towing MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK 2006 Owner's Manual (in English)

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4Before Driving Your Mazda
Important information about driving your Mazda.
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions ........................................ 4-2
Fuel Requirements .................................................................... 4-2
Emission Control System .......................................................... 4-3
Engine Exhaust (Carbon Monoxide) ......................................... 4-5
Before Starting the Engine ........................................................... 4-6
Before Getting In ...................................................................... 4-6
After Getting In ......................................................................... 4-6
Driving Tips ................................................................................... 4-7
Break-In Period ......................................................................... 4-7
Money-Saving Suggestions ...................................................... 4-7
Hazardous Driving .................................................................... 4-8
Rocking the Vehicle .................................................................. 4-9
Winter Driving .......................................................................... 4-9
Driving In Flooded Area ......................................................... 4-11
Overloading ............................................................................ 4-12
Towing ......................................................................................... 4-13
Trailer Towing ......................................................................... 4-13
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Trailer Towing
The Mazda3 is not designed for towing.
Never tow a trailer with your Mazda3.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Towing
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7In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.
Parking in an Emergency ............................................................. 7-2
Parking in an Emergency .......................................................... 7-2
Flat Tire ......................................................................................... 7-3
Spare Tire and Tool Storage ...................................................... 7-3
Changing a Flat Tire ................................................................. 7-6
Overheating ................................................................................. 7-12
Overheating ............................................................................. 7-12
Emergency Starting .................................................................... 7-14
Starting a Flooded Engine ....................................................... 7-14
Jump-Starting .......................................................................... 7-15
Push-Starting ........................................................................... 7-18
Emergency Towing ..................................................................... 7-19
Towing Description ................................................................. 7-19
Tiedown Hook ........................................................................ 7-20
Recreational Towing ............................................................... 7-22
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NOTE
Verify that the covers are securely
installed.
Push-Starting
WARNING
Towing a Vehicle to Start It:
Towing a vehicle to start it is
dangerous. The vehicle being towed
could surge forward when its engine
starts, causing the two vehicles to
collide. The occupants could be
injured. Never tow a vehicle to start it.
You can't start a vehicle with an automatic
transaxle by pushing it.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transaxle. It can damage the
emission control system.
7-18
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
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Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.
A towed vehicle usually should have its
front wheels off the ground. If excessive
damage or other conditions prevent this,
use wheel dollies.
Wheel dollies
When towing with the rear wheels on the
ground, release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Don't tow the vehicle pointed backward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transaxle.
CAUTION
Don't tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or flatbed equipment.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
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CAUTION
Do not use the hooks under the rear
bumper for towing and tying down, as
they cannot hold the load and it will
damage the bumper.
Hooks
Tiedown Hook
CAUTION
Don't use the tiedown hook under the
rear for towing.
It is designed ONLY for tying down the
vehicle when it's being transported.
Using it for towing will damage the
bumper.
NOTE
When towing with chain or cable, wrap
the chain or cable with a soft cloth near
the bumper to prevent damage to the
bumper.
qTiedown Hook-Front
1. Remove the tiedown eyelet and the lug
wrench from the trunk (page 7-3).
2. Wrap a flathead screwdriver or similar
tool with a soft cloth to prevent
damage to the bumper and open the
cap located on the front bumper.
7-20
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
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CAUTION
The cap cannot be completely removed.
Do not use excessive force as it may
damage the cap or scratch the painted
bumper surface.
3. Securely install the tiedown eyelet
using the lug wrench.
4. Hook the tying rope to the tiedown
eyelet.
CAUTION
If the tiedown eyelet is not securely
tightened, it may loosen or disengage
from the bumper when tying down the
vehicle. Make sure that the tiedown
eyelet is securely tightened to the
bumper.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
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Recreational Towing
An example of“recreational towing”is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transaxle is not designed for towing
this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
“Towing Description”(page 7-19) and
“Tiedown Hook”(page 7-20) and
carefully follow the instructions.
7-22
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
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SAMPLE
CARGO
Cargo Weightincludes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight, including cargo and
optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load or king pin weight is also part of
cargo weight.
The cargo weight limit decreases depending on the number of vehicle occupants. The cargo
weight limit can be calculated by subtracting the total weight of the vehicle occupants from
the“combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed”value on the tire label.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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GCW
GCW (Gross Combined Weight)is the weight of the loaded vehicle (GVW) plus the
weight of the fully loaded trailer.
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)is the maximum allowable weight of the
vehicle and the loaded trailer - including all cargo and passengers - that the vehicle can
handle without risking damage. (Important: The towing vehicle's braking system is rated
for operation at GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe
control of towed vehicles and for trailers weighing more than 1,500 lbs).The GCW must
never exceed the GCWR.
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weightis the highest possible weight of a fully loaded trailer
the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only mandatory options, no cargo (internal or
external), a tongue load of 10_
15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15_
25%
(fifth-wheel trailer), and driver only (150 lbs).Consult your dealership (or the RV and
Trailer Towing Guide provided by your dealership) for more detailed information.
Tongue Load or Fifth-Wheel King Pin Weightrefers to the amount of the weight that a
trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.
Examples:For a 5000 lb conventional trailer, multiply 5000 by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a
proper tongue load range of 500 to 750 lbs. For an 11,500 lb fifth-wheel trailer, multiply by
0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 1,725 to 2,875 lbs.
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Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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