Rocking the Vehicle
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at more than 56
km/h (35 mph), and do not allow
anyone to stand behind a wheel when
pushing the vehicle:
When the vehicle is stuck, spinning
the wheels at high speed is
dangerous. The spinning tire could
overheat and explode. This could
cause serious injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transaxle failure, and
tire damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand or mud, depress the
accelerator slightly and slowly move the
shift lever from 1 (D) to R.
Winter Driving
lCarry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
perform the following precautions:
lHave the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 8-25.
lInspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
lUse only cold-weather engine oil (page
8-21).
lInspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
lUse washer fluid made with
antifreeze―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-29).
lDo not use the parking brake in
freezing weather as it may freeze.
Instead, shift to P with an automatic
transaxle and to 1 or R with a manual
transaxle. Block the rear wheels.
lSnow left on the windshield is
dangerous as it could obstruct vision.
Remove snow before driving.
lDo not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
lNever use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows
and mirrors as it could result in the
glass cracking.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
4-9
Windshield Wipers and
Washer
The ignition must be switched ON.
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.
Only use windshield washer fluid
mixed with anti-freeze protection in
freezing weather conditions:
Using windshield washer fluid
without anti-freeze protection in
freezing weather conditions is
dangerous as it could freeze on the
windshield and block your vision
which could cause an accident.
In addition, make sure the
windshield is sufficiently warmed
using the defroster before spraying
the washer fluid.NOTE
Because heavy ice and snow can jam the wiper
blades, the wiper motor is protected from
motor breakdown, overheating and possible
fire by a circuit breaker. This mechanism will
automatically stop operation of the blades, but
only for about 5 minutes.
If this happens, turn off the wiper switch and
park off the right-of-way, and remove the snow
and ice.
After 5 minutes, turn on the switch and the
blades should operate normally. If they do not
resume functioning, consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. Drive to
the side of the road and park off the right-of-
way. Wait until the weather clears before trying
to drive with the wipers inoperative.
qWindshield Wipers
Turn the wipers on by pressing the lever
up or down.
With INT position
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
5-71
Overheating
If the High engine coolant temperature
warning light illuminates, the vehicle
loses power, or you hear a loud knocking
or pinging noise, the engine is probably
too hot.
WARNING
Switch the ignition to off and
make sure the fan is not running before
attempting to work near the cooling
fan:
Working near the cooling fan when it
is running is dangerous. The fan
could continue running indefinitely
even if the engine has stopped and
the engine compartment temperature
is high. You could be hit by the fan
and seriously injured.
Do not remove the cooling
system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot:
When the engine and radiator are
hot, scalding coolant and steam may
shoot out under pressure and cause
serious injury.
Open the hood ONLY after steam is no
longer escaping from the engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you.
If the High engine coolant temperature
warning light illuminates:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
park off the right-of-way.2. Put a vehicle with an automatic
transaxle in park (P), a manual
transaxle in neutral.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Turn off the air conditioner.
5. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from under the hood or from
the engine compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Do not go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine until
it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the
engine temperature will increase.
Stop the engine and call an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
6. Make sure the cooling fan is operating,
then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
7. When cool, check the coolant reservoir
level.
If it's low, look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.
7-16
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers (miles), whichever comes first
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48
×1000 km 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96
×1000 miles 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60
AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
Cabin air filter R R
Chart symbols:
I:Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary.
R:Replace
L:Lubricate
T:Tighten
Remarks:
*1 Use FL22 type coolant in vehicles with the inscription“FL22”on the radiator cap itself or the surrounding
area. Use FL22 when replacing the coolant.
*2 According to state/provincial and federal regulations, failure to perform maintenance on these items will not
void your emissions warranties. However, Mazda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at
the recommended time or mileage/kilometer period to ensure long-term reliability.
8-6
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers (miles), whichever comes first
Months 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48
×1000 km 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96
×1000 miles 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
CHASSIS and BODY
Brake lines, hoses and connections I I
Brake fluid levelIIIIIIIIIIII
Disc brakesIIII
Tire (Rotation) Rotate every 8,000 km (5,000 miles)
Tire inflation pressure and tire wearIIIIIIIIIIII
Steering operation and linkages I I
Power steering fluid levelIIIIIIIIIIII
Front and rear suspension, ball joints and wheel
bearing axial playII
Driveshaft dust boots I I
Bolts and nuts on chassis and body T T
Body condition
*4
(for rust, corrosion and perforation)IIII
Exhaust system and heat shields Inspect every 72,000 km (45,000 miles) or 5 years
All locks and hingesLLLLLLLLLLLL
Washer fluid levelIIIIIIIIIIII
AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
Cabin air filter Replace every 40,000 km (25,000 miles) or 2 years
Chart symbols:
I:Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary.
R:Replace
L:Lubricate
T:Tighten
Remarks:
*1 Use FL22 type coolant in vehicles with the inscription“FL22”on the radiator cap itself or the surrounding
area. Use FL22 when replacing the coolant.
*2 According to state/provincial and federal regulations, failure to perform maintenance on these items will not
void your emissions warranties. However, Mazda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at
the recommended time or mileage/kilometer period to ensure long-term reliability.
*3 If the vehicle is operated primarily under any of the following conditions, replace the spark plugs at every
96,000 km (60,000 miles) or shorter.
a) Repeated short-distance driving
b) Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation
c) Driving for long periods in cold temperatures or extremely humid climates
*4 Canada only.
8-8
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers, whichever comes first
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72
×1000 km 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
Cabin air filter R R R
Chart symbols:
I:Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary.
R:Replace
L:Lubricate
T:Tighten
Remarks:
*1 Use FL22 type coolant in vehicles with the inscription“FL22”on the radiator cap itself or the surrounding
area. Use FL22 when replacing the coolant.
*2 According to state/provincial and federal regulations, failure to perform maintenance on these items will not
void your emissions warranties. However, Mazda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at
the recommended time or kilometer period to ensure long-term reliability.
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
8-11
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers, whichever comes first
Months 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36
×1000 km 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
Cabin air filter R R R
Chart symbols:
I:Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary.
R:Replace
C:Clean
L:Lubricate
T:Tighten
Remarks:
*1 Use FL22 type coolant in vehicles with the inscription“FL22”on the radiator cap itself or the surrounding
area. Use FL22 when replacing the coolant.
*2 According to state/provincial and federal regulations, failure to perform maintenance on these items will not
void your emissions warranties. However, Mazda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at
the recommended time or kilometer period to ensure long-term reliability.
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
8-13
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers, whichever comes first
Months 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 63 66 69 72
×1000 km 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
Cabin air filter R R R
Chart symbols:
I:Inspect: Inspect and clean, repair, adjust, fill up, or replace if necessary.
R:Replace
C:Clean
L:Lubricate
T:Tighten
Remarks:
*1 Use FL22 type coolant in vehicles with the inscription“FL22”on the radiator cap itself or the surrounding
area. Use FL22 when replacing the coolant.
*2 According to state/provincial and federal regulations, failure to perform maintenance on these items will not
void your emissions warranties. However, Mazda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at
the recommended time or kilometer period to ensure long-term reliability.
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
8-15