MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2018 Owners Manual

1. Remove the battery cover.
2. Make sure the booster battery is 12 Vand that its negative terminal is
grounded.
3. If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, do not allow both vehicles to
touch. Turn off the engine of the
vehicle with the booster battery and all
unnecessary electrical loads in both
vehicles.
4. Connect the jumper cables in the exact sequence as in the illustration.
Connect one end of a cable to the
positive terminal o n the discharged
battery (1).
Attach the other end to the positive
terminal on the booster battery (2).
Connect one end of the other cable
to the negative terminal of the
booster battery (3).
Connect the other end to the ground
point indicated in the illustration
away from the discharged battery
(4).
5. Start the engine of the booster vehicle
and run it a few minutes. Then start the
engine of the other vehicle.
6. When finished, car efully disconnect
the cables in the reverse order
described in the illustration.
7. If the battery cover has been removed,
install it in the reverse order of
removal.
NOTE
Verify that the covers are securely
installed.
If Trouble Arises
Battery Runs Out
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Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).

Follow this procedure:

1. If the engine does not start within fiveseconds on the first try, wait ten
seconds and try again.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the accelerator all the way and hold it there.
4. Depress the clutch pedal (Manual transmission) or the brake pedal
(Automatic transmission), then press
the push button start. If the engine
starts, release the accelerator
immediately because the engine will
suddenly rev up.
5. If the engine fails to start, crank it
without depressing the accelerator.

If the engine still does not start using the
previous procedure, have your vehicle
inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Push-Starting
Do not push-start your Mazda.
WA R N I N G
Never tow a vehicle to start it:
Towing a vehicle to start it is dangerous.
The vehicle being towed could surge
forward when its engine starts, causing the
two vehicles to collide. The occupants
could be injured.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transmission. It can damage the
emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing it.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
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Overheating
If the high engine coolant temperature
warning light turns on, the vehicle loses
power, or you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine is probably too
hot.
WA R N I N G
Pull over to a safe location, then switch
the ignition 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.
Open the hood ONLY after steam is no
longer escaping from the engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you.
If the high engine c oolant temperature
warning light turns on:

1. Drive safely to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission in neutral.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Turn off the air conditioner.
5. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from the engine
compartment.

If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Do not go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.

If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine
until it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the
engine and call an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
6. Make sure the cooling fan is operating, then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
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7. When cool, check the coolant level.If it is low, look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.

If you find a leak or other damage, or if
coolant is still leaking:
Stop the engine and call an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Coolant reservoir
Cooling fan
Cooling system cap
If you find no problems, the engine is
cool, and no leaks are obvious:
Carefully add coolant as required (page
6-24).
CAUTION
If the engine continues to overheat or
frequently overheats, have the cooling
system inspected. The engine could be
seriously damaged unless repairs are
made. Consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
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When Fuel-Filler LidCannot be Opened
If the battery is dead, the fuel-filler lid
cannot be opened.
In this case, the fuel-filler lid can be
opened by taking care of the dead battery
situation.
Refer to Jump-Starting on page 7-23.
If the fuel-filler lid cannot be opened even
if the dead battery situation has been
resolved, the electrical system may have a
malfunction.
In this case, the fuel-filler lid can be
opened using the following procedure as
an emergency measure.
1. Open the trunk lid.
Refer to Opening and Closing the
Trunk Lid on page 3-20.
2. Pull the center section of the plastic fastener and remove the fasteners.

3. Partially peel back the cover inside thetrunk, then pull the emergency release
lever.

Emergency release
lever
If Trouble Arises
When Fuel-Filler Lid Cannot be Opened
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Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.

Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.

