2017 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 RF snow chains

3–60
Before Driving
Driving Tips
WARNING
Never stop the engine when going
down a hill:
Stopping the engine when going
down a hill is dangerous. This causes
the loss of power steering and power
brake control, and may cause damage
to the drivetrain. Any loss of steering
or braking control could cause an
accident.
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 tyre
speed could cause the tyres 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:
 


 Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
 


 Avoid sudden braking and sudden
manoeuvring.
 


 Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
  Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-86 .
 


 If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the rear
wheels.
 


 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 rear
wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the rear
wheels.
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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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3–64
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Tyre Chains
Check local regulations before using tyre
chains.
CAUTION
  Chains may affect handling. 
 Do not go faster than 50 km/h (30
mph) or the chain manufacturer's
recommended limit, whichever is
lower.
  Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes, and sharp turns.
  Avoid locked-wheel braking. 
 Do not use chains on roads that are
free of snow or ice. The tyres and
chains could be damaged.
  Chains may scratch or chip
aluminium wheels.
NOTE
If your vehicle is equipped with the tyre
pressure monitoring system, the system
may not function correctly when using
tyre chains.
Install the chains on the rear tyres only.
Do not use chains on the front tyres.
Tyre chain selection (Europe)
Mazda recommends hexagon type
steel ring chains. Select the proper type
according to your tyre size.
Tyre size Tyre chain
195/50R16 Hexagon type
205/45R17 Hexagon type
NOTE
Although Mazda recommends hexagon
type steel ring chains, all chains within
the installation speci¿ cations may be
used.
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4–87
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Traction Control System
(TCS)
The Traction Control System (TCS)
enhances traction and safety by controlling
engine torque and braking. When the TCS
detects driving wheel slippage, it lowers
engine torque and operates the brakes to
prevent loss of traction.
This means that on a slick surface, the
engine adjusts automatically to provide
optimum power to the drive wheels,
limiting wheel spin and loss of traction.
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-42 .
WARNING
Do not rely on the Traction Control
System (TCS) as a substitute for safe
driving:
The Traction Control System (TCS)
cannot compensate for unsafe and
reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), and hydroplaning (reduced
tyre friction and road contact because
of water on the road surface). You can
still have an accident.
Use snow tyres or tyre chains and
drive at reduced speeds when roads are
covered with ice and/or snow:
Driving without proper traction devices
on snow and/or ice-covered roads
is dangerous. The Traction Control
System (TCS) alone cannot provide
adequate traction and you could still
have an accident.
NOTE
To turn off the TCS, press the DSC OFF
switch (page 4-89 ).
TCS/DSC Indicator Light
This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON. If the TCS or DSC is operating, the
indicator light À ashes.
If the light stays on, the TCS, DSC
or the brake assist system may have a
malfunction and they may not operate
correctly. Take your vehicle to an expert
repairer, we recommend an Authorised
Mazda Repairer.
NOTE
  In addition to the indicator light
À ashing, a slight labouring sound
will come from the engine. This
indicates that the TCS/DSC is
operating properly.
  On slippery surfaces, such as fresh
snow, it will be impossible to achieve
high rpm when the TCS is on.
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4–142
When Driving
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
NOTE
Because this system detects slight changes in tyre conditions, the timing of the warning
may be faster or slower in the following cases:
 
 The size, manufacturer, or the type of tyres is different from the speci¿ cation. 
 The size, manufacturer, or the type of a tyre is different from the others, or the level of
tyre wear is excessively different between them.
  A run-À at tyre, studless tyre, snow tyre, or tyre chains are used. 
 An emergency tyre is used (The tyre pressure monitoring system warning light may
À ash and then continue illuminating).

 A tyre is repaired using the emergency À at tyre repair kit. 
 The tyre pressure is excessively higher than the speci¿ ed pressure, or the tyre pressure
is suddenly lowered for some reason such as a tyre burst during driving.
  The vehicle speed is lower than about 15 km/h (9.3 mph) (including when the vehicle
is stopped), or the drive period is shorter than 5 minutes.
  The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road or a slippery, icy road. 
 Hard steering and rapid acceleration/deceleration are repeated such as during
aggressive driving on a winding road.
  Load on the vehicle is applied to a tyre such as by loading heavy luggage to one side of
the vehicle.
  System initialization has not been implemented with the speci¿ ed tyre pressure.
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4–14 6
When Driving
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
System Error Activation
When the TPMS warning light À ashes,
there may be a system malfunction.
Consult an Authorised Mazda Dealer.
A system error activation may occur in the
following cases:
 


 When there is equipment or a device
near the vehicle using the same radio
frequency as that of the tyre pressure
sensors.
 


