tires MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2003 User Guide

7-10
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
5. Store the damaged tire in the trunk.Have the damaged tire repaired as soon
as possible.
Loose Lug Nuts:
Improperly or loosely tightened lug
nuts are dangerous. The wheel could
wobble or come off. This could result
in loss of vehicle control and cause a
serious accident. Always securely and
correctly tighten the lug nuts.
Metric Studs and Lug Nuts:
Because the wheel studs and lug nuts
on your Mazda have metric threads,
using a non-metric nut is dangerous.
On a metric stud, it would not secure
the wheel and would damage the stud,
which could cause the wheel to slip
off and cause an accident. Be sure to
reinstall the same nuts you removed
or replace them with metric nuts of
the same configuration.
Incorrect Tire Air Pressure:
Driving on tires with incorrect air
pressure is dangerous. Tires with
incorrect pressure could affect
handling and result in an accident.
Don ’t drive with any tires that have
incorrect air pressure. When you
check the regular tires ’ air pressure,
check the spare tire, too.
NOTE
To prevent the jack and tool from
rattling, store them properly.
WARNING
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8-1
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
8Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Mazda in top condition.
Introduction ................................................................................. 8- 2
Introduction ............................................................................. 8- 2
Scheduled Maintenance .............................................................. 8- 3
Scheduled Maintenance (North America) ............................... 8- 3
Scheduled Maintenance (Except North America) ................... 8- 7
Owner Maintenance .................................................................... 8-10
Owner Maintenance Schedule ................................................. 8-10
Owner Maintenance Precautions ............................................. 8-11
Engine Compartment Overview .............................................. 8-12
Engine Oil ................................................................................ 8-13
Engine Coolant ........................................................................ 8-15
Brake Fluid .............................................................................. 8-17
Clutch Fluid ............................................................................. 8-18
Power Steering Fluid ............................................................... 8-19
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ...................................... 8-20
Washer Fluid ............................................................................ 8-22
Body Lubrication ..................................................................... 8-23
Air Filter .................................................................................. 8-23
Wiper Blades ........................................................................... 8-24
Battery ..................................................................................... 8-26
Tires ......................................................................................... 8-27
Light Bulbs .............................................................................. 8-31
Fuses ........................................................................................ 8-37
Appearance Care ......................................................................... 8-41
How to Minimize Environmental Paint Damage ..................... 8-41
Exterior Care ........................................................................... 8-43
Interior Care ............................................................................ 8-48
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8-27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
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 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 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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8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Tire Inflation Pressure
Inspect all tire pressures monthly
(including the spare) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, top handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page 10-
6).

Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or sooner
if irregular wear develops. During
rotation, inspect them for correct balance.
Incorrect Tire Inflation:
Overinflation or underinflation of
tires is dangerous. Adverse handling
or unexpected tire failure could result
in a serious accident. Always inflate
the tires to the correct pressure (page
10-6).
WARNING
NOTE
• Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Don
’t
release air from warm tires to adjust
the pressure.
• Underinflation can cause reduced
fuel economy 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 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.
Front
Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.
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8-29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
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 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 should 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. 8R09-EA-02G

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 (4.2 kgf/
cm
2or bar, 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.
• The temporary spare tire is for
limited use, however, if the tread
wear solid-band indicator appears,
replace the tire with the same type
of temporary spare (page 8-29).
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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8-42
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

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.
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9-12
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
This information relates to the tire grading system developed by the U.S. National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration for grading tires by tread wear, traction, and
temperature performance.

Tr e a d We a r
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one-and-a-half times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm because of variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.

Traction-AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. These grades represent
the tire
’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.

Te m p e r a t u r e - A , B , C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent the tire
’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger vehicle tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight ahead) traction
tests and does not include acceleration cornering (turning), hydroplaning, or peak
traction characteristics.
WARNING
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9-13
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS)
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
These grades will be added to the sidewalls of passenger vehicle tires over the next several
years according to a schedule established by the NHTSA and the tire manufacturers.
The grade of tires available as standard or optional equipment on Mazda vehicle may vary
with respect to grade.
ALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST CONFORM TO THESE GRADES AND
TO ALL OTHER FEDERAL TIRE-SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width.
For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
WARNING
UTQGS MARK (example)
TREADWEAR 200 TRACTION AA
TEMPERATURE A
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10-6
Specifications
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Light Bulbs

Tires
Check the tire pressure label for tire size and inflation pressure. Refer to Tire Inflation
Pressure on page 8-28.
Standard tire
Temporary spare tire

Fuses
Refer to the fuse rating on page 8-37
Light bulb
Wattage
Headlights High beam (HB3)
60
Low beam (HB4) 51
Front turn signal/Parking lights 27/8
Fog lights 55
Side-marker lights 3.8
Rear turn signal lights 21
Brake lights/Taillights 21/5
High-mount brake lights 21
Reverse lights 21
License plate lights/Trunk lights 5
Overhead light 8
Tire size Inflation pressure
Front Rear
195/50 R15 82V 180 kPa (1.8 kgf/cm
2, 26 psi)180 kPa (1.8 kgf/cm2, 26 psi)
205/45 R16 83W
Tire size Inflation pressure
T115/70 D14 88M 420 kPa (4.2 kgf/cm
2, 60 psi)
T105/70 D15 85M 420 kPa (4.2 kgf/cm2, 60 psi)
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