2017 MAZDA MX5 MIATA snow chains

3 –52 Before Driving
Driving Tips
Hazardous Driving WARNINGBe extremely careful if it is necessary to
downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear
while driving on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. The sudden change in tire
speed could cause the tires to skid. This
could lead to loss of vehicle control
and an accident.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards: 
Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking. 
Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering. 
Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-65 .
If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the rear
wheels. 
For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow,
use sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting,
or other nonslip material under the rear
wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the rear wheels. Floor Mat We recommend the use of Genuine
Mazda floor mats.
WARNING Make sure the floor mats are hooked on
the retention pins to prevent them from
bunching up under the foot pedals:
Using a floor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.
Do not install two floor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side:
Installing two floor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side is
dangerous as the retention pins can
only keep one floor mat from sliding
forward.
Loose floor mat(s) will interfere with
the foot pedal and could result in an
accident.
If using an all weather mat for winter
use always remove the original floor
mat.
When setting a floor mat, position the floor
mat so that its grommets are inserted over
the pointed end of the retention posts.
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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

3 –54 Before Driving
Driving Tips 
Drive slowly. Braking performance
can be adversely affected if snow or
ice adheres to the brake components. If
this situation occurs, drive the vehicle
slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal
and lightly applying the brakes several
times until the brake performance
returns to normal.
Snow TiresUse snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Inflate snow
tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm 2
, 4.3 psi) more
than recommended on the tire pressure
label (driver's door frame), but never
more than the maximum cold-tire pressure
shown on the tires.
The vehicle is originally equipped with
summer tires designed for optimum
traction on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, Mazda recommends that
you replace the tires originally equipped
on your vehicle with snow tires during the
winter months.
WARNINGUse only the same size and type tires
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four
wheels:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle's handling
could be greatly affected and result in
an accident.
CAUTION Check local regulations before using
studded tires. Tire Chains Check local regulations before using tire
chains.
CAUTION 
Chains may affect handling. 
Do not go faster than 50 km/h (30
mph) or the chain manufacturer's
recommended limit, whichever is lower. 
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes,
and sharp turns. 
Avoid locked-wheel braking. 
Do not use chains on roads that are free
of snow or ice. The tires and chains could
be damaged. 
Chains may scratch or chip aluminum
wheels.
NOTE
If your vehicle is equipped with the tire
pressure monitoring system, the system
may not function correctly when using tire
chains.
Install the chains on the rear tires only.
Do not use chains on the front tires.
Please consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Installing the chains
1. Secure the chains on the rear tires as
tightly as possible.
Always follow the chain manufacturer's
instructions.
2. Retighten the chains after driving
1/2—1 km (1/4—1/2 mile).
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 54 2016/08/11 20:28:39

4 –66 When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Traction Control System
(TCS) The Traction Control System (TCS)
enhances traction and safety by controlling
engine torque and braking. When the TCS
detects driving wheel slippage, it lowers
engine torque and operates the brakes to
prevent loss of traction.
This means that on a slick surface, the
engine adjusts automatically to provide
optimum power to the drive wheels,
limiting wheel spin and loss of traction.
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-26 .
WARNINGDo not rely on the Traction Control
System (TCS) as a substitute for safe
driving:
The Traction Control System (TCS)
cannot compensate for unsafe and
reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), and hydroplaning
(reduced tire friction and road contact
because of water on the road surface).
You can still have an accident.
Use snow tires or tire chains and drive at
reduced speeds when roads are covered
with ice and/or snow:
Driving without proper traction devices
on snow and/or ice-covered roads
is dangerous. The Traction Control
System (TCS) alone cannot provide
adequate traction and you could still
have an accident. NOTE
To turn off the TCS, press the DSC OFF
switch (page 4-68 ).
TCS/DSC Indicator Light
This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON. If the TCS or DSC is operating, the
indicator light flashes.
If the light stays on, the TCS, DSC
or the brake assist system may have a
malfunction and they may not operate
correctly. Take your vehicle to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
NOTE 
In addition to the indicator light
flashing, a slight lugging sound will
come from the engine. This indicates
that the TCS/DSC is operating properly. 
On slippery surfaces, such as fresh
snow, it will be impossible to achieve
high rpm when the TCS is on.
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4 –107 When Driving
Tire Pressure Monitoring SystemNOTE
Because this system detects slight changes in tire conditions, the timing of the warning may
be faster or slower in the following cases: 
The size, manufacturer, or the type of tires is different from the specification. 
The size, manufacturer, or the type of a tire is different from the others, or the level of tire
wear is excessively different between them. 
A run-flat tire, studless tire, snow tire, or tire chains are used. 
An emergency tire is used (The tire pressure monitoring system warning light may flash
and then continue illuminating). 
A tire is repaired using the emergency flat tire repair kit. 
The tire pressure is excessively higher than the specified pressure, or the tire pressure is
suddenly lowered for some reason such as a tire burst during driving. 
The vehicle speed is lower than about 15 km/h (9.3 mph) (including when the vehicle is
stopped), or the drive period is shorter than 5 minutes. 
The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road or a slippery, icy road. 
Hard steering and rapid acceleration/deceleration are repeated such as during aggressive
driving on a winding road. 
Load on the vehicle is applied to a tire such as by loading heavy luggage to one side of
the vehicle. 
System initialization has not been implemented with the specifie d tire pressure.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 107 2016/08/11 20:29:05

10 –7Storage Compartments ...................... 5-138
Back trim storage box
................. 5-139
Console box
................................. 5-138
Seat side box
............................... 5-138
Sunvisors
........................................... 5-132
T Tachometer .......................................... 4-13
Theft-Deterrent System
....................... 3-49
Tiedown
Hook
.............................................. 7-31
Tire Inflation Pressure Warning Beep ... 7-51
Tire Information
.................................. 8-24
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
..... 4-105
Tires
.................................................... 6-41
Flat tire
............................................ 7-3
Replacing a tire
............................. 6-43
Replacing a wheel
......................... 6-43
Snow tires
...................................... 3-54
Specifications
.................................. 9-8
Tire chains
..................................... 3-54
Tire inflation pressure
.................... 6-41
Tire rotation
................................... 6-42
Uniform tire quality grading system
(UTQGS)
....................................... 8-22
Towing
Recreational towing
...................... 3-57
Trailer towing
................................ 3-57
Towing Description
............................. 7-30
Traction Control System (TCS)
.......... 4-66
TCS/DSC indicator light
............... 4-66
Transmitter
............................................ 3-4
Trip Computer
..................................... 4-16
Trip Meter
.................................. 4-12, 4-20 Trouble
Battery runs out ............................. 7-23
Emergency starting
........................ 7-26
Emergency towing
........................ 7-30
Flat tire
............................................ 7-3
Overheating
................................... 7-27
Parking in an emergency
................. 7-2
When fuel-filler lid cannot be
opened
........................................... 7-29
When the roof cannot be closed
.... 7-57
When trunk lid cannot be opened ... 7-52
Trunk Lid
............................................ 3-18
Inside trunk release lever
.............. 3-20
When trunk lid cannot be opened ... 7-52
Turn Signals
........................................ 4-50
V Vanity Mirrors ................................... 5-132
Vehicle Information Labels
................... 9-2Inde x
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