2016 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 brake

6–61
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Repairing Damage to the Finish
Deep scratches or chips on the finish
should be repaired promptly. Exposed
metal quickly rusts and can lead to major
repairs.
CAUTION
If your Mazda is damaged and needs
metal parts repaired or replaced,
make sure the body shop applies anti-
corrosion materials to all parts, both
repaired and new. This will prevent
them from rusting.
Bright-Metal Maintenance
 Use tar remover to remove road tar and
insects. Never do this with a knife or
similar tool. To prevent corrosion on bright-
metal surfaces, apply wax or chrome
preservative and rub it to a high luster. During cold weather or in coastal areas,
cover bright-metal parts with a coating
of wax or preservative heavier than
usual. It would also help to coat them
with noncorrosive petroleum jelly or
some other protective compound.
CAUTION
Do not use steel wool, abrasive
cleaners, or strong detergents
containing highly alkaline or caustic
agents on chrome-plated or anodized
aluminum parts. This may result in
damage to the protective coating
and cause discoloration or paint
deterioration.
Underbody Maintenance
Road chemicals and salt used for ice and
snow removal and solvents used for dust
control may collect on the underbody. If
not removed, they will speed up rusting
and deterioration of such underbody parts
as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and exhaust
system, even though these parts may be
coated with anti-corrosive material.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and wheel
housings with lukewarm or cold water at
the end of each winter. Try also to do this
every month.
Pay special attention to these areas
because they easily hide mud and dirt.
It will do more harm than good to wet
down the road grime without removing
it.
The lower edges of doors, rocker panels,
and frame members have drain holes that
should not be clogged. Water trapped there
will cause rusting.
WARNING
Dry off brakes that have become
wet by driving slowly, releasing the
accelerator pedal and lightly applying
the brakes several times until the brake
performance returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the
vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious
accident. Light braking will indicate
whether the brakes have been affected.
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6–67
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Floor Mats
Rubber floor mats should be cleaned with
mild soap and water only.
WARNING
Do not use rubber cleaners, such as tire
cleaner or tire shine, when cleaning
rubber floor mats:
Cleaning the rubber floor mats with
rubber cleaning products makes the
floor mats slippery.
This may cause an accident when
depressing the accelerator, brake, or
clutch (Manual transmission) pedal or
when getting in or out of the vehicle.
After removing the floor mats for cleaning,
always reinstall them securely (page
3-44).
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7–6
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
WARNING
Do not allow children to touch the tire
sealant:
 Ingestion of tire sealant is
dangerous. In the event tire
sealant is accidentally swallowed,
drink large amounts of water
immediately and seek medical
assistance. Tire sealant that comes into contact
with the eyes and skin is dangerous.
If tire sealant enters the eyes or
contacts the skin, flush immediately
with large amounts of water and
seek medical assistance.
NOTE
 The tire sealant cannot be reused.
Purchase new tire sealant at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer. The emergency flat tire repair kit cannot
be used in the following cases.
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
 The period of effective use for the
tire sealant has expired. (The period
of effectiveness is indicated on the
bottle label.) The tear or puncture exceeds about 4
mm (0.16 in). The damage has occurred to an area
of the tire other than the tread. The vehicle has been driven with
nearly no air remaining in the tire. The tire has come off the wheel rim. Damage to the wheel rim has
occurred. The tire has two or more punctures.
Using the Emergency Flat Tire
Repair Kit
U.S.A. and Canada
1. Move the vehicle off the right-of-way
to a safe place on a level and hard
surface where the vehicle does not
obstruct traffic.
2. Shift the shift lever to the 1 or Reverse
(R) position for a manual transmission,
and shift the selector lever to the P
position for an automatic transmission.
3. Apply the parking brake with the brake
pedal depressed and turn off the engine.
4. If necessary, flash the hazard warning
lights and set up the roadside
emergency triangle.
5. Unload passengers and cargo and
remove the emergency flat tire repair
kit.
