•Check lap/shoulder belts and seat latches for wear and function.
•Check air pressure in spare tire.
•Check windshield washer spray and wiper operation. Clean wiper
blades with clean cloth dampened with washer fluid.
•Check safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, air bag, seat belt) for
operation.
•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 toWheel Lug Nut Torque Specificationin theTires, Wheels
and Loadingchapter for the proper lug nut torque specification.
SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS
To help you service your vehicle, we providescheduled maintenance
informationwhich 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 burning (cigarettes) material away
from the battery and all fuel related parts.
Working with the engine off
•Automatic transmission/transaxle:
1. Set the parking brake and shift to P (Park).
2008 B-Series(mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
220
•Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
•Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
•Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
•Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
•Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
•Use recommended engine oil. Refer to theMaintenance product
specifications and capacitiessection of this chapter.
•Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found inscheduled maintenance.
Conditions
•Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
•Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
1 mpg [0.4 km/L] is lost for every 400 lb [180 kg] of weight carried).
•Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
•Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
•Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
8–10 miles (12–16 km) of driving.
•Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
•Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
•Four-wheel-drive operation (if equipped) is less fuel efficient than
two-wheel-drive operation.
•Close windows for high speed driving.
EPA window sticker
Every new vehicle should have the EPA window sticker. Contact your
authorized dealer if the window sticker is not supplied with your vehicle.
2008 B-Series(mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
247
IDENTIFYING YOUR VEHICLE
Safety Compliance Certification Label
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Regulations require
that a Safety Compliance
Certification Label be affixed to a
vehicle and prescribe where the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label may be located. The Safety
Compliance Certification Label is
located on the structure (B-Pillar)
by the trailing edge of the driver’s
door or the edge of the driver’s
door.
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
The vehicle identification number is
located on the driver side
instrument panel.
Please note that in the graphic,
XXXX is representative of your
vehicle identification number.
MFD. BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN U.S.A.
EXT PNT:XXRC:XXDSO:
WB BRK INT TR TP/PS R AXLE TR SPR XXXXX
XXX X XX X XX X XX XXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XX
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR
VEHICLE SAFETY AND THEFT PREVENTION STANDARDS IN
EFFECT ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
VIN:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX
TYPE:XXX XXXXX DATE:XX/XX GVWR:XXXXXLB/ XXXXXKG
FRONT GAWR: XXXXL REAR GAWR: XXXXLB
AT XXX kPa/XX PSI COLD AT XXX kPa/XX PSI COLD XXXXKG WITH
XXXX/XXXXXXXTIRES
XXXX.XXRIMSXXXXKG WITH
XXXX/XXXXXXXTIRES
XXXX.XXRIMS
FOR MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2008 B-Series(mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
265
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) contains the following
information:
1. World manufacturer identifier
2. Brake system / Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) /
Restraint System
3. Vehicle line, series, body type
4. Engine type
5. Check digit
6. Model year
7. Assembly plant
8. Production sequence number
TRANSMISSION/TRANSAXLE CODE DESIGNATIONS
You can find a
transmission/transaxle code on the
Safety Compliance Certification
Label . The following table tells you
which transmission or transaxle
each code represents.
Description Code
Five-speed automatic (5R44E/5R55E) D
Five-speed manual (HD) J
Five-speed manual (R1) R
MFD. BY FORD MOTOR CO. IN U.S.A.
EXT PNT:XXRC:XXDSO:
WB BRK INT TR TP/PS R AXLE TR SPR XXXXX
XXX X XX X XX X XX XXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XX
THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR
VEHICLE SAFETY AND THEFT PREVENTION STANDARDS IN
EFFECT ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE.
VIN:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX
TYPE:XXX XXXXX DATE:XX/XX GVWR:XXXXXLB/ XXXXXKG
FRONT GAWR: XXXXL REAR GAWR: XXXXLB
AT XXX kPa/XX PSI COLD AT XXX kPa/XX PSI COLD XXXXKG WITH
XXXX/XXXXXXXTIRES
XXXX.XXRIMSXXXXKG WITH
XXXX/XXXXXXXTIRES
XXXX.XXRIMS
FOR MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
2008 B-Series(mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
266
Spark plugs, specifications .......263
Special notice
ambulance conversions ..............7
utility-type vehicles ....................7
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................259
Speed control ..............................57
Starting your vehicle .......146–147,
149
jump starting ..........................189
Steering wheel
tilting .........................................54
T
Tether anchors ..........................102
Tilt steering wheel ......................54
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Roadside Emergencies ...........179
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....124
Tires ...........................108–109, 179
alignment ................................117
care ..........................................113
changing ..........................179, 184
checking the pressure ............113
inflating ...................................110
label .........................................123
replacing ..................................114
rotating ....................................117
safety practices .......................116
sidewall information ...............119
snow tires and chains ............129
spare tire .................................180
terminology .............................109
tire grades ...............................109
treadwear ........................108, 113
Towing .......................................135recreational towing .................144
trailer towing ..........................135
wrecker ....................................194
Traction-lok rear axle ...............155
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................256
Transmission
automatic operation ...............156
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....156
fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .................................255
lubricant specifications ..........259
manual operation ....................159
Turn signal ..................................45
V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................265
Vehicle loading ..........................129
camper bodies ........................145
Ventilating your vehicle ...........149
W
Warning chimes ...........................17
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................225
Water, Driving through .............167
Windows
power .........................................55
Windshield washer fluid and
wipers ..........................................53
checking and adding fluid .....225
checking and cleaning ............225
replacing wiper blades ...........226
Wrecker towing .........................194
2008 B-Series(mbs)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA(fus)
Index
272