Page 109 of 568
3 –53 Before Driving
Driving Tips
Rocking the Vehicle WARNING Do not spin the wheels at more than
56 km/h (35 mph), 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 tire could overheat and
explode. This could cause serious
injuries.
CAUTION Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transmission failure, and
tire 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 tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check
the following:
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-29 .
Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-27 ).
Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
Use washer fluid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer fluid (page 6-31 ).
NOTE
Do not use the parking brake in freezing
weather as it may freeze. Instead, shift
to P with an automatic transmission and
to 1 or R with a manual transmission.
Block the rear wheels.
Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision.
Do not open or close the soft top when
the temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) or less.
The material of the soft top could be
damaged by freezing.
Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows and
mirrors as it could result in the glass
cracking.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 53 2016/08/11 20:28:39
Page 457 of 568
7 –23 If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
Jump-StartingJump-starting is dangerous if done incorrectly. So follow the procedure carefully. If you
feel unsure about jump-starting, we strongly recommend that you have a competent service
technician do the work.
WARNING Follow These Precautions Carefully:
To ensure safe and correct handling of the battery, read the following precautions
carefully before using the battery or inspecting it.
Do not allow the positive ( ) terminal to contact any other metal object that
could cause sparks:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries. When working near a battery, do
not allow metal tools to contact the positive (
) or negative ( ) terminal of the battery.
Keep all flames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries.
Do not jump-start a frozen battery or one with a low fluid level:
Jump-starting a frozen battery or one with a low fluid level is dangerous. It may rupture
or explode, causing serious injury.
Connect the negative cable to a good ground point away from the battery:
Connecting the end of the second jumper cable to the negative (
) terminal of the
discharged battery is dangerous.
A spark could cause the gas around the battery to explode and injure someone.
Route the jumper cables away from parts that will be moving:
Connecting a jumper cable near or to moving parts (cooling fans, belts) is dangerous. The
cable could get caught when the engine starts and cause serious injury.
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7 –24 If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
CAUTION Use only a 12 V booster system. You can damage a 12 V starter, ignition system, and other
electrical parts beyond repair with a 24 V power supply (two 12 V batteries in series or a
24 V motor generator set). Jumper cables
Booster battery Discharged battery
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 24 2016/08/11 20:30:00
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7 –25 If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out1. Remove the battery cover.
2. Make sure the booster battery is 12
V and that its negative terminal is
grounded.
3. If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, do not allow both vehicles
to touch. Turn off the engine of the
vehicle with the booster battery and
all unnecessary electrical loads in both
vehicles.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact
sequence as in the illustration.
Connect one end of a cable to the
positive terminal on the discharged
battery (1).
Attach the other end to the positive
terminal on the booster battery (2).
Connect one end of the other cable to
the negative terminal of the booster
battery (3).
Connect the other end to the ground
point indicated in the illustration
away from the discharged battery (4).
5. Start the engine of the booster vehicle
and run it a few minutes. Then start the
engine of the other vehicle.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the
cables in the reverse order described in
the illustration. 7. If the battery cover has been removed,
install it in the reverse order of
removal.
NOTE
Verify that the covers are securely
installed.
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