2009 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 warning light

Black plate (298,1)
Parking in an Emergency
The hazard warning lights should always
be used when you stop on or near a
roadway in an emergency.
The hazard warning lights warn other
drivers that your vehicle is a traffic hazard
and that they must take extreme caution
when near it.
Depress the hazard warning flasher and all
the turn signals will flash.
NOTE
lThe turn signals do not work when the
hazard warning lights are on.
lCheck local regulations about the use of
hazard warning lights while the vehicle is
being towed to verify that it is not in
violation of the law.
7-2
In Case of an Emergency
Parking in an Emergency
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page298
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (300,1)
qJack
To remove the jack
1. Open the tool box.
2. Turn the jack screw counterclockwise.
To secure the jack
Perform the removal procedure in reverse.
qSpare Tire
A temporary spare tire is not equipped
with your Mazda. If an emergency tire
repair is needed, repair the flat tire with
the emergency flat tire repair kit (page
7-5). If you require a temporary spare tire,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
When installing a temporary spare tire,
follow the manufacturer's instructions for
the temporary spare tire. The temporary spare tire is lighter and
smaller than a conventional tire, and is
designed only for emergency use and
should be used only for VERY short
periods. Temporary spare tires should
NEVER be used for long drives or
extended periods.
WARNING
Do not install the temporary spare tire
in place of the rear wheels (driving
wheels):
Driving with the temporary spare tire
on one of the rear driving wheels is
dangerous. Especially on ice or snow.
Handling will be affected. You could
lose control of the vehicle and have
an accident. Move a regular tire to
the rear wheel and install the
temporary spare tire to the front.
7-4
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page300
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (301,1)
CAUTION
ØWhen using the temporary spare
tire, driving stability may decrease
compared to when using only the
conventional tire.
Drive carefully.
Ø To avoid damage to the temporary
spare tire or to the vehicle, observe
the following precautions:
ØDo not exceed 80 km/h (50
mph).
ØAvoid driving over obstacles.
Also, do not drive through an
automatic car wash. This tire's
diameter is smaller than a
conventional tire's, so the
ground clearance is reduced
about 25 mm (1 in).
ØDo not use a tire chain on this
tire because it won't fit
properly.
ØDo not use your temporary
spare tire on any other vehicle;
it has been designed only for
your Mazda.
ØUse only one temporary spare
tire on your vehicle at the same
time.
(With limited slip differential)
When using the temporary spare tire
on the rear axle, replace it with a
standard tire as soon as possible. The
size difference between the spare and
the standard tire will cause the
limited slip differential to
malfunction.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
A tire pressure sensor is not installed to the
temporary spare tire. The warning light will
flash continuously while the temporary spare
tire is being used (page 5-31).
Instant Mobility System
(IMS) Emergency Flat
Tire Repair Kit
The IMS emergency flat tire repair kit
included with your Mazda is for a
temporary repair of a slightly damaged
flat tire resulting from running over nails
or similar sharp objects on the road
surface.
NOTE
Your vehicle is not equipped with a spare tire.
In the event of a flat tire, use the emergency
flat tire repair kit to repair the tire temporarily.
When doing the repair, refer to the instructions
included in the emergency flat tire repair kit.
After temporarily repairing a tire with the
emergency flat tire repair kit, take your vehicle
to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the tire
replaced.
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
7-5
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page301
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (305,1)
NOTE
Do not throw away the empty tire sealant
bottle after use. Return the empty tire sealant
bottle to an Authorized Mazda Dealer when
replacing the tire. The empty tire sealant bottle
will need to be used to extract and dispose of
the used sealant from the tire.
13. Attach the vehicle speed restrictionsticker in a place where the driver can
easily see it.
WARNING
Do not attach the vehicle speed
restriction sticker to the instrument
panel, as it would obstruct vision of
areas such as warning light indicators
or the speedometer:Attaching the vehicle speed
restriction sticker to the steering
wheel pad is dangerous. The sticker
could interfere with air bag inflation
and cause serious injury. 14. Install the compressor hose to the tire
valve.
Valve Compressor hose
15. Insert the compressor plug into the
interior accessory socket and turn the
ignition switch to the ACC position
(page 6-87).
Compressor
Compressor
plug
Center console
CAUTION
Ø Before pulling out the compressor
plug from the electrical socket,
make sure the compressor power
switch is off.
