
6 –42 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Underinflation can cause reduced fuel
economy, uneven and accelerated tire
wear, and poor sealing of the tire bead,
which will deform the wheel and cause
separation of tire from rim.
Overinflation can produce a harsh ride,
uneven and accelerated tire wear, and a
greater possibility of damage from road
hazards.
Keep your tire pressure at the correct
levels. If one frequently needs inflating,
have it inspected.
Tire Rotation
WARNINGRotate tires periodically:
Irregular tire wear is dangerous. To
equalize tread wear for maintaining
good performance in handling and
braking, rotate the tires every 12,000
km (7,500 miles). However Mazda
recommends to rotate every 8,000 km
(5,000 miles) to help increase tire life
and distribute wear more evenly.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4 .
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
Do not include (TEMPORAR Y USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation. Forward Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
Incorrect tire pressure
Improper wheel alignment
Out-of-balance wheel
Severe braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 9-8 ) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-108 .
CAUTION Rotate unidirectional tires and radial
tires that have an asymmetrical tread
pattern or studs only from front to rear,
not from side to side. Tire performance
will be reduced if rotated from side to
side.
(With limited-slip differential)
Do not use the following:
Tires not of the designated size
Tires of different sizes or types at
the same time
Tires not sufficiently inflated
If these instructions are not followed,
the rotation of the left and right wheels
will be different and will thus apply
a constant load on the limited-slip
differential.
This will cause a malfunction.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 42 2016/08/11 20:29:47

7 –8 If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire 10. Install the bottle to the air compressor
and press it in until the left and right
tabs are engaged securely. Tabs
11. Insert the air compressor plug into the
accessory socket inside the vehicle and
switch the ignition to ACC.
Refer to Accessory Sockets on page
5-134 .
CompressorCompressor plug
CAUTION When inserting the air compressor
plug into or removing it from the
accessory socket, make sure that the
air compressor switch is off. When
turning the air compressor on/off, use
the air compressor switch. 12. The sealant is injected into the tire
when the air compressor is switched
on. After the sealant is injected
completely, wait until the tire inflation
pressure increases to the specified tire
inflation pressure.
NOTE
The inflation pressure may increase to
about 300 kPa (3.1 kgf/cm 2
, 3 bar, 43.5
psi) temporarily to inject the sealant
through the valve. Normally, the inflation
pressure decreases gradually and it
reaches the actual inflation pressure after
about 30 seconds.
WARNING Never use the air compressor above 300
kPa (3.1 kgf/cm 2
, 3 bar, 43.5 psi):
Using the air compressor at an
inflation pressure above 300 kPa (3.1
kgf/cm 2
, 3 bar, 43.5 psi) continuously
is dangerous. If the air compressor
overheats, hot air will be exhausted
and you could get burned.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 8 2016/08/11 20:29:57

7 –9 If Trouble Arises
Flat TireNOTE
Check the tire inflation pressure label
driver's door frame for the correct tire
inflation pressure.
Do not operate the air compressor
for a continuous 10 minutes or longer
because using it for long periods could
cause a malfunction.
If the tire inflation pressure does
not increase, repair of the tire is not
possible. If the tire does not reach the
specified tire inflation pressure within
10 minutes, it may have received
extensive damage. In this case, the
repair using the emergency flat tire
repair kit was not successful. Contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
13. Adhere the speed restriction sticker to
an area where it can be viewed easily
by the driver. 14. Adhere the repaired tire sticker to the
wheel of the flat tire.
WARNING Do not adhere the speed restriction
sticker to the padded area on the
steering wheel:
Adhering the speed restriction sticker
to the padded area on the steering
wheel is dangerous because the
air bag may not operate (deploy)
normally resulting in serious injury.
In addition, do not adhere the sticker
to areas where warning lights or the
speedometer cannot be viewed.
15. When the tire inflates to the specified
tire inflation pressure, turn the air
compressor switch off, turn the sleeve
of the injection hose to the left, and pull
it out of the tire valve.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 9 2016/08/11 20:29:57