A towed vehicle usually should have its
drive wheels (rear wheels) off the ground.
If excessive damage or other conditions
prevent this, use wheel dollies.
Wheel dollies

When towing with the rear wheels on the
ground, release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Do not tow the vehicle pointed backward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transmission.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or
flatbed equipment.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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Tiedown Hooks*
CAUTION
Do not use the front and rear tiedown
eyelets for towing the vehicle.
They have been designed only for securing
the vehicle to a transport vessel during
shipping.
Using the eyelets for any other purpose
could result in the vehicle being damaged.
▼Tiedown Hooks
1. Remove the tiedown eyelet and the lug
wrench from the luggage compartment
(page 7-3).
2. Wrap a flathead screwdriver or similar
tool with a soft c loth to prevent
damage to a painted bumper, and open
the cap located on the front or rear
bumper.
Front
Rear
CAUTION
Do not use excessive force as it may
damage the cap or scratch the painted
bumper surface.
NOTE
Remove the cap completely and store it
so as not to lose it.
3. Securely install the tiedown eyelet using the lug wrench or equivalent.
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Front
Lug wrench
Tiedown eyelet
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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Rear
Lug wrench
Tiedown eyelet
4. Hook the tying rope to the tiedown eyelet.
CAUTION
If the tiedown eyelet is not securely
tightened, it may loosen or disengage
from the bumper when tying the
vehicle. Make sure that the tiedown
eyelet is securely tightened to the
bumper.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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If a Warning Light Turns On or Flashes
If any warning light turns on/flashes, take appropriate action for each light. There is no
problem if the light turns off, h owever if the light does not turn off or turns on/flashes again,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
(Vehicles with type B audio)
The details for some warnings can be viewed on the center display.
1. If the warning light is turned on, select
icon on the home screen to display the
application screen.
2. Select “Vehicle Status Monitor”.
3. Select “Warning Guidance” to display the current warnings.
4. Select the applicable warni ng to view the warning details.
▼Stop Vehicle in Safe Place Immediately
If any of the following warning
lights turns on, the system may have a malfunction. Stop the
vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact an Authorized M azda Dealer.
SignalWarning
Brake System Warning
Light This warning has the
following functions:
Parking brake warning/Warning light inspection
The light illuminates when the par king brake is applied with the ignition switched to
START or ON. It turns off when the parking brake is fully relea sed.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the brake warning light remains illuminated even though the parking brake is re-
leased, the brake fluid may be l ow or there could be a problem with the brake system.
Park the vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact an Aut horized Mazda Dealer.
WA R N I N G
Do not drive with the brake system warning light illuminated. Contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as soon as possible:
Driving with the brake system warning light illuminated is dangerous. It indicates that
your brakes may not work at all or that they could completely fail at any time. If this
light remains illuminated, after checking that the parking brake is fully released, have
the brakes inspected immediately.
CAUTION
In addition, the effectiveness of the braking may diminish so you may need to depress
the brake pedal more st rongly than normal to stop the vehicle.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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SignalWarning
Electronic Brake Force
Distribution System Wa r n i n g If the electronic brake force di
stribution control unit determines that some compo-
nents are operating incorrectly , the control unit may illuminate the brake system
warning light and the ABS warni ng light simultaneously. The problem is likely to be
the electronic brake force distribution system.
WARNING
Do not drive with both the ABS warning light and brake warning light illuminated.
Have the vehicle towed to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as
soon as possible:
Driving when the brake system warning li ght and ABS warning light are illuminated
simultaneously is dangerous.
When both lights are illuminate d, the rear wheels could lock more quickly in an emer‐
gency stop than under normal circumstances.
Charging System Warn- ing Indication/Warning Light If the warning light illuminates while driving, it indicates a
malfunction of the alter-
nator or of the charging system.
Drive to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way. Co nsult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving when the charging system warning light is illuminated be‐
cause the engine could stop unexpectedly.
Engine Oil Warning Light This warning light indicates low engine oil pressure.
CAUTION
Do not run the engine if the oil pressure is
low. Otherwise, it could result in extensive
engine damage.
If the light illuminates or the w arning indication is displayed while driving:
1. Drive to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way o n level ground.
2. Turn off the engine and wait 5 minutes for the oil to drain b ack into the oil pan.
3. Inspect the engine oil level (p age 6-24). If it's low, add the appropriate amount of
engine oil while being careful not to overfill.
CAUTION
Do not run the engine if the oil level is low. Otherwise, it could result in extensive
engine damage.
4. Start the engine and check the warning light.

If the light remains illuminated even though the oil level is normal or after adding oil,
stop the engine immediately and have your vehicle towed to an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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