Page 77 of 250

4-9
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
•Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask a Mazda dealer to perform the
following precautions:
• Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
• Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
• Use only cold-weather engine
oil (page 8-10).
• Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
• Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze —but don ’t use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer
fluid (page 8-20).
• Don ’t use the parking brake if it might
freeze. Instead, shift to P with an
automatic transaxle and to 1 or R with
a manual transaxle. Block the rear
wheels.
Snow Tires
Your vehicle is originally equipped with
all season radials designed to be used all
year around. In some extreme climates
you may find it necessary to replace them
with snow tires during the winter months
to further improve traction on snow and
ice covered roads.
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Don ’t go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph).
Inflate snow tires 28 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm 2, 4
psi) more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver’ s door), but never
more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.
Winter Driving
Mixing Tire Types:Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle ’s handling
could be greatly affected and result in
an accident. Use only the same size
and type tires (snow, radial, or non-
radial) on all four wheels.
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
WARNING
CAUTION
J94S.book Page 9 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Page 201 of 250

8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Battery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
• Keep it securely mounted.
• Keep the top clean and dry.
• 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. 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.
Tires
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.
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.
WARNING
J94S.book Page 25 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Page 204 of 250

8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
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).
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.
• 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 5,000 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.
CAUTION
Using a Wrong-Sized Wheel:Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident. Always use
wheels of the correct size on your
vehicle.
A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect
•Tire fit
• Wheel and bearing life
• Ground clearance
• Snow-chain clearance
• Speedometer calibration
• Headlight aim
• Bumper height
WARNING
CAUTION
J94S.book Page 28 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Page 244 of 250
10-6
Specifications
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Air Conditioner
Light Bulbs
Tires
Standard tire
Temporary spare tire
Fuses ................................................................................................................ Refer to 8-35
Gas complies with SAE J639 R-134a
Maximum operating charge 0.75 kg (26.5 oz)
Light bulb Wattage
Headlights 60/55
Front turn signal/Parking lights 27/8
Rear-turn signal lights 27
Brake lights/Taillights 27/7
High-mount brake lights 27
Reverse lights 18
License plate lights 5
Trunk light 5
Interior lights 10
Map light 5
Courtesy lights 5
Item
Ty p e Tire size
Inflation pressure kgf/cm
2(psi or lb/po 2)
Front Rear
2.0-liter engine P205/60R15 90H 2.2 (32)1.8 (26)
2.5-liter engine P205/60R15 90H
P205/55R16 89H 2.0 (29)
Tire size Inflation pressure kPa (psi)
T125/70D15 420 (60)
J94S.book Page 6 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM