2008 MAZDA MODEL TRIBUTE towing

If you are stowing a tire that requires reattaching it to the
vehicle with a tether, perform these steps first, then proceed with
the steps following. 1. Place tire on end with valve stem facing rearward, away
from vehicle.
2. Place tether into bolt holes in wheel and attach lug nut using
lug wrench.
3. Lay the tire on the ground with the valve stem facing down. If your vehicle is equipped with aluminum wheels, remove the wheel center
cap.
4. Slide the wheel partially under the vehicle and install the retainer through the center of the wheel.
5. Turn the jack handle clockwise until the tire is raised to its original position underneath the vehicle. The effort to turn the jack handle
increases significantly as the tire contacts the frame. The spare tire
carrier will ratchet when the tire is in the fully stowed position. The
spare tire carrier has a built-in ratchet feature that will not allow you
to overtighten. If the spare tire carrier ratchets with very little effort,
take the vehicle to your authorized Mazda dealer for assistance at
your earliest convenience. If your vehicle is equipped with a trailer
hitch, guide the tire with one hand; keep the rear of the tire tilted
down until the tire clears the bumper.
6. Check that the tire lies flat against the frame assembly. Push against the tire to make sure it is tightly seated under the vehicle. Loosen
and retighten, if necessary. (Make sure that the tire does not contact
the bumper.)
WARNING: Failure to stow the spare tire may result in the
failure of the winch cable and the loss of the spare tire. A loose
tire on the highway is a very dangerous object to other people
on the road. Check to be sure the tire is firmly mounted; go to
an authorized dealer to have it re-mounted if you have any
doubt about spare tire security.
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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Roadside Emergencies
205

WRECKER TOWING
If you need to have your vehicle towed, contact a professional towing
service or, if you are a member of a roadside assistance program, your
roadside assistance service provider.
It is recommended that your vehicle be towed with a wheel lift and
dollies or flatbed equipment. Do not tow with a slingbelt. Mazda has not
approved a slingbelt towing procedure.
On FWD vehicles, if your vehicle is to be towed from the front, ensure
proper wheel lift equipment is used to raise the front wheels off the
ground. The rear wheels can be left on the ground when towed in this
fashion.
If your vehicle is to be towed from the rear using wheel lift equipment, it
is required that the front wheels (drive wheels) be placed on a dolly to
prevent damage to the automatic transaxle.
On 4WD vehicles, it is requiredthat your vehicle be towed with a wheel
lift and dollies or flatbed equipment with all the wheels off the ground.
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Roadside Emergencies
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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
Follow Schedule 1 if the vehicle is operated mainly where none of the
following conditions apply.
If any do apply, follow Schedule 2 (Canada and Puerto Rico residents
follow Schedule 2).
• Repeated short-distance driving
• Driving in dusty conditions
• Driving with an extended use of brakes
• Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are being used
• Driving on rough or muddy roads
• Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation
• Driving for long periods in cold temperatures or extremely humid
climates
• Towing a trailer or using a car-top carrier
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Maintenance and Specifications
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Habits
• Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
• Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
• Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
• Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
• Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
• Slow down gradually.
• Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 55 mph [88 km/h] uses
15% less fuel than traveling at 65 mph [105 km/h]).
• Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
• Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
• You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between the top gears occurs. Unnecessary
shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel economy.
• 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 Maintenance product
specifications and capacities in this chapter.
• Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in scheduled maintenance information.
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).
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Maintenance and Specifications
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Safety restraints ..............81, 85–89 Belt-Minder
.............................92
extension assembly ..................90
for adults .............................86–88
for children .....................113–114
Occupant Classification
Sensor ........................................83
seat belt maintenance ..............91
warning light and chime ....91–92
Safety seats for children ..........117
Safety Compliance
Certification Label ....................274
Scheduled Maintenance ...........232
Seat Belt Maintenance ...............91
Seat belts (see
Safety restraints) ............81, 85–89
Seats ............................................72 child safety seats ....................117
heated ........................................76
SecuriLock passive anti-theft
system ..........................................68
Servicing your vehicle ..............238
Side-curtain airbags system
(if equipped) .............107, 109, 111
Snowplowing .................................7
Spark plugs, specifications .......273
Special notice ambulance conversions ..............7
Specification chart,
lubricants ...................................271
Speed control ..............................49
Starting your
vehicle ........................161–162, 164 jump starting ..........................207
Steering wheel controls ......................................52
tilting .........................................43 T
Tilt steering wheel ......................43
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)
Tires, Wheels and Loading ....143
Tires ...................................127–129 alignment ................................136
care ..........................................132
changing ..........................199, 201
checking the pressure ............132
inflating ...................................130
label .........................................142
replacing ..................................133
rotating ....................................136
safety practices .......................135
sidewall information ...............138
snow tires and chains ............148
spare tire .........................196, 199
terminology .............................129
tire grades ...............................128
treadwear ........................128, 132
Towing .......................................154 recreational towing .................160
trailer towing ..........................154
wrecker ....................................213
Transaxle fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .................................269
Transmission automatic operation ...............173
brake-shift interlock (BSI) ....173
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................267
fluid, refill capacities ..............271
lubricant specifications ..........271
manual operation ....................179
Trunk ...........................................64
Turn signal ..................................35
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Index
281

V
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................274
Vehicle loading ..........................148
Ventilating your vehicle ...........165
W
Warning lights (see Lights) .......12
Washer fluid ..............................242 Water, Driving through .............187
Windows
power .........................................47
rear wiper/washer .....................42
Windshield washer fluid
and wipers ...................................42 checking and adding fluid .....242
liftgate reservoir .....................242
replacing wiper blades ...243–244
Wrecker towing .........................213
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Index
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