2004 MAZDA MODEL SPEED MX-5 MIATA engine overheat

4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazard:
•Be cautious and allow extra distance
for braking.
• Avoid sudden braking and quick
steering.
• If your vehicle is not equipped with
ABS, brake with the pedal by using a
light up-down motion. Don
’t hold the
pedal down constantly.
If your vehicle is equipped with ABS,
don ’t pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
• If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Don
’t spin the rear
wheels.
• For more traction in starting on
slippery surfaces such as ice or packed
snow, use sand, rock salt, chains,
carpeting, or other nonslip material
under the rear wheels. 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.
Hazardous Driving
Downshifting on Slippery Surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear while
driving on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid.
This could lead to loss of vehicle
control and an accident. If it is
necessary to downshift on slippery
surfaces, be very careful.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the rear
wheels.
WARNING
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, transmission failure, and
tire damage.
WARNING
CAUTION
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5-5
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L

Parking Brake
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
brake handle fully upward.
Coasting with the Engine Off:
Continuing to coast when the engine
is stalled or turned off is dangerous.
Braking will require more effort, and
the brake
’s power-assist could be
depleted if you pump the brake. This
will cause longer stopping distances
or even an accident. Don ’t continue
coasting when the engine is stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop.
Riding the Brakes:
Driving with your foot continuously
on the brake pedal or steadily
applying the brakes for long distances
is dangerous. This causes overheated
brakes, resulting in longer stopping
distances or even total brake failure.
This could cause loss of vehicle
control and a serious accident. Avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep hills.
Driving with Wet Brakes:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the
vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious
accident. Light braking will indicate
whether the brakes have been
affected. Dry the brakes by driving
very slowly and applying the brakes
lightly until brake performance is
normal.
WARNING
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake
linings or pads.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter
Driving (page 4-9) regarding parking
brake use.
CAUTION
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5-14
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L

Driving Tips
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transmission
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 1, 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 2
or 1, depending on load weight and grade
steepness. Descend slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating. Power steering is only operable when the
engine is running. If the engine is off or if
the power steering system is inoperable,
you can still steer, but it requires more
physical effort.
If the steering feels rigid during normal
driving, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Power Steering
Never hold the steering wheel to the
extreme left or right for more than 5
seconds with the engine running.
This could damage the power steering
system.
CAUTION
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5-20
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L

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 power supply is interrupted
(blown fuse or the battery is
disconnected).
 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
MAZDASPEED MX-5 MX-5/miata
CAUTION
Driving with an overheated engine
can cause serious engine damage
(page 7-11).
CAUTION
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6-7
Interior Comfort
Climate Control System
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L

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 cold 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.
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).When using the air conditioner while
driving up long hills or in heavy traffic,
closely monitor the temperature gauge
(page 5-20).
The air conditioner may cause engine
overheating. If the gauge indicates
overheating, turn the air conditioner off.
NOTE
•When maximum cooling is desired,
set the temperature control dial to
the extreme cold position and set
the air intake selector to the
position, then set the fan control dial
to position 4.
• If warmer air is desired at floor
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).
CAUTION
*Some models.
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7-1
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L
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 .................................................................. 7-5
Overheating ................................................................................. 7-11
Overheating ............................................................................. 7-11
Emergency Starting .................................................................... 7-13
Starting a Flooded Engine ....................................................... 7-13
Jump-Starting .......................................................................... 7-13
Push-Starting ........................................................................... 7-15
Emergency Towing ...................................................................... 7-16
Towing Description ................................................................. 7-16
Tiedown Hooks ........................................................................ 7-17
Recreational Towing ................................................................ 7-17
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7-11
In Case of an Emergency
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L
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 transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission 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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7-12
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
Form No. 8T02-EA-03L
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.
Cooling system cap
Engine coolant
reservoir
CAUTION
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