
▼Aluminum Wheel Maintenance
A protective coating is provided over the
aluminum wheels. Special care is needed
to protect t
his coating.
CAUTION
Do not use any detergent other than mild
detergent. Before using any detergent,
verify the ingredients. Otherwise, the
product could discolor or stain the
aluminum wheels.
NOTE
Do not use a wire brush or any abrasive
cleaner, polishing compound, or solvent
on aluminum wheels. They may damage
the coating.
Always use a sponge or soft cloth to
clean the wheels.
Rinse the wheels thoroughly with
lukewarm or cold wate r. Also, be sure to
clean the wheels after driving on dusty
or salted roads to help prevent
corrosion.
Avoid washing your vehicle in an
automatic car wash that uses high-speed
or hard brushes.
▼ Plastic Part Maintenance
When cleaning the plastic lenses of the
lights, do not use gasoline, kerosene,
rectified spirit, paint, thinner, highly
acidic detergents, o
r strongly alkaline
detergents. Otherwise, these chemical
agents can discolor or damage the
surfaces resulting in a significant loss in
functionality. If plastic parts become
inadvertently exposed to any of these
chemical agents, flush with water
immediately.
If plastic parts such as the bumpers
become inadvertently exposed to
chemical agents or fluids such as
gasoline, oil, engine coolant, or battery
fluid, it could cause discoloration,
staining, or paint peeling. Wipe off any
such chemical agents or fluids using a
soft cloth immediately.
High water temperature and high water
pressure car washers are available
depending on the type of high pressure
car washer device. If the car washer
nozzle is put too close to the vehicle or
aimed at one area for an extended period
of time, it could deform plastic parts or
damage the paint.
Do not use wax containing compounds
(polish). Otherwise, it could result in
paint damage.
In addition, do not use an electrical or
air tool to apply wax. Otherwise, the
frictional heat generated could result in
deformation of plast ic parts or paint
damage.
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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▼Spare Tire
Your Mazda has a temporary spare tire.
The temporary spare tire is lighter and
smaller than a conventional tire, and is
designed only for emergency use and
should be used only for VERY short
periods. Temporary spare tires should
NEVER be used for long drives or
extended periods.
WA R N I N G
Do not install the temporary spare tire on
the front wheels (driving wheels):
Driving with the temporary spare tire on
one of the front driving wheels is
dangerous. Handling will be
affected. You
could lose control of the vehicle, especially
on ice or snow bound roads, and have an
accident. Move a regular tire to the front
wheel and install the temporary spare tire
to the rear.
CAUTION
When using the temporary spare tire,
driving stability may decrease compared
to when using only the conventional tire.
Drive carefully.
To avoid damage to the temporary spare
tire or to the vehicle, observe the
following precautions:
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50 mph).
Avoid driving over obstacles. Also, do
not drive through an automatic car
wash. This tire's diameter is smaller
than a conventional tire, so the ground
clearance is reduced.
Do not use a tire chain on this tire
because it will not fit properly.
Do not use your temporary spare tire
on any other vehicle, it has been
designed only for your Mazda.
Use only one temporary spare tire on
your vehicle at the same time.
To remove the spare tire
1. Remove the trunk mat.
Trunk mat
2. Turn the spare tire hold-down boltcounterclockwise.
Spare tire hold-down bolt
To secure the spare tire
Store the spare tire in the reverse order of
removal. After storing, verify that the
spare tire is stored securely.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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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.
WARNING
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, le vel surface off the
right-of-way and firm ly set the parking
brake.
2. Shift into Park (P ) and turn off the
engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher.
4. Have passengers get out of the vehicle and away from the vehicle and traffic.
5. Remove any luggage, the jack, tools, 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
selector lever to P position, 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 selector lever is in P position, which
could result in an accident.
1. 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.
2. Place the jack on the ground.
3. Turn the jack screw in the directionshown in the figure and adjust the jack
head so that it is close to the jack-up
position.
Jack head
4. Place the jack under the jack-upposition closest to the tire being
changed with the jack head squarely
under the jack-up point.
Jacking position
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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6. Insert the jack lever and attach the lugwrench to tire jack.
7. Turn the jack handle clockwise andraise the vehicle high enough so that
the spare tire can be installed. Before
removing the lug nuts, make sure your
Mazda is firmly in position and that it
cannot slip or move.
