2012 MAZDA MODEL 2 Owners Manual

Black plate (257,1)
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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Keep all flames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
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.
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NOTE
Remove the battery cover before performing
battery maintenance.
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.
qInspecting Electrolyte Level
A low level of electrolyte fluid will cause
the battery to discharge quickly.
Upper level
Lower level
Inspect the electrolyte level at least once a
week. If it's low, remove the caps and add
enough distilled water to bring the level
between the upper and lower level
(illustration).
Don't overfill.
Examine the specific gravity of the
electrolyte with a hydrometer, especially
during cold weather. If it's low, recharge
the battery.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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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.
Except for the limited use of the
temporary spare tire, use only the
same type tires (radial, bias-belted,
bias-type) on all four wheels.
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 Tires on page 10-6.
Use only a Mazda-genuine tire valve
cap: Use of a non-genuine part is
dangerous as the correct tire air
pressure cannot be maintained if the
tire valve becomes damaged. If the
vehicle is driven under this condition,
the tire air pressure will decrease
which could result in a serious
accident. Do not use any part for the
tire valve cap that is not a Mazda-
genuine part.
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The Tire Pressure Monitoring Systemí
does not alleviate the need to check the
tire condition every day, including
whether the tires all look inflated properly.
Inspect all tire pressure monthly
(including the spare) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, handling, and minimum
tire wear.
When checking the tire pressures, use of a
digital tire pressure gauge is
recommended.
Refer to the specification charts (page
10-6).NOTE
lAlways check tire pressure when tires are
cold.
lWarm tires normally exceed recommended
pressures. Don't release air from warm tires
to adjust the pressure.
lUnderinflation can cause reduced fuel
economy, uneven and accelerated tire wear,
and poor sealing of the tire bead, which
will deform the wheel and cause separation
of tire from rim.
lOverinflation can produce a harsh ride,
uneven and accelerated tire wear, and a
greater possibility of damage from road
hazards.
Keep your tire pressure at the correct
levels. If one frequently needs inflating,
have it inspected.
q
Tire Rotation
WARNING
Rotate tires periodically:
Irregular tire wear is dangerous. To
equalize tread wear for maintaining
good performance in handling and
braking, rotate the tires according to
the scheduled maintenance charts.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance on
page 8-3.
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Owner Maintenance
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During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
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.
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.
Replace all four tires at the same time: Replacing just one tire is dangerous.
It could cause poor handling and
poor braking resulting in loss of
vehicle control. Mazda strongly
recommends that you replace all four
tires at the same time.
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.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring System)lWhen tires with steel wire reinforcement in
the sidewalls are used, the system may not
function correctly even with a genuine
wheel.
Refer to System Error Activation on page
5-27.
lBe sure to install the tire pressure sensors
whenever tires or wheels are replaced.
Refer to Tires and Wheels on page 5-27.
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If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New treadTread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace the tire before the
band crosses the entire tread.
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. The period in which the tire was
manufactured (both week and year) is
indicated by a 4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 9-22.
qTemporary Spare Tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it's properly inflated
and stored.
NOTE
The temporary spare tire condition gradually
deteriorates even if it has not been used.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction which
is lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire. This tire should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short distance.
Use the temporary spare tire only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which should
be as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa (4.2
kgf/cm
2or bar, 60 psi).
CAUTION
Ø Do not use your temporary spare
tire rim with a snow tire or a
conventional tire. Neither will
properly fit and could damage
both tire and rim.
Ø The temporary spare tire has a
tread life of less than 5,000 km
(3,000 miles). The tread life may
be shorter depending on driving
conditions.
Ø The temporary spare tire is for
limited use, however, if the tread
wear solid-band indicator
appears, replace the tire with the
same type of temporary spare
(page 8-28).
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. The period in which the tire was
manufactured (both week and year) is
indicated by a 4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 9-22.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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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
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 5-27.
When replacing a wheel, make sure the
new one is the same as the original factory
wheel in diameter, rim width, and offset
(inset/outset).
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.
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