2005 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA Owners Manual

Black plate (209,1)
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.
WARNING
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. 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.
CAUTION
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.
5. Make sure the cooling fan is operating, then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
6. When cool, check the coolant level. If it's low, look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
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Black plate (210,1)
If you find a leak or other damage, or if
coolant is still leaking:
Stop the engine and call an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Cooling system cap
Engine coolant
reservoir
If you find no problems, the engine is
cool, and no leaks are obvious:
Carefully add coolant as required (page
8-18).
CAUTION
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.
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In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
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Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).
Follow this procedure:
1. Depress the accelerator all the way andhold it there.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the START position and hold it there ―for up to 10
seconds. If the engine starts, release the
key and accelerator immediately
because the engine will suddenly rev
up.
3. If the engine fails to start, crank it without depressing the accelerator ―for
up to 10 seconds.
Jump-Starting
The battery is in the trunk.
Jump-starting is dangerous if done
incorrectly. So follow the procedure
carefully. If you feel unsure about jump-
starting, we strongly recommend that you
have a competent service technician do
the work.
WARNING
Battery-Related Explosion:
Flames and sparks near open battery
cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas,
produced during normal battery
operation, could ignite and cause the
battery to explode. An exploding
battery can cause serious burns and
injuries. Keep all flames, including
cigarettes, and sparks away from open
battery cells.
Frozen Battery:
Jump-starting a frozen battery is
dangerous. It may rupture or explode,
causing serious injury.
Don't jump-start a frozen battery.
CAUTION
Use only a 12 V booster system. You
can damage a 12 V starter, ignition
system, and other electrical parts
beyond repair with a 24 V power
supply (two 12 V batteries in series or a
24 V motor generator set).
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 V and that its negative terminal is
grounded.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
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Black plate (212,1)
2. If the booster battery is in anothervehicle, don't allow the vehicles to
touch. Turn off the engine of the
vehicle with the booster battery and all
unnecessary electrical loads in both
vehicles.
3. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence as in the illustration.
lConnect one end of a cable to the
positive terminal on the discharged
battery (1).
lAttach the other end to the positive
terminal on the booster battery (2).
lConnect one end of the other cable
to the negative terminal of the
booster battery (3).
lConnect the other end to a solid,
stationary, exposed metallic point
(for example, the trunk latch catch)
away from the discharged battery
(4).
Booster battery
Jumper
cable
Discharged
battery
Connect cables
in numerical
order and
disconnect in
reverse order.
Jumper cable
WARNING
Connecting to Negative Terminal:
Connecting the end of the second
cable to the negative (
) terminal of
the discharged battery is dangerous.
A spark could cause the gas around
the battery to explode and injure
someone. Connect the negative cable
to a good ground point away from the
battery.
4. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and run it a few minutes. Then start the
engine of the other vehicle.
5. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in the reverse order described in
Step3.
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Emergency Starting
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Push-Starting
WARNING
Towing a Vehicle to Start It:
Towing a vehicle to start it is
dangerous. The vehicle being towed
could surge forward when its engine
starts, causing the two vehicles to
collide. The occupants could be
injured. Never tow a vehicle to start it.
You can't start a vehicle with an automatic
transmission by pushing it.
CAUTION
You shouldn't push-start a vehicle that
has a manual transmission. It can
damage the emission control system.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
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Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.
A towed vehicle usually should have its
rear wheels off the ground. If excessive
damage or other conditions prevent this,
use wheel dollies.
Wheel dollies
CAUTION
Don't tow the vehicle pointed forward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transmission.
CAUTION
Don't tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or flatbed equipment.
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In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
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Tiedown Hooks
CAUTION
Don't use the tiedown hooks under the
front and rear for towing.
They are designed ONLY for tying
down the vehicle when it's being
transported. Using them for towing will
damage the bumper.
qTiedown Hooks-Front
qTiedown Hooks-Rear
Recreational Towing
An example of “recreational towing ”is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transmission is not designed for
towing this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
“ Towing Description ”(page 7-16) and
“ Tiedown Hooks ”(page 7-17) and
carefully follow the instructions.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
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