Ø The compressor turns on and off
with the push-button switch.
16. Turn the compressor switch on and inflate the tire carefully to the correct
inflation pressure.
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
7-9
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page305
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (306,1)
WARNING
Never operate the compressor above
300 kPa (3.1 kgf/cm2, 3 bar, 43.5 psi):
Operating the compressor above 300
kPa (3.1 kgf/cm
2, 3 bar, 43.5 psi) is
dangerous. When the inflation
pressure rises above 300 kPa (3.1
kgf/cm
2, 3 bar, 43.5 psi), heated air
will be exhausted from the back of
the compressor and you could be
burned.
CAUTION
If the compressor operates slowly or
becomes hot, it indicates
overheating. Turn the compressor off
immediately and leave it turned off
for 30 minutes or longer.
NOTE
lCheck the tire inflation pressure label (rear
door on the driver's side) for the correct tire
inflation pressure.
lDo not use the compressor for longer than
10 minutes because using the compressor
for long periods could damage it.
lIf the tire does not inflate, repair of the tire
may not be possible. If the tire does not
reach the correct inflation pressure within a
10-minute period, it probably has received
more extensive damage. When this happens,
the emergency flat tire repair kit cannot be
used to repair the tire. Contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
lIf the tire has been over-inflated, loosen the
screw cap on the compressor and bleed
some of the air out.
17. When the tire has been inflated to the proper inflation pressure, turn the
compressor switch off and remove the
compressor hose from the tire valve. 18. Install the tire valve cap.
19. Put the emergency flat tire repair kit
in the trunk and continue driving.
CAUTION
ØDrive carefully to an Authorized
Mazda Dealer and keep the
vehicle speed below 80 km/h (50
mph).
Ø If the vehicle is driven 80 km/h (50
mph) or higher, the vehicle might
begin to vibrate.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
If the tire is not properly inflated, the tire
pressure monitoring system warning light will
illuminate (page 5-31).
20. After driving the vehicle for 10 minutes or 5 km (3 miles), check the
tire pressure with the tire pressure
gauge equipped with the compressor.
If the tire pressure has fallen below
the correct tire pressure, inflate the
tire to the correct pressure again
following the steps from number 15.
CAUTION
ØIf the tire inflation pressure falls
below 130 kPa (1.3 kgf/cm2or bar,
18.9 psi), repair cannot be done
with the repair kit. Park the
vehicle on a level surface off the
right-of-way and contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Ø If the tire inflation pressure
continues to remain low after
repeating steps 14 to 21, park the
vehicle on a level surface off the
right-of-way and contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
7-10
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page306
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (334,1)
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, 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.
q Recommended 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)
Only use oils “Certified For Gasoline
Engines ”by the American Petroleum
Institute (API). An oil with this trademark
symbol conforms to the current engine
and emission system protection standards
and fuel economy requirements of the
International Lubricant Standardization
and Approval Committee (ILSAC),
comprised of U.S. and Japanese
automobile manufacturers.
5W-20
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
–20
5040
30
20
10
0
–10
–20
–30
8-12
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page334
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (349,1)
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when they are
not being used on the road. It is recommended
that tires generally be replaced when they are
6 years or older. Heat caused by hot climates
or frequent high loading conditions can
accelerate the aging process. You should
replace the spare tire when you replace the
other road tires due to the aging of the spare
tire. Regarding the manufacturing week and
year is indicated with 4 digit.
Refer to The tire labeling on page 9-21.
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
ØA wrong-sized wheel may
adversely affect:
ØTire fit
ØWheel and bearing life
ØGround clearance
ØSnow-chain clearance
ØSpeedometer calibration
ØHeadlight aim
ØBumper height
ØTire Pressure Monitoring
System
ØLimited-Slip Differential System
Ø (With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)
ØWhen 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.
ØThe 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 5-33.
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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-27
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Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (351,1)
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 Exterior Light Bulbs
Replacing a headlight bulb
Low-beam bulb
(Xenon fusion bulb)
You cannot replace the low beam bulbs by
yourself.
The bulbs must be replaced at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer. High-beam bulb
1. Make sure the ignition switch is turned
off and the headlight switch is off.
2. 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.
3. Turn the center section of the plastic retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.
Removal
Installation
4. Disconnect the electrical connectorfrom the bulb by pressing the tab on
the connector with your finger and
pulling the connector downward.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-29
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Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C