2004 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK ground clearance

7-5
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
To remove the spare tire
(4 Door)
1. Remove the trunk mat and trunk board.
2. Turn the tire hold-down bolt
counterclockwise with the lug wrench. To avoid damage to the temporary
spare or to the vehicle, observe the
following precautions:
•Don’t exceed 80 km/h (50 mph).
•Avoid driving over obstacles.
Also, don’t drive through an
automatic car wash. This tire’s
diameter is smaller than a
conventional tire’s, so the ground
clearance is reduced about 25 mm
(1 in).
•Don’t use a tire chain on this tire
because it won’t fit properly.
•Don’t use your temporary spare on
any other vehicle; it has been
designed only for your Mazda.
•Use only one temporary spare tire
on your vehicle at the same time.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

A tire pressure sensor is not installed
to the temporary spare tire. The
warning light will flash continuously
while the temporary spare tire is being
used (page 5-23).
CAUTION
Trunk board
Lug wrench
Tire clamp
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8-31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
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.

Tire Inflation Pressure
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System*
does not alleviate the need to check the
tire condition every day, including
whether the tires all look inflated
properly. Inspect all tire pressure 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
10-8).
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 for the limited use of 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 10-8)
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
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
10-8).
WARNING
Tire pressure label
*Some models.
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8-34
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Replacing a Wheel
•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.
•The temporary spare tire is for
limited use, however, if the tread
wear solid-band indicator appears,
replace the tire with the same type
of temporary spare (page 8-33).
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
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
•(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

When replacing/repairing the
tires or wheels or both, have the
work done by an Authorized
Mazda Dealer, or the tire
pressure sensors may be
damaged.
The wheels equipped on your
Mazda are specially designed for
installation the tire pressure
sensors. Do not use non-genuine
wheels, otherwise it may not be
possible to install the tire
pressure sensors.
WARNING
CAUTION
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 34 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM