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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 5seconds 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 transaxle) or the brake pedal
(Automatic transaxle), 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
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 transaxle. It can damage the
emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transaxle by pushing it.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
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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.
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 4-57.
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
transaxle.
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.
Wheel dollies
Tiedown Hooks*
CAUTION
Do not use the front tiedown eyelet for
towing the vehicle.
They have been designed only for securing
the vehicle to a transport vessel during
shipping.
Using the eyelet for any other purpose
could result in the vehicle being damaged.
▼ Tiedown Hook-Front
1. Remove the tiedown eyelet and the lug
wrench from the luggage compartment
(page 7-3).
2. Wrap a jack lever or similar tool with a
soft cloth to prevent damage to a
painted bumper, and open the cap
located on the front bumper.
CAUTION
Do not use excessive force as it may
damage the cap or scratch the painted
bumper surface.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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NOTE
Remove the cap completely and store it
so as not to lose it.
3. Securely install the tiedown eyelet using the lug wrench.
Lug wrench
Tiedown eyelet
4. Hook the tying rope to the tiedown eyelet.
CAUTION
If the tiedown eyelet is not securely
tightened, it may loosen or disengage
from the bumper when tying the
vehicle. Make sure that the tiedown
eyelet is securely tightened to the
bumper.
▼Tiedown Hook-Rear
The hook positioned under the rear
bumper on the right side is for tying down
the vehicle during transport, and it cannot
be used for towing
other vehicles.
It can be used as a towing hook only when
the vehicle must be towed by another
vehicle in an emergency case such as
when the vehicle i s stuck in snow,
however, it may damage the bumper.
Tiedown hook
CAUTION
When using the hook in such emergency
cases, observe the following so as not to
damage the tiedown hook or the vehicle
body.
The vehicle must be pu lled straight to the
rear so that no load is applied to the
vehicle in the lateral direction.
The bumper may be damaged if the tie
down hook is used as a towing hook.
When using a metal chain or wire cable,
wrap a cloth around the attachment
area. If the metal chain or wire cable
contacts the bumper directly, the
bumper could be scratched or damaged.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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SignalWarning
Brake System Warning
Light This warning has the following functions:
Parking brake warning/Warning light inspection
The light illuminates when the parking brake is applied with th
e ignition switched to
START or ON. It turns off when the parking brake is released.
When the light turns on
If the brake system warning light remains turned on even though the parking brake is
released, the brake fluid may be low or there could be a problem with the brake sys-
tem. Park the vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact a n Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
When the light is flashing
The light flashes if the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) has a mal function.
If the light remains flashing ev en if the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) switch is oper-
ated, consult an Authorized Maz da Dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
Do not drive with the brake system warning light illuminated. Contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as soon as possible:
Driving with the brake system warning light illuminated is dangerous. It indicates that
your brakes may not work at all or that they could completely fail at any time. If this
light remains illuminated, after checking that the parking brake is fully released, have
the brakes inspected immediately.
CAUTION
In addition, the effectiveness of the brakin g may diminish so you may need to depress
the brake pedal more strongly than normal to stop the vehicle.
Electronic Brake Force Distribution System Wa r n i n g If the electronic brake force di
stribution control unit determines that some compo-
nents are operating incorrectly , the control unit may illuminate the brake system
warning light and the ABS warni ng light simultaneously. The problem is likely to be
the electronic brake force distribution system.
WARNING
Do not drive with both the ABS warning light and brake warning light illuminated.
Have the vehicle towed to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as
soon as possible:
Driving when the brake system warning li ght and ABS warning light are illuminated
simultaneously is dangerous.
When both lights are illuminate d, the rear wheels could lock more quickly in an emer‐
gency stop than under normal circumstances.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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SignalWarning
Charging System Warn-
ing Light If the warning light illuminates
while driving, it indicates a malfunction of the alter-
nator or of the charging system.
Drive to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way. Co nsult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.CAUTION
Do not continue driving when the charging system warning light is illuminated be‐
cause the engine could stop unexpectedly.
Engine Oil Warning Light This warning light indicates
low engine oil pressure.
CAUTION
Do not run the engine if the oil pressure is low. Otherwise, it could result in extensive
engine damage.
If the light illuminates or the warning indication is displayed while driving:
1. Drive to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way o n level ground.
2. Turn off the engine and wait 5 minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
3. Inspect the engine oil level (page 6-25). If it's low, add th e appropriate amount of
engine oil while being careful not to overfill.
CAUTION
Do not run the engine if the oil level is low. Otherwise, it could result in extensive
engine damage.
4. Start the engine and check the warning light.
If the light remains illuminated even though the oil level is normal or after adding oil,
stop the engine immediately and have your vehicle towed to an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
(Red)
High Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning Light The light flashes when the engine coolant temperature is extrem
ely high, and illumi-
nates when the engine coolant temperature increases further.
Handling Procedure
Flashing light
Drive slowly to reduce engine l oad until you can find a safe place to stop the vehicle
and wait for the engine to cool down.
Illuminated light
This indicates the possibility of overheating. Park the vehicle in a safe place immedi-
ately and stop the engine.
Refer to Overheating on page 7-22.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle with the high engi ne coolant temperature warning light illumi‐
nated. Otherwise, it could resu lt in damage to the engine.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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Reporting Safety Defects (Canada)
Canadian customers who wish to report a safety-related defect to Transport Canada, Defect
Investigations and Recalls, may telephone the toll free hotline 1-800-333-0510, or contact
Transport Canada by mail at: Transport Canada, ASFAD, Place de Ville Tower C, 330
Sparks Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0N5.
For additional road safety information, please visit the Road S afety website at:
http://www.tc.gc.ca /roadsafety/menu.htm
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Reporting Safety Defects
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CAUTION
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving or you suspect your tire or
vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your speed. Drive with caution until you can
safely pull off the road. Stop and inspect the tire for damage. If the tire is under-inflated or
damaged, deflate it, remove the tire and rim and replace it with your spare tire. If you cannot
detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the ne arest vehicle or tire dealer to have the vehicle
inspected.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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