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Rocking the Vehicle
WA R N I N G
Do not spin the wheels at more than 56
km/h (35 mph), and do not allow anyone
to stand behind a wheel when pushing the
vehicle:
When the vehicle is stuck, spinning the
wheels at high speed is dangerous. The
spinning tire could overheat and explode.
This could cause serious injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transmission failure, and tire
damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand or mud, depress the accelerator
slightly and slowly move the shift lever/
selector lever from 1 (D) to R position.
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check
the following:
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 6-22.
Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-20).
Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze ―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid (page
6-24).
NOTE
Do not use the parking brake in freezing
weather as it may freeze. Instead, shift
to P with an automatic transmission and
to 1 or R with a manual transmission.
Block the rear wheels.
Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision.
Do not open or close the soft top when
the temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) or less.
The material of the soft top could be
damaged by freezing.
Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Jump-Starting
Jump-starting is dangerous if done incorrectly. So follow the procedure carefully. If you feel
unsure about jump-starting, we strongly recommend that you have a competent service
technician do the work.
WARNING
Follow These Precautions Carefully:
To ensure safe and correct handling of the ba ttery, read the following precautions carefully
before using the battery or inspecting it.
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.
Keep all flames and sparks away from open battery cells because hydrogen gas is
produced from open battery cells while charging the battery or adding battery fluid:
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.
Do not jump-start a frozen battery or one with a low fluid level:
Jump-starting a frozen battery or one with a low fluid level is dangerous. It may rupture or
explode, causing serious injury.
Connect the negative cable to a good ground point away from the battery:
Connecting the end of the second jumper cable to the negative (
) terminal of the discharged
battery is dangerous.
A spark could cause the gas around the battery to explode and injure someone.
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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Route the jumper cables away from parts that will be moving:
Connecting a jumper cable near or to moving parts (cooling fans, belts) is dangerous. The
cable could get caught when the engine starts and cause serious injury.
CAUTION
Use only a 12 V booster system. You can damage a 12 V starter, ignition system, and other
electrical parts beyond repair with a 24 V power supply (two 12 V batteries in series or a 24 V
motor generator set).
1. Move the booster vehicle so that its battery is as close as possible to your vehicle's battery.
2. Make sure that the power such as for the headlights and air conditioner is turned off.
3. Remove the battery cover.
4. Turn off the booster vehicle's engine and connect the jumper cables in the following
order.
Make sure that the jumper cables are securely connected so that they do not disconnect
due to engine vibrations.
1st lead
Positive (+) terminal on the discharged battery
Positive (+) terminal on booster vehicle's battery
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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2nd lead
Negative (-) terminal on booster vehicle's battery
Location shown in the figure (do not connect to the negative (-) terminal of the
battery)
Jumper cables
Booster battery Discharged battery
5. Start the booster vehicle's engine and rev the engine.
6. Start the engine of your vehicle. Run the engines for about 3 minutes to temporarily
charge the battery of your vehicle.
7. Disconnect the jumper cables in th e reverse order of their connection.
8. Install the battery cover.
9. Have your vehicle inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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