2002 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA spare tire

8-27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
The battery is in the trunk.

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
J07L(02MY).book Page 27 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F

Tire 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).

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
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).
WARNING
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.
Front
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire) in rotation.
J07L(02MY).book Page 28 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

8-30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F

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
J07L(02MY).book Page 30 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

10-6
Specifications
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F

Air Conditioner
Unit: kg (lb)

Light Bulbs

Tires
Unit: kg (lb)
Standard tire
Temporary spare tire
Fuses .........................................................................................................Refer to page 8-37
Gas complies with SAE J639 R134a
Maximum operating charge 0.4 kg (14.1 oz)
Light bulb Wattage
Headlights High beam (HB3)
60
Low beam (HB4) 51
Front turn-signal/Parking lights 27/8
Fog lights 55
Side-marker lights 3.8
Rear turn-signal lights 21
Brake lights/Taillights 21/5
High-mount brake light 21
Reverse lights 21
License plate lights 5
Interior light 8
Tire size Inflation pressure kPa (kgf/cm
2 , psi)
Front Rear
195/50 R15 82V 180 (1.8, 26) 180 (1.8, 26)
205/45 R16 83W
Tire size Inflation pressure kPa (kgf/cm
2 , psi)
T115/70 D14 420 (4.2, 60)
T105/70 D15
J07L(02MY).book Page 6 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

11-3
Index
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
D
Door Locks ......................................... 3-3
Driving In Flooded Area
.................... 4-9
Driving Tips
....................................... 4-6
Automatic transmission
............ 5-12
Break-in period
........................... 4-6
Driving in flooded area
............... 4-9
Hazardous driving
....................... 4-7
Money-saving suggestions
.......... 4-6
Rocking the vehicle
.................... 4-7
Trailer towing
........................... 4-10
Winter driving
............................. 4-8
E
Emergency Starting .......................... 7-13
Flooded engine
.......................... 7-13
Jump-starting
............................ 7-13
Push-starting
............................. 7-15
Emergency Towing
.......................... 7-16
Emission Control System
................... 4-3
Engine Coolant
...................................... 8-15
Exhaust gas
................................. 4-4
Hood release
............................. 3-10
Oil
............................................. 8-13
Overheating
............................... 7-11
Starting
........................................ 5-3
Engine Compartment Overview
...... 8-12
Engine Coolant Overheating
............................... 7-11
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge
5-19
Exhaust Gas
....................................... 4-4
Exterior Care
.................................... 8-43
F
Flasher Hazard warning
.........................5-34
Headlights
.................................5-29
Flat Tire
..............................................7-3
Changing
.....................................7-5
Spare tire and tool storage
...........7-3
Fluids Classification
.............................10-4
Owner maintenance
...................8-10
Fog Lights
........................................5-30
Foot Brake
..........................................5-4
Fuel Filler lid and cap
.......................3-15
Gauge
........................................5-20
Requirements
..............................4-2
Tank capacity
............................10-5
Fuses
.................................................8-37
Panel description
.......................8-39
Replacement
..............................8-37
G
Gauges ..............................................5-17
Glove Box
........................................6-39
H
Hazard Warning Flasher ...................5-34
Hazardous Driving
.............................4-7
Headlights Control
......................................5-29
Flashing
.....................................5-29
High-low beam
..........................5-29
On reminder
..............................5-29
Hood Release
....................................3-10
Horn
..................................................5-33
J07L(02MY)IX.fm Page 3 Monday, June 11, 2001 5:33 PM

11-5
Index
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
R
Rear Window Defroster ................... 5-33
Rearview Mirror
............................... 3-32
Recreational Towing
........................ 7-17
Rocking the Vehicle
........................... 4-7
S
Safety Defects, Reporting ................ 9-14
Seat Belt System 3-point type
................................. 2-7
Automatic locking
...................... 2-6
Emergency locking
..................... 2-6
Extender
.................................... 2-10
Pregnant women
......................... 2-6
Pretensioner and load limiting
.... 2-8
Seat belt precautions
................... 2-4
Warning light/beep
................... 2-11
Seats
................................................... 2-2
Security System Immobilizer system
.................. 3-28
Service Publications
......................... 9-15
Spare Tire and Tool Storage
.............. 7-3
Specifications
................................... 10-4
Speedometer
..................................... 5-18
SRS Air Bags Air bag system description
....... 2-22
Passenger-Side air bag
deactivation switch
................... 2-19
Supplemental restraint systems
precautions
................................ 2-16
Warning light
............................ 2-25
Starting the Engine
............................. 5-3
Steering Wheel Horn
.......................................... 5-33
Storage Compartments
..................... 6-39
Sunvisors
.......................................... 6-40
T
Tachometer .......................................5-19
Temporary Spare Tire
......................8-30
Tiedown Hook
..........................................7-17
Tires Flat tire
........................................7-3
Inflation pressure
.......................8-28
Replacement
..............................8-29
Rotation
.....................................8-28
Snow tires
....................................4-8
Spare tire and tool storage
...........7-3
Specifications
............................10-6
Tire chains
...................................4-9
Uniform tire quality grading
system (UTQGS)
.......................9-12
Tool
....................................................7-3
Towing Description
................................7-16
Emergency towing
....................7-16
Recreational towing
..................7-17
Trailer towing
............................4-10
Trailer Towing
..................................4-10
Trip Meter
........................................5-18
Trunk Lid
..........................................3-11
Trunk Release Handle
......................3-13
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
........5-30
V
Vanity Mirror ...................................6-40
Vehicle Information Labels
..............10-2
J07L(02MY)IX.fm Page 5 Monday, June 11, 2001 5:33 PM