trailer MAZDA MODEL MX-5 2006 Owners 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 Mazda MX-5 is not designed for
towing. Never tow a trailer with your
Mazda MX-5.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Towing
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Vehicle Loading
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or trailer, to keep
your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating capability, with or without a trailer.
Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of vehicle design performance.
Before loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle's weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle's Safety
Certification Label and Tire and Load Information Label:
WARNING
Overloaded Vehicle:
Overloading a vehicle is dangerous. The results of overloading can have serious
consequences in terms of passenger safety. Too much weight on a vehicle's suspension
system can cause spring or shock absorber failure, brake failure, handling or steering
problems, irregular tire wear, tire failure or other damage.
Overloading makes a vehicle harder to drive and control. It also increases the distance
required for stopping. In cases of serious overloading, brakes can fail completely,
particularly on steep grades. The load a tire will carry safely is a combination of the
size of the tire, its load range, and corresponding inflation pressure.
Never overload the vehicle and always observe the vehicle's weight ratings from the
vehicle's Safety Certification and Tire and Load Information labels.
Base Curb Weight is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of fuel and all
standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or optional equipment.
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Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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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.
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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.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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Steps for Determining the Correct Load Limit:
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit:
(1) Locate the statement“The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs”on your vehicle's placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the“XXX”amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs. (1400_
750 (5 × 150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, the load from your trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
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