tires MAZDA MODEL PROTÉGÉ 2001 Owners Manual (in English)

Protecting Your Mrzdg
Before Driving
I Belore Getting In
. Be sure the windows, outside
mirror(s), and outside lights a.re clean.
. Inspect inllation pressures and
condition of tires-
. Look under the vebicle for any sign of
. If you plan to back up, make sure
nothing will be in your way.
I After Getting In
. Are all doors closed and locked?
. Are tbe inside and outside mirors
adj'rsGd?
. Is everyone seat belt faslened?
. Do all the lights work?
. Check all gauges.
. Check all waming lights when the
ignition switch is lumed 1() the ON
posirion.
. Release ihe parking brake and make
sure the brate waming lighlgoes off
Always be lhoroughly f:rmiliar with your
Mazda.
Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a
few precautions in the firs! 1,000 km
(600 miles) may add to the peformance.
economy, and life of your Mazda.
. Don'trace the engine.
. Don't maintain one consiantspeed for
long.
. Donl drive constantly at full th.ottle
or high engine rpm for exlended
. Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
. Avoid full throule starts.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolanl,
brake/clutch fluid, washer fluid. and
other fluid levels shouldbe inspected
daily, weekly, or at refueling,
dependjng on the fluid. See
Maintenance, Section 8.
4-6

Protecting Your Mtzda
V Snow tires
1.6 and 2.0-liter engines
Your vehicle is originally equipped witi
all season radials designed to be used all
year around.In some exfeme c]imates
you may find itnecessary to replace them
with snow ftes during the winier monlhs
to furlher improve tr3ction on snow and
I.8-liter engine
Your vehicle is originally equipped with
summer iires designed for optimurn
traclion on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, you may find it necessa.'y
10 replace the original equipnenl lires
lith snow lires, during the winter monfts.
Use snow tircs on all four wh€€ls.
Don't go faster than 120 km/h (75 npl).
Inflate snow tires 28 kPa (0.3 kgflcmz, 4
psi) more tlran reconnended on the tire
4-10
pressure label (driver's doot, but never
nore than the rnaxinun cold-tire
pressure sbown on lhe tires-
NOTE
Check out local regulaiions befbre
using studded tires.
V Tire chains
Check tocal regulations befbre using tire
Install the chains on the front lires.
Don't use chains on the rear tires.
Use only sAE Class "S" chains, and
To install the chains:
1. Remove the wheel covers, or the chain
bands will scratch ihem.
2. Secure the chains on the front rires as
tightly as possible. Always tbllow the
chain manufacturer instructions.
3. Retighten the chains after driving
l/2-l km (1/4 l/2 mile).
Awlnlutle
MLri eTire Trtet:
Using tircs dwrent in size orDpe k
dangercus. Yow vehicle hatu ittg
coul.l be greatl! affected an.l resuh
in an accident. Use onlt the sane
size a d trpe nfts (snow, radial, or
no -rudiat) on a iour vheets.

Protecting Your Mazda
AclurroN
Chains may scratch or chip
alurninum wheels. lnstall tire
chains.on steel wheels only.
Chains may affect handling.
Don t go faster than 50 knr,/h (30
mph) or tbe chain manufacturerk
recomm€nded limit. whichever is
Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes. and sharp tums.
Avoid locked wheel braking.
Don ! use chains on the temporary
tire; it may result in damage to fte
vehicle and 10 ihe tire.
Don ! use chains on roads tha! are
free ofsnow or ice. The tires and
chains could be darnaged-
I Drivi.s in Flooded A.easI Ttailer Towing
Never tow a trailer with your M.zda.
AclurroN
Make sure water does not enter the
vehicle interior or fte engine area,
The vebicle interior could become
wet or the engine could be damaged.
AWARNING
Dririnp with W.t Brakes:
Diving v'ith wet brukes is
dangerc s. I ncrcased stopping
dittunce or the vehicle pulling to one
side hen braki g could.esultin a
serious accident Light braking will
indicate vhether the brakes haw
been a|Jected Dry the brakes bt
driring rery slovtr ond applring the
brakes ligh r until brake
peiotnance fttu.ns to norn.l.
4-11

