2004 MAZDA MODEL B-SERIES towing

Seating and Safety Restraints64
Seating 64
Safety restraints 66
Air bags 78
Child restraints 89
Driving105
Starting 105
Brakes 110
Transmission operation 114
Vehicle loading 124
Trailer towing 128
Recreational towing 135
Roadside Emergencies137
Hazard flasher switch 137
Fuel pump shut-off switch 137
Fuses and relays 138
Overheating 148
Changing tires 149
Jump starting 156
Wrecker towing 161
Customer Assistance162
Reporting safety defects (U.S. only) 172
Cleaning173
Repairing paint chips 174
Underbody preservation 178
2004 Mazda B Series(mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Table of Contents
2

P (Park)
This position locks the transmission and prevents the rear wheels from
turning.
To put your vehicle in gear:
•Start the engine
• Depress the brake pedal
• Move the gearshift lever into the desired gear
To put your vehicle in P (Park):
• Come to a complete stop
• Move the gearshift lever and securely latch it in P (Park)
WARNING: Always set the parking brake fully and make sure
the gearshift is latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition to the
LOCK position and remove the key whenever you leave your
vehicle.
R (Reverse)
With the gearshift lever in R (Reverse), the vehicle will move backward.
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into and out of R
(Reverse).
N (Neutral)
With the gearshift lever in N (Neutral), the vehicle can be started and is
free to roll. Hold the brake pedal down while in this position.
(Overdrive)
The normal driving position for the
best fuel economy. Transmission
operates in gears one through
five.
(Overdrive) can be
deactivated by pressing the
transmission control switch on the end of the gearshift lever. This will
illuminate the O/D OFF lamp and activate Drive.
Drive (not shown)
Drive is activated when the transmission control switch is pressed.
• This position allows for all forward gears except overdrive.
• O/D OFF lamp is illuminated.
• Provides engine braking.
• Use when driving conditions cause excessive shifting from O/D to
other gears. Examples: city traffic, hilly terrain, heavy loads, trailer
towing and when engine braking is required.
O/D
ON/OFF
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
116

SPECIAL LOADING INSTRUCTIONS FOR OWNERS OF PICKUP
TRUCKS AND UTILITY-TYPE VEHICLESWARNING: For important information regarding safe operation
of this type of vehicle, see the Preparing to drive your vehicle
section in this chapter.
WARNING: Loaded vehicles may handle differently than
unloaded vehicles. Extra precautions, such as slower speeds and
increased stopping distance, should be taken when driving a
heavily loaded vehicle.
Your vehicle can haul more cargo and people than most passenger cars.
Depending upon the type and placement of the load, hauling cargo and
people may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.
Vehicle Loading –with and without a trailer
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’ s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle ’s
Safety Certification Label and Tire and Load Information Label:
Base Curb Weight –is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
Vehicle Curb Weight –is the weight of your new vehicle when you
picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.
Cargo Weight –includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight,
including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load
or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
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GAW (Gross Axle Weight)–is the total weight placed on each axle
(front and rear) –including vehicle curb weight and all payload.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) –is the maximum allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These
numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label
located on the driver’ s door or door pillar. The total load on each
axle must never exceed its GAWR.
WARNING: Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle
weight rating limits could result in substandard vehicle
handling, performance, engine, transmission and/or structural
damage, serious damage to the vehicle, loss of control and
personal injury.
Note: For trailer towing information refer to Trailer Towingfound in
this chapter or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your
dealership.
GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) –is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo +
passengers.
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
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GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)–is the maximum
allowable weight of the fully loaded
vehicle (including all options,
equipment, passengers and cargo).
The GVWR is shown on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label located on the driver’ s
door or door pillar. The GVW
must never exceed the GVWR.
WARNING: Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle
weight rating limits could result in substandard vehicle
handling, performance, engine, transmission and/or structural
damage, serious damage to the vehicle, loss of control and
personal injury.
GCW (Gross Combined Weight) –is the weight of the loaded vehicle
(GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) –is the maximum allowable
weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer –including all cargo and
passengers –that the vehicle can handle without risking damage.
(Important: The towing vehicle ’s braking system is rated for operation at
GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers weighing more than 680 kg
[1,500 lbs]). The GCW must never exceed the GCWR.
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
126

Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight–is the highest possible weight of a
fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only
mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of
10–15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15 –25% (fifth wheel
trailer), and driver only (68 kg [150 lbs]). Consult your dealership (or
the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your dealership) for
more detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight –refers to the amount
of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.
Examples: For a 2268 kg (5000 lbs.) conventional trailer, multiply 5000
by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 227 to 340 kg
(500 to 750 lbs.). For an 5216 kg (11,500 lbs.) fifth wheel trailer,
multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 782
to 1304 kg (1,725 to 2,875 lbs.)
WARNING: Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on
the certification label.
WARNING: Do not use replacement tires with lower load
carrying capacities than the originals because they may lower
the vehicle’ s GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires
with a higher limit than the originals do not increase the GVWR
and GAWR limitations.
WARNING: Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation
could result in serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal
injury.
Calculating the load your vehicle can carry/tow 1. Use the appropriate maximum GCWR chart (in the Trailer Towing
section in this chapter) for your type of engine and rear axle ratio.
2. Weigh your vehicle without cargo. To obtain correct weights, take your vehicle to a shipping company or an inspection station for
trucks.
3. Subtract your loaded weight from the maximum GCWR in the chart. This is the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow. It must be
below the maximum trailer weight shown in the chart.
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
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TRAILER TOWING
Your vehicle may tow a class I, II or III trailer provided the maximum
trailer weight is less than or equal to the maximum trailer weight listed
for your engine and rear axle ratio on the following charts.
Your vehicle’s load capacity is designated by weight, not by volume, so
you cannot necessarily use all available space when loading a vehicle.
Towing a trailer places an additional load on your vehicle ’s engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires and suspension. Inspect these
components carefully after any towing operation.
4x2 w/manual transmission
Engine Rear axle ratioMaximum
GCWR - kg (lbs.) Maximum
trailer
weight - kg (lbs.) Maximum
frontal area of trailer - m
2(ft2)
Regular Cab
2.3L All 2,177 (4,800) 717 (1,580) Equal to frontal areaof vehicle
3.0L 3.73 2,722 (6,000) 1,207 (2,660) 4.64 (50)
3.0L Dual Sport 4.10 2,722 (6,000) 1,143 (2,520) 4.64 (50)
Cab Plus/Cab Plus 4
2.3L All 2,177 (4,800) 644 (1,420) Equal to frontal areaof vehicle
3.0L 3.73 2,722 (6,000) 1,125 (2,480) 4.64 (50)
3.0L Dual Sport 4.10 2,722 (6,000) 1,089 (2,400) 4.64 (50)
4.0L All 3,175 (7,000) 1,542 (3,400) 4.64 (50)
4.0L Dual Sport All 3,175 (7,000) 1,506 (3,320) 4.64 (50)
For high altitude operation, reduce GCW by 2% per 300 meters (1,000
ft.) elevation.
For definition of terms used in this table see Vehicle Loadingearlier
in this chapter.
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
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4x2 w/manual transmission
Engine Rear axle ratioMaximum
GCWR - kg (lbs.) Maximum
trailer
weight - kg (lbs.) Maximum
frontal area of trailer - m
2(ft2)
To determine maximum trailer weight designed for your particular
vehicle, see Calculating the load your vehicle can carry/tow earlier
in this chapter.
Maximum trailer weight is shown. The combined weight of the
completed towing vehicle (including hitch, passengers and cargo) and
the loaded trailer must not exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR).
4x4 w/manual transmission
Engine Rear axle ratioMaximum
GCWR - kg (lbs.) Maximum
trailer
weight - kg (lbs) Maximum
frontal area of trailer - m
2(ft2)
Regular Cab
3.0L All 2,722 (6,000) 1,061 (2,340) 4.64 (50)
4.0L All 3,175 (7,000) 1,479 (3,260) 4.64 (50) Cab Plus/Cab Plus 4
4.0L All 3,175 (7,000) 1,406 (3,100) 4.64 (50)
For high altitude operation, reduce GCW by 2% per 300 meters (1,000
ft.) of elevation.
For definition of terms used in this table, see Vehicle loadingearlier
in this chapter.
To determine maximum trailer weight designed for your vehicle, see
Calculating the load your vehicle can carry/tow earlier in this
chapter.
Maximum trailer weight is shown. The combined weight of the
completed towing vehicle (including hitch, passengers and cargo) and
the loaded trailer must not exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating
(GCWR).
2004 Mazda B Series (mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
Canadian French (fr-can)
Driving
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