at a Mazda dealer. Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles and those with an
independent rear suspension require alignment of all four wheels.
The tire should also be balanced periodically. An unbalanced tire and
wheel assembly may result in irregular tire wear.
NOTE:When it is time to replace front tires with new ones, this is an
ideal time to perform an alignment. New tires should be balanced at the
time they are installed.
Tire rotation
Rotating your tires at the recommended interval (as indicated in the
Scheduled maintenance section of theMaintenance and
Specifications chapter) will help your tires wear more evenly, providing
better tire performance and longer tire life.
• Front Wheel Drive (FWD)
vehicles (front tires at top of
diagram)
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Servicing after towing
If you tow a trailer for long distances, your vehicle will require more
frequent service intervals. Refer to yourscheduled maintenance
information for more information.
Trailer towing tips
• Practice turning, stopping and backing up before starting on a trip to
get the feel of the vehicle trailer combination. When turning, make
wider turns so the trailer wheels will clear curbs and other obstacles.
• Allow more distance for stopping with a trailer attached.
• The trailer tongue weight should be 10–15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
• If you will be towing a trailer frequently in hot weather, hilly
conditions, at GCW, or any combination of these factors, consider
refilling your rear axle with synthetic gear lube if not already so
equipped. Refer to the Maintenance and specifications chapter for
the lubricant specification. Remember that regardless of the rear axle
lube used, do not tow a trailer for the first 500 miles (800 km) of a
new vehicle, and that the first 500 miles (800 km) of towing be done
at no faster than 70 mph (112 km/h) with no full throttle starts.
• After you have traveled 50 miles (80 km), thoroughly check your
hitch, electrical connections and trailer wheel lug nuts.
• To aid in engine/transmission cooling and A/C efficiency during hot
weather while stopped in traffic, place the gearshift lever in P (Park)
(automatic transmission) or N (Neutral) (manual transmissions).
• Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a grade. If you must
park on a grade, place wheel chocks under the trailer’s wheels.
Launching or retrieving a boat
Disconnect the wiring to the trailer before backing the trailer
into the water. Reconnect the wiring to the trailer after the
trailer is removed from the water.
When backing down a ramp during boat launching or retrieval:
• do not allow the static water level to rise above the bottom edge of
the rear bumper.
• do not allow waves to break higher than 6 inches (15 cm) above the
bottom edge of the rear bumper.
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INTRODUCTION
Be extremely careful to prevent injury to yourself and others or damage
to your vehicle when using this manual for inspection and maintenance.
If you’re unsure about any procedure it describes, we strongly urge you
to have a reliable and qualified service shop perform the work, preferably
an authorized Mazda Dealer.
Factory-trained Mazda technicians and genuine Mazda parts are best for
your vehicle. Without this expertise and the parts that have been
designed and made especially for your Mazda, inadequate, incomplete,
and insufficient servicing may result in problems. This could lead to
vehicle damage or an accident and injuries.
For expert advice and quality service, consult an authorized Mazda
Dealer.
The owner should retain evidence that proper maintenance has been
performed as prescribed.
Claims against the warranty resulting from lack of maintenance, as
opposed to defective materials or authorized Mazda workmanship, will
not be honored.
Any auto repair shop using parts equivalent to your Mazda’s original
equipment may perform maintenance.But we recommend that it
always be done by an authorized Mazda Dealer using genuine
Mazda parts.
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
Schedule 1 — Normal Driving Conditions/Emission Control
Systems
Follow Schedule 1 if the vehicle is operated mainly where none of the
following conditions apply. If any do apply, follow Schedule 2.
• Repeated short-distance driving.
• Driving in dusty conditions.
• Towing a trailer.
• Operating in hot weather in stop-and-go “rush hour” traffic.
• Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation.
• High-speed operation with a fully loaded vehicle.
• Off-road operation.
NOTE: After the described period, continue to follow the described
maintenance at the recommended intervals.
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Schedule 1 continued
Maintenance ItemMaintenance Interval (Number of months or Miles (km),
whichever comes first)
Months 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96
x 1000 miles 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 (x 1000 km) (104)(112)(121)(128)(136)(144)(152)(160)(168)(176)(184) (192)
ENGINE
Engine oil R RRRRRRRRRR R
Oil filter R RRRRRRRRRR R
PCV valve *3
AIR CLEANER
Air cleaner filter R R
IGNITION SYSTEM
Spark plugs *4 R
COOLING SYSTEM
Engine Coolant (yellow) Replace at first 100,000 miles (160,000 km) or 72 months; after that, every 50,000 miles(80,000 km) or 36 months
Coolant condition and protection,
hoses and clamps — annually —prior
to cold weather every 12 months III I
CHASSIS AND BODY
Wheel lug nut torque *1 IIIIIIIIIII I
Inspect tires for wear and rotate
(X = recommended interval for
optimal tire life) XX I X X I X X I X X I
Clutch reservoir fluid level I IIIII
Front wheel bearings (4x2) L
Disc brake system III I
Caliper slide rails LLL L
Drum brake system, lines and hoses I II I
Exhaust system for leaks, damage,
looseness II
Manual transmission fluid R
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SCHEDULE 2 — SPECIAL OPERATING CONDITIONS
If your driving habitsFREQUENTLYinclude one or more of the
following conditions:
• Short trips of less than 10 miles (16 km) when outside temperatures
remain below freezing.
