4-9
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
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 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 8-18).
•Don’t use the parking brake in freezing
weather as the parking brake may
freeze. Instead, shift to P and 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
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 9 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
4-18
Before Driving Your Mazda
To w i n g
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other vehicles, and provide plenty of room before changing lanes.
Crosswinds from passing vehicles, especially larger ones, and the effects of rough roads
will affect handling.
If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and reduce speed immediately, but
gradually.
Steer straight ahead. If no extreme correction of steering or braking is made, the
combination of less speed and firm steering will result in stability.
Backing up
Backing a vehicle with a trailer requires practice and patience. Back slowly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of the trailer to reduce the risk of an accident.
To turn the trailer, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it in the
direction you want the trailer to go. Make only slight movements to prevent sharp or
prolonged turning.
Ascending a hill
Shift into a lower gear to reduce the possibility of overloading or overheating the engine, or
both.
Descending a hill
Shift into a lower gear and use engine compression as a braking effect.
Overheated engine
The extra weight of the trailer may strain the engine on hot days and on long or steep
upgrades.
If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, turn off the air conditioner, drive safely to
the side of the road, park off the right-of-way and wait for engine to cool. Refer to
Overheating (page 7-15).
Over Use of the Brake Pedal:
Holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently is dangerous as it could
cause the brakes to overheat and lose power, resulting in loss of control and a serious
accident. Use lower gears (1st and 2nd) to help reduce speed. Pull off the road and
allow brakes to cool down whenever braking performance feels reduced. Always use
lower gears to reduce speed.
WARNING
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 18 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
5-13
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
O/D OFF indicator light
This light comes on when the overdrive
has been turned off.
Driving Tips
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift to D or 2, depending on the load
weight and grade steepness.
3. Release all brakes while gradually
accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to 3
or 2, depending on load weight and grade
steepness. Descend slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating. If the overdrive-off indicator light
flashes, the transaxle has an electrical
problem. Continuing to drive your
Mazda in this condition could cause
damage to your transaxle. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
CAUTION
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 13 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
5-22
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
The trip meter records the total distance
the vehicle is driven until the meter is
again reset. Return it to "0.0" by holding
the selector depressed for more than 1
second. Use this meter to measure trip
distances and to compute fuel
consumption.
Tachometer
The tachometer shows engine speed in
thousands of revolutions per minute
(rpm).
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
The engine coolant temperature gauge
shows the temperature of the engine
coolant.
If the needle exceeds normal range toward
H, it indicates overheating.
NOTE
•Only the trip meters record tenths of
kilometers (miles).
•The trip record will be erased when
the vehicle is driven over 999.9 km
(mile).
Don’t run the engine with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine damage.
Red zone
CAUTION
Driving with an overheated engine can
cause serious engine damage
(page 7-15).
CAUTION
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 22 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
5-36
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
Use this switch to turn on the fog lights.
They help you to see as well as to be seen.
To turn the front fog lights on, rotate the
fog light switch to the position.
The headlight switch must be in the
position to turn on the front fog lights.
To turn them off, rotate the fog light
switch to the OFF position or turn the
headlight switch to the or OFF
position.The ignition switch must be in the ON
position.
Fog Lights*
NOTE
The fog lights will turn off when the
headlights are set at high beam.
Fog light switch
Windshield Wipers and
Washer
Frozen Washer Fluid:
Using windshield washer fluid
without anti-freeze protection in
freezing temperatures is dangerous.
The washer fluid could freeze on the
windshield and block your vision. You
could have an accident. Don’t use the
washer without first warming the
windshield and never use plain tap
water.
NOTE
Because heavy ice and snow can jam
the wiper blades, the wiper motor is
protected from motor breakdown,
overheating and possible fire by a
circuit breaker. This mechanism will
automatically stop operation of the
blades, but only for about 5 minutes.
If this happens, turn off the wiper
switch and park off the right-of-way,
and remove the snow and ice.
After 5 minutes, turn on the switch and
the blades should operate normally. If
they don’t resume functioning, consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon
as possible.
WARNING
*Some models.
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 36 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
6-7
Interior Comfort
Climate Control System
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
Heating
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the air intake selector to the
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
hot position.
4. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
5. If dehumidified heating is desired, turn
on the air conditioner.
Cooling (With Air Conditioner)
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
3. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
4. Turn on the air conditioner.
5. Adjust the fan control dial and
temperature control dial to maintain
maximum comfort.
The Recirculated Air Position:
Using the position in cold or
rainy weather will cause the glass to
fog up. Your vision will be hampered,
which could lead to a serious
accident. Do not use the
position in cold or rainy weather.
NOTE
•If the windshield fogs up easily, set
the mode selector dial to the
position.
•If cooler air is desired at face level,
set the mode selector dial at the
position and adjust the temperature
control dial to maintain maximum
comfort.
•The air to the floor is warmer than
air to the face (except when the
temperature control dial is set at the
extreme hot or cold position).
WARNING
When using the air conditioner while
driving up long hills or in heavy traffic,
closely monitor the temperature gauge
(page 5-22).
The air conditioner may cause engine
overheating. If the gauge indicates
overheating, turn the air conditioner
off.
CAUTION
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 7 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
6-44
Interior Comfort
Interior Equipment
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
Luggage Compartment Light
Courtesy Lights
Turns on when any door is open or the
illuminated entry system is on.The ignition switch must be in the ACC or
ON position.
Press the lighter in and release it. When
ready for use, it automatically pops out.
OFF Light off
ON•
Light on when any door or the
liftgate is open
• (With illuminated entry
system)
Light on or off when the
illuminated entry system is on
OFFON
Courtesy
Light
Lighter*
•Don’t touch the metal part of the
lighter, you may burn yourself.
•Don’t hold the lighter in because it
will overheat.
•Don’t use the lighter socket for
plug-in accessories such as shavers
and coffee pots. They may damage
it or cause electrical failure. Use
only a genuine Mazda lighter or the
equivalent.
•If the lighter doesn’t pop out within
30 seconds, remove it to prevent
overheating.
CAUTION
*Some models.
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 44 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM
7-1
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
7In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.
Parking in an Emergency
............................................................. 7-2
Parking in an Emergency ........................................................... 7-2
Flat Tire
.......................................................................................... 7-3
Spare Tire and Tool Storage ...................................................... 7-3
Changing a Flat Tire .................................................................. 7-8
Overheating
................................................................................. 7-15
Overheating ............................................................................. 7-15
Emergency Starting
.................................................................... 7-17
Starting a Flooded Engine ....................................................... 7-17
Jump-Starting .......................................................................... 7-18
Push-Starting ........................................................................... 7-21
Emergency Towing
...................................................................... 7-22
Towing Description ................................................................. 7-22
Tiedown Hooks ........................................................................ 7-23
Recreational Towing ................................................................ 7-23
J16R_8S06-EA-03H_Edition1.book Page 1 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 4:19 PM