2008 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA POWER RETRACTABLE HARDTOP engine overheat

Black plate (144,1)
Rocking the Vehicle
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at more than 56
km/h (35 mph), and do not allow
anyone to stand behind a wheel when
pushing the vehicle:When the vehicle is stuck, spinning
the wheels at high speed is
dangerous. The spinning tire could
overheat and explode. This could
cause serious injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transmission failure,
and tire damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand or mud, depress the
accelerator slightly and slowly move the
shift lever from 1 (D) to R.
Winter Driving
lCarry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
perform the following precautions:
lHave the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 8-23.
lInspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
lInspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
lUse washer fluid made with
antifreeze ―but don't use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-26).
lDon't use the parking brake in freezing
weather as the parking brake may
freeze. Instead, shift to P with an
automatic transmission and to 1 or R
with a manual transmission. Block the
rear wheels.
q Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Don't go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Inflate
snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2, 4.3 psi)
more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver's door frame), but
never more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.
Your vehicle is originally equipped with
summer tires designed for optimum
traction on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, Mazda recommends that
you replace the tires originally equipped
on your vehicle with snow tires during the
winter months.
4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
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Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (153,1)
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 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.
Brake System
q Foot 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
Do not coast with the engine stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine 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.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep hills: 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.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-5
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Black plate (166,1)
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend these shift
points.Gear Vehicle speed
M1 to M2 24 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 53 km/h (33 mph)
M4 to M5 59 km/h (37 mph)
M5 to M6 78 km/h (49 mph)
For cruising Gear Vehicle speed
M1 to M2 22 km/h (14 mph)
M2 to M3 27 km/h (17 mph)
M3 to M4 41 km/h (26 mph)
M4 to M5 56 km/h (35 mph)
M5 to M6 64 km/h (40 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
gives better acceleration when you need
more speed.
On a steep downgrade , downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
q Driving Tips
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transmission will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal. 2. Shift to D or M1, depending on the
load weight and grade steepness.
3. Release the brake pedal while gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to
lower gears, depending on load weight
and grade steepness. Descend slowly,
using the brakes only occasionally to
prevent them from overheating.
5-18
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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Black plate (184,1)
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).
q Tachometer
The tachometer shows engine speed in
thousands of revolutions per minute
(rpm).
Red zone
CAUTION
Don't run the engine with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine
damage.
qEngine Coolant Temperature Gauge
The engine coolant temperature gauge
shows the temperature of the engine
coolant.
If the needle is near H, it indicates
overheating.
5-36
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
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Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (185,1)
CAUTION
Driving with an overheated engine
can cause serious engine damage
(page 7-18).
qFuel Gauge
The fuel gauge shows approximately how
much fuel is remaining in the tank when
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
The fuel gauge shows approximately how
much fuel is in the tank. We recommend
keeping the tank over 1/4 full. When the
low fuel warning light illuminates or
when the needle is near E, refuel as soon
as possible.
Low fuel
warning light
NOTElAfter refueling, it may require some time for
the needle to stabilize. In addition, the
needle may deviate while driving on a slope
or curve since the fuel moves in the tank.
lThe direction of the arrow () shows that
the fuel-filler lid is on the left side of the
vehicle.
q Engine Oil Pressure Gauge
Normal range
Engine oil pressure is normal when the
engine oil pressure gauge needle points
within the normal range.
If the needle on the gauge doesn't move
after starting the engine, follow steps 1
through 3.
If the engine oil pressure gauge moves to
L (low) while you are driving, drive to the
side of the road and park off the right-of-
way. Set the parking brake. Then follow
steps 1 through 3.
1. Turn off the engine and inspect the
engine oil level (page 8-22). If it's low,
add oil.
2. Start the engine.
3. If the needle still doesn't move, have your vehicle checked at an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
Don't run the engine if the oil
pressure is low. It could result in
extensive engine damage.
