maintenance MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2004 (in English) Owner's Guide

8-22
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

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.
NOTE
•Remove the engine and battery
covers before performing battery
maintenance.
•Verify that the engine cover is
securely installed.
Engine cover
Battery cover
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8-23
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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
10-7).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.
Use all radial, all bias-belted, or all
bias-type tires.
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:
Using any other tire size than what is
specified for your Mazda (page 10-7)
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.
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
10-7).
WARNING
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.
*Some models.
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8-24
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

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.
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 10-7) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.

Replacing a Tire
NOTE
Because your vehicle is not equipped
with a spare tire, you cannot do a tire
rotation safely with the jack that comes
with your vehicle. Have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer perform tire rotation.
Front
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.
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.
CAUTION
CAUTION
WARNING
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8-25
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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.

Temporary Spare Tire
Your Mazda is not equipped with a spare
tire. If you require a spare tire, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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
2 or bar, 60 psi). (With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

When replacing/repairing the tires or
wheels or both, have the work done by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer, or the
tire pressure sensors may be damaged.
NOTE
(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

•When tires with steel wire
reinforcement in the sidewalls are
used, the system may not function
correctly even with a genuine
wheel.(page 5-26)
•Be sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced.(page 5-27)
CAUTION
New tread Worn treadTread wear indicator
•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 8-24).
CAUTION
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8-26
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

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
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Limited-Slip Differential System
•(With Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)

When replacing/repairing the
tires or wheels or both, have the
work done by an Authorized
Mazda Dealer, or the tire
pressure sensors may be
damaged.
The wheels equipped on your
Mazda are specially designed for
installation the tire pressure
sensors. Do not use non-genuine
wheels, otherwise it may not be
possible to install the tire
pressure sensors.
WARNING
CAUTION
NOTE
Be sure to install the tire pressure
sensors whenever tires or wheels are
replaced.(page 5-27)
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8-27
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
Light Bulbs
Headlights (High-beam)Front side-marker lights
Front turn signal lights
Headlights (Low-beam)
Fog lights*
Parking lights Overhead light/Map lights (Front)
Vanity mirror lights
Courtesy lights
Overhead light (Rear)
Trunk light
High-mount brake light
License plate light
Brake lights/Taillights
Reverse lights
Rear side-marker lights
Rear turn signal lights
*Some models.
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8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
Your Mazda’s headlights and fog lights
have replaceable halogen 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.(page 8-27)
3. If you are changing the right headlight
bulb, start the engine, turn the steering
wheel all the way to the right, and turn
off engine. If you are changing the left
headlight bulb, turn the steering wheel
to the left.
4. Turn the center section of the plastic
retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.
Xenon Fusion Bulb Replacement:
Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs by
yourself is dangerous. Because the
xenon fusion bulbs require high
voltage, you could receive an electric
shock if the bulbs are handled
incorrectly. Do not replace the xenon
fusion bulbs by yourself. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer when the
replacement is necessary.
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
Removal
Installation
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8-29
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
High-beam bulb
1. Turn the socket and bulb assembly
counterclockwise and remove it.
Carefully remove the headlight bulb
from its socket in the reflector by
gently pulling it straight backward out
of the socket.
2. Disconnect the bulb from the electrical
connector by pressing the tab on the
connector with your finger and pulling
the bulb upward.
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.Low-beam bulb(Xenon fusion bulb)
You cannot replace the low beam bulbs by
yourself.
The bulbs must be replaced at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
(Halogen bulbs)
1. Detach the electrical connector from
the sealing cover by pulling it to the
rear.
2. Detach the sealing cover from the bulb.
3. Unhook the bulb retaining spring.
4. Swing the retaining spring out and
away to free the headlight bulb.
NOTE
Use the protective cover and carton of
the replacement bulb to dispose of the
old bulb promptly out of the reach of
children.
Ta b
Socket
Sealing
cover
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8-30
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
5. Carefully remove the headlight bulb
from the socket by pulling it straight
back.
6. Replace the bulb.
7. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.

Replacing a Fog Light Bulb*
Due to the complexity and difficulty of
the procedure, the bulbs should be
replaced by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

Replacing a Bulb (Front)
1. If you are changing the right bulb, start
the engine, turn the steering wheel all
the way to the right, and turn off
engine. If you are changing the left
bulb, turn the steering wheel to the left.
2. Turn the center section of the plastic
retainer counterclockwise and remove
the retainers and partially peel back the
mudguard.Front turn signal lights, Parking lights,
Front side-marker lights
1. Turn the socket and bulb assembly
counterclockwise and remove it.
2. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
3. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.
NOTE
Use the protective cover and carton of
the replacement bulb to dispose of the
old bulb promptly out of the reach of
children.
Removal
Installation
Front turn signal
lights
Parking lights
Socket
Socket
Front side-marker lightsSocket
*Some models.
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8-31
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Replacing a Bulb (Interior)
Overhead light/Map lights (Front)
1. Remove the screws with a Phillips
screwdriver.
2. Wrap a flathead screwdriver with a soft
cloth to prevent damage to the trim and
gently insert it in the overhead light as
shown in the figure, and then remove
the overhead light unit.
3. Turn the socket and bulb assembly
counterclockwise and remove it.
4. Disconnect the bulb from the socket.
5. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.Overhead light (Rear), Courtesy lights,
Vanity mirror lights
1. Wrap a small flathead screwdriver with
a soft cloth to prevent damage to the
lens and remove the lens by carefully
prying on the edge of the lens with the
screwdriver.
2. Disconnect the bulb by pulling it out.
Socket
Edge
Overhead light (Rear)
Courtesy lights
Edge
Vanity mirror lights
Edge
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