2005 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 tires

Black plate (264,1)
Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
lIncorrect tire pressure
lImproper wheel alignment
lOut-of-balance wheel
lSevere braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-6) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
CAUTION
Rotate unidirectional tires and radial
tires that have an asymmetrical tread
pattern or studs only from front to rear,
not from side to side. Tire performance
will be weakened if rotated from side to
side.
CAUTION
Limited-Slip Differential system;
don't use the following:
lTires not of the designated size
lTires of different sizes or types at the
same time
lTires not sufficiently inflated
If these instructions aren't followed, the
rotation of the left and right wheels will
be different and will thus apply a
constant load on the limited-slip
differential.
This will cause a malfunction.
qReplacing a Tire
WARNING
Worn Tires:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
Always use tires that are in good
condition.
CAUTION
(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.
8-30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (265,1)
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)
lWhen tires with steel wire
reinforcement in the sidewalls are
used, the system may not function
correctly even with a genuine wheel.
Refer to System Error Activation on
page 5-27.
lBe sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced. Refer to Tires and Wheels
on page 5-28.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New treadTread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace it before the band is
across the entire tread.
qTemporary 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
2or bar, 60 psi).
CAUTION
lDon'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.
lThe temporary spare tire has a tread
life of up to 5,000 km (3,000 miles),
depending on road conditions and
driving habits.
lThe 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 8-30).
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-31
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qReplacing a Wheel
WARNING
Using a Wrong-Sized Wheel:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident. Always use
wheels of the correct size on your
vehicle.
CAUTION
lA wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect:
lTire fitlWheel and bearing lifelGround clearancelSnow-chain clearancelSpeedometer calibrationlHeadlight aimlBumper heightlTire Pressure Monitoring SystemlLimited-Slip Differential System
l(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)
lWhen 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.
lThe wheels equipped on your
Mazda are specially designed for
installation the tire pressure
sensors. Do not use non-genuine
wheels, otherwise it may not be
possible to install the tire pressure
sensors.
NOTE
Be sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced. Refer to Tires and Wheels on
page 5-28.
When replacing a wheel, make sure the
new one is the same as the original factory
wheel in diameter, rim width, and offset.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.
8-32
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (280,1)
qWater Marks
Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can
contain harmful minerals such as salt and
lime. If moisture containing these
minerals settles on the vehicle and
evaporates, the minerals will concentrate
and harden to form white rings. The rings
can damage your vehicle's finish.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according to
the instructions in this section. These
steps should be taken immediately after
you find water marks on your vehicle's
finish.
qPaint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown
in the air by another vehicle's tires hits
your vehicle.
How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead reduces the chances of
having your paint chipped by flying
gravel.
NOTE
lThe paint chipping zone varies with
the speed of the vehicle. For
example, when traveling at 90 km/h
(56 mph), the paint chipping zone is
50 m (164 ft).
lIn low temperatures a vehicle's finish
hardens. This increases the chance of
paint chipping.
lChipped paint can lead to rust
forming on your Mazda. Before this
happens, repair the damage by using
Mazda touch-up paint according to
the instructions in this section.
Failure to repair the affected area
could lead to serious rusting and
expensive repairs.
8-46
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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Black plate (302,1)
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
This information relates to the tire grading system developed by the U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration for grading tires by tread wear, traction, and
temperature performance.
qTread Wear
The tread wear 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-a-half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm because of variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
qTraction-AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These 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.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction
tests and does not include acceleration cornering (turning), hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
qTemperature-A, B, C
The temperature grades A (the highest), B, and C, represent the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
9-16
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
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Black plate (303,1)
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
These grades will be added to the sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires over the next several
years according to a schedule established by the NHTSA and the tire manufacturers.
The grade of tires available as standard or optional equipment on Mazda vehicles may vary
with respect to grade.
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST CONFORM TO THESE GRADES AND
TO ALL OTHER FEDERAL TIRE-SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
qUniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TREADWEAR 200 TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
UTQGS MARK (example)
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
9-17
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Black plate (312,1)
qLight Bulbs
Exterior light
Light bulbCategory
Wattage ECE R SAE
HeadlightsHigh beam 65 H9―
Low beamHalogen 55 H7―
Xenon fusion 35 D2S―
Front turn signal lights 21 WY21W―
Parking lights 5 W5W―
Fog lights
í55 H11―
Front side-marker lights 3.8―#194
High-mount brake light 21 W21W #7440
Rear turn signal lights 21 WY21W―
Brake lights/Taillights 21/5 W21/5W #7443
Reverse lights 21 W21W #7440
License plate light 5 W5W―
Rear side-marker lights 0.57――
The rear side-marker light bulbs cannot be replaced because they are an LED-type bulb. The rear combination
component must be replaced.
Interior light
Light bulbCategory
Wattage ECE R
Trunk light 5 W5W
Overhead light/Map lights (Front) 5 W5W
Overhead light (Rear) 10―
Courtesy lights 5 W5W
Vanity mirror lights 1.8―
qTires
NOTE
The tires have been optimally matched with the chassis of your vehicle.
When replacing tires, Mazda recommends that you replace tires of the same type
originally fitted to your vehicle. For details, contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
10-6íSome models.
Specifications
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Black plate (320,1)
S
Steering Wheel .................................. 3-29
Horn ........................................... 5-55
Storage Box ...................................... 6-48
Storage Compartments ...................... 6-47
Center console ............................ 6-48
Coin box ..................................... 6-47
Glove box ................................... 6-47
Overhead console ....................... 6-47
Storage box ................................ 6-48
Sunshade ........................................... 3-23
Sunvisors .......................................... 6-39
T
Tachometer ........................................ 5-32
Temporary Spare Tire ....................... 8-31
Theft-Deterrent System ..................... 3-27
Tiedown
Hook .......................................... 7-26
Tire Pressure Monitoring System ...... 5-25
System error activation .............. 5-27
Tire pressure monitoring system
warning light .............................. 5-26
Tires and wheels ......................... 5-28
Tires
Flat tire ......................................... 7-3
Inflation pressure ........................ 8-28
Replacement ............................... 8-30
Rotation ...................................... 8-29
Snow tires .................................... 4-9
Spare tire and tool storage ............ 7-3
Specifications ............................. 10-6
Tire chains .................................. 4-10
Uniform tire quality grading system
(UTQGS) ................................... 9-16
Tool ..................................................... 7-3
T
Towing
Description ................................. 7-25
Emergency towing ..................... 7-25
Recreational towing ................... 7-27
Trailer towing ............................. 4-12
Traction Control System (TCS) ........ 5-21
TCS/DSC indicator light ............ 5-22
Trailer Towing .................................. 4-12
Trip Meter ......................................... 5-31
Trunk Lid .......................................... 3-12
Trunk Light ....................................... 3-14
Trunk Release Slide Lever ................ 3-15
Turn and Lane-Change Signals ......... 5-51
V
Vanity Mirrors ................................... 6-39
Vehicle Information Labels ............... 10-2
W
Warning Lights ................................. 5-36
ABS ............................................ 5-41
Air bag system ........................... 5-41
Automatic transmission .............. 5-42
Brake system .............................. 5-38
Charging system ......................... 5-39
Check engine .............................. 5-40
Door-ajar .................................... 5-42
Engine coolant level ................... 5-40
Engine oil level .......................... 5-39
Front seat belt pretensioner
system ........................................ 5-41
Low fuel ..................................... 5-42
Low washer fluid level ............... 5-42
Seat belt ...................................... 5-42
Tire pressure monitoring
system ........................................ 5-43
11-6
Index
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