Oil MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2004 Owner's Manual

8-13
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Recommended Oil
Oil container labels provide important
information.
The quality designation SG, SH, SJ,
SL,

or ILSAC
must be on the label.
Engine oil viscosity, or thickness, has an
effect on fuel economy and cold-weather
operation (starting and oil flow).
Low-viscosity engine oils can provide
improved fuel economy and cold-weather
performance.
But high-temperature weather conditions
require higher-viscosity engine oils for
satisfactory lubrication. When choosing an oil, consider the
temperature range your vehicle will
operate in before the next oil change.
Then select the recommended viscosity
from this chart.
Energy conserving oils are recommended.
A chief contribution they make to fuel
economy is reducing the amount of fuel
necessary to overcome engine friction.


Inspecting Engine Oil Level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on a level
surface.
2. Warm up the engine to normal operating temperature.
3. Turn it off and wait 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan.
4. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully.
Engine Oil
SAEFORGASOLINEENGINES10W-30
(ILSAC)
–30 –20–100 1020304050
–20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
5W-30
10W-30
Using oils of viscosity besides those
recommended for specific temperature
ranges could result in engine damage.
CAUTION
Full
Low OK
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8-14
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
5. Pull it out again and examine the level.It’s OK between L and F.
But if it ’s near or below L, add enough
oil to bring the level to F.
6. Make sure the O-ring is positioned properly before reinserting the
dipstick.
The distance between L and F on the
dipstick represents the following:

Changing Engine Oil and Filter
Change engine oil and filter according to
Scheduled Maintenance (page 8-3).
Please act responsibly
—protect the
environment and take used oil to a
recycling facility. Ask your dealer or a
service station for information. Changing engine oil
1. Warm up the engine for a few minutes
and turn it off. Remove the oil-filler
cap.
2. Remove the drain plug and drain the oil into a suitable container.
3. Replace the drain plug washer after the oil has thoroughly drained.
4. Reinstall the plug tightly.
5. Fill the engine with new oil to the F mark on the dipstick.
6. Securely reinstall the oil-filler cap.
7. Start the engine and inspect around the drain plug for leaks.
8. Turn it off and wait 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan.
Don
’t add engine oil over F. This may
cause engine damage.
L (US qt, Imp qt) 0.8 (0.85, 0.70)
Handling Used Engine Oil:
Continuous contact with used engine
oil is dangerous. It could cause skin
cancer. Always wash with soap and
water immediately after changing oil
and filter.
CAUTION
WARNING
Checking or Changing Engine Oil:
Hot engine oil is dangerous. If the
engine has been running, the engine
oil becomes very hot. You could be
seriously burned. Don ’t check or
change the engine oil when the
engine is hot.
WARNING
Tighten
Loosen
Drain plug
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8-15
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Check the oil level and fill to the F mark if
necessary.
Oil capacity (General reference only,
refer to Specifications section for
capacities.)
Changing oil filter
Because you need a special tool to
retighten the filter, an Authorized Mazda
Dealer should do the work.

Inspecting Coolant Level
NOTE
• The indicated engine oil capacities
are for general reference purposes
only. When adding or changing oil,
verify the engine oil level with the
oil dipstick.
• Use only specified engine oil (page
10-4).
Engine Coolant
Hot Engine:
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.
Do not use a match or live flame in
the engine compartment. DO NOT
ADD COOLANT WHEN THE
ENGINE IS HOT.
Cooling Fan and Engine
Inspection:
Inspecting the engine with the
ignition switch in the ON position is
dangerous. The cooling fan could
turn on unexpectedly even when the
engine isn ’t running. You could be
seriously injured by the fan. Turn the
ignition switch off and remove the key
from the ignition switch when you
inspect the engine.
Cooling System Cap:
When the engine and radiator are
hot, scalding coolant and steam may
shoot out under pressure and cause
serious injury. Don’ t remove the
cooling system cap when the engine
and radiator are hot.
WARNING
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8-20
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Inspecting Power Steering Fluid
Level
Inspect the fluid level at each engine oil
change. Add fluid if necessary; it does not
require periodic changing.
The level must be kept between the H and
L marks.
Visually examine the lines and hoses for
leaks and damage.
1. Park on a level surface, well off the
right-of-way, and set the parking brake
firmly.
2. Turn off the engine and allow it to cool. 3. Remove the filler cap and attached
dipstick.
4. Wipe them clean and put them back.
5. Remove again and inspect the level.
6. It must be between H and L. Add fluid if necessary.
Don ’t overfill.
If new fluid is required frequently, consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Power Steering Fluid
To avoid damage to the power steering
pump, don ’t operate the vehicle for
long periods when the power steering
fluid level is low.
NOTE
Use specified power steering fluid
(page 10-4).
CAUTION
Full
Low
OK
Loosen
Tighten
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8-23
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir; add fluid if necessary.
Use plain water if washer fluid is
unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather
to prevent it from freezing.All moving points of the body, such as
door and hood hinges and locks, should
be lubricated each time the engine oil is
changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on
locks during cold weather.
Make sure the engine hood
’s secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when
the primary latch is released.
Type A
Type B
Body Lubrication
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8-33
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Your Mazda’s headlights and fog lights
have replaceable halogen bulbs.
Replacing Exterior Light Bulbs
Replacing a headlight bulb
1. Make sure the ignition switch is turned
off and the headlight switch is off.
2. Lift the hood and find the high and low beam bulbs in the rear of the headlight
unit.
The outboard bulb is the LOW beam,
and the inboard one is the HIGH beam.
Refer to Light Bulbs (page 8-32).
3. Turn the socket and bulb assembly counterclockwise and remove it while
holding the rubber socket cover in
place. Carefully remove the headlight
bulb from its socket in the reflector by
gently pulling it straight backward out
of the socket.
4. Disconnect the bulb from the electrical connector by pressing the tab on the
connector with your finger and pulling
the bulb upward.
5. Install the new bulb in the reverse order of removal.
Handling Halogen Bulbs:
When a halogen bulb breaks, it is
dangerous. These bulbs contain
pressurized gas. If one is broken, it
will explode and serious injuries
could be caused by the flying glass.
If the glass portion is touched with
bare hands, body oil could cause the
bulb to overheat and explode when lit.
Never touch the glass portion of the
bulb with your bare hands and always
wear eye protection when handling or
working around halogen bulbs.
Children and Halogen Bulbs:
Playing with a halogen bulb is
dangerous. Serious injuries could be
caused by dropping a halogen bulb or
breaking it some other way.
Always keep halogen bulbs out of the
reach of children.
WARNING
High beam bulb
Ta b
Low beam bulb
Socket
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8-43
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
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. Don’t allow soap
to dry on the finish.
After washing the vehicle, dry it with a
clean chamois to prevent water spots from
forming. Wa x i n g
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.

