2017 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 radiator cap

3–62
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Rocking the Vehicle
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at high speed,
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 tyre could overheat and
explode. This could cause serious
injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transmission failure, and
tyre 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 tyre
chains, window scraper, À ares, a small
shovel, jumper leads, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer to check the
following:
 


 Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
  Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-20 .
 


 Inspect the battery and its leads. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
 


 Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-17 ).
 


 Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
 


 Use washer À uid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer À uid (page 6-23 ).
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6–20
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 sump.
4. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
reinsert it fully.
MIN MAX
OK
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 over¿ ll 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 À ame 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 inde¿ nitely 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.
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6–21
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
NOTE
Changing the coolant should be done
by an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer.
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 travelling
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 FULL and LOW
marks on the coolant reservoir when the
engine is cool.
Coolant reservoir
Cooling fan
Cooling system cap
If it is at or near LOW, add enough coolant
to the coolant reservoir to provide freezing
and corrosion protection and to bring the
level to FULL.
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 (demineralised) 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 aluminium 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.
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7–24
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
O v e r h e a t i n g
If the high engine coolant temperature
warning light turns on, 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 inde¿ nitely 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 bonnet 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 turns on:
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 bonnet and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the bonnet 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 expert repairer,
we recommend an Authorised Mazda
Repairer.
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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