7 –10 If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire 16. Remove the air compressor hose from
the injection valve of the bottle. After
that, install the injection hose to the
injection valve of the bottle to prevent
leakage of any remaining sealant.
CAUTION The remaining sealant in the hose may
spray out when the hose is removed.
Remove the hose carefully because you
may not be able to remove the sealant
contacting clothing or other objects.
17. Install the tire valve cap.
18. Put the emergency flat tire repair kit
into the trunk.
19. Start driving immediately to spread the
sealant in the tire.
CAUTION Carefully drive the vehicle at a speed of
80 km/h (50 mph) or less. If the vehicle
is driven at a speed of 80 km/h (50
mph) or more, the vehicle may vibrate.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring System)
If the tire is not properly inflated, the tire
pressure monitoring system warning light
will illuminate (page 4-18 ). 20. After driving the vehicle for about 10
minutes or 5 km (3 miles), connect the
air compressor to the tire using Step
9 of the procedure, and check the tire
inflation pressure using the tire pressure
gauge on the air compressor. If the
tire inflation pressure is lower than the
specified tire inflation pressure, turn
the air compressor on and wait until
it reaches the specified tire inflation
pressure.
WARNING If the tire inflation pressure has
decreased below 130 kPa (1.3 kgf/cm 2
or
bar, 18.9 psi), stop driving and contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer:
The repair using the emergency flat tire
repair kit was not successful.
If you see a decrease in the tire inflation
pressure, even if Steps 9 to 20 of the
procedure are performed repeatedly,
stop driving:
Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION Before checking the tire inflation
pressure using the tire pressure gauge,
turn the air compressor switch off.
21. The emergency flat tire repair is
completed successfully if the tire
inflation pressure does not decrease.
Carefully drive the vehicle to the
nearest Authorized Mazda Dealer
immediately and have the flat tire
replaced. Replacement with a new
tire is recommended. If the tire is
to be repaired or reused, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 10 2016/08/11 20:29:57

7 –14 If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire 17. Install the air compressor hose to the
tire valve. Valve
Compressor hose
18. Insert the air compressor plug into the
accessory socket inside the vehicle and
switch the ignition to ACC.
Refer to Accessory Sockets on page
5-134 .
CompressorCompressor plug
CAUTION When inserting the air compressor
plug into or removing it from the
accessory socket, make sure that the
air compressor switch is off. When
turning the air compressor on/off, use
the air compressor switch. 19. Turn the air compressor switch on and
inflate the tire carefully to the correct
inflation pressure.NOTE
Check the tire inflation pressure label
driver's door frame for the correct tire
inflation pressure.
Do not operate the air compressor
for a continuous 10 minutes or longer
because using it for long periods could
cause a malfunction.
If the tire inflation pressure does
not increase, repair of the tire is not
possible. If the tire does not reach the
specified tire inflation pressure within
10 minutes, it may have received
extensive damage. In this case, the
repair using the emergency flat tire
repair kit was not successful. Contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
If the tire has been over-inflated, loosen
the screw cap on the air compressor and
bleed some of the air out.
20. When the tire inflates to the specified
tire inflation pressure, turn the air
compressor switch off, turn the sleeve
of the air compressor hose to the left,
and pull it out of the tire valve.
21. Install the tire valve cap.
22. Put the emergency flat tire repair kit
into the trunk.
23. Start driving immediately to spread the
sealant in the tire.
CAUTION Carefully drive the vehicle at a speed of
80 km/h (50 mph) or less. If the vehicle
is driven at a speed of 80 km/h (50
mph) or more, the vehicle may vibrate.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 14 2016/08/11 20:29:58

7 –15 If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire24. After driving the vehicle for about 10
minutes or 5 km (3 miles), connect the
air compressor to the tire using Step
17 of the procedure, and check the tire
inflation pressure using the tire pressure
gauge on the air compressor. If the
tire inflation pressure is lower than the
specified tire inflation pressure, turn
the air compressor on and wait until
it reaches the specified tire inflation
pressure.
WARNING If the tire inflation pressure has
decreased below 130 kPa (1.3 kgf/cm 2
or
bar, 18.9 psi), stop driving and contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer:
The repair using the emergency flat tire
repair kit was not successful.
If you see a decrease in the tire inflation
pressure, even if Steps 17 to 24 of the
procedure are performed repeatedly,
stop driving:
Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION Before checking the tire inflation
pressure using the tire pressure gauge,
turn the air compressor switch off.
25. The emergency flat tire repair is
completed successfully if the tire
inflation pressure does not decrease.
Carefully drive the vehicle to the
nearest Authorized Mazda Dealer
immediately and have the flat tire
replaced. Replacement with a new
tire is recommended. If the tire is
to be repaired or reused, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer. 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.
Inspecting the Emergency Flat
Tire Repair Kit Inspect the emergency flat tire repair kit at
regular intervals.
Check the tire sealant period of effective
use.
Check the operation of the tire
compressor.
NOTE
The tire sealant has a period of effective
use. Check the period of effective use
indicated on the bottle label and do not
use it if it has expired. Have the tire
sealant replaced at an Authorized Mazda
Dealer before the period of effective use
has expired.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 15 2016/08/11 20:29:58

