3 –1 *Some models.3 Before Driving Use of various features, including keys, doors, mirrors and windows.
Keys ...................................................... 3-2
Keys
............................................... 3-2
Keyless Entry System
.................... 3-3
Advanced Keyless Entry System ....... 3-8
Advanced Keyless Entry
System *
........................................... 3-8
Operational Range
......................... 3-9
Doors and Locks ................................ 3-10
Door Locks
................................... 3-10
Trunk Lid
..................................... 3-18
Inside Trunk Release Lever *
........ 3-20
Fuel and Emission ............................. 3-22
Fuel and Engine Exhaust
Precautions
................................... 3-22
Fuel-Filler Lid and Cap
................ 3-25
Steering Wheel ................................... 3-27
Steering Wheel
............................. 3-27
Mirrors ............................................... 3-28
Mirrors
......................................... 3-28
Windows ............................................. 3-31
Power Windows
........................... 3-31
Convertible Top (Soft Top) ............... 3-34
Convertible Top (Soft Top)
.......... 3-34 Convertible Top
(Retractable Fastback)
..................... 3-39
Convertible Top (Retractable
Fastback)
...................................... 3-39
Security System ................................. 3-47
Modification and Add-On
Equipment
.................................... 3-47
Immobilizer System
..................... 3-47
Theft-Deterrent System *
............... 3-49
Driving Tips ....................................... 3-51
Break-In Period
............................ 3-51
Saving Fuel and Protection of the
Environment
................................. 3-51
Hazardous Driving
....................... 3-52
Floor Mat
..................................... 3-52
Rocking the Vehicle
..................... 3-53
Winter Driving
............................. 3-53
Driving In Flooded Area
.............. 3-55
Overloading
.................................. 3-55
Driving on Uneven Road
............. 3-56
Towing ................................................ 3-57
Trailer Towing
.............................. 3-57
Recreational Towing
.................... 3-57
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3 –25 Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
Fuel-Filler Lid and Cap WARNING When removing the fuel-filler cap,
loosen the cap slightly and wait for any
hissing to stop, then remove it:
Fuel spray is dangerous. Fuel can
burn skin and eyes and cause illness
if ingested. Fuel spray is released
when there is pressure in the fuel tank
and the fuel-filler cap is removed too
quickly.
Before refueling, stop the engine, and
always keep sparks and flames away
from the filler neck:
Fuel vapor is dangerous. It could be
ignited by sparks or flames causing
serious burns and injuries.
Additionally, use of the incorrect fuel-
filler cap or not using a fuel-filler cap
may result in a fuel leak, which could
result in serious burns or death in an
accident.
Do not continue refueling after the fuel
pump nozzle shuts off automatically:
Continuing to add fuel after the
fuel pump nozzle has shut off
automatically is dangerous because
overfilling the fuel tank may cause
fuel overflow or leakage. Fuel overflow
and leakage could damage the vehicle
and if the fuel ignites it could cause a
fire and explosion resulting in serious
injury or death. CAUTION Always use only a genuine Mazda fuel-
filler cap or an approved equivalent,
available at an Authorized Mazda
Dealer. The wrong cap can result in
a serious malfunction of the fuel and
emission control systems. It may also
cause the check engine light in the
instrument cluster to illuminate.
Fuel-Filler Lid When the fuel-filler lid end is pressed with
the doors unlocked, the fuel-filler lid rises.
The fuel-filler lid operates in conjunction
with the door locking/unlocking
mechanism.
Make sure to lock both the doors when
leaving the vehicle.
Refer to Door Locks on page 3-10 .
To close, press the fuel-filler lid until a
click sound is heard.
NOTE
Lock the doors after closing the fuel lid.
If the fuel lid is closed after locking the
doors, the fuel lid cannot be locked.
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3 –26 Before Driving
Fuel and Emission Fuel-Filler CapTo remove the fuel-filler cap, turn it
counterclockwise.
Attach the removed cap to the inner side
of the fuel lid.
To close the fuel-filler cap, turn it
clockwise until a click is heard. Open
Close
CAUTION If the check fuel cap warning light
illuminates, the fuel-filler cap may not
be properly installed. If the warning
light illuminates, park your vehicle
safely off the right-of-way, remove the
fuel-filler cap and reinstall it correctly.
After the cap has been correctly
installed, the fuel cap warning light
may continue to illuminate until a
number of driving cycles have been
completed. A drive cycle consists of
starting the engine (after four or more
hours with the engine off ) and driving
the vehicle on city and highway roads.
Continuing to drive with the check
fuel cap warning light illuminated
could cause the check engine light to
illuminate as well.
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4 –28 When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.Signal Warning Lights Page
Seat Belt Warning Light 7-41*
Door-Ajar Warning Light 7-41*
Door-Ajar Warning Indication 7-41*
Trunk lid-Ajar Warning Indication 7-41*
Low Fuel Warning Indication/Warning Light 7-41
Check Fuel Cap Warning Light *1
7-41*
Low Washer Fluid Level Warning Indication/Warning Light 7-41
*1 The light turns on when the ignition is switched on for an operation check, and turns off a few seconds later or
when the engine is started. If the light does not turn on or remains turned on, have the vehicle inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
*2 The light turns on continuously when the parking brake is applied.
Indication/Indicator Lights
These lights turn on or flash to notify the user of the system o peration status or a system
malfunction. Signal Indicator Lights Page*
Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Indicator Light *1
2-37
(White/Green) *
KEY Indicator/Indicator Light 3-8
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 28 2016/08/11 20:28:48
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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7 –36 If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
*Some models. Contact Authorized Mazda Dealer and Have Vehicle InspectedIf any of the following warning lights or the indicator light t urns on/flashes, the system may
have a malfunction. Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have your vehicle inspected. Signal Warning
Master Warning
Indication/Warning
Light *
Type A instrument cluster
(Master warning indication)
Displays when notification of the system malfunctions is require d.
Check the message indicated in the display and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
(Master warning light)
The master warning light displays when a warning message occurs.
This indicates a malfunction with the vehicle system. Check the message indicated in the
display and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
For details, refer to the explanations for the warning/indicato r lights, in the warning/
indicator lights section, which match the symbol in the upper part of the display.
If a message is not indicated in the display, operate the INFO switch to display the
“Warning” screen.
Refer to Message Indicated in Multi-information Display and INF O switch on page 4-18 .
Type B instrument cluster
The light illuminates continuously if any one of the following occurs. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
There is a malfunction in the battery management system.
There is a malfunction in the brake switch.
Electric Vacuum
Pump Warning
Light The light turns on if the electric vacuum pump system has a problem. Have your vehicle
inspected at an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
ABS Warning Light If the ABS warning light stays on while you're driving, the ABS control unit has detected a
system malfunction. If this occurs, your brakes will function normally as if the vehicle had
no ABS.
Should this happen, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
NOTE
When the engine is jump-started to charge the battery, uneven rpm occurs and the ABS
warning light may illuminate. If this occurs, it is the result of the weak battery and does
not indicate an ABS malfunction.
Recharge the battery.
The brake assist system does not operate while the ABS warning light is illuminated.
Check Engine Light If this light illuminates while driving, the vehicle may have a problem. It is important to
note the driving conditions when the light illuminated and consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
The check engine light may illuminate in the following cases:
The engine's electrical system has a problem.
The emission control system has a problem.
The fuel tank level being very low or approaching empty.
The fuel-filler cap is missing or not tightened securely.
If the check engine light remains on, or it flashes continuously , do not drive at high speeds
and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
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7 –42 If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
*Some models.Signal Warning Action to be taken
Door-Ajar/Trunk
lid-Ajar Warning
Indication/Warning Light The light turns on if any door/trunk lid is
not closed securely. Close the door/trunk lid securely.
Low Fuel Warning Light The light turns on when the remaining fuel
is about 9.0 L (2.3 US gal, 1.9 Imp gal).
NOTE The light illumination timing may
vary because fuel inside the fuel tank
moves around according to the driving
conditions and the vehicle posture. Add fuel.
Check Fuel Cap Warning
Light If the check fuel cap warning light
illuminates while driving, the fuel-filler
cap may not be installed properly. Stop the engine and reinstall the fuel-filler
cap.
Refer to Fuel-Filler Cap on page 3-26
Low Washer Fluid Level
Warning Indication/
Warning Light *
This warning light indicates that little
washer fluid remains. Add washer fluid (page 6-31 ).
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9 –5 Specifications
Specifications Capacities(Approximate Quantities) Item Capacity
Engine oil With oil filter replacement 4.3 L (4.5 US qt, 3.8 Imp qt)
Without oil filter replacement 4.1 L (4.3 US qt, 3.6 Imp qt)
Coolant Manual transmission 6.0 L (6.3 US qt, 5.3 Imp qt)
Automatic transmission 5.9 L (6.2 US qt, 5.2 Imp qt)
Manual transmission oil 2.0 L (2.1 US qt, 1.8 Imp qt)
Automatic transmission fluid 7.2 L (7.6 US qt, 6.3 Imp qt)
Rear differential oil 0.6 L (0.6 US qt, 0.5 Imp qt)
Fuel tank 45.0 L (11.9 US gal, 9.90 Imp gal)
Check oil and fluid levels with dipsticks or reservoir gauges.
DimensionsU.S.A. and Canada Item Vehicle specification
Soft top model Retractable fastback model
Overall length 3,915 mm (154.1 in) 3,915 mm (154.1 in)
Overall width 1,735 mm (68.3 in) 1,735 mm (68.3 in)
Overall height 16 inch wheel vehicle 1,235 mm (48.6 in) —
17 inch wheel vehicle 1,240 mm (48.8 in) 1,245 mm (49.0 in)
Front tread 1,495 mm (58.9 in) 1,495 mm (58.9 in)
Rear tread 1,505 mm (59.3 in) 1,505 mm (59.3 in)
Wheelbase 2,310 mm (90.9 in) 2,310 mm (90.9 in)
Mexico Item Vehicle specification
Soft top model Retractable fastback model
Overall length 3,915 mm (154.1 in) 3,915 mm (154.1 in)
Overall width 1,735 mm (68.3 in) 1,735 mm (68.3 in)
Overall height 16 inch wheel vehicle 1,225 mm (48.2 in) —
17 inch wheel vehicle 1,230 mm (48.4 in) 1,235 mm (48.6 in)
Front tread 1,495 mm (58.9 in) 1,495 mm (58.9 in)
Rear tread 1,505 mm (59.3 in) 1,505 mm (59.3 in)
Wheelbase 2,310 mm (90.9 in) 2,310 mm (90.9 in)
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