Driving Your Mazdr
Power Steering
Power steering is only operable when the
engine is running. If the engine is off or
if the power steering system is
inoperable. you can still sieet but it
requires more physical effort.
If ihe steering feels rigid during normal
driving, consuli an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
NOTI
w}len lhe engine is jump-started, an
unevenness of rpm occurs and the
ABS warning light comes on. This is
due to a lack of baltery capaciry and
doesn't indicaie a malfunction.
Have the battery recharged as soon as
possible.
NOTf,
If the ABS waming light stats on
wbile you're driving. the ABS
conlrol unithas detecled a system
malfunction. If ftis occurs, your
brakes will function normally as if
$e vehicle hadno ABS. Should
tbis happen, consull an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
Braking distances may b€ longer
on loos€ surfaces (snow or gravel.
for example) which usually have a
haJd foundation. A vehicle with a
normal braking sysl,em may require
less dislance to stop under these
conditions because the tires will
build up a wedge of surface layer
when the wheels skid.
Awl^nNmc
4rg
The ABS canrct conpensate forunsafe and .eckless driving,
excessn e speed, .^itgati s (fottor)ins
a othe. whicle tooclosel!),a d
htdroplrnins (rcduced tire ftictionand rcad contact because of watet on
the rcad surface). You can sn have
a acdden . So don't relr o ABSas
a substitutefor safe dni g.AcaurroN
Never hold the steering wheel to the
extreme left or right for more than
five s€conds widr the engine runnine.
This could damage th€ power steeing
5.r4

In Case of an Emergency
AwtnNmc
Loose Lug Nuts:
InproperlJ or looselr tighte ed lug
nuts arc da gerous. The i'heel $uld
t!'obble or cone off. This coud nsult
in loss of whicle co,ttnl and cause a
serious accinent. AI$'aJ! sec rcIr
and coftectlj dghten the lug nuts.
A wanlrnrc
Incornct Tire Air Prcssure:
Diving on tir.s with incorrect air
p.esrure ls dangercus.Tircs with
inco ect pressure .oua affe.t
handling and resnlt in an accinent.
Don't.live vith any tires that hate
incoftect air prcssure. When you
check the rcsuhrnrc's air pressure,
check the sparc tire, too.
AwaR^rrnrc
Metdc St(dl and Lug NulJ:
Becauw the wheel studs and l g nuts
on lour Mazda hare netri. thrcads,
usntg a o -netric nut is
dongetu s. On a metric stu,l, itvo A not secu.e the wheel and
t'ould danage the stud, which coddcause the ,heel to slip olf and cause
an accident. Be swe to reinstall the
same n ts tou remored or replace
them with metric nuts of the same

Appesrance Care
It is necessaJy to have yourMazda
washed and waxed to preserve its finish
according to the instructions in this
section. This should be done as soon as
Bird droppings canbe removed with a
soft sponge and waier. If you are
traveling and these are not available. a
moistened tissue may also take care of
the problem. The cleaned areashould be
waxed according to the instructions in
Insects ,nd tree sap are best removed
with a soft sponge and water or a
commercially available chemical cleaner
Ano{her method is to cover the affected
area with dampened newspaper for one to
lwo hours. Afterremoving the
newspapet rinse off the loosened debris
I Water Marks
Rain. fog, dew, and even tap waier can
contain harnful minerals such as sali and
lime.lf noisture containing these
minerals se(les on the vehicle and
evaporates, lbe minenls wiil concentrate
and harden to form white rings. The nngs
can darnage yourvehicle's finish.
V Prevention
It is necessary to wash and wax your
vehicle to preseNe its finish according to
the instructions in ihis section. These
steps should be taken imnediately afrer
you find water marks on your vehicle\
finish.
I Paint Chippins
Paint chipping occurs when gravel is
thrown in ihe airby another vehicle's
tires hits your vehicle.
V How to avoid paint chipping
Keeping a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead reduces the chances oi
having your painl chipped by flying
gravel.

