wheel size MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2002 Owners Manual

4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
•Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask a Mazda dealer to perform the
following precautions:
• Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
• Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
• Use only cold-weather engine oil
(page 8-13).
• Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
• Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze
—but don ’t use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-22).
• Don
’t use the parking brake if it might
freeze. Instead, shift to P with an
automatic transmission and to 1 or R
with a manual transmission. Block the
rear wheels.

Snow Tires
Your vehicle is originally equipped with
summer tires designed for optimum
traction on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, you may find it necessary
to replace the original equipment tires
with snow tires, during the winter months.
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Don
’t go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph).
Inflate snow tires 28 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm2, 4
psi) more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver ’s door), but never
more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.
Winter Driving
Mixing Tire Types:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle’ s handling
could be greatly affected and result in
an accident. Use only the same size
and type tires (snow, radial, or non-
radial) on all four wheels.
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
WARNING
CAUTION
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7-4
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F

Jack
To remove the jack
Turn the wing bolt counterclockwise.
To secure the jack
Perform the removal procedure in reverse.

Spare Tire
Your Mazda has a temporary spare tire.
It
’s lighter and smaller than a
conventional tire, and is designed only for
emergency use and should be used only
for VERY short periods. Temporary
spares should NEVER be used for long
drives or extended periods.
Driving with a Temporary Spare Tire
on Ice or Snow:
Driving with a spare tire on the rear
(driving) wheels on ice or snow is
dangerous. Handling will be affected.
You could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident. Put the spare
tire on the front axle and move a
regular tire to the rear.
Jack
Wing bolt
WARNING
To avoid damage to the temporary
spare or to the vehicle, observe the
following precautions:
•
Don
’t exceed 80 km/h (50 mph).
• Avoid driving over obstacles.
Also, don
’t drive through an
automatic car wash. This tire ’s
diameter is smaller than a
conventional tire ’s, so the ground
clearance is reduced about 25 mm
(1 in).
• Don
’t use a tire chain on this tire
because it won ’t fit properly.
• Don
’t use your temporary spare 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.
(With limited slip differential)
When using the temporary spare tire
on the rear axle, replace it with a
standard tire as soon as possible. The
size difference between the spare and
the standard tire will cause the limited
slip differential to malfunction.
CAUTION
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8-27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
The battery is in the trunk.

Battery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
• Keep it securely mounted.
• Keep the top clean and dry.
• Keep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with petroleum jelly
or terminal grease.
• Rinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda.
• If the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables. 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.
Tires
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 when using 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 your Mazda (page 10-6)
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 your
Mazda.
WARNING
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8-29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
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, bring all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-6) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
Replacing a Tire
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
You may need to replace it before the
band is across the entire tread.
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 weakened if rotated from side
to side.
Limited-Slip Differential system;
don
’t use the following:
• Tires not of the designated size
• Tires of different sizes or types at
the same time
• Tires not sufficiently inflated
If these instructions aren ’t followed,
the rotation of the left and right wheels
will be different and will thus apply a
constant load on the limited-slip
differential.
This will cause a malfunction.
CAUTION
CAUTION
Worn Tires:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
Always use tires that are in good
condition.
WARNING
New tread Worn tread
Tread wear indicator
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8-30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F

Temporary Spare Tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it
’s properly
inflated and stored.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction. It is
lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire and should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short distance.
Use the temporary only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which should
be as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa (60 psi).

Replacing a Wheel
When replacing a wheel, make sure the
new one is the same as the original factory
wheel in diameter, rim width, and offset.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.
• Don
’t use your temporary spare tire
rim with a snow tire or a
conventional tire. Neither will
properly fit and could damage both
tire and rim.
• The temporary spare tire has a tread
life of up to 5,000 km (3,000 miles),
depending on road conditions and
driving habits.
• When the tread wear solid-band
indicator appears, replace the tire
with the same type of temporary
spare.
CAUTION
Using a Wrong-Sized Wheel:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident. Always use
wheels of the correct size on your
vehicle.
A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect
•Tire fit
• Wheel and bearing life
• Ground clearance
• Snow-chain clearance
• Speedometer calibration
• Headlight aim
• Bumper height
WARNING
CAUTION
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