2007 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 warning

Black plate (294,1)
Engine Oil
CAUTION
Do not use either synthetic or semi-
synthetic motor oil. Otherwise engine
starting performance could worsen.
NOTE
lChanging the engine oil should be
done by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
lThe Mazda RX-8 requires regular
checking of the engine oil level. The
compact, high performance
RENESIS rotary engine in your
vehicle consumes a small amount of
engine oil due to its structural
design. An oil pump optimizes the
amount of oil injected to lubricate
the rotor seals in the combustion
cycle. Although your vehicle is
equipped with an engine oil level
warning light and an engine oil
pressure gauge, it is best to keep the
engine oil level in the range between
full and low by checking the oil
dipstick regularly. Mazda
recommends checking the oil level at
every second fuel filling. The oil
consumption of the engine depends
on engine speed and engine load.
Under extreme driving conditions,
oil consumption can be higher.
qRecommended Oil
Use SAE 5W-20 engine oil.
Oil container labels provide important
information.
A chief contribution this type of oil makes
to fuel economy is reducing the amount of
fuel necessary to overcome engine
friction.
U.S.A. and CANADA
(ILSAC)
8-12
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
RX-8_8V89-EA-06F_Edition1 Page294
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F

Black plate (296,1)
5. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
reinsert it fully.
Full
Low OK
6. Pull it out again and examine the level.
It's OK between L and F.
But if it's near or below L, add enough
oil to bring the level to F.
CAUTION
Don't add engine oil over F. This may
cause engine damage.
The distance between L and F on the
dipstick represents the following:
Oil capacity
L (US qt, Imp qt) 1.7 (1.8, 1.5)
NOTE
lEach mark from the F mark equates
to about 0.5 L (US 0.5 qt, Imp 0.4
qt).
There are 3 marks between L and F.
lVerify that the engine cover is
securely installed.
Engine Coolant
qInspecting Coolant Level
WARNING
Do not use a match or live flame in the
engine compartment. DO NOT ADD
COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS
HOT:
A hot engine is dangerous. If the
engine has been running, parts of the
engine compartment can become very
hot. You could be burned. Carefully
inspect the engine coolant in the
coolant reservoir, but do not open it.
Turn the ignition switch off and
remove the key from the ignition
switch when inspecting the engine:
Working near the electrical cooling
fan when it is running is dangerous.
You could be hit by the fan and
seriously injured.
Do not remove the cooling
system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot:
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot
out under pressure and cause serious
injury.
8-14
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F

Black plate (299,1)
qAdding Brake/Clutch Fluid
WARNING
Be careful not to spill brake fluid on
yourself or on the engine:
Spilled brake fluid is dangerous. If it
gets in your eyes, they could be
seriously injured. If this happens,
immediately flush your eyes with water
and get medical attention. Brake fluid
spilled on a hot engine could cause a
fire.
If the brake/clutch fluid level is low,
have the brakes and clutch inspected:
Low brake/clutch fluid levels are
dangerous. Low levels could signal
brake lining wear or a brake system
leak. Your brakes could fail and cause
an accident.
If the fluid level is low, add fluid until it
reaches MAX.
Before adding fluid, thoroughly clean the
area around the cap.
CAUTION
lBrake and clutch fluid will damage
painted surfaces. If brake or clutch
fluid does get on a painted surface,
wash it off with water immediately.
lUsing nonspecified brake and clutch
fluids (page 10-4) will damage the
systems. Mixing different fluids will
also damage them.
If the brake/clutch system frequently
requires new fluid, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Washer Fluid
qInspecting Washer Fluid Level
WARNING
Use only windshield washer fluid or
plain water in the reservoir:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
affect your visibility, and could result
in an accident.
Using Washer Fluid Without Anti-
freeze Protection in Cold Weather:
Operating your vehicle in
temperatures below 4 degrees C (40
degrees F) using washer fluid without
anti-freeze protection is dangerous as
it could cause impaired windshield
vision and result in an accident. In
cold weather, always use washer fluid
with anti-freeze protection.
NOTE
State or local regulations may restrict
the use of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), which are commonly used as
anti-freeze agents in washer fluid. A
washer fluid with limited VOC content
should be used only if it provides
adequate freeze resistance for all
regions and climates in which the
vehicle will be operated.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-17
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F

Black plate (303,1)
Battery
WARNING
Wash hands after handling the battery and related accessories:
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Read the following precautions carefully before using the battery or inspecting
to ensure safe and correct handling:
Always wear eye protection when working near the battery:
Working without eye protection is dangerous. Battery fluid contains SULFURIC
ACID which could cause blindness if splashed into your eyes. Also, hydrogen gas
produced during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to
explode.
Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with battery fluid:
Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause serious injuries if it gets
in eyes, or on the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately flush your eyes with
water for 15 minutes or wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.
Always keep batteries out of the reach of children:
Allowing children to play near batteries is dangerous. Battery fluid could cause
serious injuries if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.
Keep flames and sparks away from open battery cells and do not allow metal
tools to contact the positive () or negative () terminal of the battery when working
near a battery. Do not allow the positive () terminal to contact the vehicle body:
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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-21
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F

Black plate (304,1)
WARNING
Keep all flames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
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.
8-22
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (306,1)
Tires
For reasons of proper performance, safety,
and better fuel economy, always maintain
recommended tire inflation pressures and
stay within the recommended load limits
and weight distribution.
WARNING
Using Different Tire Types:
Driving your vehicle with different
types of tires is dangerous. It could
cause poor handling and poor
braking; leading to loss of control.
Use all radial, all bias-belted, or all
bias-type tires.
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:
Using any other tire size than what is
specified for your Mazda (page 10-6)
is dangerous. It could seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clearance, tire
clearance, and speedometer
calibration. This could cause you to
have an accident. Use only tires that
are the correct size specified for your
Mazda.
qTire Inflation Pressure
WARNING
Always inflate the tires to the correct
pressure:
Overinflation or underinflation of tires
is dangerous. Adverse handling or
unexpected tire failure could result in
a serious accident.
Refer to specification charts on page
10-6.The Tire Pressure Monitoring System
í
does not alleviate the need to check the
tire condition every day, including
whether the tires all look inflated properly.
Inspect all tire pressure monthly
(including the spare
í) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, handling, and minimum
tire wear.
When checking the tire pressures, use of a
digital tire pressure gauge is
recommended.
Refer to the specification charts (page
10-6).
8-24
Maintenance and Care
íSome models.
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F

Black plate (308,1)
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
Always use tires that are in good
condition:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
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.
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 5-30.
lBe sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced.
Refer to Tires and Wheels on page
5-30.
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.
8-26
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F

Black plate (310,1)
qReplacing a Wheel
WARNING
Always use wheels of the correct size
on your vehicle:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident.
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 of 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 5-30.
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.
8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8V89-EA-06F