Tires
▼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 9-9) 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 9-9.
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
(including the spare) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures for
the best ride, handling, and minimum tire
wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page
9-9).
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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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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.
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 periodically or sooner if
irregular wear develops.
Please refer to Scheduled maintenance for
your tire rotation interval.
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
1. Forward
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE
ONLY) spare tire in rotation.
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- 9) 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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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(Vehicles without flat tire hold-down
bolt)
1. Secure the damaged tire to thevehicle using the spare tire
hold-down bolt removed when
removing the spare tire.
9. Place the trunk mat (4-door) orluggage mat (5-door) on the damaged
tire.
10. Remove the tire blocks and store thetools and jack.
11. Check the inflation pressure. Refer to Tires on page 9-9.
12. Have the flat tire repaired or replaced
as soon as possible.
13. After repairing or replacing the flat
tire, install the wheel cover (vehicles
with steel wheels) or center cap
(vehicles with alumi num wheels) using
the following procedure.
(Wheel cover)
1. Align the notch on the wheel cover with the tire valve of the wheel and
install the whee l cover to the
wheel.
1. Notch
2. Tire valve
CAUTION
Always align the notch on the wheel
cover with the tire valve of the
wheel. Otherwise, it could cause
damage to the wheel cover and the
tire valve.
(Center cap)
1. Align the center cap with the center hole of the wheel and install the
center cap to the wheel.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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WA R N I N G
Do not drive the vehicle at high speeds if
the TPMS warning light turns on or flashes:
Driving the vehicle at high speeds while the
TPMS warning light is turned on or flashing
is dangerous because the brake
performance and the steering wheel
operability will be reduced. If the vehicle is
driven at high speeds or the brakes are
suddenly applied, it could lead to an
accident. Gradually apply the brakes to
lower the vehicle's speed.
Do not ignore the TPMS warning light
when it is turned on or flashing:
Continuing to drive the vehicle while
ignoring the illumination/flashing of the
TPMS warning light is dangerous because a
tire may burst which could lead to an
accident. Take appropriate measures as
soon as possible.
NOTE
While the TPMS is learning the tire
positions, such as immediately after a tire
position has been changed, the tire
pressure at the tire position prior to it
being changed is displayed until the
system completes the learning. For this
reason, the tire pressures displayed for the
tire positions may be different from the
actual tire pressures at the tire positions.
Action to be taken
Adjust the tire pressu res to the appropriate
pressures.
Refer to Tire Inflation Pressure on page
6-31.
CAUTION
Adjust the tire pressures while the tires
are cool. Because the air pressure in the
tires
fluctuates depending on the
temperature, before adjusting the tire
pressures, let the vehicle sit for an hour or
drive it only within a 1.6 km (1 mile)
distance. If the tire pressures are adjusted
while the tires are warm, the tire
pressures may decrease below the specified air pressure after cooling down
which could turn on the warning light. In
addition, because the air pressure in the
tires decreases when the ambient
temperature is low, if the ambient
temperature increases, an illuminated
TPMS warning light may turn off. Under
any circumstances, always adjust the tire
pressures while the tires are cool.
After adjusting the tire pressures, the
TPMS warning light turns off. If the TPMS
warning light does not turn off, drive the
vehicle at a speed of about 25 km (16
mph) or faster for 3 minutes or longer
and make sure the warning light turns
off.
If the TPMS warning light remains on
even after adjusting th e tire pressures, one
of the tires may have a puncture.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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Tire Labeling
▼Tire Labeling
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also provides
a tire identification number for safety
standard certification and in case of a
recall.
▼Information on Passenger Vehicle
Tires
Please refer to the sample below.
1. SAFETY WARNING
2. Passenger car tire
3. Nominal width of tire in millimeters
4. Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
5. Radial
6. Run-flat tire
7. Rim diameter code
8. TIN: U.S. DOT tir
e identification
number
9. Load index & speed symbol
10. Severe snow conditions
11. Tire ply composition and materials used
12. Max. load rating
13. Tread wear, traction and temperature grades
14. Max. permissible inflation pressure
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a tire
size and load index rating. Here is an
explanation of the various components of
that tire size and load index rating. Note
that the tire size and load index rating may
be different from the example.
P
Indicates a tire that may be installed on
cars, SUVs, minivans and light trucks as
designated by the Tire and Rim
Association (T&RA).
NOTE
If your tire size does not begin with a letter
this may mean it is designated by either
ETRTO (European Tire and Rim Technical
Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
215
“215” is the nominal w idth of the tire in
millimeters. This three-digit number gives
the width in millimeters of the tire from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general,
the larger the number, the wider the tire.
65
“65” is the aspect ratio. This two-digit
number indicates the tire's ratio of height
to width.
R
“R” is the tire construction symbol. R
indicates “Radial ply construction”.
15
“15” is the wheel rim diameter in inches.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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95
“95” is the Load Index. This two-or
three-digit number indicates how much
weight each tire can support.
H
“H” is the speed rating. The speed rating
denotes the maximum speed for which the
use of the tire is rated.
