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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 6-25.
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 6-23).
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
6-27).
NOTE
(Without electric parking brake (EPB))
Do not use the parking brake in freezing
weather as it may freeze. Instead, shift
to P with an automatic transaxle and to
1 or R with a manual transaxle. Block
the rear wheels.
Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision.
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.
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 Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with sno
w 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 c old-tire pressure
shown on the tires.
Except Mexico (18–inch wheel vehicle)
The vehicle is originally equipped with all
season radials designed to be used all year
around. In some extreme climates you
may find it necessary t o replace them with
snow tires during the winter months to
further improve traction on snow and ice
covered roads.
Mexico (18–inch wheel vehicle)
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.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Jump-Starting
Jump-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.
WA R N I N G
Follow These Precautions Carefully:
To ensure safe and correct handling of the ba ttery, 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 caus e 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 caus e 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 lo w 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 pa rts (cooling fans, belts) is dangerous. The
cable could get caught when the engine starts and cause serious injury.
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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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).
Connect cables in numerical order and disconnect in reverse order.Jumper cables
Booster battery
Discharged battery
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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1. Remove the battery cover.
2. Make sure the booster battery is 12 Vand 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 e nd 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. (With i-ELOOP system)
The i-ELOOP indicator light may flash
after the engine is started. The
indicator light turns off when the
engine is running and the charging is
completed. Make sure the i-ELOOP
indicator light is turns off before
driving.
NOTE
If the vehicle is driven with the
i-ELOOP indicator light flashing, a
beep sound is heard.
If the steering wheel is operated with
the i-ELOOP indicator light
flashing, it may feel heavier than
normal, however, this does not
indicate a malfunction. The steering
operation will return to normal when
the i-ELOOP indicator light turns
off.
Do not remove the jumper cables
while the i-ELOOP indicator light is
flashing.
7. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in the reverse order
described in the illustration.
8. If the battery cover has been removed,
install it in the reverse order of
removal.
NOTE
Verify that the covers are securely
installed.
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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