• Towing a trailer, or carrying maximum loads.
• Operating in severe dust conditions.
• Operating during hot weatherin stop-and-go “rush hour” traffic.
• Extensive idling, such as police, taxi or door-to-door delivery service.
• High speed operation with a fully loaded vehicle (max. GVW).
• Off-road operation
Change ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER every 3 months or 3,000 miles
(4,800 km) whichever occurs first.
NOTE: Idling the engine for extended periods will accumulate more
hours of use on your vehicle than is actually indicated by the mileage
odometer. Consequently, the odometer reading can be often misleading
when determining the right time to change your engine oil and filter. If
you are using your vehicle in a manner which allows it to remain
stationary while the engine is running for long periods (door-to-door
delivery, taxi, police, power/utility company trucks, or similar duty), then
Mazda recommends you increase the frequency of oil and filter changes
to an interval equivalent to 200 ENGINE HOURS or use. Since most
vehicles are not equipped with hour-meters, it may be necessary for you
to approximate your idle time and plan oil/filter changes accordingly.
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Special Operating
Conditions
Replace Engine Oil and Filter
Inspect Brake System
Replace Fuel Filter
Change Automatic Transmission Fluid
Replace Spark Plugs
Replace Engine Air Filter
Change Manual Transmission Fluid
Inspect and Lubricate U-Joints
Lubricate Front Wheel Bearing (4x2)
Change Transfer Case Fluid (4x4)
Suggested Maintenance
Interval3,000
miles or
3 months 5,000
miles 15,000
miles 30,000
miles 60,000
miles As
required As
required As
required 30,000
miles 60,000
miles
Towing a trailer or
using a camper or
car top carrier XXX
X
Extensive idling or
low-speed driving
for long distances
as in heavy
commercial use
such as delivery,
taxi or patrol car XXXXX
XX
Operating in dusty
conditions such as
unpaved or dusty
roads XXX X
Off road operation XXX
For specific recommendations see your authorized Mazda dealer or
qualified service professional.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
Owner Maintenance Schedule
The owner or a qualified service technician should make these vehicle
inspections at the indicated intervals to ensure safe and dependable
operation.
Bring any problem to the attention of an Authorized Mazda Dealer or
qualified service technician as soon as possible.
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•Check cooling system fluid level and verify coolant specific gravity is
correct for summer or winter conditions.
• Check battery water level (non-maintenance free).
• Check battery connections and clean if necessary.
Retightening lug nuts
• Retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque at 500 miles (800 km)
after any wheel disturbance (tire rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel
removal, etc.).
• Refer to Wheel Lug Nut Torque Specification in theTires, Wheels
and Loading chapter for the proper lug nut torque specification.
SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS
To help you service your vehicle we provide scheduled maintenance
information which makes tracking routine service easy.
If your vehicle requires professional service, your authorized dealer can
provide necessary parts and service. Check your “Warranty Information”
to find out which parts and services are covered.
Use only recommended fuels, lubricants, fluids and service parts
conforming to specifications. Genuine Mazda parts are designed and built
to provide the best performance in your vehicle.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN SERVICING YOUR VEHICLE
• Do not work on a hot engine.
• Make sure that nothing gets caught in moving parts.
• Do not work on a vehicle with the engine running in an enclosed
space, unless you are sure you have enough ventilation.
• Keep all open flames and other lit material away from the battery and
all fuel related parts.
Working with the engine off
• Automatic transmission:
1. Set the parking brake and shift to P (Park).
2. Turn off the engine and remove the key.
3. Block the wheels.
• Manual transmission:
1. Set the parking brake, depress the clutch and place the gearshift in 1 (First).
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Check the wiper blades for wear at least twice a year or when they seem
less effective. Substances such as tree sap and some hot wax treatments
used by commercial car washes reduce the effectiveness of wiper blades.
Changing the wiper blades1. Pull the wiper arm away from the vehicle. Turn the blade at an
angle from the wiper arm. Push
the lock pin manually to release
the blade and pull the wiper
blade down toward the
windshield to remove it from
the arm.
2. Attach the new wiper to the wiper arm and press it into
place until a click is heard.
Replace wiper blades at least once per year for optimum performance.
Poor wiper quality can be improved by cleaning the wiper blades and the
windshield, refer to Windows and wiper blades in theCleaning
chapter.
To prolong the life of the wiper blades, it is highly recommended to
scrape off the ice on the windshield before turning on the wipers. The
layer of ice has many sharp edges and can damage the micro edge of the
wiper rubber element.
ENGINE OIL
Checking the engine oil
Refer to scheduled maintenance for the appropriate intervals for
checking the engine oil.
1. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground.
2. Turn the engine off and wait a few minutes for the oil to drain into the oil pan.
3. Set the parking brake and ensure the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park) (automatic transmission) or 1 (First) (manual
transmission).
4. Open the hood. Protect yourself from engine heat.
5. Locate and carefully remove the engine oil level indicator (dipstick).
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