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You should replace the spare tire when you replace the other road tires
due to the aging of the spare tire.
CHANGING THE TIRES
If you get a flat tire while driving:
•do not brake heavily.
•gradually decrease the vehicle’s speed.
•hold the steering wheel firmly.
•slowly move to a safe place on the side of the road.
WARNING: The use of tire sealants is not recommended and
may damage your tires.
Temporary Emergency Spare Tire Information
Your vehicle may be equipped with a temporary emergency spare tire.
This tire may be a T-type/mini-spare tire which will have the words
“Temporary Use Only”molded into the tire sidewall or it may be a full
size dissimilar spare tire/wheel that is different in brand, size or
appearance from the road tire, which will be identified with a“Caution”
label on the wheel. Both of these spare tires are considered“temporary”.
Replace these temporary emergency spare tires on the vehicle with a tire
of the same size, speed rating and load carrying capacity as the other
road tires as soon as possible.
It is not recommended that the vehicle be operated in 4WD modes with
a temporary emergency spare tire. If 4WD operation is necessary, do not
operate above speeds of 10 mph (16 km/h) or for distances above 50 miles
(80 km).
When driving with the temporary emergency spare tiredo not:
•Exceed 50 mph (80 km/h)
•Exceed 2000 miles (3200 km)
•Load the vehicle beyond maximum vehicle load rating listed on the
Safety Compliance Label
•Tow a trailer
•Use snow chains
•Use more than one temporary emergency spare tire
•Use commercial car washing equipment
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•Try to repair the temporary emergency spare tire
Use of a temporary emergency spare tire at any one wheel location can
lead to impairment of the following:
•Handling, stability and braking performance
•Comfort and noise
•Ground clearance and parking at curbs
•Winter weather driving capability
•Wet weather driving capability
Tire change procedure
WARNING: When one of the front wheels is off the ground, the
transmission alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or
slipping off the jack, even if the vehicle is in P (Park)
(automatic transmission) or R (Reverse) (manual transmission).
WARNING: To help prevent the vehicle from moving when you
change a tire, be sure the parking brake is set, then block (in
both directions) the wheel that is diagonally opposite (other
side and end of the vehicle) to the tire being changed.
WARNING: If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone
else could be seriously injured.
1. Park on a level surface, activate
hazard flashers and place
gearshift lever in P (Park)
(automatic transmission) or 1
(First) (manual transmission).
2. Set the parking brake and turn
engine OFF.
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3. Block the diagonally opposite
wheel.
4. Insert tapered end of the lug
wrench behind hub caps and
twist them off.
5. Loosen each wheel lug nut
one-half turn counterclockwise
but do not remove them until
the wheel is raised off the
ground.
6. Position the jack according to
the following guides and turn
the jack handle clockwise until the tire is a maximum of 1 inch
(25 mm) off the ground.
WARNING: To lessen the risk of personal injury, do not put any
part of your body under the vehicle while changing a tire. Do
not start the engine when your vehicle is on the jack. The jack
is only meant for changing the tire.
•Front
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•Rear
Never use the differential as a
jacking point. It is too easy for
the vehicle to tilt or fall and you
can be injured.
7. Remove the wheel lug nuts with
the lug wrench.
8. Replace the flat tire with the
spare tire, making sure the valve
stem is facing outward. Reinstall
the lug nuts until the wheel is
snug against the hub. Do not fully tighten the lug nuts until the
wheel has been lowered.
9. Lower the wheel by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
10. Remove the jack and fully
tighten the lug nuts, in the
order shown. Refer toWheel
lug nut torque specifications
later in this chapter for the
proper lug nut torque
specification.
11. Stow the flat tire. Refer to
Stowing the spare tire.
12. Stow the jack and lug wrench.
Make sure the jack is fastened so it does not rattle when you drive.
13. Unblock the wheels.
1
4 3
2 5
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Stowing the flat/spare tire
Note:Failure to follow spare tire stowage instructions may result in
failure of cable or loss of spare tire.
1. Lay the tire on the ground with the valve stem facing up.
2. Slide the wheel partially under the vehicle and install the wire and
retainer through the center of the wheel.
3. Turn the jack handle clockwise until the tire is raised to its original
position underneath the vehicle. The effort to turn the jack handle
increases significantly as the tire contacts the frame. The spare tire
carrier will ratchet when the tire is in the fully stowed position. The
spare tire carrier has a built-in ratchet feature that will not allow you
to overtighten. If the spare tire carrier ratchets with very little effort,
take the vehicle to your dealer for assistance at your earliest
convenience.
