▼Repairing Damage to the Finish
Deep scratches or chips on the finish
should be repaired
promptly. Exposed
metal quickly rusts and can lead to major
repairs.
CAUTION
If your Mazda is damaged and needs metal
parts repaired or replaced, make sure the
body shop applies anti-corrosion materials
to all parts, both repaired and new. This
will prevent them from rusting.
▼ Bright-Metal Maintenance
Use tar remover to r
emove road tar and
insects. Never do this with a knife or
similar tool.
To prevent corrosion on bright-metal
surfaces, apply wax or chrome
preservative and rub it to a high luster.
During cold weather or 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 p etroleum 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 s
alt 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.
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.
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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▼Active Driving Display
Maintenance*
The dust-proof sheet has a coating. When
cleaning, do not use a hard or
rough-surface cloth, or cleaning detergent.
In addition, if a chemi
cal solvent gets on
the active driving di splay, wipe it off
immediately. The dust-proof sheet could
be damaged and the surface coating could
be scratched. Use a fin e, soft cloth such as
those used for cleaning eyeglasses.
NOTE
Use of compressed air when cleaning the
dust-proof sheet is recommended.
▼ Panel Maintenance
If a panel becomes so
iled, wipe it off with
a soft cloth soaked in clean water and
thoroughly wrung out.
If some areas require further cleaning, use
the following procedure:
1. Wipe the soiled area with a soft cloth
soaked in a mild detergent (approx.
5 %) diluted with water.
2. Wipe off the remaining detergent using a cloth soaked in clean water and
wrung out well.
NOTE
Be particularly careful when cleaning
shiny surface panels and metallic parts
such as plating as they can be scratched
easily.
▼Cleaning the Window Interiors
If the windows become covered with an
oily, greasy, or waxy film, clean them with
glass cleaner. Follow the directions on the
container.
CAUTION
Do not scrape or scratch the inside of the
window glass. It could damage the
thermal filaments and the antenna lines.
When washing the inside of the window
glass, use a soft cloth dampened in
lukewarm water, gently wiping the
thermal filaments and the antenna lines.
Use of glass cleaning products could
damage the thermal filaments and the
antenna lines.
▼ Cleaning the Floor Mats
Rubber floor mats should be cleaned with
mild soap and water only.
WA R N I N G
Do not use rubber cleaners, such as tire
cleaner or tire shine, when cleaning rubber
floor mats:
Cleaning the rubber floor mats with rubber
cleaning products makes the
floor mats
slippery.
This may cause an accident when
depressing the accelerator, brake, or clutch
(Manual transmission) pedal or when
getting in or out of the vehicle.
After removing the floor mats for
cleaning, always rein stall them securely
(page 3-45).
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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Changing a Flat Tire
▼Changing a Flat Tire
NOTE
If the following occurs while driving, it
could indicate a flat tire.
Steering becomes difficult.
The vehicle begins to vibrate
excessively.
The vehicle pulls in one direction.
If you have a flat tire, drive sl owly to a
level spot that is well off the road and out
of the way of traffic to change the tire.
Stopping in traffic or on the shoulder of a
busy road is dangerous.
WA R N I N G
Be sure to follow the directions for
changing a tire:
Changing a tire is dangerous if not done
properly. The vehicle can slip off the jack
and seriously injure someone.
No person should place any portion of their
body under a vehicle th at is supported by a
jack.
Never allow anyone inside a vehicle
supported by a jack:
Allowing someone to remain in a vehicle
supported by a jack is dangerous. The
occupant could cause the vehicle to fall
resulting in serious injury.
NOTE
Make sure the jack is well lubricated
before using it.
1. Park on a hard, level surface off the right-of-way and firm ly set the parking
brake.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transmission in Park (P), a manual
transmission in Reverse (R) or 1, and
turn off the engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle and away from the vehicle and traffic.
5. Remove the jack, tool, and spare tire
(page 7-3).
6. Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat tire. When blocking a wheel,
place a tire block both in front and
behind the tire.
NOTE
When blocking a tire, use rocks or
wood blocks of sufficient size if
possible to hold the tire in place.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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▼Removing a Flat Tire
WA R N I N G
When jacking-up a vehicle, always shift the
shift lever to 1st or R position (manual
transmission vehicle) or shift the selector
lever to P position (automatic transmission
vehicle), apply the parking brake, and place
wheel blocks in the position diagonally
opposed to the jack:
Changing a
flat tire without using wheel
blocks is dangerous because the vehicle
may move and fall off the jack even with
the shift lever in 1st or R position, or the
selector lever is in P position, which could
result in an accident.