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7–11
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
NOTE
 If an emergency flat tire repair has been
performed using the emergency flat tire
repair kit, Mazda recommends that the
tire be replaced with a new one as soon
as possible. If the tire is to be repaired
or reused, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer. The wheel can be reused if the sealant
adhering to it is removed. However,
replace the valve with a new one.
Mexico
1. Move the vehicle off the right-of-way
to a safe place on a level and hard
surface where the vehicle does not
obstruct traffic.
2. Shift the shift lever to the 1 or Reverse
(R) position for a manual transmission,
and shift the selector lever to the P
position for an automatic transmission.
3. Apply the parking brake with the brake
pedal depressed and turn off the engine.
4. If necessary, flash the hazard warning
lights and set up the roadside
emergency triangle.
5. Unload passengers and cargo and
remove the emergency flat tire repair
kit.
6. Shake the tire sealant well.
CAUTION
If the bottle is shaken after the
injection hose is screwed on, tire
sealant could spray out from the
injection hose. Tire sealant contacting
clothing or other objects may be
impossible to remove. Shake the bottle
before screwing on the injection hose.
NOTE
The sealant hardens easily and injecting
it will be difficult under cold weather
conditions (0 °C (32 °F) or below). Warm
the sealant inside the vehicle to facilitate
injection.
7. Remove the cap from the bottle. Screw
on the injection hose with the bottle's
inner cap left on to break the inner cap.
Cap
Injection hose
Tire sealant
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7–16
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
Changing a Tire
WARNING
Be sure to follow the directions for
changing a tire:
Changing a tire is dangerous if not
done properly. The vehicle can slip off
the jack and seriously injure someone.
No person should place any portion
of their body under a vehicle that is
supported by a jack.
Never allow anyone inside a vehicle
supported by a jack:
Allowing someone to remain in
a vehicle supported by a jack is
dangerous. The occupant could cause
the vehicle to fall resulting in serious
injury.
NOTE
Make sure the jack is well lubricated
before using it.
1. Park on a level surface off the right-of-
way and firmly set the parking brake.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic
transmission in Park (P), a manual
transmission in Reverse (R) or 1, and
turn off the engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle
and away from the vehicle and traffic.
5. Remove the jack and tool (page
7-3).
6. Block the wheel diagonally opposite
the tire to be changed. When blocking
a wheel, place a tire block both in front
and behind the tire.
NOTE
When blocking a tire, use rocks or wood
blocks of sufficient size if possible to hold
the tire in place.
Removing a Tire
1. Loosen the lug nuts by turning them
counterclockwise one turn each, but do
not remove any lug nuts until the tire
has been raised off the ground.

2. Place the jack on the ground.
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7–26
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).
Follow this procedure:
1. If the engine does not start within
five seconds on the first try, wait ten
seconds and try again.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the accelerator all the way and
hold it there.
4. Depress the clutch pedal (Manual
transmission) or the brake pedal
(Automatic transmission), then
press the push button start. If the
engine starts, release the accelerator
immediately because the engine will
suddenly rev up.
5. If the engine fails to start, crank it
without depressing the accelerator.
If the engine still does not start using
the above procedure, have your vehicle
inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Push-Starting
Do not push-start your Mazda.
WARNING
Never tow a vehicle to start it:
Towing a vehicle to start it is
dangerous. The vehicle being towed
could surge forward when its engine
starts, causing the two vehicles to
collide. The occupants could be injured.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transmission. It can damage
the emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing it.
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7–27
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
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 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
transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission 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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7–30
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary
to prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.
A towed vehicle usually should have its
drive wheels (rear wheels) off the ground.
If excessive damage or other conditions
prevent this, use wheel dollies.
Wheel dollies
When towing with the rear wheels on the
ground, release the parking brake.
CAUTION
 Do not tow the vehicle pointed
backward with driving wheels on the
ground. This may cause internal damage
to the transmission.
 Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or flatbed equipment.
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