2008 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 engine

Black plate (286,1)
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
Ø Brake and clutch fluid will
damage painted surfaces. If brake
or clutch fluid does get on a
painted surface, wash it off with
water immediately.
Ø Using 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.
8-16
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (287,1)
Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir; add fluid if necessary.
Full
LowOK
Use plain water if washer fluid is
unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather
to prevent it from freezing.
Body Lubrication
All moving points of the body, such as
door and hood hinges and locks, should
be lubricated each time the engine oil is
changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on
locks during cold weather.
Make sure the hood's secondary latch
keeps the hood from opening when the
primary latch is released.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-17
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (292,1)
NOTElRemove the engine and battery covers
before performing battery maintenance.
Engine cover
Battery cover
lIf the cover has been removed, install it in
the reverse order of removal.
qBattery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:lKeep it securely mounted.lKeep the top clean and dry.lKeep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with petroleum jelly
or terminal grease.
lRinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda.
lIf the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables.
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.
8-22
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (298,1)
WARNING
Do not replace the xenon fusion bulbs
yourself:Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs
yourself is dangerous. Because the
xenon fusion bulbs require high
voltage, you could receive an electric
shock if the bulbs are handled
incorrectly. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer when the replacement
is necessary.
Never touch the glass portion of a
halogen bulb with your bare hands and
always wear eye protection when
handling or working around the bulbs: When a halogen bulb breaks, it is
dangerous. These bulbs contain
pressurized gas. If one is broken, it
will explode and serious injuries
could be caused by the flying glass.
If the glass portion is touched with
bare hands, body oil could cause the
bulb to overheat and explode when
lit.
Always keep halogen bulbs out of the
reach of children: Playing with a halogen bulb is
dangerous. Serious injuries could be
caused by dropping a halogen bulb
or breaking it some other way.
qReplacing a Headlight Bulb
1. Make sure the ignition switch is turned
off and the headlight switch is off.
2. Lift the hood and find the high and low beam bulbs in the rear of the headlight
unit.
The outboard bulb is the LOW beam,
and the inboard one is the HIGH beam.
Refer to Light Bulbs on page 8-27. 3. If you are changing the right headlight
bulb, start the engine, turn the steering
wheel all the way to the right, and turn
off engine. If you are changing the left
headlight bulb, turn the steering wheel
to the left.
4. Turn the center section of the plastic retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.
Removal
Installation
8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (300,1)
NOTElIf the halogen bulb is accidentally touched,
it should be cleaned with rubbing alcohol
before being used.
lUse the protective cover and carton of the
replacement bulb to dispose of the old bulb
promptly out of the reach of children.
qReplacing a Fog Light Bulbí
Due to the complexity and difficulty of
the procedure, the bulbs should be
replaced by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
qReplacing a Bulb (Front)
1. If you are changing the right bulb, start
the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the right, and turn off
engine. If you are changing the left
bulb, turn the steering wheel to the left.
2. Turn the center section of the plastic retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.
Removal
Installation
Front turn signal lights, Parking lights,
Front side-marker lights
1. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it.
2. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
Front turn signal
lights Parking lights
Front side-marker lights
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal.
8-30
Maintenance and Care
íSome models.
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (304,1)
Fuses
Your vehicle's electrical system is
protected by fuses.
If any lights, accessories, or controls don't
work, inspect the appropriate circuit
protector. If a fuse has blown, the inside
element will be melted.
If the same fuse blows again, avoid using
that system and consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
qFuse Replacement
Replacing the fuses on the driver's side
If the electrical system does not work,
first inspect the fuses on the driver's side.
1. Turn off the ignition switch and other
switches.
2. Open the fuse panel cover.
3. Pull the fuse straight out with the fuse puller provided on the inside of the
engine compartment fuse block cover.
4. Inspect the fuse and replace it if it'sblown.
Normal Blown
5. Insert a new fuse of the same amperage
rating, and make sure it fits tightly. If it
does not fit tightly, have an expert
install it. We recommend an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
If you have no spare fuses, borrow one
of the same rating from a circuit not
essential to vehicle operation, such as
the AUDIO or CIGAR circuit.
CAUTION
Always replace a fuse with one of the
same rating. Otherwise you may
damage the electric system.
8-34
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (305,1)
Replacing the fuses under the hood
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work and the fuses in
the cabin are normal, inspect the fuse
block under the hood. If a fuse is blown, it
must be replaced. Follow these steps:
1. Turn off the ignition switch and allother switches.
2. Remove the fuse block cover.
Next to air filter
Engine cover
Near battery
Batter
y cover
NOTE
Remove the engine and battery covers before
removing the fuse block cover near the battery.
3. If any fuse but the MAIN fuse isblown, replace it with a new one of the
same amperage rating .
Normal
Blown
WARNING
Do not replace the main fuse by
yourself. Have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer perform the replacement:
Replacing the fuse by yourself is
dangerous because the MAIN fuse is
a high current fuse. Incorrect
replacement could cause an electrical
shock or a short circuit resulting in a
fire.
NOTE
Verify that the engine cover is securely
installed.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-35
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Form No.8X44-EA-07G

Black plate (306,1)
qFuse Panel Description
Fuse block (Engine compartment)
(Next to air filter)
(Near battery)
DESCRIPTIONFUSE
RATING PROTECTED COMPONENT
1 MAIN 120A For protection of all circuits
2 HEATER 40A Heater
3 AIR PUMP 60A Air pump
4 BTN 30APower windows, Power door locks, Illuminated entry system,
Moonroof
í
5
DEFOG 50A Rear window defroster
6 FAN 40A Electric fan
7 ABS/DSC 60A ABS, DSC
í
8ACC 30A Lighter, Power control mirror, Accessory socket, Audio system
9 HEAD 15A Headlight high beamsí, Headlight cleanerí
10 HEAD LOW R 15A Headlight low beam (RH)
11 HEAD LOW L 15A Headlight low beam (LH)
12 DRL 15A DRL
í(Headlight high beams)
13 DSC 30A DSCí
14 SEAT WARM 20A Seat warmerí
15 H/CLEAN 20A Headlight cleanerí
16R.FOG ――
8-36
Maintenance and Care
íSome models.
Owner Maintenance
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Friday, May 11 2007 5:5 PM
Form No.8X44-EA-07G