2004 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK Owner's Manual (in English)

3-29
Knowing Your Mazda
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Steering Wheel and Mirrors

Steering Wheel Adjustment
To change the angle or length of the
steering wheel:
1. Stop the vehicle, pull down the lock
release lever under the steering
column.
2. Tilt the steering wheel and/or adjust the
steering column length to the desired
positions, push the lever up to lock the
column.
3. Push the wheel up and down to be
certain it’s locked before driving.

Outside Mirrors
Check the mirrors’ angles before driving.
Manual control mirror
To adjust, move the mirror’s control lever,
just inside the door.
Steering Wheel
Adjusting the Steering Wheel:
Adjusting the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous.
Moving it can very easily cause the
driver to abruptly turn to the left or
right. This can lead to loss of control
or an accident. Never adjust the
steering wheel while the vehicle is
moving.
WARNING
Lock release lever
Mirrors
Convex Mirror (Passenger Side):
Changing lanes without taking into
account the actual distance of the
vehicle in the convex mirror is
dangerous. You could have a serious
accident. What you see in the convex
mirror is closer than it appears. Be
sure to look over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
WARNING
Control lever
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 29 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

3-30
Knowing Your Mazda
Steering Wheel and Mirrors
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Power control mirror
The ignition switch must be in the ACC or
ON position.
To a d j u s t :
1. Move the selector switch to the left or
right to choose the mirror.
2. Depress the mirror switch in the
appropriate direction.
After adjusting the mirror, lock the
control by moving the selector switch to
the middle position.
Folding the mirror
Fold the outside mirror rearward until it is
flush with the vehicle.Mirror defroster*
To turn on the mirror defrosters, turn the
ignition switch to the ON position and
push the rear window defroster switch
(page 5-52).
Mirror switch
Outside mirror
Selector switch
Driving with Mirrors Folded In:
Driving with the outside mirrors
folded in is dangerous. Your rear view
will be restricted, and you could have
an accident. Always return the
outside mirrors to the driving position
before you start driving.
WARNING
*Some models.
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 30 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

3-31
Knowing Your Mazda
Steering Wheel and Mirrors
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Rearview Mirror (With Day/
Night Function)
Before driving, adjust the rearview mirror
to center on the scene through the rear
window.
Do this with the day/night lever in the day
position.
Push the lever forward for day driving.
Pull it back to reduce glare from
headlights.
Blocked View:
Cargo stacked higher than the
seatbacks is dangerous. It can block
your view in the rearview mirror,
which might cause you to hit another
car when changing lanes. Don’t stack
things higher than the seatbacks.
Day/Night lever
Day
Night
WARNING
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 31 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

3-32
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 32 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

4-1
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
4Before Driving Your Mazda
Important information about driving your Mazda.
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
......................................... 4-2
Fuel Requirements ..................................................................... 4-2
Emission Control System .......................................................... 4-3
Engine Exhaust (Carbon Monoxide) ......................................... 4-5
Before Starting the Engine
........................................................... 4-6
Before Getting In ....................................................................... 4-6
After Getting In ......................................................................... 4-6
Driving Tips
................................................................................... 4-7
Break-In Period ......................................................................... 4-7
Money-Saving Suggestions ....................................................... 4-7
Hazardous Driving ..................................................................... 4-8
Rocking the Vehicle ................................................................... 4-9
Winter Driving ........................................................................... 4-9
Driving In Flooded Area ......................................................... 4-12
Overloading ............................................................................. 4-12
To w i n g
.......................................................................................... 4-13
Trailer Towing ......................................................................... 4-13
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 1 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

4-2
Before Driving Your Mazda
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
Vehicles with catalytic converters or oxygen sensors must use ONLY UNLEADED FUEL,
which will reduce exhaust emissions and keep spark plug fouling to a minimum.
Your Mazda will perform best with fuel listed in the table.
*U.S. federal law requires that octane ratings be posted on gasoline station pumps.
Fuel with a rating lower than 87 octane (91 RON) could cause the emission control system
to lose effectiveness. It could also cause engine knocking and serious engine damage.
Gasoline blended with oxygenates such as alcohol or ether compounds are generally
referred to as oxygenated fuels. The common gasoline blend that can be used with your
vehicle is ethanol blended at no more than 10%. Gasoline containing alcohol, such as
ethanol or methanol, may be marketed under the name "Gasohol".
Vehicle damage and drivability problems resulting from the use of the following may not
be covered by the Mazda warranty.
•Gasohol containing more than 10% ethanol.
•Gasoline or gasohol containing methanol.
•Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol.
Fuel Requirements
Fuel Octane Rating* (Anti-knock index)
Regular unleaded fuel 87 [ (R+M)/2 method] or above (91 RON or above)
•USE ONLY UNLEADED FUEL.
Leaded fuel is harmful to the catalytic converter or the oxygen sensor. The lead will
accumulate on the oxygen sensor and the catalyst inside the converter. This will result
in a malfunction of the emission control system, causing poor performance.
•Your vehicle can only use oxygenated fuels containing no more than 10% ethanol by
volume. Damage to your vehicle may occur when ethanol exceeds this
recommendation, or if the gasoline contains any methanol. Stop using gasohol of any
kind if your vehicle engine is performing poorly.
•Never add fuel system additives. Never add cleaning agents other than those specified
by Mazda. Other cleaning agents and additives may damage the system. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 2 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

4-3
Before Driving Your Mazda
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Your vehicle is equipped with an emission control system (the catalytic converter is part of
this system) that enables your vehicle to comply with existing exhaust emissions
requirements.
Emission Control System
Parking Over Flammable Objects:
Parking over or near anything flammable, such as dry grass, is dangerous. Even with
the engine turned off, the exhaust system could ignite it because the exhaust system
gets very hot during normal use. A resulting fire could cause serious injury or death.
Never park over or near anything flammable.
Ignoring the following precautions could cause lead to accumulate on the catalyst inside
the converter or cause the converter to get very hot. Either condition will damage the
converter and cause poor performance.
•USE ONLY UNLEADED FUEL.
•Don’t drive your Mazda with any sign of engine malfunction.
•Don’t coast with the ignition switch turned off.
•Don’t descend steep grades in gear with the ignition switch turned off.
•Don’t operate the engine at high idle for more than 5 minutes.
•Don’t tamper with the emission control system. All inspections and adjustments must
be made by a qualified technician.
•Don’t try to push-start or pull-start your vehicle.
NOTE
Under U.S. federal law, any modification to the original-equipment emission control
system before the first sale and registration of a vehicle is subject to penalties. In some
states, such modification made on a used vehicle is also subject to penalties.
WARNING
CAUTION
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 3 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM

4-4
Before Driving Your Mazda
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
NOTE
After driving some distance and turning off the engine, the sound of a valve opening and
closing can be heard at the rear of the right side of the vehicle, however this does not
indicate an abnormality. Your vehicle has a self-checking device and it operates after
turning off the engine.
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 4 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM