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

Battery
WA R N I N G
Wash hands after handling the battery and related accessories:
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Read the following precautions carefully before using the battery or inspecting to
ensure safe and correct handling:
Always wear eye protection when working near the battery:
Working without eye protection is dangerous. Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which
could cause blindness if splashed into your ey es. Also, hydrogen gas produced during normal
battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode.
Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with battery fluid:
Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could ca use serious injuries if it gets in eyes, or on
the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately
flush your eyes with water for 15 minutes or
wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.
Always keep batteries out of the reach of children:
Allowing children to play near batteries is da ngerous. Battery fluid could cause serious injuries
if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.
Keep flames and sparks away from open battery cells and do not allow metal tools to
contact the positive (
) or negative () terminal of the battery when working near a battery.
Do not allow the positive (
) terminal to contact the vehicle body:
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. Keep al l flames including cigarettes and sparks away
from open battery cells.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-31
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

Keep all flames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells a re 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.
NOTE
Before performing battery maintenance, remove the battery cover.

Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-32
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

▼Battery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
Keep it securely mounted.
Keep the top clean and dry.
Keep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with
petroleum jelly or
terminal grease.
Rinse off spilled electrolyte immediately
with a solution of water and baking
soda.
If the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables and charge the battery every six
weeks.
▼ Battery Replacement
Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer for a
battery replacement purchase.
Key Battery Replacement
If the buttons on the transmitter are
inoperable and the operation indicator
light does not flash, the battery may be
dead.
Replace with a new b
attery before the
transmitter becomes unusable.
CAUTION
 Make sure the battery is installed
correctly. Battery leakage could occur if it
is not installed correctly.
 When replacing the battery, be careful
not to touch any of the internal circuitry
and electrical terminals, bend the
electrical terminals, or get dirt in the
transmitter as the transmitter could be
damaged.
 There is the danger of explosion if the
battery is not correctly replaced.
 Dispose of used batteries according to
the following instructions.
 Insulate the plus and minus terminals
of the battery using cellophane or
equivalent tape.
 Never disassemble.
 Never throw the battery into fire or
water.
 Never deform or crush.
 Replace only with the same type battery
(CR2025 or equivalent).
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-33
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

The following conditions indicate that the
battery power is low:
The KEY indicator light (green) flashes
in the instrument cluster for about 30
seconds after the engine is turned off
(for vehicles with a type A instrument
cluster (page 4-26), messages are
displayed in the instrument cluster).
The system does not operate and the
operation indicator light on the
transmitter does not flash when the
buttons are pressed.
The system's operational range is
reduced.
Replacing the battery at an Authorized
Mazda Dealer is recommended to prevent
damage to the key. If replacing the battery
by yourself, follow the instruction.
Replacing the key battery
1. Press the knob and pull out the auxiliary key.
Knob
2. Twist a tape-wrapped flathead
screwdriver in the direction of the
arrow and open the cover slightly.
Cover
3. Insert the tape-wrapped flatheadscrewdriver into the gap and slide it in
the direction of the arrow.
Cover
Gap
4. Twist the flathead screwdriver in the
direction of the arrow and remove the
cover.
Cover
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-34
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

5. Remove the battery cap, then removethe battery.
CAUTION
Be careful not to allow the rubber
ring shown in the figure to be
scratched or damaged.
 If the rubber ring detaches, reattach
it before inserting a new battery.
Rubber ring
6. Insert a new battery with the positive
pole facing up, and then cover the
battery with the battery cap.
7. Close the cover.
8. Reinsert the auxiliary key.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-35
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

Tires
For reasons of proper performance, safety,
and better fuel economy, always maintain
recommended tire inflation pressures and
stay within the recommended load limits
and weight distribution.
WA R N I N G
Using Different Tire Types:
Driving your vehicle with different types of
tires is dangerous. It could cause poor
handling and poor braking; leading to loss
of control.
Except for the limited use of the temporary
spare tire, use only the same type tires
(radial, bias-belted, bias-type) on all four
wheels.
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:
Using any other tire size than what is
specified for the vehicle (page 9-8) is
dangerous. It could seriously affect ride,
handling, ground clearance, tire clearance,
and speedometer calibration. This could
cause you to have an accident. Use only
tires that are the correct size specified for
the vehicle.
▼ Tire Inflation Pressure
WA R N I N G
Always
inflate the tires to the correct
pressure:
Overinflation or
underinflation of tires is
dangerous. Adverse handling or
unexpected tire failure could result in a
serious accident.
Refer to Tires on page 9-8.
Use only a Mazda-genuine tire valve cap:
Use of a non-genuine part is dangerous as
the correct tire air pressure cannot be
maintained if the tire valve becomes
damaged. If the vehicle is driven under this
condition, the tire air pressure will decrease
which could result in a serious accident. Do
not use any part for the tire valve cap that
is not a Mazda-genuine part.
Inspect all tire pressures monthly when the
tires are cold. Maintain recommended
pressures for the best ride, handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page 9-
8).
NOTE
Always check tire pressure when tires
are cold.
Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Do not release
air from warm tires to adjust the
pressure.
Underinflation can cause reduced fuel
economy, uneven and accelerated tire
wear, and poor sealing of the tire bead,
which will deform the wheel and cause
separation of tire from rim.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-36
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

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
6-37
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27

▼Replacing a Tire
WA R N I N G
Always use tires that are in good condition:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and traction
could result in an accident.
Replace all four tires at the same time:
Replacing just one ti
re is dangerous. It
could cause poor handling and poor
braking resulting in loss of vehicle control.
Mazda strongly recommends that you
replace all four tires at the same time.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New tread Tread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace the tire before the band
crosses the entire tread.
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when they
are not being used on the road. It is
recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate the
aging process. The period in which the tire
was manufactured (both week and year) is
indicated by a 4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 8-25.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6-38
MX-5_8GF7-EA-17J_Edition2 2017-10-31 14:07:27