2002 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA Owners Manual

7-9
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
3. Install the lug nuts with the beveled edge inward; tighten them by hand. 4. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise
and lower the vehicle. Use the lug
wrench to tighten the nuts in the order
shown.
If you ’re unsure of how tight the nuts
should be, have them inspected at a
service station.
Nut tightening torque:
Applying Oil and Grease to Lug Nuts,
Bolts:
Applying oil or grease to lug nuts and
bolts is dangerous. The lug nuts could
loosen while driving and cause the
tire to come off, resulting in an
accident. In addition, lug nuts and
bolts could be damaged if tightened
more than necessary. Do not apply oil
or grease to lug nuts and bolts and do
not tighten the lug nuts beyond the
recommended tightening torque.
WARNING
N ·m (kgf ·m, ft ·lbf) 88— 118 (9—12, 65—87)
J07L(02MY).book Page 9 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

7-10
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
5. Store the damaged tire in the trunk. Have the damaged tire repaired as
soon as possible.
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.
Metric Studs and Lug Nuts:
Because the wheel studs and lug nuts
on your Mazda have metric threads,
using a non-metric nut is 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.
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 tires ’ air pressure,
check the spare tire, too.
NOTE
To prevent the jack and tool from
rattling, store them properly.
WARNING
J07L(02MY).book Page 10 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

7-11
In Case of an Emergency
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
Overheating
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating, you experience power loss,
or you hear a loud knocking or pinging
noise, the engine is probably too hot.
If this happens:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission in neutral.
Apply the parking brake.
3. Turn off the air conditioner. 4. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from under the hood or from
the engine compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment, don ’t go near the front
of the vehicle. Stop the engine. Then
turn the ignition switch to the ON
position without starting the engine.
The radiator cooling fans will start to
cool the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping, open the hood and idle the
engine until it cools. If this doesn ’t
lower the temperature, stop the engine
and let it cool.
5. Visually inspect the alternator/water pump drive belt for looseness and
breakage and all cooling hose
connections for leaks. If the belt is
broken or coolant is leaking, call an
Authorized Mazda Dealer for
assistance.
6. If the drive belt is OK, the engine is cool, and no coolant leaks are obvious,
inspect the coolant level. Carefully add
coolant as required (page 8-15).
Overheating
Steam from Overheated Engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you. Open the hood
ONLY after steam is no longer
escaping from the engine.
WARNING
Cooling system cap
Engine coolant
reservoir
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7-12
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
Cooling System Cap:
When the engine and radiator are
hot, scalding coolant and steam may
shoot out under pressure and cause
serious injury. Don’t remove the
cooling system cap when the engine
and radiator are hot.
If the engine continues to overheat or
frequently overheats, have the cooling
system inspected. The engine could be
seriously damaged unless repairs are
made.
WARNING
CAUTION
J07L(02MY).book Page 12 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

7-13
In Case of an Emergency
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
Emergency Starting
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).
Follow this procedure:
1. Depress the accelerator all the way and hold it there.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the START position and hold it there —for up to 10
seconds. If the engine starts, release the
key and accelerator immediately
because the engine will suddenly rev
up.
3. If the engine fails to start, crank it without using the accelerator —for up
to 10 seconds. The battery is in the trunk.
Jump-starting is dangerous if done
incorrectly. So follow the procedure
carefully. If you feel unsure about jump-
starting, we strongly recommend that you
have a competent service technician do
the work.
Starting a Flooded EngineJump-Starting
Battery-Related Explosion:
Flames and sparks near open battery
cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas,
produced during normal battery
operation, could ignite and cause the
battery to explode. An exploding
battery can cause serious burns and
injuries. Keep all flames, including
cigarettes, and sparks away from
open battery cells.
Frozen Battery:
Jump-starting a frozen battery is
dangerous. It may rupture or explode,
causing serious injury.
Don
’t jump-start a frozen battery .
Use only a 12 V booster system. You
can damage a 12 V starter, ignition
system, and other electrical parts
beyond repair with a 24 V power
supply (two 12 V batteries in series or
a 24 V motor generator set).
WARNING
CAUTION
J07L(02MY).book Page 13 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

7-14
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 V and that its negative terminal is
grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, don ’t allow the vehicles to
touch. Turn off the engine of the
vehicle with the booster battery and all
unnecessary electrical loads in both
vehicles.
3. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence as in the illustration.
•Connect one end of a cable to the
positive terminal on the discharged
battery (1).
• Attach the other end to the positive
terminal on the booster battery (2).
• Connect one end of the other cable
to the negative terminal of the
booster battery (3).
• Connect the other end to a solid,
stationary, exposed metallic point
(for example, the trunk latch catch)
away from the discharged battery
(4). 4. Start the engine of the booster vehicle
and run it a few minutes. Then start the
engine of the other vehicle.
5. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in the reverse order
described in Step 3.
Booster battery
Discharged
battery Jumper
cable
Connect cables
in numerical
order and
disconnect
in reverse order.
Jumper cable
Connecting to Negative Terminal:
Connecting the end of the second
cable to the negative ( ) terminal of
the discharged battery is dangerous.
A spark could cause the gas around
the battery to explode and injure
someone. Connect the cable to a point
away from the battery.
WARNING
J07L(02MY).book Page 14 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

7-15
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
You can’t start a vehicle with an automatic
transmission by pushing it.
Push-Starting
Towing a Vehicle to Start It:
Towing a vehicle to start it is
dangerous. The vehicle being towed
could surge forward when its engine
starts, causing the two vehicles to
collide. The occupants could be
injured. Never tow a vehicle to start it.
You shouldn ’t push-start a vehicle that
has a manual transmission. It can
damage the emission control system.
WARNING
CAUTION
J07L(02MY).book Page 15 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM

7-16
In Case of an Emergency
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
Emergency Towing
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.
A towed vehicle usually should have its
rear wheels off the ground. If excessive
damage or other conditions prevent this,
use wheel dollies.
Towing Description
Wheel dollies
Don’t tow the vehicle pointed forward
with driving wheels on the ground.
This may cause internal damage to the
transmission.
Don ’t tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or flatbed equipment.
CAUTION
CAUTION
J07L(02MY).book Page 16 Monday, June 11, 2001 4:52 PM