Overinflation can produce a harsh ride,
uneven and accelerated tire wear, and a
greater possibility of damage from road
hazards.
Keep your tire pressure at the correct
levels. If one frequently needs inflating,
have it inspected.
▼Tire Rotation
WA R N I N G
Rotate tires periodically:
Irregular tire wear is dangerous. To
equalize tread wear for maintaining good
performance in handling and braking,
rotate the tires every 12,000 km (7,500
miles). However Mazda recommends to
rotate every 8,000 km (5,000 miles) to help
increase tire life and distribute wear more
evenly.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance on page
6-4.
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
Incorrect tire pressure
Improper wheel alignment
Out-of-balance wheel
Severe braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 9-8) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
CAUTION
Rotate unidirectional tires and radial tires
that have an asymmetrical tread pattern or
studs only from front to rear, not from side
to side. Tire performance will be reduced if
rotated from side to side.
(With limited-slip differential)
Do not use the following:
Tires not of the designated size
Tires of
different sizes or types at the
same time
Tires not sufficiently inflated
If these instructions are not followed, the
rotation of the left and right wheels will be
different and will thus apply a constant
load on the limited-slip differential.
This will cause a malfunction.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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▼Replacing a Wheel
WA R N I N G
Always use wheels of the correct size on
your vehicle:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is dangerous.
Braking and handling could be affected,
leading to loss of control and an accident.
CAUTION
A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect:
Tire fit
Wheel and bearing life
Ground clearance
Snow-chain clearance
Speedometer calibration
Headlight aim
Bumper height
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
NOTE
When replacing a wheel, make sure the
new one is the same as the original
factory wheel in diameter, rim width,
and offset (inset/outset).
For details, contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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5. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
6. Install the new bulb in the reverseorder of the removal procedure.
Front side-marker lights
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off, and the headlight switch is off.
2. If you are changing the right bulb, start the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the right, and turn off
engine. If you are changing the left
bulb, turn the steering wheel to the left.
3. Pull the center of each plastic retainer
and remove the retainers, and then
partially peel back the mudguard.
Removal
Installation
4. Turn the socket and bulb assembly
counterclockwise and remove it.
5. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
6. Install the new bulb in the reverseorder of the removal procedure.
Front turn signal lights
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off, and the headligh t switch is off.
2. If you are changing the right bulb, start the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the right, and turn off
engine. If you are changing the left
bulb, turn the steering wheel to the left.
3. Pull the center of each plastic retainer and remove the retainers, and then
partially peel back the mudguard.
Removal
Installation
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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4. Disconnect the connector from the unitby pressing the tab on the connector
with your finger and pulling the
connector rearward.
5. Turn the socket and bulb assemblycounterclockwise and remove it.
6. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
7. Install the new bulb in the reverseorder of the removal procedure.
Side turn signal lights
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off,and the headlight switch is off.
2. If you are changing the right bulb, start the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the right, and turn off
engine. If you are changing the left
bulb, turn the steering wheel to the left.
3. Pull the center of each plastic retainer and remove the retainers, and then
partially peel back the mudguard.
Removal
Installation
4. Remove the unit by pressing the tab onthe unit with your finger and pulling
the unit forward.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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▼Bright-Metal Maintenance
Use tar remover to remove road tar and
insects. Never do this with a knife or
similar tool.
To prevent corrosi
on on bright-metal
surfaces, apply wax or chrome
preservative and rub it to a high luster.
During cold weather o r in coastal areas,
cover bright-metal parts with a coating
of wax or preservative heavier than
usual. It would also help to coat them
with noncorrosive petroleum jelly or
some other protective compound.
CAUTION
Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or
strong detergents containing highly
alkaline or caustic agents on
chrome-plated or anodized aluminum
parts. This may result in damage to the
protective coating and cause discoloration
or paint deterioration.
▼ Underbody Maintenance
Road chemicals and salt used for ice and
snow removal and solvents used for dust
control may collect on the underbody. If
not removed, they will speed up rusting
and deterioration of
such underbody parts
as fuel lines, frame, floor pan, and exhaust
system, even though these parts may be
coated with anti-corrosive material.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and
wheel housings with lukewarm or cold
water at the end of each winter. Try also to
do this every month.
Pay special attention to these areas
because they easily hide mud and dirt. It
will do more harm than good to wet
down the road grime without removing
it.
The lower edges of doors, rocker panels,
and frame members have drain holes that
should not be clogged. Water trapped there
will cause rusting.
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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WA R N I N G
Dry off brakes that have become wet by
driving slowly, releasing the accelerator
pedal and lightly applying the brakes
several times until the brake performance
returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the vehicle
pulling to one side when braking could
result in a serious accident. Light braking
will indicate whether the brakes have been
affected.
▼ Aluminum Wheel Maintenance
A protective coating is provided over the
aluminum wheels. Special care is needed
to protect this coating.
CAUTION
Do not use any detergent other than mild
detergent. Before using any detergent,
verify the ingredients. Otherwise, the
product could discolor or stain the
aluminum wheels.
NOTE
Do not use a wire brush or any abrasive
cleaner, polishing compound, or solvent
on aluminum wheels. They may damage
the coating.
Always use a sponge or soft cloth to
clean the wheels.
Rinse the wheels thoroughly with
lukewarm or cold water. Also, be sure to
clean the wheels after driving on dusty
or salted roads to help prevent
corrosion.
▼Convertible Top (Soft Top)
Maintenance
The convertible top is made of a special
high-grade material, but if it's not taken
good care of, hardening, staining, and loss
of luster will result. Maintain it under
these guidelines.
Wa s h i n g
Do not wait until the convertible top gets
really dirty before cleaning it. Dirt that's
there too long will cause deterioration.
1. Before washing, remove dust and
coarse particulate with a soft brush.
2. Gently clean the convertible top with a
synthetic neutral detergent, lots of
water, and a soft brush.
3. Rinse it thoroughly with clean water to
remove all the soap.
4. Wipe it as dry as you can before the
water dries on it.
5. Then allow it to dry completely before lowering it.
CAUTION
Automatic and high-pressure car washes
are harmful to a convertible top. Avoid
them.
Do not spray water directly on the area
where the window glass and the
convertible top meet. This would
probably cause water to enter the cabin.
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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WA R N I N G
Do not allow children to touch the tire
sealant:
Ingestion of tire sealant is dangerous. In
the event tire sealant is accidentally
swallowed, drink large amounts of water
immediately and seek medical
assistance.
Tire sealant that comes into contact with
the eyes and skin is dangerous. If tire
sealant enters the eyes or contacts the
skin, flush immediately with large
amounts of water and seek medical
assistance.
NOTE
The tire sealant cannot be reused.
Purchase new tire sealant at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
The emergency flat tire repair kit cannot
be used in the following cases.
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
The period of effective use for the tire
sealant has expired. (The period of
effectiveness is indicated on the bottle
label.)
The tear or puncture exceeds about 4
mm (0.16 in).
The damage has occurred to an area
of the tire other than the tread.
The vehicle has been driven with
nearly no air remaining in the tire.
The tire has come off the wheel rim.
Damage to the wheel rim has
occurred.
The tire has two or more punctures.
▼ Using the Emergency Flat Tire
Repair Kit
U.S.A. and Canada
1. Move the vehicle off the right-of-way
to a safe place on a level and hard
surface where the vehicle does not
obstruct traffic.
2. Shift the shift lever to the 1 or Reverse (R) position for a manual transmission,
and shift the selector lever to the P
position for an automatic transmission.
3. Apply the parking brake with the brake pedal depressed and turn off the
engine.
4. If necessary, flash the hazard warning
lights and set up the roadside
emergency triangle.
5. Unload passengers and cargo and
remove the emergency flat tire repair
kit.
Hardtop modelSoft top model
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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If the tire inflation pressure does not
increase, repair of the tire is not
possible. If the tire does not reach
the specified tire inflation pressure
within 10 minutes, it may have
received extensive damage. In this
case, the repair using the emergency
flat tire repair kit was not successful.
Contact an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
13. Adhere the speed restriction sticker to
an area where it can be viewed easily
by the driver.
14. Adhere the repaired tire sticker to thewheel of the flat tire.
WA R N I N G
Do not adhere the speed restriction
sticker to the padded area on the
steering wheel:
Adhering the speed restriction sticker to
the padded area on the steering wheel
is dangerous because the air bag may
not operate (deploy) normally resulting
in serious injury. In addition, do not
adhere the sticker to areas where
warning lights or the speedometer
cannot be viewed.
15. When the tire inflates to the specified tire inflation pre ssure, turn the air
compressor switch off, turn the sleeve
of the injection hose to the left, and
pull it out of the tire valve.
16. Remove the air compressor hose from
the injection valve of the bottle. After
that, install the injection hose to the
injection valve of t he bottle to prevent
leakage of any remaining sealant.
CAUTION
The remaining sealant in the hose may
spray out when the hose is removed.
Remove the hose carefully because you
may not be able to remove the sealant
contacting clothing or other objects.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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