3–42
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Hazardous Driving
WARNING
Be extremely careful if it is necessary to
downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear
while driving on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid. This
could lead to loss of vehicle control
and an accident.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
y Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
y Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
y Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-58 .
y If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the front
wheels.
y For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow,
use sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or
other nonslip material under the front
wheels.
N O T E
Use snow chains only on the front wheels.
Floor Mat
We recommend the use of Genuine
Mazda À oor mats.
WARNING
Make sure the fl oor mats are hooked on
the retention pins to prevent them from
bunching up under the foot pedals:
Using a fl oor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.
Do not install two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side:
Installing two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side is
dangerous as the retention pins can
only keep one fl oor mat from sliding
forward.
If using an all weather mat for winter
use always remove the original fl oor
mat.
Loose fl oor mat(s) will interfere with
the foot pedal and could result in an
accident.
When setting a À oor mat, position the À oor
mat so that its grommets are inserted over
the pointed end of the retention posts.
% : A ( * ' # ' A ' F K V K Q P K P F D % : A ( * ' # ' A ' F K V K Q P K P F D
3–43
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 D to R.
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, À ares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check
the following:
y Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-30 .
y Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
y Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-27 ).
y Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
y Use washer À uid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer À uid (page 6-32 ).
% : A ( * ' # ' A ' F K V K Q P K P F D % : A ( * ' # ' A ' F K V K Q P K P F D