Page 75 of 250

4-7
Before Driving Your Mazda
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Driving Tips
No special break-in is necessary, but a few
precautions in the first 1,000 km (600
miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of your Mazda.
•Don ’t race the engine.
• Don ’t maintain one constant speed for
long.
• Don ’t drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for extended periods
of time.
• Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
• Avoid full-throttle starts. How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save money on
fuel and repairs.
•
Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
• Av o i d f a s t s t a r t s .
• Keep the engine tuned. Follow the
maintenance schedule (page 8-3)
and have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform inspections and servicing.
• Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
• Slow down on rough roads.
• Keep the tires properly inflated.
• Don ’t carry unnecessary weight.
• Don ’t rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
• Keep the wheels in correct alignment.
• Keep windows closed at high speeds.
• Slow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
Break-In PeriodMoney-Saving Suggestions
Coasting:Turning off the engine to coast down
a hill is dangerous. This causes the
loss of power steering and power
brake control. Any loss of steering or
braking control could cause an
accident. Never turn off the engine
and coast down a hill.
WARNING
J94S.book Page 7 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Page 79 of 250
4-11
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Never tow a trailer with your Mazda.
Tr a i l e r To w i n gOverloading
Vehicle Load Weight:The gross axle weight rating (GAWR)
and the gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR) of your vehicle are on the
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Label
on the driver’s door frame. Exceeding
these ratings can cause an accident or
vehicle damage. You can estimate the
weight of your load by weighing the
items (or people) before putting them
in the vehicle. Be careful not to
overload your vehicle.
WARNING
J94S.book Page 11 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Page 92 of 250

5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Driving Tips
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift to D or 1, depending on the load
weight and grade steepness.
3. Release all brakes while gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to 2
or 1, depending on load weight and grade
steepness. Descend slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating. Power steering is only operable when the
engine is running. If the engine is off or if
the power steering system is inoperable,
you can still steer, but it requires more
physical effort.
If the steering feels rigid during normal
driving, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Power Steering
Never hold the steering wheel to the
extreme left or right for more than five
seconds with the engine running.
This could damage the power steering
system.
CAUTION
J94S.book Page 12 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 243 of 250

10-5
Specifications
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Capacities
(Approximate Quantities)
*The indicated engine oil capacities are for general reference purposes only. When adding
or changing oil, verify the engine oil level with the oil dipstick.
Dimensions
Unit: mm (in)
We i g h t s
Unit: kg (lb)
GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GAWR: Gross Axle Weight Rating
Unit
Item L US qt Imp qt
Engine oil
*
2.0-liter engine with oil filter
replacement
3.5 3.7 3.1
without oil filter
replacement 3.3 3.5 2.9
2.5-liter engine with oil filter
replacement
4.0 4.2 3.5
without oil filter
replacement 3.7 3.9 3.3
Coolant 7.5 7.9 6.6
Transaxle oil Manual transaxle 2.7 2.9 2.4
Automatic
transaxle
2.0-liter engine 8.86 9.37 7.80
2.5-liter engine 8.0 8.5 7.0
Fuel tank L US gal Imp gal
64.0 16.9 14.1
Overall length 4,760 (187.4)
Overall width 1,760 (69.3)
Overall height 1,400 (55.1)
Front tread 1,500 (59.1)
Rear tread 1,490 (58.7)
Wheelbase 2,670 (105.1) Model
Item 2.0-liter engine 2.5-liter engine
GVWR 1,771 (3,904) 1,827 (4,028)
GAWR Front 959 (2,114) 1,004 (2,214)
Rear 812 (1,790) 823 (1,814)
J94S.book Page 5 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM
Page 250 of 250

11-6
Index
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
T
Trunk Release Handle ...................... 3-12
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
....... 5-33
V
Vanity Mirrors ................................. 6-44
Vehicle Information Labels
............. 10-2
W
Warning Lights ................................ 5-23
ABS
.......................................... 5-28
Air bag system
.......................... 5-28
Brake system
............................ 5-25
Charging system
....................... 5-26
Check engine
............................ 5-27
Door-ajar
................................... 5-28
Engine oil pressure
................... 5-26
Immobilizer system
.................. 5-29
Low fuel
.................................... 5-27
Low washer fluid level
............. 5-27
Seat belt
.................................... 5-25
TCS
........................................... 5-27
Warranty
............................................ 9-8
Washer Fluid
.................................... 8-20
Weights
............................................ 10-5
Wheel Replacement
......................... 8-28
Windows Power windows
.......................... 3-7
Windshield Washer
.......................... 5-35
Windshield Wipers
.......................... 5-34
Blades replacement
................... 8-22
Winter Driving
................................... 4-9
J94S.book Page 6 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM