2004 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 light

7-4
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Jack
To remove the jack
1. Open the tool box.
2. Turn the jack screw counterclockwise.
To secure the jack
Perform the removal procedure in reverse.

Spare Tire
A temporary spare tire is not equipped with
your Mazda. If an emergency tire repair is
needed, repair the flat tire with the
emergency flat tire repair kit (page 7-5). If
you require a temporary spare tire, consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.When
installing a temporary spare tire, follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for the
temporary spare tire.
The temporary spare tire is lighter and
smaller than a conventional tire, and is
designed only for emergency use and
should be used only for VERY short
periods. Temporary spares should
NEVER be used for long drives or
extended periods.
Jack screw
Driving with a Temporary Spare Tire
on Ice or Snow:
Driving with a spare tire on the rear
(driving) wheels on ice or snow is
dangerous. Handling will be affected.
You could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident. Put the spare
tire on the front axle and move a
regular tire to the rear.
WARNING
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7-5
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
The IMS emergency flat tire repair kit
included with your Mazda is for a
temporary repair of a slightly damaged
flat tire resulting from running over nails
or similar sharp objects on the road
surface. 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.
(With limited slip differential)

When using the temporary spare tire
on the rear axle, replace it with a
standard tire as soon as possible. The
size difference between the spare and
the standard tire will cause the limited
slip differential to malfunction.
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 5-25).
CAUTIONInstant Mobility System
(IMS) Emergency Flat Tire
Repair Kit
NOTE
Your vehicle is not equipped with a
spare tire. In the event of a flat tire, use
the emergency flat tire repair kit to
repair the tire temporarily. When doing
the repair, refer to the instructions
included in the emergency flat tire
repair kit. After temporarily repairing a
tire with the emergency flat tire repair
kit, take your vehicle to an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the tire replaced.
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 5 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

7-9
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
10. Hold the bottom of the bottle upright,
squeeze the bottle with your hands,
and inject the entire amount of tire
sealant into the tire.
11. Pull out the injection hose from the
valve. Reinsert the valve core into the
valve and turn it clockwise to install
it.
12. Attach the sticker that indicates
completion of the tire repair on a flat
outer surface of the repaired tire.13. Attach the vehicle speed restriction
sticker in a place where the driver can
easily see it.
NOTE
The tire sealant cannot be reused.
Purchase new tire sealant at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Valve
Repaired tire sticker
NOTE
Do not throw away the empty tire
sealant bottle as the sealant in the
bottle can be replenished when
replacing the tire. Take the bottle to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Attaching Sticker to the Steering
Wheel Pad:
Attaching the vehicle speed restriction
sticker to the steering wheel pad is
dangerous. The sticker could interfere
with air bag inflation and cause
serious injury. Also, do not attach the
sticker to the meter panel, as it would
obstruct vision of areas such as
warning light indicators or the
speedometer.
Speed restriction sticker
WARNING
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 9 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

7-11
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
17. When the tire has been inflated to the
proper inflation pressure, turn the
compressor switch off and remove the
compressor hose from the tire valve.
18. Install the tire valve cap.
19. Put the emergency flat tire repair kit
in the trunk and continue driving.20. After driving the vehicle for 10 minutes
or 5 km (3 miles), check the tire
pressure with the tire pressure gauge
equipped with the compressor. If the
tire pressure has fallen below the
correct tire pressure, inflate the tire to
the correct pressure again following the
steps from number 15.
NOTE
•Check the tire inflation pressure
label (driver’s door) for the correct
tire inflation pressure.
•Do not use the compressor for
longer than 10 minutes because
using the compressor for long
periods could damage it.
•If the tire does not inflate, repair of
the tire may not be possible. If the
tire does not reach the correct
inflation pressure within a 10-
minute period, it probably has
received more extensive damage.
When this happens, the emergency
flat tire repair kit cannot be used to
repair the tire. Contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
•If the tire has been over-inflated,
loosen the screw cap on the
compressor and bleed some of the
air out.•Drive carefully to an Authorized
Mazda Dealer and keep the vehicle
speed below 80 km/h (50 mph).
•If the vehicle is driven 80 km/h
(50 mph) or higher, the vehicle
might begin to vibrate.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

If the tire is not properly inflated, the
tire pressure monitoring system
warning light will illuminate (page
5-25).
CAUTION
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 11 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-1
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
8Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Mazda in top condition.
Introduction
................................................................................... 8-2
Introduction ............................................................................... 8-2
Scheduled Maintenance
................................................................ 8-3
Scheduled Maintenance ............................................................. 8-3
Owner Maintenance
...................................................................... 8-6
Owner Maintenance Schedule ................................................... 8-6
Owner Maintenance Precautions ............................................... 8-7
Engine Compartment Overview ................................................ 8-8
Engine Oil .................................................................................. 8-9
Engine Coolant ........................................................................ 8-12
Brake/Clutch Fluid .................................................................. 8-14
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ...................................... 8-15
Washer Fluid ............................................................................ 8-17
Body Lubrication ..................................................................... 8-18
Air Filter .................................................................................. 8-18
Wiper Blades ........................................................................... 8-19
Battery ..................................................................................... 8-21
Tires ......................................................................................... 8-23
Light Bulbs .............................................................................. 8-27
Fuses ........................................................................................ 8-33
Appearance Care
......................................................................... 8-39
How to Minimize Environmental Paint Damage ..................... 8-39
Exterior Care ........................................................................... 8-41
Interior Care ............................................................................ 8-44
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 1 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-9
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Recommended Oil
Oil container labels provide important
information.
The quality designation SL
or ILSAC

must be on the label.Engine oil viscosity, or thickness, has an
effect on fuel economy and cold-weather
operation (starting and oil flow).
Low-viscosity engine oils can provide
improved fuel economy and cold-weather
performance.
But high-temperature weather conditions
require higher-viscosity engine oils for
satisfactory lubrication.
When choosing an oil, consider the
temperature range your vehicle will
operate in before the next oil change.
Then select the recommended viscosity
from this chart.
Energy conserving oils are recommended.
A chief contribution they make to fuel
economy is reducing the amount of fuel
necessary to overcome engine friction.
Engine Oil
NOTE
The Mazda RX-8 requires regular
inspection of the engine oil level. The
compact, high performance RENESIS
rotary engine in your vehicle consumes
a small amount of engine oil due to its
structural design.
Although your vehicle is equipped
with an engine oil level warning light
and an engine oil pressure gauge, it is
best to keep the engine oil level in the
range between full and low by
checking the oil dipstick regularly.
Inspect the level when refueling.
FORGASOLINEENGINES
(ILSAC)
Using oils of viscosity besides those
recommended for specific temperature
ranges could result in engine damage.
–30–20–100 1020304050
–20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
5W-20
CAUTION
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8-14
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
3. With the drain plug loose but not fully
removed, flush out the system with
running water.
4. Drain the system completely and
retighten the plug. Add as much
ethylene-glycol-based coolant and
water as necessary to provide freezing
and corrosion protection.
5. In extremely cold climates, add the
amount recommended in the coolant
manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Reinstall the cooling system cap.
7. Run the engine at idle for about
10 minutes, then turn it off. If the
coolant level warning light comes on
during this time, turn the engine off.
After turning off the engine, inspect
the drain plug and the water hoses for
leaks.
8. After the engine has cooled, remove
the cooling system cap and inspect the
coolant level. If it’s low, repeat steps 5
to 7.

Inspecting Brake/Clutch Fluid
Level
The brakes and clutch draw fluid from the
same reservoir.
Inspect the fluid level in the reservoir
regularly. It should be kept at MAX.
The level normally drops with
accumulated distance, a condition
associated with wear of brake and clutch
linings. If it is excessively low, have the
brake/clutch system inspected by an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
NOTE
Because this procedure requires
technical expertise, we recommend
that it be done by an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Tighten Loosen Loosen
Tighten
Cooling system cap
Drain plug
Brake/Clutch Fluid
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 14 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM

8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
You should replace it before the band is
across the entire tread.

Temporary Spare Tire
Your Mazda is not equipped with a spare
tire. If you require a spare tire, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it’s properly
inflated and stored.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction. It is
lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire and should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short distance.
Use the temporary only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which should
be as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa
(4.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar, 60 psi). (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.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

•When tires with steel wire
reinforcement in the sidewalls are
used, the system may not function
correctly even with a genuine
wheel.(page 5-26)
•Be sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced.(page 5-27)
CAUTION
New tread Worn treadTread wear indicator
•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 8-24).
CAUTION
J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 25 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PM