maintenance MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2004 Service Manual

8-31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

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.
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
• Limited-Slip Differential System
WARNING
CAUTION
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 31 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-32
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Light Bulbs
Front turn signal lights/
Parking lights
Side-marker lights Overhead light
License plate lights/
Trunk lights
High-mount brake light
Rear turn signal lights Brake lights/Taillights Reverse lights
Headlights
Fog lights*
*Some models.
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 32 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-33
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Your Mazda’s headlights and fog lights
have replaceable halogen bulbs.
Replacing Exterior Light Bulbs
Replacing a headlight bulb
1. Make sure the ignition switch is turned
off and the headlight switch is off.
2. Lift the hood and find the high and low beam bulbs in the rear of the headlight
unit.
The outboard bulb is the LOW beam,
and the inboard one is the HIGH beam.
Refer to Light Bulbs (page 8-32).
3. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it while
holding the rubber socket cover in
place. Carefully remove the headlight
bulb from its socket in the reflector by
gently pulling it straight backward out
of the socket.
4. Disconnect the bulb from the electrical connector by pressing the tab on the
connector with your finger and pulling
the bulb upward.
5. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal.
Handling Halogen Bulbs:
When a halogen bulb breaks, it is
dangerous. These bulbs contain
pressurized gas. If one is broken, it
will explode and serious injuries
could be caused by the flying glass.
If the glass portion is touched with
bare hands, body oil could cause the
bulb to overheat and explode when lit.
Never touch the glass portion of the
bulb with your bare hands and always
wear eye protection when handling or
working around halogen bulbs.
Children and Halogen Bulbs:
Playing with a halogen bulb is
dangerous. Serious injuries could be
caused by dropping a halogen bulb or
breaking it some other way.
Always keep halogen bulbs out of the
reach of children.
WARNING
High beam bulb
Ta b
Low beam bulb
Socket
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 33 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-34
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Replacing a fog light bulb*
Due to the complexity and difficulty of
the procedure, the bulbs should be
replaced by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Front turn signal lights/Parking lights
1. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it.
2. Remove the bulb by pushing it in slightly and turning it
counterclockwise.
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal. Side-marker lights
1. Remove the bolts with a Phillips
screwdriver and remove the side-
marker light unit.
2. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it.
3. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
4. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal.NOTE
Use the protective cover and carton for
the replacement bulb to dispose of the
old bulb promptly and out of the reach
of children.
Socket
Socket
*Some models.
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 34 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-35
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Brake lights/Taillights, Rear turn signal
lights, Reverse lights
1. Pull the center section of the plastic retainer and remove the retainers and
remove the trunk end trim.
2. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it.
3. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
4. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal. High-mount brake light
1. Turn the socket and bulb assembly
counterclockwise and remove it.
2. Remove the bulb by pushing it in slightly and turning it
counterclockwise.
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal.
License plate lights/Trunk lights
1. Slide the unit as shown in the figure to remove it.
2. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it.
3. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
Trunk end trim
Removal
Installation
Rear turn signal lights
Brake lights/Taillights
Reverse lights
Socket
Socket
Socket
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 35 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-36
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
4. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal.

Replacing Interior Light Bulbs
Overhead light
1. Wrap a flathead screwdriver with a soft
cloth to prevent damage to the trim and
gently insert it in the overhead light as
shown in the figure, and then remove
the cover.
2. Disconnect the bulb by pulling it out.
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal. Yo u r v e h i c l e
’s electrical system is
protected by fuses.
If any lights, accessories, or controls don ’t
work, inspect the appropriate circuit
protector. If a fuse has blown, the inside
element will be melted.
If the same fuse blows again, avoid using
that system and consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.

