
6 –16 Maintenance and Care How to keep your Mazda in top condition.
Essential Information ........................................................................ 6-2
Introduction
................................................................................... 6-2
Scheduled Maintenance ..................................................................... 6-4
Scheduled Maintenance (U.S.A., Canada, and Puerto Rico)
........ 6-4
Scheduled Maintenance (Mexico)
.............................................. 6-13
Maintenance Monitor
.................................................................. 6-20
Owner Maintenance ......................................................................... 6-22
Owner Maintenance Precautions
................................................ 6-22
Hood
............................................................................................ 6-24
Engine Compartment Overview
................................................. 6-26
Engine Oil
................................................................................... 6-27
Engine Coolant
............................................................................ 6-29
Brake/Clutch Fluid
...................................................................... 6-31
Washer Fluid
............................................................................... 6-31
Body Lubrication
........................................................................ 6-32
Wiper Blades
............................................................................... 6-33
Battery
......................................................................................... 6-36
Key Battery Replacement
........................................................... 6-38
Tires ............................................................................................. 6-41
Light Bulbs
.................................................................................. 6-45
Fuses
........................................................................................... 6-54
Appearance Care .............................................................................. 6-59
Exterior Care ............................................................................... 6-59
Interior Care
................................................................................ 6-68
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6 –8 Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance Remarks:
*1 Use of FL-22 is recommended when replacing engine coolant. Usin g engine coolant other than FL-22 may
cause serious damage to the engine and cooling system.
*2 According to state/provincial and federal regulations, failure to perform maintenance on these items will not
void your emissions warranties. However, Mazda recommends that all maintenance services be performed at the
recommended time or mileage/kilometer period to ensure long-term reliability.
*3 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.
*4 The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) initialization must be performed so that the system operates
normally (if equipped).
*5 If this component has been submerged in water, the oil should be replaced.
*6 Check the tire repair fluid expiration date every year when perf orming the periodic maintenance. Replace the
tire repair fluid bottle with new one before the expiration date .
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6 –21 Maintenance and Care
Scheduled MaintenanceYou can customize settings in the setup display as follows: Ta b Item Explanation
Scheduled Setting Notification can be switched on/off.
Time (months) Displays the time or distance until maintenance is due.
Select this item to set the maintenance period.
The wrench indication/indicator light in the instrument cluster will
be illuminated when the remaining distance is less than
1,000 km or 600 mile, or the remaining number of days is less than
15 (whichever comes first).Distance (km or mile)
Reset Resets the time and distance to the initial values.
Once the system turns on, it needs to be reset whenever carrying
out maintenance.
Tire Rotation Setting Notification can be switched on/off.
Distance (km or mile) Displays the distance until tire rotation is due.
Select this item to set the tire rotation distance.
The wrench indication/indicator light in the instrument cluster will
be illuminated when the remaining distance is less than 1,000 km
or 600 mile.
Reset Resets the remaining distance to the initial value.
Once the system turns on, it needs to be reset whenever rotating
the tires.
Oil Change Setting Interval Oil replacement period can be selected from the flexible setting or
fixed setting, or it can be set to non-display.
The flexible setting is available only in the United States and
Puerto Rico. Once engine oil flexible maintenance is selected,
the vehicle calculates the remaining oil life based on the engine
operating conditions. The vehicle lets you know when an oil
change is due by illuminating the wrench indicator light in the
instrument cluster. Mazda Genuine 0W-20 oil and Castrol ®
0W-20
oil are required to achieve optimum performance.
Distance (km or mile)
(Displays only in fixed
setting) Displays the distance until the oil replacement is due.
Select this item to set the oil replacement distance.
The wrench indication/indicator light in the instrument cluster will
be illuminated when the remaining distance is less than 1,000 km
or 600 mile.
Oil life (%)
(Displays only in flexible
setting) Displays the engine oil life until the oil replacement is due.
The wrench indication/indicator light in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated when the remaining oil life distance is less
than 1,000 km (600 mile), or remaining days are less than 15
(whichever comes first).
