wheel size MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2004 Owners Manual

2-20
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
SRS Air Bags
The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 2 air bags (verify "SRS AIRBAG"
location indicator marks).
They are located in:
•The steering wheel hub
• The passenger side dashboard
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection
only in the front seats in certain situations, so seat belts become important in the following
ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
• Keep the passenger away from an inflating air bag.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal collisions that are not severe enough to
activate the air bags.
• Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts.
• Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
Children should be protected by a child-restraint system. Laws vary on the size a child
must be to use a child-restraint system (page 2-13).
We have provided a deactivation switch that will disable passenger air bag inflation. Do not
switch off the passenger air bag without reading the "Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Switch" (page 2-23).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner ’s Manual as well as the child-restraint system
manufacturer’ s instructions.
Please be aware that there is no good way to anchor an upper tether, so do not pick a child
restraint system that uses upper tethers at all.
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 20 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
•Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized 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 in freezing
weather as the parking brake may
freeze. Instead, shift to P with an
automatic transmission and to 1 or R
with a manual transmission. Block the
rear wheels.

Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Don
’t go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph).
Inflate snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm2, 4.3
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.
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.
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
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 8 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

7-4
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Jack
To remove the jack
Turn the wing bolt counterclockwise.
To secure the jack
Perform the removal procedure in reverse.

Spare Tire
Your Mazda has a temporary spare tire.
The temporary spare tire is lighter and
smaller than a conventional tire, and is
designed only for emergency use and
should be used only for VERY short
periods. Temporary spares should
NEVER be used for long drives or
extended periods.
Driving with a Temporary Spare Tire
on Ice or Snow:
Driving with a spare tire on the rear
(driving) wheels on ice or snow is
dangerous. Handling will be affected.
You could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident. Put the spare
tire on the front axle and move a
regular tire to the rear.
Jack
Wing bolt
WARNING
To avoid damage to the temporary
spare or to the vehicle, observe the
following precautions:
•
Don
’t exceed 80 km/h (50 mph).
• Avoid driving over obstacles.
Also, don
’t drive through an
automatic car wash. This tire ’s
diameter is smaller than a
conventional tire ’s, so the ground
clearance is reduced about 25 mm
(1 in).
• Don
’t use a tire chain on this tire
because it won ’t fit properly.
• Don
’t use your temporary spare on
any other vehicle; it has been
designed only for your Mazda.
• Use only one temporary spare tire
on your vehicle at the same time.
(With limited slip differential)
When using the temporary spare tire
on the rear axle, replace it with a
standard tire as soon as possible. The
size difference between the spare and
the standard tire will cause the limited
slip differential to malfunction.
CAUTION
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 4 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

7-6
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
1. Park on a level surface off the right-of-way and firmly set the parking brake.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transmission in Park (P), a manual
transmission in Reverse (R) or 1, and
turn off the engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle and away from the vehicle and traffic.
5. Remove the jack, tool, and spare tire (page 7-3).
6. Block the wheel diagonally opposite the flat tire. When blocking a wheel,
place a block both in front and behind
the tire.

Removing a Flat Tire
1. Loosen the lug nuts by turning them
counterclockwise one turn each, but
don ’t remove any until the tire has been
raised off the ground.
2. Place the jack under the jacking position closest to the tire being
changed.
NOTE
Make sure the jack is well lubricated
before using it.
NOTE
When blocking a tire, use a rock or
wood block of sufficient size to hold
the tire in place.
Jacking position
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 6 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G
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.

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).
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
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
Tire pressure label
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 28 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

Tire Rotation
To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles)/8,000 km*
(5,000 miles) or sooner if irregular wear
develops. During rotation, inspect them
for correct balance.
*Unique driving conditions for USA,
Canada and Puerto Rico 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.
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.
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
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 29 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM

8-31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8S15-EA-03G

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.
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
• Limited-Slip Differential System
WARNING
CAUTION
J07S_8S15-EA-03G_Edition2.book Page 31 Thursday, August 21, 2003 10:04 AM