Letter Rating Speed RatingQ9 9 m ph
R1 06 m ph
S1 12 m ph
T1 18 m ph
U1 24 m ph
H1 30 m ph
V1 49 m ph
W 168
* mph
Y 186
* mph
* For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149
mph, tire manufacturers sometimes use the letters
ZR. For tires with a maximum speed capability over
186 mph, tire manufacture rs always use the letters
ZR.
M+S or M/S: Mud and Snow
AT: All Terrain.
AS: All Season. T he “M+S” or “M/S”
indicates that the tire has some functional
use in mud and snow.
U.S. DOT Tire Iden tification Number
(TIN)
This begins with the letters “DOT” which
indicates the tire meets all federal
standards. The next two numbers or letters
are the plant code where it was
manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year the tire was
manufactured. For example, the numbers
457 means the 45st week of 1997. After
2000 the numbers go to four digits. For
example, the number 2102 means the 21th
week of 2002. The other numbers are
marketing codes used at the
manufacturer's discretion. This
information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Tire Ply Composition and Materials
Used
The number of plies indicates the number
of layers of rubber-coated fabric in the
tire. In general, the greater the number of
plies, the more weight a tire can support.
Tire manufacturers also must indicate the
tire materials, which include steel, nylon,
polyester, and other.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load
in kilograms and pounds that can be
carried by the tire.
Maximum Permissible Inflation
Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should e ver be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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Tread Wear, Traction and Temperature
Grades
Tr e a d w e a r : The tread wear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test
course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100.
Traction: The traction grades, from
highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C.
The grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditi ons on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
Temperature: The temperature grades are
A (the highest), B and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of heat
and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Snow Tires
In some heavy snow areas, local
governments may require true snow tires,
those with very deeply cut tread. These
tires should only be used in pairs or placed
on all four wheels. Make sure you
purchase snow tires that are the same size
and construction type a s the other tires on
your vehicle.
SAFETY WARNING
The following safety warning appears on
the tire's sidewall.
SERIOUS INJURY MAY RESULT
FROM:
EXPLOSION OF TIRE/RIM
ASSEMBLY DUE TO IMPROPER
MOUNTING-MATCH TIRE
DIAMETER TO RIM DIAMETER;
NEVER EXCEED 40 psi (275 kPa) TO
SEAT BEADS-ONLY SPECIALLY
TRAINED PERSONS SHOULD
MOUNT TIRES.
TIRE FAILURE DUE TO
UNDER-INFLATION/
OVERLOADING/
DAMAGE-FOLLOW OWNER'S
MANUAL AND PLACARD IN
VEHICLE-FREQUENTLY CHECK
INFLATION PRESSURE AND
INSPECT FOR DAMAGE.
▼ Information on Temporary Tires
Please refer to the sample below.
1. Temporary tires
2. Nominal width of tire in millimeters
3. Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
4. Diagonal
5. Rim diameter code
6. Load index & speed symbol
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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Location of the Tire Label(Placard)
▼Location of the Tire Label (Placard)
You will find the tire
label containing tire
inflation pressure by tire size and other
important info rmation on the driver's side
B-pillar or on the edge of the driver's door
frame.
SAMPLE
▼ Recommended Tire Inflation
Pressure
On the tire label you will find the
recommended tire inflation pressure in
both kPa and psi for the tires installed as
original equipment on
the vehicle. It is
very important that the inflation pressure
of the tires on your vehicle is maintained
at the recommended pressure. You should
check the tire pressure regularly to insure
that the proper inflation pressure is
maintained.
Refer to Tires on page 9-9.
NOTE
Tire pressures listed on the vehicle placard
or tire information label indicate the
recommended cold tire inflation pressure,
measured when the tires are cold, after the
vehicle has been parked for at least 3
hours. As you drive, the temperature in the
tire warms up, increasing the tire pressure.
WA R N I N G
Always check the tire inflation pressures on
a regular basis according to the
recommended tire inflation pressure on the
tire label and in conjunction with the
information in this owner's manual:
Driving your vehicle with under-inflated
tires is dangerous.
Under-inflation is the most common cause
of failures in any kind of tire and may result
in severe cracking, tread separation or
“blowout”, with unexpected loss of vehicle
control and increased risk of injury.
Under-inflation increases sidewall
flexing
and rolling resistance, resulting in heat
buildup and internal damage to the tire. It
results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular
wear, loss of control and accidents. A tire
can lose up to half of its air pressure and
not appear to be flat!
It is impossible to determine whether or not
tires are properly inflated just by looking at
them.
▼ Checking Tire Pressure
1. When you check the air pressure, make
sure the tires are cold ―meaning they
are not hot from driving even a mile.
2. Remove the cap from the valve on one
tire.
3. Firmly press a tire gauge onto the
valve.
4. Add air to achieve recommended air pressure.
5. If you overfill the tire, release air by
pushing on the metal stem in the center
of the valve. Then recheck the pressure
with your tire gauge.
6. Replace the valve cap.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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