INTRODUCTION
Be extremely careful to prevent injury to yourself and others and
damage to your vehicle when using this manual for inspection and
maintenance.
If you’re unsure about any procedure it describes, we strongly urge you
to have a reliable and qualified service shop perform the work, preferably
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Factory-trained Mazda technicians and genuine Mazda parts are best for
your vehicle. Without this expertise and the parts that have been
designed and made especially for your Mazda, inadequate, incomplete,
and insufficient servicing may result in problems. This could lead to
vehicle damage or an accident and injuries.
For expert advice and quality service, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
The owner should retain evidence that proper maintenance has been
performed as prescribed.
Claims against the warranty resulting from lack of maintenance, as
opposed to defective materials or authorized Mazda workmanship, will
not be honored.
Any auto repair shop using parts equivalent to your Mazda’s original
equipment may perform maintenance.But we recommend that it
always be done by an Authorized Mazda Dealer using genuine
Mazda parts.
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
Schedule I — Normal Driving Conditions/Emission Control
Systems
Follow Schedule I if the vehicle is operated mainly where none of the
following conditions apply. If any do apply follow Schedule II.
• Repeated short-distance driving.
• Driving in dusty conditions.
• Towing a trailer.
• Operating in hot weather in stop-and-go “rush hour” traffic.
• Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation.
• High-speed operation with a fully loaded vehicle.
• Off-road operation.
NOTE: After the described period, continue to follow the described
maintenance at the recommended intervals.
Maintenance and Specifications
182
SCHEDULE II — SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS
If your driving habitsFREQUENTLYinclude one or more of the
following conditions:
• Short trips of less than 10 miles (16 km) when outside temperatures
remain below freezing.
• Towing a trailer, or carrying maximum loads.
• Operating in severe dust conditions.
• Operating during hot weatherin stop-and-go “rush hour” traffic.
• Extensive idling, such as police, taxi or door-to-door delivery service.
• High speed operation with a fully loaded vehicle (max. GVW).
• Off-road operation
Change ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER every 3 months or 3,000 miles
(4,800 km) whichever occurs first.
NOTE: Idling the engine for extended periods will accumulate more
hours of use on your vehicle than is actually indicated by the mileage
odometer. Consequently, the odometer reading can be often misleading
when determining the right time to change your engine oil and filter. If
you are using your vehicle in a manner which allows it to remain
stationary while the engine is running for long periods (door-to-door
delivery, taxi, police, power/utility company trucks, or similar duty), then
Mazda recommends you increase the frequency of oil and filter changes
to an interval equivalent to 200 ENGINE HOURS or use. Since most
vehicles are not equipped with hour-meters, it may be necessary for you
to approximate your idle time and plan oil/filter changes accordingly.
Maintenance and Specifications
187
Special Operating
Conditions
Replace Engine Oil and Filter
Inspect Brake System
Replace Fuel Filter
Change Automatic Transmission Fluid
Replace Spark Plugs
Replace Engine Air Filter
Change Manual Transmission Fluid
Inspect and Lubricate U-Joints
Lubricate Front Wheel Bearing (4x2)
Change Transfer Case Fluid (4x4)
Suggested Maintenance
Interval3,000
miles or
3 months 5,000
miles 15,000
miles 30,000
miles 60,000
miles As
required As
required As
required 30,000
miles 60,000
miles
Towing a trailer or
using a camper or
car top carrier XXXX
Extensive idling or
low-speed driving
for long distances
as in heavy
commercial use
such as delivery,
taxi or patrol car X XXXX XX
Operating in dusty
conditions such as
unpaved or dusty
roads XXX X
Off road operation X X X
For specific recommendations see your authorized Mazda dealer or
qualified service professional.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
Owner Maintenance Schedule
The owner or a qualified service technician should make these vehicle
inspections at the indicated intervals to ensure safe and dependable
operation.
Bring any problem to the attention of an Authorized Mazda Dealer or
qualified service technician as soon as possible.
Maintenance and Specifications
188
•Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
• Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
• You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
• Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
• Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
• Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
• Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
• Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
• Use recommended engine oil. Refer to Lubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in your vehicle service maintenance section.
Conditions
• Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
• Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
• Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
• Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
• Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
12–16 km (8–10 miles) of driving.
• Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
• Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
2003 Mazda B Series (mbs)
New Owners Guide own2002 (own2002)
USA English (fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
217
Instrument panelcleaning ...................................180
cluster ................................12, 180
lighting up panel and interior...39
location of components ............12
J
Jack ............................................151 positioning ...............................151
storage .............................151–154
Jump-starting your vehicle ......159
K
Keyless remote entry system -
see Remote entry system ...........59
Keys positions of the ignition .........110
L
Lamps bulb replacement
specifications chart ..................40
cargo lamps ...............................39
courtesy .....................................40
daytime running light ...............38
fog lamps ...................................38
headlamps .................................38
headlamps, flash to pass ..........39
instrument panel, dimming .....39
interior lamps .....................40–41
replacing bulbs . 40–41, 43, 45–46
Lane change indicator
(see Turn signal) ........................40
LATCH anchors .........................106
Lights, warning and indicator ....12 anti-lock brakes (ABS) ..........116 Limited slip axle
(see Traction-Lok) ....................118
Load limits .................................129
GAWR ......................................129
GVWR ......................................129
trailer towing ..........................129
Loading instructions .................128
Lubricant specifications ...235–236
Lumbar support, seats ...............68
M
Manual transmission .................122 fluid capacities ........................231
lubricant specifications ..........236
reverse .....................................123
Mirrors automatic dimming rearview
mirror ........................................50
cleaning ...................................179
side view mirrors (power) .......53
Motorcraft parts ........................214
O
Octane rating ............................213
Oil (see Engine oil) ..................195
Overdrive .....................................56
Overheating ...............................150
P
Parking brake ............................116
Passive anti-theft system
(PATS) .........................................64
Power distribution box
(see Fuses) ...............................144
Power door locks ........................59
2003 Mazda B Series (mbs)
New Owners Guide own2002 (own2002)
USA English (fus)
Index
243
Tilt steering wheel ......................48
Tires ...........................151, 227–228changing ..................151–152, 155
checking the pressure ............228
replacing ..................................230
rotating ....................................229
snow tires and chains ............230
tire grades ...............................228
treadwear ................................227
Towing .......................................131 recreational towing .................137
trailer towing ..........................131
wrecker ....................................164
Traction-lok rear axle ...............118
Transfer case fluid checking .........................226
Transmission automatic operation ...............119
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................223
fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .................................225
fluid, refill capacities ..............231
lubricant specifications ..235–236
manual operation ....................122
Turn signal ..................................40 V
Vehicle dimensions ...................236
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................238
Vehicle loading ..........................129
camper bodies ........................138
Ventilating your vehicle ...........115
W
Warning chimes ...........................16
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................195
Washing your vehicle ................176
Water, Driving through .............128
Waxing your vehicle .................176
Windows power .........................................49
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................47 checking and adding fluid .....195
checking and cleaning ..............47
replacing wiper blades .............48
Wrecker towing .........................164
2003 Mazda B Series (mbs)
New Owners Guide own2002 (own2002)
USA English (fus)
Index
245