2004 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK radiator

4-9
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
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.•Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized 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.
•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 8-21).
•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.
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
Winter Driving
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7-13
In Case of an Emergency
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Overheating
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating, the vehicle loses power, or
you hear a loud knocking or pinging
noise, the engine is probably too hot.If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic
transaxle in park (P), a manual
transaxle 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.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine until
it cools.
5. Make sure the cooling fan is operating,
then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
Overheating
Cooling Fan and Engine
Inspection:
Inspecting the engine with the
ignition switch in the ON position is
dangerous. The cooling fan could
turn on unexpectedly even when the
engine isn’t running. You could be
seriously injured by the fan. Turn the
ignition switch off and remove the key
from the ignition switch when you
inspect the engine.
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.
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
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the
engine and call an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
CAUTION
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7-14
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
6. When cool, check the coolant level.
If it’s low, look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.
If you find a leak or other damage,
or if coolant is still leaking:
Stop the engine and call an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
If you find no problems, the engine is
cool, and no leaks are obvious:
Carefully add coolant as required (page
8-15).
If the engine continues to overheat or
frequently overheats, have the cooling
system inspected. The engine could be
seriously damaged unless repairs are
made. Consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
CAUTION
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8-15
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Changing oil filter
Because you need a special tool to
retighten the filter, an Authorized Mazda
Dealer should do the work.

Inspecting Coolant Level
NOTE
•The indicated engine oil capacities
are for general reference purposes
only. When adding or changing oil,
verify the engine oil level with the
oil dipstick.
•Use only specified engine oil (page
10-4).
Engine Coolant
Hot Engine:
A hot engine is dangerous. If the
engine has been running, parts of the
engine compartment can become very
hot. You could be burned. Carefully
inspect the engine coolant in the
coolant reservoir, but do not open it.
Do not use a match or live flame in
the engine compartment. DO NOT
ADD COOLANT WHEN THE
ENGINE IS HOT.
Cooling Fan and Engine
Inspection:
Inspecting the engine with the
ignition switch in the ON position is
dangerous. The cooling fan could
turn on unexpectedly even when the
engine isn’t running. You could be
seriously injured by the fan. Turn the
ignition switch off and remove the key
from the ignition switch when you
inspect the engine.
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.
WARNING
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8-16
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Inspect the antifreeze protection and
coolant level in the coolant reservoir at
least once a year—at the beginning of the
winter season—and before traveling
where temperatures may drop below
freezing.
Inspect the condition and connections of
all cooling system and heater hoses.
Replace any that are swollen or
deteriorated.
The coolant should be at full in the
radiator and between the MAX and MIN
marks on the coolant reservoir when the
engine is cool.
If it’s at or near MIN, add enough coolant
to the coolant reservoir to provide
freezing and corrosion protection and to
bring the level to MAX.
Do not overfill.

If new coolant is required frequently,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Changing Coolant
Change coolant according to Scheduled
Maintenance (page 8-3).
For mixture percentage:
Radiator coolant will damage paint.
Rinse it off quickly if spilled.
CAUTION
•Use only soft (demineralized) water
in the coolant mixture. Water that
contains minerals will cut down on
the coolant’s effectiveness.
•Don’t add only water. Always add a
proper coolant mixture.
•The engine has aluminum parts and
must be protected by an ethylene-
glycol-based coolant to prevent
corrosion and freezing.
•DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol
antifreeze. DO NOT MIX alcohol
or methanol with the coolant. This
could damage the cooling system.
•Don’t use a solution that contains
more than 60 % antifreeze.
This would reduce effectiveness.
ProtectionVo l u m e
Antifreeze
solutionDemineralized
water
Above -16°
C (3°
F) 35% 65%
Above -26°
C (-15°
F) 45% 55%
Above -40°
C (-40°
F) 55% 45%
CAUTION
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8-17
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
To change coolant1. Remove the cooling system cap.
2. Only when the engine is cool, remove
the radiator drain plug and drain the
coolant into a suitable container.
Properly dispose of the used coolant.
3. Flush out the system with running
water.
4. Drain the system completely. Insert
and tighten the plug. Add as much
ethylene-glycol-based coolant mixture
and water as necessary to provide
freezing and corrosion protection.
5. In extremely cold climates, add the
mixture percentage recommended in
the coolant mixture percentage table.
6. Run the engine at idle with the cooling
system cap off. Slowly add additional
coolant if necessary.
7. At this point, wait until the engine
reaches normal operating temperature;
then depress the accelerator two or
three times. Add more coolant, if
necessary, until the system is full.
8. Install the cooling system cap. Inspect
all connections for leaks. Inspect the
level in the coolant reservoir one more
time.
Removing the Cooling System Cap:
Removing the cooling system cap
while the engine is running or hot is
dangerous. This might lead to cooling
system and engine damage and could
result in serious injury from escaping
hot coolant or steam. Turn off the
engine and wait until it’s cool. Even
then, be very careful when removing
the cap.
Wrap a thick cloth around the cap
and slowly turn it counterclockwise
about two and a half rotations.
Step back while the pressure escapes.
When you’re sure all the pressure has
escaped, turn the cap
counterclockwise — still using a cloth
— and remove the cap.
WARNINGLoosen
Loosen Tighten
Tighten
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8-21
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Fully insert the dipstick. When adding
fluid, inspect with the dipstick to make
sure it doesn’t pass full.

Inspecting Washer Fluid Level•Use the cold scale only as a
reference.
•If outside temperature is lower than
about 20
°C (70
°F), start the engine
and inspect the fluid level after the
engine reaches operating
temperature.
•If the vehicle has been driven for an
extended period at high speeds or in
city traffic in hot weather, inspect
the level only after stopping the
engine and allowing the fluid to
cool for 30 minutes.
NOTE
Inspect the fluid on both sides of the
dipstick in a well lit area for an
accurate reading.
CAUTIONWasher Fluid
Substitute Washer Fluid:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the
windshield, affect your visibility, and
could result in an accident. Use only
windshield washer fluid or plain
water in the reservoir.
Using Washer Fluid Without Anti-
freeze Protection in Cold Weather:
Operating your vehicle in
temperatures below 4 degrees C (40
degrees F) using washer fluid without
anti-freeze protection is dangerous as
it could cause impaired windshield
vision and result in an accident. In
cold weather, always use washer fluid
with anti-freeze protection.
NOTE
State or local regulations may restrict
the use of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), which are commonly used as
anti-freeze agents in washer fluid. A
washer fluid with limited VOC content
should be used only if it provides
adequate freeze resistance for all
regions and climates in which the
vehicle will be operated.
WARNING
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