7 –21 If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire4. Turn the lug wrench counterclockwise
and lower the vehicle. Use the lug
wrench to tighten the nuts in the order
shown.
If you are unsure of how tight the nuts
should be, have them inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer. Nut tightening torque
N·m (kgf·m, ft·lbf) 108—147
(12—14, 80—108) WARNING Always securely and correctly tighten
the lug nuts:
Improperly or loosely tightened lug
nuts are dangerous. The wheel could
wobble or come off. This could result
in loss of vehicle control and cause a
serious accident.
Be sure to reinstall the same nuts you
removed or replace them with metric
nuts of the same configuration:
Because the wheel studs and lug nuts
on your Mazda have metric threads,
using a non-metric nut is dangerous.
On a metric stud, it would not secure
the wheel and would damage the stud,
which could cause the wheel to slip off
and cause an accident.
5. Remove the tire blocks and store the
tools and jack.
6. Check the inflation pressure. Refer to
Tires on page 9-8 .
NOTE
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
Do not press the tire pressure monitoring
system set switch after installing the spare
tire. The switch is only to be pressed after
installing the repaired flat tire or installing
a replacement tire (page 4-18 ).
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 21 2016/08/11 20:30:00

7 –43 If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
*Some models.Signal Warning Action to be taken
(Illuminate)
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System Warning Light *
When the warning light illuminates, and
the warning beep sound is heard (about 3
seconds), tire pressure is too low in one or
more tires.
WARNING If the tire pressure monitoring system
warning light illuminates or flashes,
or the tire pressure warning beep
sound is heard, decrease vehicle
speed immediately and avoid sudden
maneuvering and braking:
If the tire pressure monitoring system
warning light illuminates or flashes,
or the tire pressure warning beep
sound is heard, it is dangerous to
drive the vehicle at high speeds, or
perform sudden maneuvering or
braking. Vehicle drivability could
worsen and result in an accident.
To determine if you have a slow leak
or a flat, pull over to a safe position
where you can check the visual
condition of the tire and determine
if you have enough air to proceed to
a place where air may be added and
the system monitored again by an
Authorized Mazda Dealer or a tire
repair station.
Do not ignore the TPMS Warning Light:
Ignoring the TPMS warning light is
dangerous, even if you know why
it is illuminated. Have the problem
taken care of as soon as possible
before it develops into a more serious
situation that could lead to tire
failure and a dangerous accident. Inspect the tires and adjust to the specified
inflation pressure (page 6-41 ).
NOTE
Perform tire pressure adjustment when
the tires are cold. Tire pressure will
vary according to the tire temperature,
therefore let the vehicle stand for 1
hour or only drive it 1.6 km (1 mile) or
less before adjusting the tire pressures.
When pressure is adjusted on hot tires
to the cold inflation pressure, the TPMS
warning light/beep may turn on after
the tires cool and pressure drops below
specification.
Also, an illuminated TPMS warning
light, resulting from the tire air
pressure dropping due to cold ambient
temperature will remain illuminated
even if the ambient temperature rises.
In this case, it will also be necessary to
adjust the tire air pressures. If the TPMS
warning light illuminates due to a drop
in tire air pressure, make sure to check
and adjust the tire air pressures.
Tires lose air naturally over time and
the TPMS cannot tell if the tires are
getting too soft over time or you have
a flat. However, when you find one low
tire in a set of four-that is an indication
of trouble; you should have someone
drive the vehicle slowly forward so you
can inspect any low tire for cuts and any
metal objects sticking through tread or
sidewall. Put a few drops of water in the
valve stem to see if it bubbles indicating
a bad valve. Leaks need to be addressed
by more than simply reinflating the tire
as leaks are dangerous — take it to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 43 2016/08/11 20:30:05