4. Check that the tire lies flat against the frame assembly. Push against
the tire to make sure it is tightly seated under the vehicle. Loosen
and retighten, if necessary. Failure to properly stow the spare tire
may result in failure of the winch cable and loss of the spare tire.
5. Repeat this tightness check procedure when servicing the spare tire
pressure (every six months, perService Maintenance Section),or
at any time that the spare tire is disturbed through service of other
components.
6. Install the spare tire lock (if equipped) into the access hole above
the rear bumper with the spare tire lock key (if equipped) and jack
handle.
WHEEL LUG NUT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque at 50–100 miles (80–160 km)
after any wheel disturbance (rotation, flat tire, wheel removal, etc.).
Lug nut socket size/Bolt size Wheel lug nut torque*
lb.ft. N•m
Lug nut socket size:
3⁄4” (19 mm) hex
Bolt size:1⁄2x20100 135
* Torque specifications are for nut and bolt threads free of dirt and
rust. Use only Mazda recommended replacement fasteners.
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WARNING: When a wheel is installed, always remove any
corrosion, dirt and foreign materials present on the mounting
surfaces of the wheel and the surface of the front disc brake
hub and rotor that contacts the wheel. Installing wheels
without correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting
surfaces can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to
come off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of
control.
Note:If there is corrosion on the area where the wheel contacts the
hub, apply a thin film of grease or anti-seize compound on that area.
INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized
information on the sidewall of all tires. This information identifies and
describes the fundamental characteristics of the tire and also provides a
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number for safety standard certification and
in case of a recall.
Information on“P”type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)
1.P:Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans
and light trucks.
Note:If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2.215:Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
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3.65:Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width.
4.R:Indicates a“radial”type tire.
5.15:Indicates the wheel or rim diameter in inches. If you change
your wheel size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the
new wheel diameter.
6.95:Indicates the tire’s load index. It is an index that relates to how
much weight a tire can carry. You may find this information in your
Owner’s Guide. If not, contact a local tire dealer.
Note:You may not find this information on all tires because it is not
required by federal law.
7.H:Indicates the tire’s speed rating. The speed rating denotes the
speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for extended periods
of time under a standard condition of load and inflation pressure.
The tires on your vehicle may operate at different conditions for load
and inflation pressure. These speed ratings may need to be adjusted
for the difference in conditions. The ratings range from 81 mph
(130 km/h) to 186 mph (299 km/h). These ratings are listed in the
following chart.
Note:You may not find this information on all tires because it is not
required by federal law.
Letter rating Speed rating - mph (km/h)
M 81 mph (130 km/h)
N 87 mph (140 km/h)
Q 99 mph (159 km/h)
R 106 mph (171 km/h)
S 112 mph (180 km/h)
T 118 mph (190 km/h)
U 124 mph (200 km/h)
H 130 mph (210 km/h)
V 149 mph (240 km/h)
W 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y 186 mph (299 km/h)
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Letter rating Speed rating - mph (km/h)
Note:For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph
(240 km/h), tire manufacturers sometimes use the letters ZR. For
those with a maximum speed capability over 186 mph (299 km/h),
tire manufacturers always use the letters ZR.
8.U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN):This begins with
the letters“DOT”and indicates that the tire meets all federal
standards. The next two numbers or letters are the plant code
designating where it was manufactured, the next two are the tire
size code and the last four numbers represent the week and year the
tire was built. For example, the numbers 317 mean the 31st week of
1997. After 2000 the numbers go to four digits. For example, 2501
means the 25th week of 2001. The numbers in between are
identification codes used for traceability. This information is used to
contact customers if a tire defect requires a recall.
9.M+S or M/S:Mud and Snow, or
AT:All Terrain, or
AS:All Season.
10.Tire Ply Composition and Material Used:Indicates the number
of plies or the number of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire
tread and sidewall. Tire manufacturers also must indicate the ply
materials in the tire and the sidewall, which include steel, nylon,
polyester, and others.
11.Maximum Load:Indicates the maximum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by the tire. Refer to the tire label or the
safety certification label, which is located on the B-Pillar or the edge
of the driver’s door, for the correct tire pressure for your vehicle.
12.Treadwear, Traction and Temperature Grades
•Treadwear:The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1
1⁄2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
•Traction:The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B,
and C. The grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
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