2018 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 Owners Manual (in English)

Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
▼Fuel Requirements
Vehicles with catalytic converters or oxygen sensors must use O
NLY UNLEADED FUEL,
which will reduce exhaust emissions and keep spark plug fouling to a minimum.

This vehicle will perform best w ith fuel listed in the table.
Fuel
Octane Rating* (Anti-knock index)
Premium unleaded fuel 91 [(R
M)/2 method] or above (96 RON or above)
U.S. federal law requires that octane ratings be posted on gaso
line station pumps.
Regular unleaded fuel with an octane rating from 87 to 90 (91 to 95 RON) can be used, but
this will reduce performance slightly, such as reduced engine o utput, and engine knocking.
Fuel with a rating lower than 87 octane (91 RON) will negativel y affect the emission control
system performance and could also cause engine knocking and ser ious engine damage.
CAUTION
USE ONLY UNLEADED FUEL.
Leaded fuel is harmful to the catalytic co nverter and oxygen sensors and will lead to
deterioration of the emission control system and or failures.
 This vehicle can only use oxygenated fuels containing no more than 10 % ethanol by
volume. Damage to the vehicle may occur when ethanol exceeds this recommendation, or
if the gasoline contains any methanol. Stop us ing gasohol of any kind if your vehicle engine
is performing poorly.
 Never add fuel system additive s, otherwise the emission control system could be damaged.
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer for details.
Gasoline blended with oxygenates such as alcohol or ether compo unds are generally
referred to as oxygenated fuels. The common gasoline blend that can be used with your
vehicle is ethanol blended at no more than 10 %. Gasoline conta ining alcohol, such as
ethanol or methanol, may be marketed under the name "Gasohol".

Vehicle damage and drivability problems resulting from the use of the following may not be
covered by the warranty.
Gasohol containing mo re than 10 % ethanol.
Gasoline or gasohol containing methanol.
Leaded fuel or leaded gasohol.
Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
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▼Emission Control System
This vehicle is equipped with an
emission control system (the catalytic converter is part of
this system) that enables the vehicle to comply with existing e xhaust emissions
requirements.
WA R N I N G
Never park over or near anything flammable:
Parking over or near anything flammable, such as dry grass, is dangerous. Even with the
engine turned off, the exhaust system remains very hot after normal use and could ignite
anything flammable. A resulting fire could cause serious injury or death.
CAUTION
Ignoring the following precautions could cause le ad to accumulate on the catalyst inside the
converter or cause the converter to get very ho t. Either condition will damage the converter
and cause poor performance.
 USE ONLY UNLEADED FUEL.
 Do not drive your Mazda with any sign of engine malfunction.
 Do not coast with the ignition switched off.
 Do not descend steep grades in gear with the ignition switched off.
 Do not operate the engine at hi gh idle for more than 2 minutes.
 Do not tamper with the emission control syst em. All inspections and adjustments must be
made by a qualified technician.
 Do not push-start or pull-start this vehicle.
NOTE
Under U.S. federal law, any modification to the original-equipment emission control
system before the first sale and registration of a vehicle is subject to penalties. In some
states, such modification made on a used vehicle is also subject to penalties.
While the engine is off, the sound of a valve opening and closing can be heard at the rear
of the vehicle, however this does not indicate an abnormality. The vehicle has a
self-checking device and it oper ates while the engine is off.
Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
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▼Engine Exhaust (Carbon monoxide)
WA R N I N G
Do not drive your vehicle if you smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle:
Engine exhaust gas is dangerous. This gas contai
ns carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless,
odorless, and poisonous. When inhaled, it can cause loss of consciousness and death. If you
smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle, keep al l windows fully open and contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer immediately.
Do not run the engine when inside an enclosed area:
Running the engine inside an enclosed area, such as a garage, is dangerous. Exhaust gas,
which contains poisonous carbon monoxide , could easily enter the cabin. Loss of
consciousness or even death could occur.
Open the windows or adjust the heating or cooling system to draw fresh air when idling the
engine:
Exhaust gas is dangerous. When the vehicle is stopped with the windows closed and the
engine running for a long time even in an open area, exhaust gas, which contains poisonous
carbon monoxide, could enter the cabin. Loss of consciousness or even death could occur.
Clear snow from underneath and around your vehicle, particularly the tail pipe, before
starting the engine:
Running the engine when a vehicle is stopped in deep snow is dangerous. The exhaust pipe
could be blocked by the snow, allowing exhaus t gas to enter the cabin. Because exhaust gas
contains poisonous carbon monoxide, it could cause loss of consciousness or even death to
occupants in the cabin.
Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
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Fuel-Filler Lid and Cap
WA R N I N G
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 ge nuine 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.
▼ Refueling
Before refueling, close both the doors,
windows, and the trunk lid, and switch the
ignition OFF.
1. To open the fuel-filler lid, pressed the
edge of the lid with the doors
unlocked.

