2004 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 engine

8-16
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
4. Remove the engine cover.
5. With the engine still idling, pull out the
dipstick, wipe it clean, and put it back.
6. Pull it out again.
The proper fluid level is marked on the
dipstick as follows.Fluid hot scale A
When the vehicle has been driven and the
fluid is at normal operating temperature,
about 65
°C (150
°F), the level must be
between Full and Low.
Fluid cold scale B
When the engine has not been running
and the outside temperature is about 20
°C
(70
°F), the level must be between Full and
Low.
Fully insert the dipstick. When adding
fluid, inspect with the dipstick to make
sure it doesn’t pass full.
Sudden Vehicle Movement:
Shifting the shift lever without first
depressing the brake pedal is
dangerous. The vehicle could move
suddenly and cause an accident.
Make sure the brake pedal is applied
before shifting the shift lever.
WARNING
Engine cover
Full
A
Low
Full
B
Low
•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.
•Verify that the engine cover is
securely installed.
CAUTION
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 16 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-18
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
All moving points of the body, such as
door and hood hinges and locks, should
be lubricated each time the engine oil is
changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on
locks during cold weather.
Make sure the engine hood’s secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when
the primary latch is released.This air filter may be cleaned with
compressed air and reused, or replaced,
depending on its condition. Unless it is
very dirty, simply shake it to remove
foreign particles. Each time you inspect it,
wipe inside the air cleaner housing with a
damp cloth.

Replacing the Air Filter
1. Make sure the ignition switch is turned
off.
2. Disconnect the electrical connector.
Body LubricationAir Filter
Don’t drive without an air filter. This
could result in excessive engine wear.
NOTE
If the vehicle is operated in very dusty
or sandy areas, replace the filter more
often than recommended intervals.
CAUTION
Electrical
connector
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 18 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-22
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Battery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
•Keep it securely mounted.
•Keep the top clean and dry.
•Keep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with petroleum jelly
or terminal grease.
•Rinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda.
•If the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables.
NOTE
•Remove the engine and battery
covers before performing battery
maintenance.
•Verify that the engine cover is
securely installed.
Engine cover
Battery cover
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 22 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
Your Mazda’s headlights and fog lights
have replaceable halogen bulbs.
Replacing a Headlight Bulb
1. Make sure the ignition switch is turned
off and the headlight switch is off.
2. Lift the hood and find the high and low
beam bulbs in the rear of the headlight
unit.
The outboard bulb is the LOW beam,
and the inboard one is the HIGH
beam.(page 8-27)
3. If you are changing the right headlight
bulb, start the engine, turn the steering
wheel all the way to the right, and turn
off engine. If you are changing the left
headlight bulb, turn the steering wheel
to the left.
4. Turn the center section of the plastic
retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.
Xenon Fusion Bulb Replacement:
Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs by
yourself is dangerous. Because the
xenon fusion bulbs require high
voltage, you could receive an electric
shock if the bulbs are handled
incorrectly. Do not replace the xenon
fusion bulbs by yourself. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer when the
replacement is necessary.
Handling Halogen Bulbs:
When a halogen bulb breaks, it is
dangerous. These bulbs contain
pressurized gas. If one is broken, it
will explode and serious injuries
could be caused by the flying glass.
If the glass portion is touched with
bare hands, body oil could cause the
bulb to overheat and explode when lit.
Never touch the glass portion of the
bulb with your bare hands and always
wear eye protection when handling or
working around halogen bulbs.
Children and Halogen Bulbs:
Playing with a halogen bulb is
dangerous. Serious injuries could be
caused by dropping a halogen bulb or
breaking it some other way.
Always keep halogen bulbs out of the
reach of children.
WARNING
Removal
Installation
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8-30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
5. Carefully remove the headlight bulb
from the socket by pulling it straight
back.
6. Replace the bulb.
7. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.

Replacing a Fog Light Bulb*
Due to the complexity and difficulty of
the procedure, the bulbs should be
replaced by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

Replacing a Bulb (Front)
1. If you are changing the right bulb, start
the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the right, and turn off
engine. If you are changing the left
bulb, turn the steering wheel to the left.
2. Turn the center section of the plastic
retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.Front turn signal lights, Parking lights,
Front side-marker lights
1. Turn the socket and bulb assembly
counterclockwise and remove it.
2. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.
NOTE
Use the protective cover and carton of
the replacement bulb to dispose of the
old bulb promptly out of the reach of
children.
Removal
Installation
Front turn signal
lights
Parking lights
Socket
Socket
Front side-marker lightsSocket
*Some models.
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 30 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-34
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
3. Pull the fuse straight out with the fuse
puller provided on the inside of the
engine compartment fuse block cover.
4. Inspect it and replace if it’s blown.
5. Push in a new fuse of the same rating,
and make sure it fits tightly. If it
doesn’t, have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer install it.
If you have no spare fuses, borrow one
of the same rating from a circuit not
essential to vehicle operation, such as
the SPARE circuit.If the headlights or other electrical
components don’t work and the fuses in
the cabin are OK, inspect the fuse block
under the hood. If a fuse is blown, it must
be replaced. Follow these steps:
1. Turn off the ignition switch and all
other switches.
2. Remove the fuse block cover.
Always replace a fuse with one of the
same rating. Otherwise you may
damage the electric system.
Fuse puller
Fuse block cover
(next to air filter)
Normal Blown
CAUTION
NOTE
Remove the engine and battery covers
before removing the fuse block cover
near the battery.
Fuse block cover
Ta bNext to air filter
Engine cover
Near battery
Battery cover
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8-35
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
3. If a fuse is blown, replace it with a new
one of the same rating
.
NOTE
•To replace the MAIN fuse, contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer (page
8-36).
•Verify that the engine cover is
securely installed.
Normal Blown
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 35 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-36
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Fuse Panel Description
Fuse block (Engine compartment)
(Next to air filter)
(Near battery)
DESCRIPTIONFUSE
RATINGPROTECTED
COMPONENT
1 MAIN 120AFor protection
of all circuits
2 HEATER 40A Heater
3 AIR PUMP 60A Air pump
4BTN 30APower
windows,
Power door
locks,
Illuminated
entry system,
Sunroof
*
5DEFOG 50ARear window
defroster
6 FAN 40A Electric fan
7ABS/DSC 60A
ABS, DSC
*
8ACC 30ALighter, Power
control mirror,
Accessory
socket, Audio
system
DESCRIPTIONFUSE
RATINGPROTECTED
COMPONENT
9HEAD 15AHeadlight high
beams
*,
Headlight
cleaner
*
10HEAD LOW
R15AHeadlight low
beam (RH)
11HEAD LOW
L15AHeadlight low
beam (LH)
12 DRL 15A
DRL*(Headlight
high beams)
13 DSC 30A
DSC*
14SEAT
WA R M20A
Seat warmer*
15 H/CLEAN 20AHeadlight
cleaner*
16 R.FOG 10A—
17 FOG 15A
Fog lights*
18 A/C MAG 10A Air conditioner
*Some models.
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 36 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM