2017 MAZDA MX5 MIATA Owners Manual

6 –23 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
WARNING Do not perform maintenance work if you lack sufficient knowledge and experience
or the proper tools and equipment to do the work. Have maintenance work done by a
qualified technician:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle is dangerous if not done properly. You can be
seriously injured while performing some maintenance procedures.
If you must run the engine while working under the hood, make certain that you
remove all jewelry (especially rings, bracelets, watches, and necklaces) and all
neckties, scarves, and similar loose clothing before getting near the engine or cooling
fan which may turn on unexpectedly:
Working under the hood with the engine running is dangerous. It becomes even more
dangerous when you wear jewelry or loose clothing.
Either can become entangled in moving parts and result in injury.
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 indefinitely 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 leave items in the engine compartment:
After you have finished checking or doing servicing in the engine compartment, do not
forget and leave items such as tools or rags in the engine compartment.
Tools or other items left in the engine compartment could cause engine damage or a fire
leading to an unexpected accident.
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6 –24 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
HoodWARNINGAlways check that the hood is closed
and securely locked:
A hood that is not closed and securely
locked is dangerous as it could fly open
while the vehicle is moving and block
the driver's vision which could result in
a serious accident.
Opening the Hood1. With the vehicle parked, pull the
release handle to unlock the hood.

Release handle 2. Insert your hand into the hood opening,
slide the latch lever to the right, and lift
up the hood.

Le ve r
3. Grasp the support rod in the padded
area and secure it in the support rod
hole indicated by the arrow to hold the
hood open.
Pa d
Support rod
Clip
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6 –25 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance Closing the Hood1. Check under the hood area to make
certain all filler caps are in place and all
loose items (e.g. tools, oil containers,
etc.) have been removed.
2. Lift the hood, grasp the padded area on
the support rod, and secure the support
rod in the clip. Verify that the support
rod is secured in the clip before closing
the hood.

ClipPa d
3. Lower the hood slowly to a height of
about 20 cm (7.9 in) above its closed
position and then let it drop.
CAUTION When closing the hood, do not push
it excessively such as by applying your
weight. Otherwise, the hood could be
deformed.
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6 –26 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Engine Compartment OverviewW indshield washer fluid reservoir Brake/Clutch fluid reservoir
Engine oil dipstick
Battery Fuse blockCooling system cap
Engine coolant reservoirEngine oil-filler cap
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6 –27 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Engine OilNOTE
Changing the engine oil should be
performed by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Refer to Introduction (page 6-2 ) for
owner's responsibility in protecting your
investment.
Recommended OilU.S.A., Canada, and Puerto Rico
Use SAE 0W-20 engine oil.
Mazda Genuine Oil is used in your
Mazda vehicle. Mazda Genuine 0W-20
Oil is required to achieve optimum fuel
economy. For maintenance service, Mazda
recommends Mazda Genuine Parts and
Castrol ®
(U.S.A. only).
(ILSAC)
Only use SAE 0W-20 oil “Certified For
Gasoline Engines” by the American
Petroleum Institute (API).
Oil with this trademark symbol conforms
to the current engine and emission system
protection standards and fuel economy
requirements of the International Lubricant
Standardization and Approval Committee
(ILSAC), comprised of U.S. and Japanese
automobile manufacturers. 80
60
4020
0–40 –20 30
100 4020
100
–10–20
–30–40
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6 –28 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance Except U.S.A., Canada, and Puerto Rico
Use SAE 5W-30 engine oil.
Oil container labels provide important
information.
A chief contribution this type of oil makes
to fuel economy is reducing the amount of
fuel necessary to overcome engine friction.
For maintenance service, Mazda
recommends Mazda Genuine Parts and
Castrol ®
(Mexico only).
(ILSAC)
(Mexico)
Use SAE 5W-30 engine oil. If SAE 5W-30
engine oil is not available, use SAE 5W-20
engine oil. The quality designation SM, or ILSAC
must be on the label. 80
60
4020
0–40 –20 30
100 4020
100
–10–20
–30–40
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 oil pan.
4. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
reinsert it fully.

MINMAX
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 overfill the engine oil. This may
cause engine damage.
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6 –29 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance6. 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 flame 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 indefinitely 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.
NOTE
Changing the coolant should be done by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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6 –30 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance 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 traveling 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 fa nCooling 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 (demineralized) 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 aluminum 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.
If the coolant reservoir is empty or new
coolant is required frequently, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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