8-24
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 6,000 km (3,750 miles)/12,000 km*
(7,500 miles) or sooner if irregular wear
develops. During rotation, inspect them
for correct balance.
*Canada
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, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-6) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
NOTE
•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.
Keep your tire pressure at the
correct levels. If one frequently
needs inflating, have it inspected.
Rotate unidirectional tires and radial
tires that have an asymmetrical tread
pattern or studs only from front to rear,
not from side to side. Tire performance
will be weakened if rotated from side
to side.
Front
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.
CAUTION
J16L_EA.book Page 24 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
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.
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).
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.
WARNING
New tread Worn treadTread wear indicator
•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
J16L_EA.book Page 25 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
8-26
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
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.
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
J16L_EA.book Page 26 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
8-39
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
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.
•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.
J16L_EA.book Page 39 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
9-13
Customer Information
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
This information relates to the tire grading system developed by the U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration for grading tires by tread wear, traction, and
temperature performance.
Tre a d We a r
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one-and-a-half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm because of variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction-AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These grades represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
Temperature-A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction
tests and does not include acceleration cornering (turning), hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
WARNING
J16L_EA.book Page 13 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
9-14
Customer Information
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
These grades will be added to the sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires over the next several
years according to a schedule established by the NHTSA and the tire manufacturers.
The grade of tires available as standard or optional equipment on Mazda vehicle may vary
with respect to grade.
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST CONFORM TO THESE GRADES AND
TO ALL OTHER FEDERAL TIRE-SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
WARNING
UTQGS MARK (example)
TREADWEAR 200 TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
J16L_EA.book Page 14 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
10-6
Specifications
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
Light Bulbs
Tires
Check the tire pressure label for tire size and inflation pressure. Refer to Tire Inflation
Pressure on page 8-23.
Standard tire
Temporary spare tire
Fuses
Refer to the fuse rating on page 8-33.
Light bulb Wattage
Headlights60/55
Front turn signal lights/Side-marker lights 21/5
Fog lights55
Parking lights5
Rear turn signal lights21
Brake lights/Taillights21/5
Taillights5
High-mount brake light5
Reverse lights18
License plate lights5
Overhead lights/Map lights 5
Overhead light8
Liftgate light8
Courtesy lights5
Tire sizeInflation pressure
Front Rear
205/65R15 94S
240 kPa (35 psi or lb/po2) 240 kPa (35 psi or lb/po2) 215/60R16 95H
P215/60R17 95H
Tire size Inflation pressure
T135/90D15 420 kPa (60 psi)
J16L_EA.book Page 6 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM
11-5
Index
Form No. 8Q44-EA-01K
P
Paint Damage ................................... 8-38
Parking Brake
..................................... 5-5
Parking in an Emergency
................... 7-2
Power Door Locks
........................... 3-10
Power Sliding Doors
........................ 3-12
Power Steering
................................. 5-12
Fluid
.......................................... 8-14
Power Windows
............................... 3-19
Push-Starting
.................................... 7-19
R
Rear Console .................................... 6-50
Rear Door Child Safety Locks
......... 3-11
Rear Quarter Windows
.................... 3-22
Rear Window Defroster
................... 5-36
Rear Window Washer
...................... 5-36
Rear Window Wiper
........................ 5-36
Rearview Mirror
............................... 3-32
Recreational Towing
........................ 7-21
Registering Your Vehicle in A
Foreign Country
............................... 9-10
Rocking the Vehicle
........................... 4-8
S
Safety Defects, Reporting ................ 9-15
Seat Belt System
2-point type
............................... 2-31
3-point type
............................... 2-27
Automatic locking
.................... 2-26
Emergency locking
................... 2-26
Extender
.................................... 2-33
Pregnant women
....................... 2-26
Pretensioner and load limiting
.. 2-29
Seat belt precautions
................. 2-25
Warning beep
............................ 2-34
Warning light
............................ 2-34
S
Seats
Flat folding
................................2-24
Front seat
.....................................2-3
Second-row seats
.........................2-9
Third-Row Seat
.........................2-16
Second-row seats
................................2-9
Security System
Immobilizer system
...................3-27
Theft-deterrent system
..............3-29
Service Publications
.........................9-16
Shopping Bag Hooks
........................6-51
Spare Tire and Tool Storage
...............7-3
Specifications
...................................10-4
Speedometer
.....................................5-20
SRS Air Bags
Air bag system description
........2-51
Supplemental restraint systems
precautions
................................2-47
Warning light
............................2-56
Starting the Engine
.............................5-3
Steering Wheel
.................................3-31
Horn
..........................................5-37
Storage Box
......................................6-49
Storage Compartments
.....................6-48
Sunroof
.............................................3-25
Sunshade
...........................................3-26
Sunvisors
..........................................6-41
T
Tachometer .......................................5-21
Temporary Spare Tire
......................8-25
Theft-Deterrent System
....................3-29
Third-row seat
..................................2-16
Tiedown
............................................7-21
Hook
..........................................7-21
Tires
Flat tire
........................................7-3
J16L_EA.book Page 5 Friday, February 22, 2002 11:34 AM