Reset In flexible setting: Resets the remaining oil life to 100 %.
In fixed setting: Resets the remaining distance to the initial v alue.
Once the Flexible Oil Maintenance Setting is selected, the syst em
must be reset whenever replacing the engine oil.
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6 –41 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
TiresFor reasons of proper performance, safety,
and better fuel economy, always maintain
recommended tire inflation pressures and
stay within the recommended load limits
and weight distribution.
WARNING Using Different Tire Types:
Driving your vehicle with different
types of tires is dangerous. It could
cause poor handling and poor braking;
leading to loss of control.
Except for the limited use of the
temporary spare tire, use only the
same type tires (radial, bias-belted,
bias-type) on all four wheels.
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:
Using any other tire size than what is
specified for the vehicle (page 9-8 )
is dangerous. It could seriously affect
ride, handling, ground clearance,
tire clearance, and speedometer
calibration. This could cause you to
have an accident. Use only tires that
are the correct size specified for the
vehicle. Tire Inflation Pressure
WARNING Always inflate the tires to the correct
pressure:
Overinflation or underinflation of tires
is dangerous. Adverse handling or
unexpected tire failure could result in a
serious accident.
Refer to Tires on page 9-8 .
Use only a Mazda-genuine tire valve
cap:
Use of a non-genuine part is
dangerous as the correct tire air
pressure cannot be maintained if the
tire valve becomes damaged. If the
vehicle is driven under this condition,
the tire air pressure will decrease which
could result in a serious accident. Do
not use any part for the tire valve cap
that is not a Mazda-genuine part.
Inspect all tire pressures monthly when
the tires are cold. Maintain recommended
pressures for the best ride, handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page
9-8 ).
(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 .
NOTE
Always check tire pressure when tires
are cold.
Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Do not release
air from warm tires to adjust the
pressure.
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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.
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6 –43 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
*Some models. Replacing a Tire
WARNING Always use tires that are in good
condition:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
Replace all four tires at the same time:
Replacing just one tire is dangerous. It
could cause poor handling and poor
braking resulting in loss of vehicle
control. Mazda strongly recommends
that you replace all four tires at the
same time.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
Ne w tread Tread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace the tire before the band
crosses the entire tread.
(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 . NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It
is recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate the
aging process. The period in which the tire
was manufactured (both week and year) is
indicated by a 4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 8-24 .
Replacing a Wheel
WARNING Always use wheels of the correct size on
your vehicle:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident.
CAUTION A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect:
Tire fit
Wheel and bearing life
Ground clearance
Snow-chain clearance
Speedometer calibration
Headlight aim
Bumper height
Tire Pressure Monitoring System *
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6 –44 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance NOTE
When replacing a wheel, make sure
the new one is the same as the original
factory wheel in diameter, rim width,
and offset (inset/outset).
For details, contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.
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6 –60 Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care Water Marks
Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can
contain harmful minerals such as salt and
lime. If moisture containing these minerals
settles on the vehicle and evaporates, the
minerals will concentrate and harden to
form white rings. The rings can damage
your vehicle's finish.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according to
the instructions in this section. These steps
should be taken immediately after you find
water marks on your vehicle's finish.
Paint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown
in the air by another vehicle's tires hits
your vehicle.
How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead reduces the chances
of having your paint chipped by flying
gravel. NOTE
The paint chipping zone varies with the
speed of the vehicle. For example, when
traveling at 90 km/h (56 mph), the paint
chipping zone is 50 m (164 ft).
In low temperatures a vehicle's finish
hardens. This increases the chance of
paint chipping.
Chipped paint can lead to rust forming
on your Mazda. Before this happens,
repair the damage by using Mazda
touch-up paint according to the
instructions in this section. Failure to
repair the affected area could lead to
serious rusting and expensive repairs.
Follow all label and container directions
when using a chemical cleaner or polish.
Read all warnings and cautions.
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