2005 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 fuel

Black plate (89,1)
Engine Exhaust (Carbon Monoxide)
WARNING
Carbon Monoxide:
Engine exhaust gas is dangerous. This gas contains carbon monoxide (CO), which is
colorless, odorless, and poisonous. When inhaled, it can cause loss of consciousness
and death. If you smell exhaust gas inside your vehicle, keep all windows fully open
and contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately.
Exhaust Gas in Enclosed Area:
Running the engine inside an enclosed area, such as a garage, is dangerous. Exhaust
gas, which contains poisonous carbon monoxide, could easily enter the cabin. Loss of
consciousness or even death could occur. Don't run the engine when inside an
enclosed area.
Idling with the Windows Closed:
Exhaust gas is dangerous. When your vehicle is stopped with the windows closed and
the engine running for a long time even in an open area, exhaust gas, which contains
poisonous carbon monoxide, could enter the cabin. Loss of consciousness or even
death could occur. Open the windows or adjust the heating or cooling system to draw
fresh air.
Snow Blocking the Exhaust Gas:
Running the engine when a vehicle is stopped in deep snow is dangerous. The exhaust
pipe could be blocked by the snow, allowing exhaust gas to enter the cabin. Because
exhaust gas contains poisonous carbon monoxide, anyone in the cabin could be
injured or killed. Clear the snow from underneath and around your vehicle,
particularly the tail pipe, before starting the engine.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
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RX-8_8T69-EA-04G_Edition1 Page89
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (91,1)
Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a few
precautions in the first 1,000 km (600
miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of your Mazda.
lDon't race the engine.
lDon't maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
lDon't drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm (over 7,000 rpm) for
extended periods of time.
lAvoid unnecessary hard stops.
lAvoid full-throttle starts.
Money-Saving Suggestions
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save money on
fuel and repairs.
lAvoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
lAvoid fast starts.
lKeep the engine tuned. Follow the
maintenance schedule (page 8-3) and
have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform inspections and servicing.
lUse the air conditioner only when
necessary.
lSlow down on rough roads.
lKeep the tires properly inflated.
lDon't carry unnecessary weight.
lDon't rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
lKeep the wheels in correct alignment.
lKeep windows closed at high speeds.
lSlow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
WARNING
Coasting:
Stopping the engine when going down
a hill is dangerous. This causes the
loss of power steering and power
brake control, and may cause damage
to the drivetrain. Any loss of steering
or braking control could cause an
accident. Never stop the engine when
going down a hill.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (100,1)
CAUTION
Don't try the starter for more than 10
seconds at a time. If the engine stalls or
fails to start, wait 10 seconds before
trying again. Otherwise, you may
damage the starter and drain the battery.
6. After starting the engine, let it idle for
about 10 seconds.
NOTE
lIn extremely cold weather, below
–18°C (0°F), or after the vehicle has
not been driven in several days, let
the engine warm up without
operating the accelerator.
lWhether the engine is cold or warm,
it should be started without use of
the accelerator.
lTo protect the engine, when the
engine coolant temperature is low,
the engine does not run at high
speeds. The fuel supply will be cut at
an rpm lower than the red zone.
Brake System
qFoot Brake
Your Mazda has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual.
WARNING
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.
5-4
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
RX-8_8T69-EA-04G_Edition1 Page100
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (109,1)
Manually shifting up
(M1→M2→M3→M4)
NOTE
lWhen driving slowly, the gears may
not shift up depending on vehicle
speed.
lIn manual shift mode, gears do not
shift up automatically. Don't run the
engine with the tachometer needle in
the RED ZONE. If the tachometer
needle enters the RED ZONE, you
may feel engine-braking because the
fuel delivery will be stopped to
protect the engine. However, this
does not indicate an abnormality.
lGears may not be shifted from M1 to
M2 right after shifting the lever from
D to M. Wait a few seconds and then
shift up to M2.
lWhen depressing the accelerator
fully, the transmission will shift to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
To shift up to a higher gear with the shift
lever, tap the shift lever back (+) once.
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, tap either of the
UP switches toward you once with your
fingers.