1. If your vehicle is equipped with a wheel cover, pry off the wheel cover
with the beveled end of the jack lever.
NOTE
Force the end of the jack lever firmly
between wheel and cover, or removal
will be difficult.
2. Loosen the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise one turn each, but do
not remove any lug nuts until the tire
has been raised off the ground.
NOTE
If your Mazda is equipped with the
optional antitheft wheel lug nuts, a
special key must be used to unlock the
locking lug nut for each wheel. For
details, refer to the Locking Lug Nuts
on page 7-10.
3. Place the jack on the ground.
4. Turn the jack screw in the direction shown in the figure and adjust the jack
head so that it is close to the jack-up
position.
1. Jack head
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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Starting a Flooded Engine
▼Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).
Follow this procedure:
1. If the engine does not start within 5
seconds on the first try, wait 10
seconds and try again.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the accelerator all the way and hold it there.
4. Depress the clutch pedal (manual
transmission) or the brake pedal
(automatic transmission), then press
the push button start. If the engine
starts, release the accelerator
immediately because the engine will
suddenly rev up.
5. If the engine fails to start, crank it
without depressing the accelerator.
If the engine still does not start using the
previous procedure, have your vehicle
inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Push-Starting
▼ Push-Starting
Do not push-start your Mazda.
WA R N I N G
Never tow a vehicle to start it:
Towing a vehicle to start it is dangerous.
The vehicle being towed could surge
forward when its engine starts, causing the
2 vehicles to collide. The occupants could
be injured.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transmission. It can damage the
emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing it.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
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Overheating
▼Overheating
If the engine coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheati
ng and the high engine
coolant temperature warning indication is
displayed, the vehicle loses power or you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine is probably too hot.
WA R N I N G
Pull over to a safe location, then switch
the ignition off and make sure the fan is
not running before attempting to work
near the cooling fan:
Working near the cooling fan when it is
running is dangerous. The fan could
continue running indefinitely even if the
engine has stopped and the engine
compartment temperature is high. You
could be hit by the fan and seriously
injured.
Do not remove either cooling
system cap when the engine and radiator
are hot:
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot out
under pressure and cause serious injury.
Open the hood ONLY after steam is no
longer escaping from the engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you.
If the engine coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating and the high engine
coolant temperature warning indication is
displayed:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic
transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission in neutral.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Turn off the air conditioner.
5. Check whether coolant or steam is escaping from the engine
compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Do not go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine
until it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the
engine and call an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
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Towing Description
▼Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle. Particularly
when towing an AWD vehicle, where all
the wheels are connected to the drive train,
proper transporting of the vehicle is
absolutely essential to
avoid damaging the
drive system. Government and local laws
must be followed.
1. Wheel dollies
A towed 2WD vehicle should have its
drive wheels (front wheels) off the ground.
If excessive damage or other conditions
prevent this, use wheel dollies.
When towing a 2WD vehicle with the rear
wheels on the ground, release the parking
brake.
Refer to Electric Parking Brake (EPB) on
page 4-63.
A towed AWD vehicle must have all its
wheels off the ground.
WA R N I N G
Always tow an AWD vehicle with all four
wheels off the ground:
Towing an AWD vehicle with either the
front or rear wheels on the ground is
dangerous as the drive train could be
damaged, or the vehicle could trail away
from the tow truck and cause an accident.
If the drive train has been damaged,
transport the vehicle on a flatbed truck.
CAUTION
Do not tow the vehicle pointed backward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transmission.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or
flatbed equipment.
If the parking brake cannot be released
when towing the vehicle, transport the
vehicle with all front and rear wheels
raised
off the ground as shown in the
figure. If the vehicle is towed without
raising the wheels off the ground, the
brake system could be damaged.
1. Wheel dollies
Tiedown Hooks*
▼ Tiedown Hooks
CAUTION
Do not use the front and rear tiedown
eyelets for towing the vehicle.
They have been designed only for securing
the vehicle to a transport vessel during
shipping.
Using the eyelets for any other purpose
could result in the vehicle being damaged.
1. Remove the tiedown eyelet and the lug
wrench from the luggage compartment
(page 7-3).
2. Wrap a flathead screwdriver or similar tool with a soft c loth to prevent
damage to a painted bumper, and open
the cap located on the front or rear
bumper.
Front
(4–Door)
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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