tires MAZDA MODEL PROTÉGÉ 2003 (in English) User Guide

5-16
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Shifting
Shifting up
(M1
→M2
→M3
→M4)
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the shift
lever back ( ) once.Shifting down
(M4
→M3
→M2
→M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the shift
lever forward ( ) once.
NOTE
•When driving slowly, the gears may
not shift up depending on vehicle
speed (page 5-17).
•In manual shift mode, gears do not
shift up automatically. Don’t run the
engine with the tachometer needle
in the RED ZONE. If the
tachometer needle enters the RED
ZONE, you may feel engine-
braking because the fuel delivery
will be stopped to protect the
engine. However, this does not
indicate an abnormality.
•Gears may not be shifted from M1
to M2 right after shifting the lever
from D to M. Wait a few seconds
and then shift up to M2.Sudden Engine-Braking:
Shifting down while driving on wet,
snowy, or frozen roads, or driving at
high speeds causes sudden engine
braking, which is dangerous. The
sudden change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid. This could lead
to loss of vehicle control and an
accident. Do not cause sudden engine
braking on slippery road surfaces or
at high speeds.
NOTE
•When driving at high speeds, the
gear may not shift down depending
on vehicle speed (page 5-17).
•During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending
on vehicle speed (page 5-17).
WARNING
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7-10
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Locking Lug Nuts
If your vehicle has optional antitheft
wheel lug nuts, one on each wheel will
lock the tires and you must use a special
key to unlock them. This key is attached
to the lug wrench and is stored with the
spare tire. Register them with the lock
manufacturer by filling out the card
provided in the glove box and mailing it in
the accompanying envelope. If you lose
your key, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer or use the lock manufacturer’s
order form, which is with the registration
card.
To remove an antitheft lug nut
1. Get the key for the locking lug nut.
2. Place it 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. Don’t use a power
impact wrench.
3. Place the lug wrench on top of the key
and apply pressure. Turn the wrench
counterclockwise.
To replace the nut
1. Place the key on top of the nut.
2. Place the lug wrench on top of the key,
apply pressure, and turn it clockwise.

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.
2. Mount the spare tire.
Antitheft lug nutSpecial key
Removing Dirt and Grime from
Wheels, Hubs and Hub Bolts:
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. Make sure the mounting
surfaces of the wheel, hub and lug
nuts are clean before changing or
replacing tires.
WARNING
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7-12
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
5. Store the damaged tire, using the
conventional tire hold-down bolt
supplied in the tool bag to hold it in
place. Have the damaged tire repaired
as soon as possible.
Loose 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. Always securely and
correctly tighten the lug nuts.
Metric Studs and Lug Nuts:
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. Be sure to
reinstall the same nuts you removed
or replace them with metric nuts of
the same configuration.
Incorrect Tire Air Pressure:
Driving on tires with incorrect air
pressure is dangerous. Tires with
incorrect pressure could affect
handling and result in an accident.
Don’t drive with any tires that have
incorrect air pressure. When you
check the regular tires’ air pressure,
check the spare tire, too.
WARNING
NOTE
To prevent the jack and tool from
rattling, store them properly.
Tire clamp Conventional tire
hold-down bolt
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8-1
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
8Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Mazda in top condition.
Introduction
................................................................................... 8-2
Introduction ............................................................................... 8-2
Scheduled Maintenance
................................................................ 8-3
Scheduled Maintenance ............................................................. 8-3
Owner Maintenance
...................................................................... 8-6
Owner Maintenance Schedule ................................................... 8-6
Owner Maintenance Precautions ............................................... 8-7
Engine Compartment Overview ................................................ 8-8
Engine Oil .................................................................................. 8-9
Engine Coolant ........................................................................ 8-12
Brake/Clutch Fluid .................................................................. 8-14
Power Steering Fluid ............................................................... 8-16
Automatic Transaxle Fluid (ATF) ........................................... 8-16
Washer Fluid ............................................................................ 8-18
Body Lubrication ..................................................................... 8-19
Air Filter .................................................................................. 8-19
Wiper Blades ........................................................................... 8-20
Battery ..................................................................................... 8-23
Tires ......................................................................................... 8-24
Light Bulbs .............................................................................. 8-29
Fuses ........................................................................................ 8-38
Appearance Care
......................................................................... 8-42
How to Minimize Environmental Paint Damage ..................... 8-42
Exterior Care ........................................................................... 8-44
Interior Care ............................................................................ 8-47
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8-24
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

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 10-8)
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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8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Tire Inflation Pressure
Inspect all tire pressures monthly
(including the spare) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, top handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page 10-
8).
Incorrect Tire Inflation:
Overinflation or underinflation of
tires is dangerous. Adverse handling
or unexpected tire failure could result
in a serious accident. Always inflate
the tires to the correct pressure (page
10-8).
WARNING
NOTE
•Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Don’t
release air from warm tires to adjust
the pressure.
•Underinflation can cause reduced
fuel economy 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 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.
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8-26
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or sooner
if irregular wear develops. During
rotation, inspect them for correct balance.
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 10-8) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.

Replacing a Tire
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.
Front
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.
CAUTION
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.
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.
CAUTION
WARNING
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8-27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
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.

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
(4.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar, 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.
New tread Worn treadTread wear indicator
•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 (page 8-26).
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.
CAUTION
WARNING
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8-43
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Water Marks
Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can
contain harmful minerals such as salt and
lime. If moisture containing these
minerals settles on the vehicle and
evaporates, the minerals will concentrate
and harden to form white rings. The rings
can damage your vehicle’s finish.
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 find water marks on your vehicle’s
finish.

Paint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown
in the air by another vehicle’s tires hits
your vehicle.
How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead reduces the chances of
having your paint chipped by flying
gravel.
NOTE
•The paint chipping zone varies with
the speed of the vehicle. For
example, when traveling at 90 km/h
(56 mph), the paint chipping zone is
50 m (164 ft).
•In low temperatures a vehicle’s
finish hardens. This increases the
chance of paint chipping.
•Chipped paint can lead to rust
forming on your Mazda. Before this
happens, repair the damage by using
Mazda touch-up paint according to
the instructions in this section.
Failure to repair the affected area
could lead to serious rusting and
expensive repairs.
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9-12
Customer Information
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
This information relates to the tire grading system developed by the U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration for grading tires by tread wear, traction, and
temperature performance.

Tr e a d We 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-a-half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm because of variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.

Traction-AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These grades represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.

Te m p e r a t u r e - A , B , C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent 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.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction
tests and does not include acceleration cornering (turning), hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
WARNING
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