 When a metallic device such as a non-
genuine navigation system is equipped
near the centre of the instrument panel,
which may block radio signals from the
tyre pressure sensor to the receiver unit.
 


 When using the following devices in the
vehicle that may cause radio interference
with the receiver unit.
 

 
 A digital device such as a personal
computer.
 

 
 A current converter device such as a
DC-AC converter.
 


 When excess snow or ice adheres to the
vehicle, especially around the wheels.
 


 When the tyre pressure sensor batteries
are exhausted.
 


 When using a wheel with no tyre
pressure sensor installed.
 


 When using tyres with steel wire
reinforcement in the side walls.
 


 When using tyre chains.
Tyres and Wheels
CAUTION
When inspecting or adjusting the tyre air
pressures, do not apply excessive force
to the stem part of the wheel unit. The
stem part could be damaged.
Changing tyres and wheels
The following procedure allows the TPMS
to recognise a tyre pressure sensor's
unique ID signal code whenever tyres or
wheels are changed, such as changing to
and from winter tyres.
NOTE
Each tyre pressure sensor has a unique
ID signal code. The signal code must be
registered with the TPMS before it can
work. The easiest way to do it is to have
an Authorised Mazda Dealer change
your tyre and complete ID signal code
registration.
When having tyres changed at an
Authorised Mazda Dealer
When an Authorised Mazda Dealer
changes your vehicle's tyres, they will
complete the tyre pressure sensor ID signal
code registration.
When changing tyres yourself
If you or someone else changes tyres, you
or someone else can also undertake the
steps for the TPMS to complete the ID
signal code registration.
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10–8
Index
T
Tachometer .......................................... 4-26
Theft-Deterrent System ....................... 3-55
Three-À ash Turn Signal....................... 4-72
Towing
Hook .............................................. 7-28
Towing caravans and trailers ......... 3-66
Towing Description ............................. 7-27
Traction Control System (TCS) .......... 4-87
TCS/DSC indicator light ............... 4-87
Transmitter ............................................ 3-5
Trip Computer ..................................... 4-30
Trip Meter .................................. 4-25, 4-35
Trouble
Battery runs out ............................. 7-20
Emergency starting ........................ 7-23
Emergency towing ........................ 7-27
Flat tyre ........................................... 7-3
Overheating ................................... 7-24
Parking in an emergency ................. 7-2
When boot lid cannot be opened ... 7-55
When fuel-¿ ller À ap cannot be
opened ........................................... 7-26
When the roof cannot be closed .... 7-60
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
(Vehicle with Conventional Tyres) ... 4-140
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
(Vehicle with Run-À at Tyres) ............ 4-144
Tyre inÀ ation pressure warning beep... 7-53
Tyres .................................................... 6-33
Flat tyre ........................................... 7-3
Replacing a tyre............................. 6-35
Replacing a wheel ......................... 6-36
Snow tyres ..................................... 3-63
Speci¿ cations .................................. 9-8
Tyre chains .................................... 3-64
Tyre inÀ ation pressure ................... 6-34
Tyre rotation .................................. 6-34
V
Vanity Mirrors ................................... 5-123
Vehicle Information Labels ................... 9-2
Vehicle Speed Alarm ........................... 7-53
W
Warning Lights .................................... 4-42
Warning Sound is Activated ................ 7-49
120 km/h warning beep ................. 7-53
Active bonnet ................................ 7-50
Air bag/seat belt pretensioner system
warning beep ................................. 7-49
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) System
warning beep ................................. 7-54
Electronic steering lock warning
beep ............................................... 7-52
i-stop warning beep ....................... 7-52
Ignition not switched off (STOP)
warning beep ................................. 7-51
Key left-in-boot warning beep (With
the advanced keyless function) ..... 7-52
Key left-in-vehicle warning beep (With
the advanced keyless function) ..... 7-52
Key removed from vehicle warning
beep ............................................... 7-51
Lane Departure Warning sound ..... 7-54
Lights-on reminder ........................ 7-49
Outside temperature warning beep ... 7-53
Power steering warning buzzer ..... 7-53
Request switch inoperable warning
beep (With the advanced keyless
function) ........................................ 7-52
Retractable fastback warning beep ... 7-51
Seat belt warning beep .................. 7-50
Speed limiter warning beep ........... 7-54
Tyre inÀ ation pressure warning
beep ............................................... 7-53
Vehicle speed alarm....................... 7-53
Warranty ................................................ 8-2
Windblocker ...................................... 5-133
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