MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2007 Owners Manual (in English)

Black plate (300,1)
Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir; add fluid if necessary.
Full
LowOK
Use plain water if washer fluid is
unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather
to prevent it from freezing.
Body Lubrication
All moving points of the body, such as
door and hood hinges and locks, should
be lubricated each time the engine oil is
changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on
locks during cold weather.
Make sure the hood's secondary latch
keeps the hood from opening when the
primary latch is released.
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Maintenance and Care
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Black plate (301,1)
Wiper Blades
CAUTION
lHot waxes applied by automatic car
washers have been known to affect
the wiper's ability to clean windows.
lTo prevent damage to the wiper
blades, don't use gasoline, kerosene,
paint thinner, or other solvents on or
near them.
Contamination of either the windshield or
the blades with foreign matter can reduce
wiper effectiveness. Common sources are
insects, tree sap, and hot wax treatments
used by some commercial car washes.
If the blades are not wiping properly,
clean the window and blades with a good
cleaner or mild detergent; then rinse
thoroughly with clean water. Repeat if
necessary.
qReplacing Windshield Wiper Blades
When the wipers no longer clean well, the
blades are probably worn or cracked.
Replace them.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the wiper arms
and other components, don't try to
sweep the wiper arm by hand.
NOTE
To prevent damage to the wiper arm
blades when raising both the driver and
passenger side wiper arms, raise the
driver side wiper arm first. Conversely,
when setting down the wiper arms, set
the passenger side wiper arm down
first.
1. Raise the wiper arm and turn the blade
assembly to expose the plastic locking
clip.
Compress the clip and slide the
assembly downward; then lift it off the
arm.
Plastic locking clip
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the windshield let
the wiper arm down easily, don't let it
slap down on the windshield.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (302,1)
2. Hold the end of the rubber and pull
until the tabs are free of the metal
support.
Metal support
Ta b
3. Remove the metal stiffeners from each
blade rubber and install them in the
new blade.
CAUTION
lDon't bend or discard the stiffeners.
You need to use them again.
lIf the metal stiffeners are switched,
the blade's wiping efficiency could
be reduced.
So don't use the driver's side metal
stiffeners on the passenger's side, or
vice versa.
lBe sure to reinstall the metal
stiffeners in the new blade rubber so
that the curve is the same as it was in
the old blade rubber.
4. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.
Then install the blade assembly in the
reverse order of removal.
NOTE
Install the blade so that the tabs are
toward the bottom of the wiper arm.
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Black plate (303,1)
Battery
WARNING
Wash hands after handling the battery and related accessories:
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Read the following precautions carefully before using the battery or inspecting
to ensure safe and correct handling:
Always wear eye protection when working near the battery:
Working without eye protection is dangerous. Battery fluid contains SULFURIC
ACID which could cause blindness if splashed into your eyes. Also, hydrogen gas
produced during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to
explode.
Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with battery fluid:
Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause serious injuries if it gets
in eyes, or on the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately flush your eyes with
water for 15 minutes or wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.
Always keep batteries out of the reach of children:
Allowing children to play near batteries is dangerous. Battery fluid could cause
serious injuries if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.
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 all flames including
cigarettes and sparks away from open battery cells.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (304,1)
WARNING
Keep all flames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
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.
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Black plate (305,1)
NOTE
lRemove the engine and battery
covers before performing battery
maintenance.
Engine cover
Battery cover
lIf the cover has been removed,
install it in the reverse order of
removal.
qBattery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
lKeep it securely mounted.
lKeep the top clean and dry.
lKeep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with petroleum jelly
or terminal grease.
lRinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda.
lIf the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (306,1)
Tires
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.
WARNING
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.
Use all radial, all bias-belted, or all
bias-type tires.
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.
qTire Inflation Pressure
WARNING
Always inflate the tires to the correct
pressure:
Overinflation or underinflation of tires
is dangerous. Adverse handling or
unexpected tire failure could result in
a serious accident.
Refer to specification charts on page
10-6.The Tire Pressure Monitoring System
í
does not alleviate the need to check the
tire condition every day, including
whether the tires all look inflated properly.
Inspect all tire pressure monthly
(including the spare
í) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, handling, and minimum
tire wear.
When checking the tire pressures, use of a
digital tire pressure gauge is
recommended.
Refer to the specification charts (page
10-6).
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Maintenance and Care
íSome models.
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Black plate (307,1)
NOTE
lAlways check tire pressure when
tires are cold.
lWarm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Don't
release air from warm tires to adjust
the pressure.
lUnderinflation can cause reduced
fuel economy, uneven and
accelerated tire wear, and poor
sealing of the tire bead, which will
deform the wheel and cause
separation of tire from rim.
lOverinflation can produce a harsh
ride, uneven and accelerated tire
wear, 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.
qTire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires if
irregular wear develops. According to the
scheduled maintenance charts.Refer to
Scheduled Maintenance on page 8-3.
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
NOTE
Because your vehicle is not equipped
with a spare tire, you cannot do a tire
rotation safely with the jack that comes
with your vehicle. Have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer perform tire rotation.
Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
lIncorrect tire pressure
lImproper wheel alignment
lOut-of-balance wheel
lSevere braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-6) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
CAUTION
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.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Black plate (308,1)
CAUTION
Limited-Slip Differential system;
don't use the following:
lTires not of the designated size
lTires of different sizes or types at the
same time
lTires 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.
qReplacing a Tire
WARNING
Always use tires that are in good
condition:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
CAUTION
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)
When replacing/repairing the tires or
wheels or both, have the work done by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer, or the tire
pressure sensors may be damaged.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)
lWhen tires with steel wire
reinforcement in the sidewalls are
used, the system may not function
correctly even with a genuine wheel.
Refer to System Error Activation on
page 5-30.
lBe sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced.
Refer to Tires and Wheels on page
5-30.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New treadTread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace it before the band is
across the entire tread.
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Black plate (309,1)
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It is
recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate
the aging process. You should replace
the spare tire when you replace the
other road tires due to the aging of the
spare tire. Regarding the manufacturing
week and year is indicated with 4 digit.
Refer to The tire labeling on page 9-18.
qTemporary Spare Tire
Your Mazda is not equipped with a spare
tire. If you require a spare tire, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it's properly inflated
and stored.
NOTE
The temporary spare tire condition
gradually deteriorates even if it has not
been used.
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
2or bar, 60 psi).
CAUTION
lDon'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.
lThe temporary spare tire has a tread
life of less than 5,000 km (3,000
miles). The tread life may be shorter
depending on driving conditions.
lThe temporary spare tire is for
limited use, however, if the tread
wear solid-band indicator appears,
replace the tire with the same type of
temporary spare (page 8-26).
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It is
recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate
the aging process. You should replace
the spare tire when you replace the
other road tires due to the aging of the
spare tire. Regarding the manufacturing
week and year is indicated with 4 digit.
Refer to The tire labeling on page 9-18.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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