Repairing Damage to the Finish
Deep scratches or chips on the finish
should be repaired promptly. Exposed
metal quickly rusts and can lead to major
repairs.
Driving with Wet Brakes:
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. Dry the brakes by driving
very slowly and applying the brakes
lightly until brake performance is
normal.
WARNING
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 doesn
’t need it.
If your Mazda is damaged and needs
metal parts repaired or replaced, make
sure the body shop applies anti-
corrosion materials to all parts, both
repaired and new. This will prevent
them from rusting.
CAUTION
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8-46
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
Appearance(Polyvinyl only)
Dress the top once a month after washing
and drying it well. For best results, use a
water-based leather treatment or vinyl top
dressing. This will help maintain good
appearance and material condition of the
top.

Detachable Hardtop
Maintenance*
Wa s h i n g
To help protect the hardtop
’s finish, use a
soft cloth or sponge to wash it.
Insects, tar, tree sap, bird droppings,
industrial fallout, and similar deposits can
damage the finish if they are not removed
immediately. When prompt washing with
plain water is ineffective use a mild soap
made for use on vehicles. Thoroughly rinse with lukewarm or cold
water. Don
’t allow soap to dry on the
finish.
Waxing
Wax the hardtop when water no longer
beads on the paint. Always wash and dry
it before waxing.
•
Some leather treatment products
can ruin the top
’s gloss. Be careful
of the one you choose.
• Test on an inconspicuous, small
corner of the top if you are not sure.
• Don
’t get any car wax on the top.
If you do, remove it with a good
leather cleaner.
• Too much treatment on the top can
be as damaging as too little. Follow
the manufacturer
’s directions.
Don ’t overdo it!
• Let the top dry completely before
lowering after applying treatment or
dressing.
CAUTION
•Don
’t use an automatic car wash.
• Don
’t use strong soap, chemical
detergents, or hot water, and don ’t
wash the hardtop in direct sunlight
or when the surface is warm.
• Wiping off dust or dirt with a dry
cloth will scratch the finish.
• Don
’t use abrasive wax. This may
damage the protective coating and
discolor or deteriorate the paint.
NOTE
A spot remover to remove oil, tar, and
similar materials will usually also take
off the wax. Rewax these areas.
CAUTION
CAUTION
*Some models.
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8-47
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Dashboard Precautions
Prevent caustic solutions such as perfume
and cosmetic oils from contacting the
dashboard. They
’ll damage and discolor
it. If these solutions get on the dashboard,
wipe them off immediately.

Cleaning the Upholstery and
Interior Trim
Vi ny l
Remove dust and loose dirt from vinyl
with a whisk broom or vacuum cleaner.
Clean vinyl with a leather-and-vinyl
cleaner.
Leather*
Real leather isn
’t uniform and may have
scars, scratches, and wrinkles. Clean it
with a leather cleaner or mild soap.
If the leather gets wet from rain, remove
the moisture as soon as possible and dry
in a shaded area.
If the seats get wet, promptly remove
moisture with a dry cloth and allow it to
further dry in a shaded area.
If moisture is not removed, it will cause
hardening and shrinkage of the leather.
Do not leave vinyl products on the seats
for long periods as they may affect the
leather quality and coloring. Fabric
Remove dust and loose dirt from fabric
with a whisk broom or vacuum cleaner.
Clean it with a mild soap solution good
for upholstery and carpets. Remove fresh
spots immediately with a fabric spot
cleaner.
To keep the fabric looking clean and
fresh, take care of it. Otherwise its color
will be affected, it can be stained easily,
and its fire-resistance may be reduced.


Cleaning the Lap/Shoulder Belt
We b b i n g
Clean the webbing with a mild soap
solution recommended for upholstery or
carpets. Follow instructions. Don
’t bleach
or dye the webbing; this may weaken it.
After cleaning the belts, thoroughly dry
the belt webbing and make sure there is
no remaining moisture before retracting
them.
Interior Care
Do not use glazing agents.
Glazing agents contain ingredients
which may cause discoloration,
wrinkling, cracks and peeling.
CAUTION
Use only recommended cleaners and
procedures. Others may affect
appearance and fire-resistance.
Damaged Seat Belt:
Using damaged seat belts is
dangerous. In a collision, damaged
belts cannot provide adequate
protection. Have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer replace damaged belts
immediately.
CAUTION
WARNING
*Some models.
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8-48
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Cleaning the Window Interiors
If the windows become covered with an
oily, greasy, or waxy film, clean them with
glass cleaner. Follow the directions on the
container.
Don ’t scrape or scratch the inside of
the rear window. You may damage the
rear window defroster grid.
CAUTION
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