warning MAZDA MODEL MX-5 2016 Owners Manual (in English)

6–29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
6. Make sure the O-ring on the dipstick is
positioned properly before reinserting
the dipstick.
7. Reinsert the dipstick fully.
Engine Coolant
Inspecting Coolant Level
WARNING
Do not use a match or live flame in the
engine compartment. DO NOT ADD
COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT:
A hot engine is dangerous. If the
engine has been running, parts of the
engine compartment can become very
hot. You could be burned. Carefully
inspect the engine coolant in the
coolant reservoir, but do not open it.
Switch the ignition to off and make
sure the fan is not running before
attempting to work near the cooling
fan:
Working near the cooling fan when it
is running is dangerous. The fan could
continue running indefinitely even if
the engine has stopped and the engine
compartment temperature is high. You
could be hit by the fan and seriously
injured.
Do not remove either cooling
system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot:
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot
out under pressure and cause serious
injury.
NOTE
Changing the coolant should be done by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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6–31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Brake/Clutch Fluid
Inspecting Brake/Clutch Fluid
Level
WARNING
If the brake/clutch fluid level is low, have
the brakes inspected:
A low brake/clutch fluid level is
dangerous.
A low level could indicate brake lining
wear or a brake system leak which
could cause the brakes to fail and lead
to an accident.
The brakes and clutch draw fluid from the
same reservoir.
Inspect the fluid level in the reservoir
regularly. It should be kept between the
MAX and MIN lines.
The level normally drops with
accumulated distance, a condition
associated with wear of brake and clutch
linings. If it is excessively low, have
the brake/clutch system inspected by an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Washer Fluid
Inspecting Washer Fluid Level
WARNING
Use only windshield washer fluid or
plain water in the reservoir:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
affect your visibility, and could result in
an accident.
Using Washer Fluid Without Anti-freeze
Protection in Cold Weather:
Operating your vehicle in temperatures
below 4 degrees C (40 degrees F)
using washer fluid without anti-freeze
protection is dangerous as it could
cause impaired windshield vision and
result in an accident. In cold weather,
always use washer fluid with anti-
freeze protection.
NOTE
State or local regulations may restrict the
use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
which are commonly used as anti-freeze
agents in washer fluid. A washer fluid with
limited VOC content should be used only
if it provides adequate freeze resistance
for all regions and climates in which the
vehicle will be operated.
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6–36
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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.
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6–41
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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.
Except for the limited use of the
temporary spare tire, use only the
same type tires (radial, bias-belted,
bias-type) on all four wheels.
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:
Using any other tire size than what is
specified for the vehicle (page 9-8)
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 the
vehicle.
Tire 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 Tires on page 9-8.
Use only a Mazda-genuine tire valve
cap:
Use of a non-genuine part is
dangerous as the correct tire air
pressure cannot be maintained if the
tire valve becomes damaged. If the
vehicle is driven under this condition,
the tire air pressure will decrease which
could result in a serious accident. Do
not use any part for the tire valve cap
that is not a Mazda-genuine part.
Inspect all tire pressures monthly when
the tires are cold. Maintain recommended
pressures for the best ride, handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page
9-8).
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-96.
NOTE
 Always check tire pressure when tires
are cold. Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Do not release
air from warm tires to adjust the
pressure.
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6–42
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
 Underinflation 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. Overinflation 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.
Tire Rotation
WARNING
Rotate tires periodically:
Irregular tire wear is dangerous. To
equalize tread wear for maintaining
good performance in handling and
braking, rotate the tires every 12,000
km (7,500 miles). However Mazda
recommends to rotate every 8,000 km
(5,000 miles) to help increase tire life
and distribute wear more evenly.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4.
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONL Y) spare tire in rotation.
Forward
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wear is usually caused
by one or a combination of the following:
 Incorrect tire pressure Improper wheel alignment Out-of-balance wheel Severe braking
After rotation, inflate all tire pressures to
specification (page 9-8) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-96.
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 reduced if rotated from side to
side.
(With limited-slip differential)
Don't use the following:
 Tires not of the designated size Tires of different sizes or types at
the same time Tires 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.
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6–43
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
*Some models.
Replacing 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.
Replace all four tires at the same time:
Replacing just one tire is dangerous. It
could cause poor handling and poor
braking resulting in loss of vehicle
control. Mazda strongly recommends
that you replace all four tires at the
same time.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
New treadT
read wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace the tire before the band
crosses the entire tread.
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-96.
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. The period in which the tire
was manufactured (both week and year) is
indicated by a 4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 8-24.
Replacing a Wheel
WARNING
Always use wheels of the correct size on
your vehicle:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident.
CAUTION
A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect:
 Tire fit Wheel and bearing life Ground clearance Snow-chain clearance Speedometer calibration Headlight aim Bumper height Tire Pressure Monitoring System*
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6–53
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Replacing the fuses under the hood
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work and the fuses
in the cabin are normal, inspect the fuse
block under the hood. If a fuse is blown, it
must be replaced. Follow these steps:
1. Make sure the ignition is switched off,
and other switches are off.
2. Remove the fuse block cover.
NOTE
If the lock is forcefully opened, the fuse
block cover may come in contact with the
frame when it is removed and become
scratched.
When removing the cover, remove it slowly
according to the following procedure.
