radiator MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2004 Owners Manual (in English)

4-9
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
•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
8-9).
•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 8-17).
•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.
NOTE
If your vehicle is equipped with the tire
pressure monitoring system, the system
may not function correctly when using
tires with steel wire reinforcement in
the sidewalls (page 5-26).
WARNING
CAUTION
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7-18
In Case of an Emergency
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
Overheating
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating, the vehicle loses power, or
you hear a loud knocking or pinging
noise, the engine is probably too hot.
If this happens:
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.
Apply the parking brake.
3. Turn off the air conditioner.
4. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from under the hood or from
the engine compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Don’t 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.5. Make sure the cooling fan is operating,
then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
6. When cool, check the coolant level.
If it’s 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.
If you find no problems, the engine is
cool, and no leaks are obvious:
Carefully add coolant as required (page
8-12).
Overheating
Steam from Overheated Engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you. Open the hood
ONLY after steam is no longer
escaping from the engine.
WARNING
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.
CAUTION
Coolant reservoir
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7-19
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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.
If the engine continues to overheat or
frequently overheats, have the cooling
system inspected. The engine could be
seriously damaged unless repairs are
made.
WARNING
CAUTION
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8-12
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Inspecting Coolant Level
Inspect the antifreeze protection and
coolant level in the coolant reservoir at
least once a year—at the beginning of the
winter season—and before traveling
where temperatures may drop below
freezing.
Inspect the condition and connections of
all cooling system and heater hoses.
Replace any that are swollen or
deteriorated.
The coolant should be at full in the
radiator and between the F and L marks
on the coolant reservoir when the engine
is cool.
If it’s at or near L, add enough coolant to
the coolant reservoir to provide freezing
and corrosion protection and to bring the
level to F.
Do not overfill.

If new coolant is required frequently,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.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.
WARNING
Radiator coolant will damage paint.
Rinse it off quickly.
CAUTION
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8-13
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Changing Coolant
Change coolant according to Scheduled
Maintenance (page 8-3).
For mixture percentage:To change coolant
1. Remove the cooling system cap.
2. Only when the engine is cool, loosen
the radiator drain plug and drain the
coolant into a suitable container.
Properly dispose of the used coolant. •Use only soft (demineralized) water
in the coolant mixture. Water that
contains minerals will cut down on
the coolant’s effectiveness.
•Don’t add only water. Always add a
proper coolant mixture.
•The engine has aluminum parts and
must be protected by an ethylene-
glycol-based coolant to prevent
corrosion and freezing.
•DO NOT USE alcohol or methanol
antifreeze. DO NOT MIX alcohol
or methanol with the coolant. This
could damage the cooling system.
•Don’t use a solution that contains
more than 60 % antifreeze.
This would reduce effectiveness.
ProtectionVo l u m e
Antifreeze
solutionWa t e r
Above -16°
C (3°
F) 35% 65%
Above -26°
C (-15°
F) 45% 55%
Above -40°
C (-40°
F) 55% 45%
CAUTIONRemoving the Cooling System Cap:
Removing the cooling system cap or
drain plug while the engine is
running or hot is dangerous. This
might lead to cooling system and
engine damage and could result in
serious injury from escaping hot
coolant or steam. Turn off the engine
and wait until it’s cool. Even then, be
very careful when removing the cap
or drain plug. Wrap a thick cloth
around it and slowly turn it
counterclockwise to the first stop.
Step back while the pressure escapes.
When you’re sure all the pressure is
gone, press down on the cap — still
using a cloth — turn the cap, and
remove it.
WARNING
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8-17
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Inspecting Washer Fluid Level
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.Wa s h e r F l u i d
Substitute Washer Fluid:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the
windshield, affect your visibility, and
could result in an accident. Use only
windshield washer fluid or plain
water in the reservoir.
Using Washer Fluid Without Anti-
freeze Protection in Cold Weather:
Operating your vehicle in
temperatures below 4 degrees C (40
degrees F) using washer fluid without
anti-freeze protection is dangerous as
it could cause impaired windshield
vision and result in an accident. In
cold weather, always use washer fluid
with anti-freeze protection.
NOTE
State or local regulations may restrict
the use of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), which are commonly used as
anti-freeze agents in washer fluid. A
washer fluid with limited VOC content
should be used only if it provides
adequate freeze resistance for all
regions and climates in which the
vehicle will be operated.
WARNING
Full
LowOK
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