2009 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 warning

Black plate (339,1)
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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (343,1)
Battery
WARNING
Wash hands after handling the battery and related accessories:Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Read the following precautions carefully before using the battery or inspecting
to ensure safe and correct handling:
Always wear eye protection when working near the battery:
Working without eye protection is dangerous. Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID
which could cause blindness if splashed into your eyes. Also, hydrogen gas produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode.
Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with battery
fluid: Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause serious injuries if it gets in
eyes, or on the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately flush your eyes with
water for 15 minutes or wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.
Always keep batteries out of the reach of children:
Allowing children to play near batteries is dangerous. Battery fluid could cause
serious injuries if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.
Keep flames and sparks away from open battery cells and do not allow metal
tools to contact the positive (
) or negative () terminal of the battery when
working near a battery. Do not allow the positive (
) terminal to contact the vehicle
body:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries. Keep all flames including
cigarettes and sparks away from open battery cells.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (345,1)
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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (347,1)
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
lIncorrect tire pressurelImproper wheel alignmentlOut-of-balance wheellSevere braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-6) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
CAUTION
Rotate unidirectional tires and radial
tires that have an asymmetrical tread
pattern or studs only from front to
rear, not from side to side. Tire
performance will be reduced if
rotated from side to side.
CAUTION
Limited-Slip Differential system;
don't use the following:
Ø Tires not of the designated size
Ø Tires of different sizes or types at
the same time
Ø Tires not sufficiently inflated
If these instructions aren't followed,
the rotation of the left and right
wheels will be different and will thus
apply a constant load on the limited-
slip differential.
This will cause a malfunction.
q Replacing a Tire
WARNING
Always use tires that are in good
condition:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
CAUTION
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)
When 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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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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
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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
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (360,1)
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.
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Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (362,1)
DESCRIPTIONFUSE
RATING PROTECTED COMPONENT
17 R.FOG ――
18 FOG 15A Fog lights
í
19A/C 10A Air conditioner
20 IG 40A For protection of various circuits
21 P.WIND 1 30A Power window
22 IG KEY 15A For protection of various circuits
23 STOP 10A Brake lights
24 FUEL PUMP 20A Fuel pump
25 HORN 15A Horn
26 HAZARD 15A Hazard warning flashers, Turn signals
27 ETV 15A Electric throttle valve
28 ST 10A Starter
29 WIPER 20A Windshield wiper and washer
30 TCM 15A TCM
í
31 ENGINE 15AEngine control system, Supplemental restraint system, ABS,
Power steering
32 TAIL 10ATaillights, License plate light, Parking lights, Front side-maker
lights, Rear side-marker lights
33 ILLUMI 7.5A Illuminated entry system
34 EGI COMP1 15A Engine control system
35 EGI COMP2 10A Engine control system
36 EGI INJ 15A Fuel injector
37 P.WIND 2 20A Power window
38 EPS 60A Power steering
8-40
Maintenance and Care
íSome models.
Owner Maintenance
RX-8_8Z09-EA-08C_Edition3 Page362
Thursday, July 3 2008 2:24 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C