2003 MAZDA MODEL 6 engine

4-6
Before Driving Your Mazda
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
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.
•
Avo 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
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4-7
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
When driving in water, mud, sand, or
similar hazard:
•
Be cautious and allow extra distance
for braking.
•
Avoid sudden braking and quick
steering.
•
If your vehicle is not equipped with
ABS, brake with the pedal by using a
light up-down motion. Don’t hold the
pedal down constantly.
If your vehicle is equipped with ABS,
don’t pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
•
If you get stuck, shift to 1 or 2 and
accelerate slowly. Don’t spin the front
wheels.
•
For more traction in starting, use sand,
rock salt, chains, carpeting, or other
nonslip material under the front
wheels.If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the
accelerator slightly and slowly move the
shift lever from 1 (D) to R.
Hazardous Driving
Downshifting on Slippery Surfaces:Downshifting into lower gear while
driving on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid.
This could lead to loss of vehicle
control and an accident. If it is
necessary to downshift on slippery
surfaces, be very careful.
WARNING
Rocking the Vehicle
Spinning the Wheels:When the vehicle is stuck, spinning
the wheels at high speed is dangerous.
The spinning tire could overheat and
explode. This could cause serious
injuries. Don’t spin the wheels at
more than 56 km/h (35 mph), and
don’t allow anyone to stand behind a
wheel when pushing the vehicle.
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transaxle failure, and tire
damage.
WARNING
CAUTION
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4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
•
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 8-19).
•
Don’t use the parking brake in freezing
weather as the parking brake may
freeze. Instead, shift to P with an
automatic transaxle and to 1 or R with
a manual transaxle. Block the rear
wheels.

Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
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.
Don’t go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph).
Inflate snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2, 4.3
psi) more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver’s door frame), but
never more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.

Tire Chains
This vehicle cannot be operated with tire
chains because it could cause interference
with the vehicle body and scratching.
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.
WARNING
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
CAUTION
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4-9
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Driving In Flooded Area
Driving with Wet Brakes:Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the
vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious
accident. Light braking will indicate
whether the brakes have been
affected. Dry the brakes by driving
very slowly and applying the brakes
lightly until brake performance
returns to normal.
Make sure water does not enter the
vehicle interior or the engine area. The
vehicle interior could become wet or
the engine could be damaged.
WARNING
CAUTION
Overloading
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
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5-1
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
5Driving Your Mazda
Explanation of instruments and controls.
Starting and Driving
..................................................................... 5-2
Ignition Switch .......................................................................... 5-2
Starting the Engine .................................................................... 5-3
Brake System ............................................................................. 5-4
Manual Transaxle Operation ..................................................... 5-9
Automatic Transaxle Controls ................................................. 5-10
Power Steering ......................................................................... 5-16
Cruise Control ......................................................................... 5-17
Traction Control System (TCS) ............................................... 5-20
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
............................................ 5-23
Meters and Gauges .................................................................. 5-23
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beeps
........................................ 5-27
Warning/Indicator Lights ......................................................... 5-27
Beeps ....................................................................................... 5-36
Switches and Controls
................................................................. 5-37
Lighting Control ...................................................................... 5-37
Turn and Lane-Change Signals ............................................... 5-38
Fog Lights ................................................................................ 5-39
Windshield Wipers and Washer ............................................... 5-39
Rear Window Defroster ........................................................... 5-41
Horn ......................................................................................... 5-42
Hazard Warning Flasher .......................................................... 5-42
HomeLink Wireless Control System ....................................... 5-43
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5-3
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel unlocks and some
electrical accessories will operate.
ON
This is the normal running position after
the engine is started. The warning lights
(except brakes) should be inspected
before the engine is started (page 5-27).
START
The engine is started in this position. It
will crank until you release the key; then
it returns to the ON position. The brake
warning light can be checked after the
engine is started (page 5-27).

Ignition Key Reminder
If the ignition switch is in the LOCK or
ACC position, a beep will sound when the
driver’s door is opened.1. Occupants should fasten their seat
belts.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the brake pedal.
4.(Manual transaxle)

Depress the clutch pedal all the way
and shift into neutral.
Keep the pedal depressed while
cranking the engine.
(Automatic transaxle)

Put the vehicle in park (P). If you must
restart the engine while the vehicle is
moving, shift into neutral (N).
NOTE
If turning the key is difficult, jiggle the
steering wheel from side to side.
NOTE
When the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position, the sound of the fuel
pump motor operating near the fuel
tank can be heard. This does not
indicate an abnormality.
Starting the Engine
NOTE
Engine-starting is controlled by the
spark ignition system.
This system meets all Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment
Standard requirements regulating the
impulse electrical field strength of
radio noise.
NOTE
The starter will not operate if the
clutch pedal is not
pushed down all the
way.
NOTE
The starter will not operate if the shift
lever is not
in P or N.
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5-4
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
5. Turn the ignition switch to the START
position and hold (up to 10 seconds at a
time) until the engine starts.
6. After starting the engine, let it idle for
about 10 seconds.

Foot Brake
Your Mazda has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual. Don’t try the starter for more than 10
seconds at a time. If the engine stalls or
fails to start, wait 10 seconds before
trying again. Otherwise, you may
damage the starter and drain the
battery.
NOTE
•
In extremely cold weather, below
-18°
C (0°
F), or after the vehicle has
stood idle several days, let the
engine warm up without operating
the accelerator.
•
Whether cold or warm, the engine
should be started without use of the
accelerator.
CAUTION
Brake System
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5-5
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Parking Brake
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
brake handle fully upward.
Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
handle up and press the button. Lower the
handle to the release position while
holding in the button.
Driving with the Engine Off:Continuing to drive when the engine
is stalled or turned off is dangerous.
Braking will require more effort, and
the brake’s power-assist could be
depleted if you pump the brake. This
will cause longer stopping distances
or even an accident. Don’t continue
driving when the engine is stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop.
Riding the Brakes:
Driving with your foot continuously
on the brake pedal or steadily
applying the brakes for long distances
is dangerous. This causes overheated
brakes, resulting in longer stopping
distances or even total brake failure.
This could cause loss of vehicle
control and a serious accident. Avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep hills.
Driving with Wet Brakes:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the
vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious
accident. Light braking will indicate
whether the brakes have been
affected. Dry the brakes by driving
very slowly and applying the brakes
lightly until brake performance is
normal.
WARNING
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake
linings or pads.
CAUTION
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