UP switches
WARNING
Hand Position When Using Steering
Shift Switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of
the steering wheel when using the
steering shift switches is dangerous. If
the driver air bag were to deploy in a
collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury. Keep your
hands on the steering wheel rim when
using fingers or thumbs on the
steering shift switches.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (122,1)
CAUTION
lWhen the tire pressure monitoring
system warning light is lit, one or
more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper
pressure as indicated on the vehicle's
tire information placard. Driving on
a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping
ability. Each tire, including the spare,
should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended
inflation pressure as specified in the
vehicle placard and owner's manual.
lTo avoid false readings, the system
samples for a little while before
indicating a problem. As a result it
will not instantaneously register a
rapid tire deflation or blow out.
NOTE
This device complies with part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
qTire Pressure Monitoring System
Warning Light
This warning light illuminates for a few
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the ON position.
Thereafter, the warning light illuminates
when tire pressure is too low or too high
in one or more tires, and flashes when
there is a system malfunction.
WARNING
Vehicle Handling When Tire Pressure
Monitoring System Warning Light
Illuminates/Flashes:
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning light illuminates or
flashes, or the tire pressure warning
beep sound is heard, it is dangerous to
drive the vehicle at high speeds, or
perform sudden maneuvering or
braking. Vehicle drivability could
worsen and result in an accident.
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning light illuminates or
flashes, or the tire pressure warning
beep sound is heard, decrease vehicle
speed immediately and avoid sudden
maneuvering and braking. Have the
system and tires checked or perform
the appropriate repair as soon as
possible.
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Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (126,1)
Meters and Gauges
When the ignition switch is in the ON position, the dashboard gauges illuminate.
Speedometer ...................................................................................................... page 5-31
Speed Unit Selector ........................................................................................... page 5-31
Odometer, Trip Meter and Trip Meter Selector .................................................. page 5-31
Tachometer ........................................................................................................ page 5-32
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge .................................................................. page 5-33
Fuel Gauge ........................................................................................................ page 5-34
Engine Oil Pressure Gauge ................................................................................ page 5-34
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Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (128,1)
NOTE
When the ignition switch is in the ACC
or LOCK position, the odometer or trip
meters cannot be displayed, however,
pressing the selector button can
inadvertently switch the trip meters or
reset them during an approximate ten-
minute period in the following cases:
lAfter the ignition switch is turned to
the ACC or LOCK position from the
ON position.
lAfter any door is opened.
Odometer
The odometer records the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
Trip meter
The trip meter can record the total
distance of two trips. One is recorded in
trip meter A, and the other is recorded in
trip meter B.
For instance, trip meter A can record the
distance from the point of origin, and trip
meter B can record the distance from
where the fuel tank is filled.
When trip meter A is selected, pressing
the selector again within one second will
change to trip meter B mode.
When trip meter A is selected, TRIP A
will be displayed. When trip meter B is
selected, TRIP B will be displayed.The trip meter records the total distance
the vehicle is driven until the meter is
again reset. Return it to“0.0”by holding
the selector depressed for more than 1
second. Use this meter to measure trip
distances and to compute fuel
consumption.
NOTE
lOnly the trip meters record tenths of
kilometers (miles).
lThe trip record will be erased when:
lThe power supply is interrupted
(blown fuse or the battery is
disconnected).
lThe vehicle is driven over 999.9
km (mile).
qTachometer
The tachometer shows engine speed in
thousands of revolutions per minute
(rpm).
Automatic transmission
Red zone Striped zone
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Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
RX-8_8T69-EA-04G_Edition1 Page128
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G

Black plate (129,1)
Manual transmission
Red zone Striped zone
CAUTION
Don't run the engine with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine damage.
NOTE
lThe beep sounds to indicate engine
overrev when the tachometer needle
enters the striped zone.
lTo protect the engine, when the
engine coolant temperature is low,
the engine does not run at high
speeds. The fuel supply will be cut at
an rpm lower than the red zone.
qEngine 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.
CAUTION
Driving with an overheated engine can
cause serious engine damage (page
7-18).
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
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Form No.8T69-EA-04G