NOTE
The fuel-filler lid operates in
conjunction with the door locking/
unlocking mechanism.
2. To remove the fuel-filler cap, turn it counterclockwise.
Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
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3. Attach the removed cap to the innerside of the fuel-filler lid.

Fuel-filler lid
Fuel-filler cap
4. Insert the refuelin g nozzle all the way
and begin refueling. Pull out the
refueling nozzle after the refueling
stops automatically.
5. To close the fuel-filler cap, turn it clockwise until a click is heard.
6. To close, press the fuel-filler lid until a
click sound is heard.

7. Make sure to lock both the doors whenleaving the vehicle.
Refer to Door Locks on page 3-11.
NOTE
Lock the doors after closing the
fuel-filler lid.
If the fuel-filler lid is closed after
locking the doors, the fuel-filler lid
cannot be locked.
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 th e 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.
Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
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Steering Wheel
WA R N I N G
Never adjust the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving:
Adjusting the steering wheel while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous. Moving it
can very easily cause the driver to abruptly
turn to the left or right. This can lead to loss
of control or an accident.
▼Steering Wheel Adjustment
To change the angle of the steering wheel:
1. Stop the vehicle, and then pull down
the lock release lever under the
steering column.

Lock release lever
2. Tilt the steering w heel to the desired
positions, then push the lever up to
lock the column.
3. Attempt to push the steering wheel up
and down to make sure it's locked
before driving.
Before Driving
Steering Wheel
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Mirrors
Before driving, adjust the inside and
outside mirrors.
▼Outside Mirrors
WA R N I N G
Be sure to look over your shoulder before
changing lanes:
Changing lanes without taking into
account the actual distance of the vehicle
in the convex mirror is dangerous. You
could have a serious accident. What you
see in the convex mirror is closer than it
appears.
Mirror type
Flat type (driver's side)
Flat surface mirror.
Convex type (passenger side)
The mirror has single curvature on its
surface.
Power mirror adjustment
The ignition must be switched to ACC or
ON position.

To adjust:
1. Rotate the mirror
switch to the left
or
right
to choose the left or right side
mirror.
2. Press the mirror switch in the appropriate direction.
Center position
Mirror switch
After adjusting the m irror, lock the control
by rotating the switch in the center
position.
Folding mirror
WA R N I N G
Always return the outside mirrors to the
driving position before you start driving:
Driving with the outside mirrors folded in is
dangerous. Your rear view will be
restricted, and you could have an accident.
Manually fold the outside mirror rearward
until it is flush w ith the vehicle.
Before Driving
Mirrors
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Driver's side auto-dimming door
mirror*
The movement of the auto-dimming door
mirror is interlocked with the
auto-dimming rearview mirror in the
interior to automatically reduce glare from
rear on-coming vehicles.
Refer to Rearview Mirror on page 3-30.
NOTE
The passenger-side door mirror does not
have the auto-dimming feature.
▼Rearview Mirror
WA R N I N G
Do not stack cargo or objects higher than
the seatbacks:
Cargo stacked higher than the seatbacks is
dangerous. It can block your view in the
rearview mirror, which might cause you to
hit another car when changing lanes.
Rearview mirror adjustment
Before driving, adjust
the rearview mirror
to center on the scene through the rear
window.

NOTE
For the manual day/night mirror, perform
the adjustment with the day/night lever in
the day position.
Reducing glare from headlights
Manual day/night mirror
Push the day/night lever forward for day
driving. Pull it back to reduce glare of
headlights from vehicles at the rear.

Day/Night lever
Day
Night
Auto-dimming mirror
The auto-dim ming mirror automatically
reduces the glare of headlights from
vehicles at the rear when the ignition is
switched ON.

Press the OFF button (
) to cancel the
auto-dimming function. The indicator light
will turn off.
To reactivate the auto-dimming function,
press the ON button (
). The indicator
light will illuminate.
Indicator lightOFF button
ON button

Before Driving
Mirrors
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