tire type MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2002 Owners Manual

2-15
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
The passenger lap/shoulder belt can easily
be converted into the automatic locking
mode, which must be done to hold the
child-restraint system.
Follow these instructions when installing
a child-restraint system on the passenger's
seat.
Before installing a rear-facing child-
restraint system, the passenger-side air
bag must be deactivated (page 2-19).
1. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the instructions on the child-
restraint system for belt routing
instructions.
3. To get the retractor into the automatic locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor. 4. Push the child-restraint system firmly
into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat this step.
Installing a Child-
Restraint System
NOTE
Before installing a child-restraint
system, refer to "Passenger-Side Air
Bag Deactivation Switch" (page 2-19).
NOTE
•Inspect this function before each
use of the child-restraint system.
You should not be able to pull the
shoulder belt out of the retractor
while the system is in the automatic
locking mode. When you remove
the child-restraint system, be sure
the belt fully retracts to return the
system to emergency locking mode
before occupants use the seat belts.
• Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer
’s instruction carefully.
Depending on the type of child-
restraint system, it may not employ
seat belts which are in automatic
locking mode.
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4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
•Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask a Mazda dealer to perform the
following precautions:
• Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
• Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
• Use only cold-weather engine oil
(page 8-13).
• Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
• Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze
—but don ’t use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-22).
• Don
’t use the parking brake if it might
freeze. Instead, shift to P with an
automatic transmission and to 1 or R
with a manual transmission. Block the
rear wheels.

Snow Tires
Your vehicle is originally equipped with
summer tires designed for optimum
traction on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, you may find it necessary
to replace the original equipment tires
with snow tires, during the winter months.
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Don
’t go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph).
Inflate snow tires 28 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm2, 4
psi) more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver ’s door), but never
more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.
Winter Driving
Mixing Tire Types:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle’ s handling
could be greatly affected and result in
an accident. Use only the same size
and type tires (snow, radial, or non-
radial) on all four wheels.
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
WARNING
CAUTION
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8-27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
The battery is in the trunk.

Battery Maintenance
To get the best service from a battery:
• Keep it securely mounted.
• Keep the top clean and dry.
• Keep terminals and connections clean,
tight, and coated with petroleum jelly
or terminal grease.
• Rinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda.
• If the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
cables. 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.
Tires
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 when using 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 your Mazda (page 10-6)
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 your
Mazda.
WARNING
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8-29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
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, bring all tire pressures to
specification (page 10-6) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
Replacing a Tire
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across the
tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
You may need to replace it before the
band is across the entire tread.
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 weakened if rotated from side
to side.
Limited-Slip Differential system;
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.
CAUTION
CAUTION
Worn Tires:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
Always use tires that are in good
condition.
WARNING
New tread Worn tread
Tread wear indicator
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8-30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F

Temporary Spare Tire
Inspect the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it
’s properly
inflated and stored.
The temporary spare tire is easier to
handle because of its construction. It is
lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire and should be used only for an
emergency and only for a short distance.
Use the temporary only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which should
be as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa (60 psi).

Replacing a Wheel
When replacing a wheel, make sure the
new one is the same as the original factory
wheel in diameter, rim width, and offset.
Proper tire balancing provides the best
riding comfort and helps reduce tread
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause
vibration and uneven wear, such as
cupping and flat spots.
• Don
’t use your temporary spare tire
rim with a snow tire or a
conventional tire. Neither will
properly fit and could damage both
tire and rim.
• The temporary spare tire has a tread
life of up to 5,000 km (3,000 miles),
depending on road conditions and
driving habits.
• When the tread wear solid-band
indicator appears, replace the tire
with the same type of temporary
spare.
CAUTION
Using a Wrong-Sized Wheel:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident. Always use
wheels of the correct size on your
vehicle.
A wrong-sized wheel may adversely
affect
•Tire fit
• Wheel and bearing life
• Ground clearance
• Snow-chain clearance
• Speedometer calibration
• Headlight aim
• Bumper height
WARNING
CAUTION
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11-5
Index
Form No. 8Q42-EA-01F
R
Rear Window Defroster ................... 5-33
Rearview Mirror
............................... 3-32
Recreational Towing
........................ 7-17
Rocking the Vehicle
........................... 4-7
S
Safety Defects, Reporting ................ 9-14
Seat Belt System 3-point type
................................. 2-7
Automatic locking
...................... 2-6
Emergency locking
..................... 2-6
Extender
.................................... 2-10
Pregnant women
......................... 2-6
Pretensioner and load limiting
.... 2-8
Seat belt precautions
................... 2-4
Warning light/beep
................... 2-11
Seats
................................................... 2-2
Security System Immobilizer system
.................. 3-28
Service Publications
......................... 9-15
Spare Tire and Tool Storage
.............. 7-3
Specifications
................................... 10-4
Speedometer
..................................... 5-18
SRS Air Bags Air bag system description
....... 2-22
Passenger-Side air bag
deactivation switch
................... 2-19
Supplemental restraint systems
precautions
................................ 2-16
Warning light
............................ 2-25
Starting the Engine
............................. 5-3
Steering Wheel Horn
.......................................... 5-33
Storage Compartments
..................... 6-39
Sunvisors
.......................................... 6-40
T
Tachometer .......................................5-19
Temporary Spare Tire
......................8-30
Tiedown Hook
..........................................7-17
Tires Flat tire
........................................7-3
Inflation pressure
.......................8-28
Replacement
..............................8-29
Rotation
.....................................8-28
Snow tires
....................................4-8
Spare tire and tool storage
...........7-3
Specifications
............................10-6
Tire chains
...................................4-9
Uniform tire quality grading
system (UTQGS)
.......................9-12
Tool
....................................................7-3
Towing Description
................................7-16
Emergency towing
....................7-16
Recreational towing
..................7-17
Trailer towing
............................4-10
Trailer Towing
..................................4-10
Trip Meter
........................................5-18
Trunk Lid
..........................................3-11
Trunk Release Handle
......................3-13
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
........5-30
V
Vanity Mirror ...................................6-40
Vehicle Information Labels
..............10-2
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