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
5-37
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Black plate (215,1)
WARNING
Do not use the recirculated air mode in
cold or rainy weather:Using the recirculated air mode in
cold or rainy weather is dangerous as
it will cause the windows to fog up.
Your vision will be hampered, which
could lead to a serious accident.
qHeating
1. Set the mode selector dial to theor
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the hot position.
3. Set the fan control dial to the desired speed.
NOTE
lIf the windshield fogs up easily, set the
mode selector dial to the
position.lIf cooler air is desired at face level, set the
mode selector dial at the
position and
adjust the temperature control dial to
maintain maximum comfort.
lThe air to the floor is warmer than air to
the face (except when the temperature
control dial is set at the extreme hot or cold
position).
lIn the,,orposition, the air
conditioner is automatically turned on
(however, the indicator light does not
illuminate) and the outside air mode is
automatically selected to defrost the
windshield.
In the
orposition, the outside air
mode cannot be changed to the recirculated
air mode.
q Cooling (With Air Conditioner)í
1. Set the mode selector dial to theor
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the cold position.
3. Set the fan control dial to the desired speed.
4. Turn on the air conditioner by pressing the A/C switch.
5. Adjust the fan control dial and temperature control dial to maintain
maximum comfort.
CAUTION
When using the air conditioner while
driving up long hills or in heavy
traffic, closely monitor the
temperature gauge (page 5-36).
The air conditioner may cause engine
overheating. If the gauge indicates
overheating, turn the air conditioner
off (page 7-18).
NOTE
lWhen maximum cooling is desired, set the
temperature control dial to the extreme cold
position and set the air intake selector to
the recirculated air mode, then turn the fan
control dial fully clockwise.
lIf warmer air is desired at floor level, set
the mode selector dial at the
or
position and adjust the temperature control
dial to maintain maximum comfort.
lThe air to the floor is warmer than air to
the face (except when the temperature
control dial is set at the extreme hot or cold
position).
Interior Comfort
Climate Control System
6-7íSome models.
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Black plate (255,1)
7In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.
Parking in an Emergency ............................................................. 7-2Parking in an Emergency .......................................................... 7-2
Flat Tire ......................................................................................... 7-3 Flat Tire
í.................................................................................. 7-3
Tool Storage .............................................................................. 7-5
Instant Mobility System (IMS) Emergency Flat Tire Repair
Kit
í.......................................................................................... 7-7
Changing a Tire ....................................................................... 7-13
Overheating ................................................................................. 7-18 Overheating ............................................................................. 7-18
Emergency Starting .................................................................... 7-20 Starting a Flooded Engine ....................................................... 7-20
Jump-Starting .......................................................................... 7-21
Push-Starting ........................................................................... 7-24
Emergency Towing ..................................................................... 7-25 Towing Description ................................................................. 7-25
Tiedown Hooks ....................................................................... 7-26
Recreational Towing ............................................................... 7-27
7-1íSome models.
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Black plate (272,1)
Overheating
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating, the vehicle loses power, or
you hear a loud knocking or pinging
noise, the engine is probably too hot.
WARNING
Turn off the ignition switch and
make sure the fan is not running before
attempting to work near the cooling
fan: Working near the cooling fan when it
is running is dangerous. The fan
could continue running indefinitely
even if the engine has stopped and
the engine compartment temperature
is high. 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.
Open the hood ONLY after steam is no
longer escaping from the engine: Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you.
NOTE
Once the engine coolant exceeds a preset
temperature, an electrical cooling fan turns
on. It will continue running for about 10
minutes after the ignition switch is turned to
off.
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission in neutral.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Turn off the air conditioner.
5. Check whether coolant or steam is escaping from under the hood or from
the engine compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Don't go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine until
it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the
engine temperature will increase.
Stop the engine and call an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
6. Make sure the cooling fan is operating, then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
7. When cool, check the coolant level. If it's low, look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.
7-18
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
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Form No.8X49-EA-07F