer to do much of this work themselves.
So Section 8 has been prepared as a guide for the operator who wants to self-service such minor jobs\
as
changing the engine oil, replacing bulbs and wiper blades, charging the battery, and rotating the tires. All
maintenance schedules are included, along with instructions on how to make regular inspections of such things
as fluid levels.Introduction 8- 2
Scheduled Maintenance 8- 3 Owner Maintenance 8-11
8
8-1
080-1A1E

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Maintenance8-40•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.


083-33A4E
Tires
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.
WARNING
!
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.

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Maintenance
8-41
WARNING
!
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:Using any other tire size than
what is specified for your Mazda
(page 10-6) 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.
J94A3005_7GrTire 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
10-6).

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Maintenance8-42NOTE•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.
(Continued)
•Keep your tire pressure at the
correct levels. If one frequently
needs inflating, have it
inspected.
WARNING
!
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
10-6).
083-34A2E
J94A7027_a (J18T7031)
Front
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire) in rotation.
 Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 6,000 km (3,750 miles), or
sooner if irregular wear develops.
During rotation, inspect them for
correct balance.

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Maintenance
8-43
Also, inspect them for uneven wear
and damage. Abnormal wear is usually
caused by one or a combination of the
following:
•Incorrect tire pressure
• Improper wheel alignment
• Out-of-balance wheel
• Severe braking
After rotation, bring all tire pressures
to specification (page 10-6) and
inspect the lug nuts for tightness.
083-37AE
J94A7028
(J18Y7061+62)
New tread Worn tread
Tread wear indicator

Replacing a tire
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread. Replace the tire when this
happens. You may need to replace it
before the band is across the entire
tread.
083-38A1E
WARNING
!
Worn Tires:Driving with worn tires is
dangerous. Reduced braking,
steering, and traction could result
in an accident. Always use tires
that are in good condition.

Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Maintenance8-44
083-39AE
 Temporary spare tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at
least monthly to make sure it’ s
properly inflated and stored.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction. It is
lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire and should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short
distance.
Use the temporary only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which
should be as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa (60
psi).
CAUTION
!
• Don’ t use your temporary spare
tire rim with a snow tire or a
conventional tire. Neither will
properly fit and could damage
both tire and rim.
• The temporary spare tire has a
tread life of up to 4,800 km
(3,000 miles), depending on
road conditions and driving
habits.
• When the tread wear solid-band
indicator appears, replace the
tire with the same type of
temporary spare.
Q083-40A2E
Replacing a wheel
When replacing a wheel, make sure
the new one is the same as the original
factory wheel in diameter, rim width,
and offset.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.