fuel type MAZDA MODEL B-SERIES 2003 Owners Manual (in English)

²It may be necessary to increase the coolant concentration
above 50%.
²NEVER increase the coolant concentration above 60%.
²Increased engine coolant concentrations above 60% will
decrease the overheat protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
²Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
freeze protection at the temperatures in which you drive in the
winter months.
If you drive in extremely hot climates:
²NEVER mix different colors or types of engine coolant. Always
verify the correct coolant type before adding.
²It is still necessary to maintain the coolant concentration
above 40%.
²NEVER decrease the coolant concentration below 40%.
²Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the corrosion protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
²Decreased engine coolant concentrations below 40% will
decrease the freeze protection characteristics of the engine
coolant and may cause engine damage.
²Refer to the chart on the coolant container to ensure the
coolant concentration in your vehicle will provide adequate
protection at the temperatures in which you drive.
Vehicles driven year-round in non-extreme climates should use a 50/50
mixture of engine coolant and distilled water for optimum cooling system
and engine protection.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
Important safety precautions
WARNING: Do not overfill the fuel tank. The pressure in an
overfilled tank may cause leakage and lead to fuel spray and
fire.
Maintenance and Specifications
208

clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Repeated or
prolonged skin contact with fuel liquid or vapor causes skin irritation.
²Be particularly careful if you are taking ªAntabuseº or other forms of
disulfiram for the treatment of alcoholism. Breathing gasoline and/or
ethanol vapors, or skin contact could cause an adverse reaction. In
sensitive individuals, serious personal injury or sickness may result. If
fuel is splashed on the skin, promptly wash skin thoroughly with soap
and water. Consult a physician immediately if you experience an
adverse reaction.
²FFV fuel tanks may contain zero to 85 percent ethanol. Any fuel
blends containing gasoline and ethanol should be treated the same as
ªFuel Ethanol º. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check your VIN
or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When checking the
VIN look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If your vehicle
is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a ªK.º
Ethanol
Pure ethanol is the alcohol which is the intoxicating agent in liquor, beer
and wine. It is distilled from the fermentation of plants such as field corn
and sugar cane. When ethanol is used in the making of motor fuels, a
small amount of a bad tasting chemical is added to discourage beverage
use. The resulting fuel is called E
d100 meaning 100% pure ethanol
diluted by 2% to 5% gasoline as the ªdenaturant.º
Fuel ethanol (summer blend
d) is then made by adding 15% more
unleaded gasoline. The resulting fuel also has a higher octane rating than
unleaded regular gasoline and other properties which allow engine
designs with greater efficiency and power.
Winter blends may contain up to 30% (E70)unleaded gasoline (25% plus
the denaturant) to enhance cold engine starts. Severely cold weather
may require additional measures for reliable starting. Refer toCold
Weather Startingin theDrivingchapter.
Ethanol is more chemically active than gasoline. It corrodes some metals
and causes some plastic and rubber components to swell, break down or
become brittle and crack, especially when mixed with gasoline. Special
materials and procedures have been developed for flexible fuel vehicles
and the dispensers used by ethanol fuel providers.
Maintenance and Specifications
210

Unleaded Gasoline engines
If you are experiencing starting, rough idle or hesitation driveability
problems during a cold start, try a different brand of ªRegularº unleaded
gasoline. ªPremiumº unleaded gasoline is not recommended (particularly
in the United States) because it may cause these problems to become
more pronounced. If the problems persist, see your authorized Mazda
dealership.
FFV engine (if equipped)
Your FFV will operate well on ordinary ªRegularº unleaded gasoline, but
only the highest quality fuel ethanol will provide the same level of
protection and performance. To identify if your vehicle is an FFV, check
your VIN or the label on the inside of your fuel filler door. When
checking the VIN, look for the engine type identifier (8th character). If
your vehicle is an FFV, then the character will be labeled as a ªK.º
If you operate your vehicle 50% or more of the time on ethanol, you
should follow a different maintenance schedule. See theService
Maintenance Sectionfor more information.
If you are experiencing a rough or rolling idle after start-up with the
outside temperature above 27É C (80É F), the idle should improve within
10 to 30 seconds. If the problems persist below this temperature, see
your authorized Mazda dealership.
Cleaner air
Mazda endorses the use of reformulated ªcleaner-burningº gasolines to
improve air quality.
Running out of fuel
Avoid running out of fuel because this situation may have an adverse
affect on powertrain components.
If you have run out of fuel:
²You may need to cycle the ignition from OFF to ON several times after
refueling, to allow the fuel system to pump the fuel from the tank to
the engine.
²Your ªCheck Engineº indicator may come on. For more information on
the ªCheck Engineº indicator, refer to theInstrument Cluster
chapter.
Fuel Filter
For fuel filter replacement, see your authorized Mazda dealership. Refer
to the service maintenance section for the appropriate intervals for
changing the fuel filter.
Maintenance and Specifications
214

²Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time.
Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent.
Calculating fuel economy
1. Fill the fuel tank completely and record the initial odometer reading
(in kilometers or miles).
2. Each time you fill the tank, record the amount of fuel added (in
liters or gallons).
3. After at least three to five tank fill-ups, fill the fuel tank and record
the current odometer reading.
4. Subtract your initial odometer reading from the current odometer
reading.
5. Follow one of the simple calculations in order to determine fuel
economy:
Calculation 1:Multiply liters used by 100, then divide by total
kilometers traveled.
Calculation 2:Divide total miles traveled by total gallons used.
Keep a record for at least one month and record the type of driving (city
or highway). This will provide an accurate estimate of the vehicle's fuel
economy under current driving conditions. Additionally, keeping records
during summer and winter will show how temperature impacts fuel
economy. In general, lower temperatures give lower fuel economy.
Driving style Ð good driving and fuel economy habits
Give consideration to the lists that follow and you may be able to change
a number of variables and improve your fuel economy.
Habits
²Smooth, moderate operation can yield up to 10% savings in fuel.
²Steady speeds without stopping will usually give the best fuel
economy.
²Idling for long periods of time (greater than one minute) may waste
fuel.
²Anticipate stopping; slowing down may eliminate the need to stop.
²Sudden or hard accelerations may reduce fuel economy.
²Slow down gradually.
²Driving at reasonable speeds (traveling at 88 km/h [55 mph] uses 15%
less fuel than traveling at 105 km/h [65 mph]).
Maintenance and Specifications
216

²Revving the engine before turning it off may reduce fuel economy.
²Using the air conditioner or defroster may reduce fuel economy.
²You may want to turn off the speed control in hilly terrain if
unnecessary shifting between third and fourth gear occurs.
Unnecessary shifting of this type could result in reduced fuel
economy.
²Warming up a vehicle on cold mornings is not required and may
reduce fuel economy.
²Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving may reduce fuel
economy.
²Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving.
Maintenance
²Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size.
²Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel
economy.
²Use recommended engine oil. Refer toLubricant specificationsin
this chapter.
²Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the
recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks
found in your vehicle service maintenance section.
Conditions
²Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy
at any speed.
²Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately
0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried).
²Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug
deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may
reduce fuel economy.
²Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy.
²Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first
12±16 km (8±10 miles) of driving.
²Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to
driving on hilly terrain.
²Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top
cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal.
Maintenance and Specifications
217

handle. MERCONtand MERCONtV are not interchangeable. DO NOT
mix MERCONtand MERCONtV. Refer to your service maintenance
section to determine the correct service interval.
3Do not mix different types or colors of engine coolant.
ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Engine 2.3L I4 engine 3.0L V6 engine 4.0L V6 engine
Cubic inches 138 182 245
Required fuel 87 octane 87 octane 87 octane
Firing order 1-3-4-2 1-4-2-5-3-6 1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark plug gap 1.04-1.19mm
(0.041-0.047
inch)1.07-1.17mm
(0.042-0.046
inch)1.3-1.4 mm
(0.052-0.056
inch)
Ignition system EDIS EDIS EDIS
Compression
ratio9.7:1 9.14:1 9.0:1
VEHICLE DIMENSIONS
Vehicle dimensions Regular Cab
mm (in)SuperCab mm
(in)
(1) Overall length 4 763 (187.5) 5 153 (202.9)
(2) Overall width 1 785 (70.3) 1 785 (70.3)
(3) Overall height 4x2/4x4 1 575 (62.0) /
1 655 (65.2)1 585 (62.4) /
1 684 (66.3)
(4) Wheelbase 2 831 (111.4) 3 192 (125.7)
(5) Track - Front 1 486 (58.5) 1 485 (58.5)
(5) Track - Rear 1 455 (57.3) 1 455 (57.3)
Maintenance and Specifications
236

S
Safety belts
(see Safety restraints) .........69±73
Safety defects, reporting ..........175
Safety restraints ....................69±73
belt minder ...............................77
cleaning the safety belts ..........80
extension assembly ..................76
for adults .............................70±72
for children .........................93±94
lap belt ......................................74
warning light and chime ..........76
Safety restraints - LATCH
anchors ......................................106
Safety restraints - tether
anchors ......................................102
Safety seats for children ............97
Seat belts
(see Safety restraints) ...............69
Seats ............................................67
child safety seats ......................97
Servicing your vehicle ..............190
Snowplowing .................................7
Spare tire
(see Changing the Tire) ...........152
Spark plugs, specifications .......236
Special notice
ambulance conversions ..............7
utility-type vehicles ....................7
Specification chart,
lubricants ...........................235±236
Speed control ..............................53
Starting a flex fuel vehicle .......113
Starting your
vehicle ........................110±111, 113
jump starting ..........................158Steering wheel
tilting .........................................48
T
Tether anchors ..........................102
Tires ...........................152, 227±228
changing ..........................152, 155
checking the pressure ............228
replacing ..................................230
rotating ....................................229
snow tires and chains ............231
tire grades ...............................228
treadwear ................................227
Towing .......................................131
recreational towing .................138
trailer towing ..........................131
wrecker ....................................164
Traction-lok rear axle ...............118
Transfer case
fluid checking .........................226
Transmission
automatic operation ...............119
fluid, checking and adding
(automatic) .............................223
fluid, checking and adding
(manual) .................................225
fluid, refill capacities ..............232
lubricant specifications ..235±236
manual operation ....................122
Turn signal ..................................40
V
Vehicle dimensions ...................236
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ..........................................238
Vehicle loading ..........................129
camper bodies ........................139
Ventilating your vehicle ...........115
Index
244