1. Disengage the rear lock by pressing
down on the front tab with your
fingers.
2. Remove the front tab while slightly
lifting the front of the cover.
3. Remove the cover while lifting it and
sliding it to the rear.
3. If any fuse but the MAIN fuse is
blown, replace it with a new one of the
same amperage rating.
Normal
Blown
WARNING
Do not replace the main fuse and
multiplex slow blow fuse by yourself.
Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform the replacement:
Replacing these fuses by yourself is
dangerous because they are high
current fuses. Incorrect replacement
could cause an electrical shock or a
short circuit resulting in a fire.
4. Reinstall the cover and make sure that
it is securely installed.
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6–55
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
*Some models.
DESCRIPTIONFUSE RATINGPROTECTED COMPONENT
18A/C MAG7.5 AAir conditioner
19AT PUMP20 ATransmission control system*
20AT15 ATransmission control system*
21D LOCK25 APower door locks
22H/L RH20 AHeadlight (RH)
23ENGB27.5 AEngine control system
24TAIL20 ATaillights, License plate lights, Parking lights
25DRL15 A—
26ROOM25 AOverhead light
27FOG15 A—
28H/CLEAN20 A—
29STOP10 ABrake lights
30HORN15 AHorn
31H/L LH20 AHeadlight (LH)
32ABS/DSC S30 AABS, Dynamic stability control system
33HAZARD15 AHazard warning flashers, Turn signal lights
34FUEL PUMP15 AFuel system
35ENGB35 A—
36WIPER20 AWindshield wipers
37CABINB50 AFor protection of various circuits
38———
39———
40ABS/DSC M50 AABS, Dynamic stability control system
41EVVTA/R PUMP20 AEngine control system
42EVPS30 ABrake control system
43FAN130 ACooling fan
44FAN240 A—
45ENG.MAIN40 AEngine control system
46EPS60 APower steering system
47DEFOG30 ARear window defogger
48IG230 AFor protection of various circuits
49INJECTOR30 AEngine control system
50HEATER40 AAir conditioner
51———
52———
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6–58
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Water Marks
Occurrence
Rain, fog, dew, and even tap water can
contain harmful minerals such as salt and
lime. If moisture containing these minerals
settles on the vehicle and evaporates, the
minerals will concentrate and harden to
form white rings. The rings can damage
your vehicle's finish.
Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preserve its finish according to
the instructions in this section. These steps
should be taken immediately after you find
water marks on your vehicle's finish.
Paint Chipping
Occurrence
Paint chipping occurs when gravel thrown
in the air by another vehicle's tires hits
your vehicle.
How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead reduces the chances
of having your paint chipped by flying
gravel.
NOTE
 The paint chipping zone varies with the
speed of the vehicle. For example, when
traveling at 90 km/h (56 mph), the paint
chipping zone is 50 m (164 ft). In low temperatures a vehicle's finish
hardens. This increases the chance of
paint chipping. Chipped paint can lead to rust forming
on your Mazda. Before this happens,
repair the damage by using Mazda
touch-up paint according to the
instructions in this section. Failure to
repair the affected area could lead to
serious rusting and expensive repairs.
Follow all label and container directions
when using a chemical cleaner or polish.
Read all warnings and cautions.
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6–60
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
To minimize scratches on the vehicle's
paint finish:
 Rinse off any dirt or other foreign matter
using lukewarm or cold water before
washing. Use plenty of lukewarm or cold water
and a soft cloth when washing the
vehicle. Do not use a nylon cloth. Rub gently when washing or drying the
vehicle. Take your vehicle only to a car wash
that keeps its brushes well maintained. Do not use abrasive cleansers or wax
that contain abrasives.
CAUTION
Do not use steel wool, abrasive
cleaners, or strong detergents
containing highly alkaline or caustic
agents on chrome-plated or anodized
aluminum parts. This may damage the
protective coating; also, cleaners and
detergents may discolor or deteriorate
the paint.
Pay special attention to removing salt, dirt,
mud, and other foreign material from the
underside of the fenders, and make sure
the drain holes in the lower edges of the
doors and rocker panels are clean.
Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial fallout, and similar deposits
can damage the finish if not removed
immediately. When prompt washing with
plain water is ineffective, use a mild soap
made for use on vehicles.
Thoroughly rinse off all soap with
lukewarm or cold water. Do not allow
soap to dry on the finish.
After washing the vehicle, dry it with a
clean chamois to prevent water spots from
forming.
WARNING
Dry off brakes that have become
wet by driving slowly, releasing the
accelerator pedal and lightly applying
the brakes several times until the brake
performance returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the
vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious
accident. Light braking will indicate
whether the brakes have been affected.
Waxing
Your vehicle needs to be waxed when
water no longer beads on the finish.
Always wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing it. In addition to the vehicle body,
wax the metal trim to maintain its luster.
1. Use wax which contains no abrasives.
Waxes containing abrasive will remove
paint and could damage bright metal
parts.
2. Use a good grade of natural wax for
metallic, mica, and solid colors.
3. When waxing, coat evenly with the
sponge supplied or a soft cloth.
4. Wipe off the wax with a soft cloth.
NOTE
A spot remover to remove oil, tar, and
similar materials will usually also take off
the wax. Rewax these areas even if the rest
of the vehicle does not need it.
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