Maintenance
. If the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
a Tires
For reasons of prop€r periormance.
safety, and better fuel economy, always
maintain recommended tire infl ation
pressures and stay
ifiin the
recommended load limits and weight
distribution.
A wanlrnrc
Asins Wrcns-Sbad Tires:
Asing anJ other tire size than ,ihat is
rpecifrcd fot row Mazta (pase 10-s)
is dangerous. It coua seriousl!
affect i.de, hmdling, grou d
clearunce, tire clearunce, and
speedometer calibrution. Thk couu
caute Nu to hare sn accident. Use
on0 tircs that are the conect size
specifred lor low Mazda.
Aw,qnuwe
Using DwredT ire Trpes:
Dneins pu whick u'ith dWrc t
trpes of tifts is dangenus.It couu
cause poor htndling ond poor
braking; leading to loss of cotttlol.
Except N'hen using the ten porury
spare tire, use onlr the sane tJpe
tires (radial, bits-belted, bios-trpe)
8-33

Maintenance
NOTE
Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Don't
release air from warm tires to
Underinflation can cause reduced
fuel economy and poor sealing of
the lire bead, which will deforrn
the wheel and cause separation of
tire from dm.
Overinflation can produce a harsh
ride and a greater possibiliry of
damage from road hazards.
Keep your tire pressure al ihe
coffect levets. If one frequently
needs inflating, have it inspected.
Awnnwmc
Incoftect Tin Inlhtion:
owrtnflanon or undennflation of
tires is dangercus. A6'ene ha dA g
or ututpected tirc lailure could
result in a seious occAent. Atwars
iniate the tires to the cornct
prcssure (pase 10-5).
V Tire inflation pressure
Inspect all tire pressures monthly
(includjng tbe spare) when the lires ar€
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
ior rhe best ride, lop handling, and
Refer 1o the specification charts (page
10 s).
8.34

o@@
b?t>
Do nor include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY
V Tire rotation
To equalize tread wear. rotate rhe tires
every 6000 km (3.750 nilet, or sooner
if iffegular wear develops. During
rotation, inspect them for correct balance.
Also, inspect them for uneven wear and
damage. Abnormal wea. is usually
caus€d by one or a combination of the
following:
. Inconect tire pressure
Improper wheel alignment
Out of-balance wbeel
. Severe braking
After rotation, bring all tire pressures to
specification (page 10,5) and inspeci rhe
Iug nuts for tightness.
Nrt
llftl"
(Jfri
V Replacing a tire
lfa tire wears evenly. a wear indicator
will appear as a solid band across lhe
iread. Replace the tire when this happens
You may need to replac€ it before rhe
band is across the entire tread.
8-35

Maintenance
V Temporary spsre tire
Insp€cl the temporary spare tire at least
monthly to make sure it's properly
inflated and stored.
The temporary spare tirc js easier to
handte because of its constuction. lt is
lighter and smaller than a conventional
tire and should be used only for an
em€rgency and onty for a short distance.
Use ihe lemporary only until the
conventional tire is repaired, which
shouldbe as soon as possible.
Maintain its pressure at,120 kPa (60 psi).
A wanlsnrc
WornTires:
D6'ing vith won tires isdangercus.
Reduc e d b rukins, stee ins, and
truction could rcsult in M accident
Ali'ars L\e tires thal are in good
AcaurroN
. Don'tuse your temporary spare
tire rim with a snow tire or a
conventional tire. Neither will
properly fit and could drmage both
iire and rim.
. The temporary spare tire has a
tread life of up to 4,8tJo km (3,000
niles), depending on road
conditions and driving habits.
. Wlen the tread wear solid-band
indicator appears, replace the tire
wilh the sarne type of temporary
spare.