Fuse Replacement
If the electrical system doesn
’t work, first
inspect fuses on the driver ’s side.
1. Turn off the ignition switch and other switches.
2. Open the fuse panel cover.
Edge
Fuses
Fuse panel cover
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 36 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-37
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
3. Pull the fuse straight out with the fuse puller provided on the fuse panel.
4. Inspect it and replace if it ’s blown.
5. Push in a new fuse of the same rating, and make sure it fits tightly. If it
doesn ’t, have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer install it.
If you have no spare fuses, borrow one
of the same rating from a circuit not
essential to vehicle operation, such as
the RADIO circuit. If the headlights or other electrical
components don
’t work and the fuses in
the cabin are OK, inspect the fuse block
under the hood. If a fuse is blown, it must
be replaced. Follow these steps:
1. Turn off the ignition switch and all other switches.
2. Remove the fuse block cover.
3. If a fuse is blown, replace it with a new one of the same rating.
Always replace a fuse with one of the
same rating. Otherwise you may
damage the electric system.
Fuse puller
Normal Blown
CAUTIONNOTE
To replace the MAIN fuse, contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer (page 8-38).
Fuse block cover Ta b
NormalBlown
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 37 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-38
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Fuse Panel Description
Fuse block (Engine compartment)
DESCRIPTION FUSE RATING
PROTECTED COMPONENT
1 HEAD 40A Headlights, Rear defroster, Auto antenna
2 FUEL INJ 30A Fuel injection
3 MAIN 100A For protection of all circuits
4 IG KEY 60A All ignition related circuits
5 BLOWER 30A Blower motor
6 FAN 30A Cooling fan, Additional fan (air conditioner)
7 BTN 1 30A Taillights, Dashboard illumination
8BTN 2 20A Audio amp
*, Turn signal lights
9 ABS 20A Antilock brake system*
10 STOP15A Brake lights, Horn, Shift lock
*Some models.
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 38 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-39
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Fuse panel (Driver’s side)
DESCRIPTION FUSE
RATING PROTECTED
COMPONENT
1 AD FAN 20A Add fan motor,
Magnet clutch
2 HEAD.LH 15A Headlights (LH)
3 HEAD.RH 15A Headlights (RH)
4 —— —
5ST.SIG 7.5A Instrument
cluster, Cruise
control
*
6
—— —
7 CIGAR 20A Cigar lighter
8 RADIO 10A Audio
*
9 F.FOG 15AFog lights*
10 TAIL 15A Taillights, Front
parking lights,
Side-marker
lights
11 ENGINE 15A Engine control
system
12 METER 15A Instrument
cluster
DESCRIPTIONFUSE
RATING PROTECTED
COMPONENT
13 TURN 7.5A Tu r n s ig n a l
lights
14 A/B 10A Supplemental
restraint system,
Antilock brake
system
*
15 WIPER 20A
Windshield
wipers and
washer
16 P.WIND 30A Power windows
17 A/C 7.5A Air conditioner
*
18 HAZARD 10ATu r n s ig n a l
lights
19 D.LOCK 10A Power door
lock
*
20 AUDIO 20A
Audio amp*
21 DEFOG 15A Rear defroster
22 ROOM 10AInterior light,
Auto antenna,
Warning buzzers
*Some models.
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 39 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-40
Maintenance and Care
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Appearance Care
The paintwork on your Mazda represents
the latest technical developments in
composition and methods of application.
Environmental hazards, however, can
harm the paint’s protective properties, if
proper care is not taken.
Here are some examples of possible
damage, with tips on how to prevent them.

Etching Caused by Acid Rain or
Industrial Fallout
Occurrence
Industrial pollutants and vehicle
emissions drift into the air and mix with
rain or dew to form acids. These acids can
settle on a vehicle
’s finish. As the water
evaporates, the acid becomes concentrated
and can damage the finish.
And the longer the acid remains on the
surface, the greater the chance is for
damage.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according to
the instructions in this section. These
steps should be taken immediately after
you suspect that acid rain has settled on
your vehicle ’s finish.

Damage Caused by Bird
Dropping, Insects, or Tree Sap
Occurrence
Bird droppings contain acids. If these
aren
’t removed they can eat away the clear
and color base coat of the vehicle ’s
paintwork.
When insects stick to the paint surface
and decompose, corrosive compounds
form. These can erode the clear and color
base coat of the vehicle ’s paintwork if
they are not removed.
Tree sap will harden and adhere
permanently to the paint finish. If you
scratch the sap off while it is hard, some
vehicle paint could come off with it.
Prevention
It is necessary to have your Mazda
washed and waxed to preserve its finish
according to the instructions in this
section. This should be done as soon as
possible.
Bird droppings can be removed with a soft
sponge and water. If you are traveling and
these are not available, a moistened tissue
may also take care of the problem. The
cleaned area should be waxed according
to the instructions in this section.
Insects and tree sap are best removed with
a soft sponge and water or a commercially
available chemical cleaner.
Another method is to cover the affected
area with dampened newspaper for one to
two hours. After removing the newspaper,
rinse off the loosened debris with water.
How to Minimize
Environmental Paint
Damage
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 40 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM