3–46
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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
Carry 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 check
the following:
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-30.
Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity. Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-27).
Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections. Use washer fluid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer fluid (page 6-32).
NOTE
Do not use the parking brake in fr eezing
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.
Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision.
Do not apply excessive for ce to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
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4–21
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.
Warning Lights
These lights turn on or flash to notify the user of the system operation status or a system
malfunction.
SignalWarning Lights Page
Master Warning Light*17-24
Brake System Warning Light*1*27-24
ABS Warning Light*17-24
Charging System Warning Light*17-24
Engine Oil Warning Light*17-24
Check Engine Light*17-24
(Red)High Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light*17-24
* Automatic Transaxle Warning Light*17-24
Power Steering Malfunction Indicator Light*17-24
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light*17-24
Low Fuel Warning Light7-24
Check Fuel Cap Warning Light*17-24
Seat Belt Warning Light7-24
Door-Ajar Warning Light7-24
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4–23
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.
Indicator Lights
These lights turn on or flash to notify the user of the system operation status or a system
malfunction.
SignalIndicator Lights Page
* BSM OFF Indicator Light 4-91
(Green)
* Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) Indicator Light4-84
(Green)
KEY Indicator Light 3-9
(Green)
* High Beam Control System (HBC) Indicator Light4-79
Wrench Indicator Light*14-25
TCS/DSC Indicator Light*14-63,
4-64
DSC OFF Indicator Light*14-65
* AFS OFF Indicator Light*14-76
(Red)
* Forward Obstruction Warning/Smart City Brake Support (FOW/SCBS)
Indicator Light*14-97,
4-110
* Forward Obstruction Warning/Smart City Brake Support (FOW/SCBS) OFF
Indicator Light*14-110
* i-ELOOP Indicator Light 4-68
(Blue)Low Engine Coolant Temperature Indicator Light 4-25
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4–25
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
Wrench Indicator Light
When the ignition is switched ON, the
wrench indicator light is illuminated and
then turns off after a few seconds.
The wrench indicator light is illuminated
when the preset maintenance period
arrives. Verify the content and perform
maintenance.
Refer to Maintenance Monitor on page
6-20.
Low Engine Coolant Temperature
Indicator Light (Blue)
The light illuminates continuously when
the engine coolant temperature is low and
turns off after the engine is warm.
If the low engine coolant temperature
indicator light remains illuminated after
the engine has been sufficiently warmed
up, the temperature sensor could have
a malfunction. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
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5–6
Interior Features
Climate Control System
Air intake selector
This switch controls the source of air
entering the vehicle.
Press the air intake selector switch to
alternate between the outside air and
recirculated air positions.
Recirculated air position (
)
Outside air is shut off. Air within the
vehicle is recirculated.
Outside air position (
)
Outside air is allowed to enter the
cabin. Use this mode for ventilation or
windshield defrosting.
WARNING
Do not use the recirculated air position
in cold or rainy weather:Using the recirculated air position in
cold or rainy weather is dangerous as it
will cause the windows to fog up. Your
vision will be hampered, which could
lead to a serious accident.
Rear window defogger switch
Press the rear window defogger switch to
defrost the rear window.
Refer to Rear Window Defogger on page
4-52.
Heating
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the air intake selector to the outside
air position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
hot position.
4. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
5. If dehumidified heating is desired, turn
on the air conditioner.
NOTE
If the windshield fogs up easily , set the
mode selector dial to the position. If cooler air is desired at face level, set
the mode selector dial at the position
and adjust the temperature control dial
to maintain maximum comfort.
The air to the floor is warmer than air
to the face (except when the temperature
control dial is set at the extreme hot or
cold position).
Cooling (With air conditioner)
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
cold position.
3. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
4. Turn on the air conditioner by pressing
the A/C switch.
5. After cooling begins, adjust the fan
control dial and temperature control
dial as needed to maintain maximum
comfort.
CAUTION
If the air conditioner is used while
driving up long hills or in heavy
traffic, monitor the engine coolant
temperature warning light to see if it is
illuminated or flashing (page 4-20).
The air conditioner may cause engine
overheating. If the warning light is
illuminated or flashing, turn the air-
conditioning off (page 7-19).
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6–30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Inspecting Engine Oil Level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on a level
surface.
2. Warm up the engine to normal
operating temperature.
3. Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes
for the oil to return to the oil pan.
4. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
reinsert it fully.
MAXOK
MIN
5. Pull it out again and examine the level.
The level is normal if it is between the
MIN and MAX marks.
If it is near or below MIN, add enough
oil to bring the level to MAX.
CAUTION
Do not overfill the engine oil. This may
cause engine damage.
6. Make sure the O-ring on the dipstick is
positioned properly before reinserting
the dipstick.
7. Reinsert the dipstick fully .
Engine Coolant
Inspecting Coolant Level
WARNING
Do not use a match or live flame in the
engine compartment. DO NOT ADD
COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT:
A hot engine is dangerous. If the
engine has been running, parts of the
engine compartment can become very
hot. You could be burned. Carefully
inspect the engine coolant in the
coolant reservoir, but do not open it.
Pull over to a safe location, then
switch the ignition 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 either 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.
NOTE
Changing the coolant should be done by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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6–31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Inspect the antifreeze protection and
coolant level in the coolant reservoir at
least once a year—at the beginning of the
winter season—and before traveling where
temperatures may drop below freezing.
Inspect the condition and connections of
all cooling system and heater hoses.
Replace any that are swollen or
deteriorated.
The coolant should be at full in the
radiator and between the F and L marks
on the coolant reservoir when the engine
is cool.
If it is at or near L, add enough coolant to
the coolant reservoir to provide freezing
and corrosion protection and to bring the
level to F.
Securely tighten the coolant reservoir tank
cap after adding coolant.
CAUTION
Radiator coolant will damage paint.
Rinse it off quickly if spilled.
Use only soft (demineralized) water in
the coolant mixture. Water that contains
minerals will cut down on the coolant's
effectiveness.
Do not add only water. Always add a
proper coolant mixture. The engine has aluminum parts and
must be protected by an ethylene-glycol-
based coolant to prevent corrosion and
freezing.
DO NOT USE coolants Containing
Alcohol, methanol, Borate or Silicate.
These coolants could damage the
cooling system. DO NOT MIX alcohol or methanol with
the coolant. This could damage the
cooling system.
Do not use a solution that contains more
than 60% antifreeze.
This would reduce effectiveness.
If the “FL22” mark is shown on or near
the cooling system cap, use of FL-22 is
recommended when replacing engine
coolant. Using engine coolant other
than FL-22 may cause serious damage to
the engine and cooling system.
If the coolant reservoir is empty or new
coolant is required frequently, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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7–19
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
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
Pull over to a safe location, then
switch the ignition 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 either 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 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 level.
If it is low , look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.
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