WARNING
Do not jack up the vehicle higher than
is necessary:
Jacking up the vehicle higher than is
necessary is dangerous as it could
destabilize the vehicle resulting in an
accident.
Do not start the engine or shake the
vehicle while it is jacked up:
Starting the engine or shaking the
vehicle while it is jacked up is
dangerous as it could cause the vehicle
to fall off the jack resulting in an
accident.
Never go under the vehicle while it is
jacked up:
Going under the vehicle while it is
jacked up is dangerous as it could result
in death or serious in jury if the vehicle
were to fall off the jack.
8. Remove the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise; then remove the
wheel and center cap.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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▼Locking Lug Nuts
If your Mazda is equipped with the
optional antitheft whe
el lug nuts, a special
key must be used to unlock the locking lug
nut for each wheel. The key is stored in
the glove compartmen t, center console
storage, storage box, or trunk. Register the
key and lug nuts with the lock
manufacturer by filling out the registration
card and mailing it in using the
accompanying envelope. If the key is lost,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer or
use the lock manufacturer’s order form to
order a new key.
Antitheft wheel lug nuts cannot be
installed on a steel wheel spare tire. When
installing a temporary spare tire, use one
of the original lug nuts in place of the
locking lug nut. The original lug nuts are
stored inside your Mazda.
Special key
Antitheft lug nut
To remove an antitheft lug nut
1. Obtain the special key for the antitheft
lug nut.
2. Place the special key on top of the antitheft lug nut, and be sure to hold
the key square to it. If you hold the key
at an angle, you may damage both key
and nut. Do not use a power impact
wrench.
3. Place the lug wrench on top of the key and apply pressure. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise.
To install the antitheft lug nut
1. Place the special key on top of the nut, and be sure to hold the key square to it.
If you hold the key at an angle, you
may damage both key and nut. Do not
use a power impact wrench.
2. Place the lug wrench on top of the
special key, apply pressure, and turn it
clockwise.
Nut tightening torque
N·m (kgf·m, ft·lbf) 108―147 (12―14,
80―108)
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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▼Mounting the Spare Tire
1. Remove dirt and grime from the
mounting surfaces of the wheel and
hub, including the hub bolts, with a
cloth.
WA R N I N G
Make sure the mounting surfaces of the
wheel, hub and lug nuts are clean
before changing or replacing tires:
When changing or replacing a tire, not
removing dirt and grime from the
mounting surfaces of the wheel, hub
and hub bolts is dangerous. The lug
nuts could loosen while driving and
cause the tire to come off, resulting in
an accident.
2. Mount the spare tire.
3. Install the lug nuts with the beveled edge inward; tighten them by hand.
WARNING
Do not apply oil or grease to lug nuts
and bolts and do not tighten the lug
nuts beyond the recommended
tightening torque:
Applying oil or grease to lug nuts and
bolts is dangerous. The lug nuts could
loosen while driving and cause the tire
to come off, resulting in an accident. In
addition, lug nuts and bolts could be
damaged if tightened more than
necessary.
4. Turn the lug wrench counterclockwise and lower the vehicle.
5. Use the lug wrench to tighten the nuts in the order shown.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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If you are unsure of how tight the nuts
should be, have them inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Nut tightening torque
N·m (kgf·m, ft·lbf) 108―147 (12―14,
80―108)
WA R N I N G
Always securely and correctly tighten
the lug nuts:
Improperly or loosely tightened lug
nuts are dangerous. The wheel could
wobble or come off. This could result in
loss of vehicle control and cause a
serious accident.
Be sure to reinstall the same nuts you
removed or replace them with metric
nuts of the same configuration:
Because the wheel studs and lug nuts
on your Mazda have metric threads,
using a non-metric nut is dangerous.
On a metric stud, it would not secure
the wheel and would damage the stud,
which could cause the wheel to slip off
and cause an accident.
6. (Without flat tire belt)
Store the damaged tire in the trunk.
(With flat tire belt)
Open the trunk mat.
7. Remove the belt for securing the flat tire.
8. Put the flat tire into the trunk on the
left and toward the back.
9. Fold the seat back f orward on the right
side of the rear seat.
10. Thread the belt thro ugh the rear seat as
shown in the figure.
11. Thread the buckle through the wheel as
shown in the figure and secure it so
that the buckle does not contact the
wheel.
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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