winter tires MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK 2014 Owners Manual (in English)

3–46
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Hazardous Driving
WARNING
Be extremely careful if it is necessary to
downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear
while driving on slippery surfaces 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.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
 


y Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
 


y Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
 


y Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
  Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-79 .




y If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the front
wheels.
 


y For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow,
use sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or
other nonslip material under the front
wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the front wheels.
Floor Mat
WARNING
Make sure the fl oor mats are hooked on
the retention pins to prevent them from
bunching up under the foot pedals:
Using a fl oor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.

Do not install two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side:
Installing two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side is
dangerous as the retention pins can
only keep one fl oor mat from sliding
forward.
In using a heavy duty fl oor mat for
winter use always remove the original
fl oor mat.
Loose fl oor mat(s) will interfere with
the foot pedal and could result in an
accident.
When setting a fl oor mat, position the fl oor
mat so that its grommets are inserted over
the pointed end of the retention posts.
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3–48
Before Driving
Driving Tips
NOTE
 


y Do not use the parking brake in
freezing weather as it may freeze.
Instead, shift to P with an automatic
transaxle and to 1 or R with a manual
transaxle. Block the rear wheels.
 


y Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision.
 


y Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
 


y Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows
and mirrors as it could result in the
glass cracking.
 


y Drive slowly. Braking performance
can be adversely affected if snow or
ice adheres to the brake components. If
this situation occurs, drive the vehicle
slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal
and lightly applying the brakes several
times until the brake performance
returns to normal.
Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Infl ate snow
tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2 , 4.3 psi) more
than recommended on the tire pressure
label (driver's door frame), but never
more than the maximum cold-tire pressure
shown on the tires.
The vehicle is originally equipped with
all season radials designed to be used all
year around. In some extreme climates you
may fi nd it necessary to replace them with
snow tires during the winter months to
further improve traction on snow and ice
covered roads.
WARNING
Use only the same size and type tires
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four
wheels:
Using tires diff erent in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle's handling
could be greatly aff ected and result in
an accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
Tire Chains
Check local regulations before using tire
chains.
CAUTION
 


¾ Chains may aff ect handling.



¾ Do not go faster than 50 km/h (30
mph) or the chain manufacturer's
recommended limit, whichever is lower.
 


¾ Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes,
and sharp turns.
 


¾ Avoid locked-wheel braking.



¾ Do not use chains on a temporary spare
tire; it may result in damage to the
vehicle and to the tire.
 


¾ Do not use chains on roads that are free
of snow or ice. The tires and chains could
be damaged.
 


¾ Chains may scratch or chip aluminum
wheels.
NOTE
The tire pressure monitoring system may
not function correctly when using tire
chains.
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