fuel MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2007 (in English) Owner's Manual

Black plate (177,1)
CAUTION
Don't continue driving when the
charging system warning light is
illuminated because the engine could
stop unexpectedly.
qEngine Oil Level Warning Light
This warning light indicates low engine
oil level.
If the light illuminates while driving:
1. Drive to the side of the road and park
off the right-of-way.
2. Turn off the engine and inspect the
engine oil level (page 8-13). If it's low,
add oil.
3. Check the light.
If the engine oil level warning light is
illuminated and you are unable to
immediately add engine oil, do not drive
at high speed, keep the engine speed low
and get to a location where oil can be
added as soon as possible. We recommend
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
If the light remains illuminated even after
you add oil, have your vehicle checked at
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
Don't run the engine if the oil level is
low. It could result in extensive engine
damage.
NOTE
The Mazda RX-8 requires regular
checking of the engine oil level. The
compact, high performance RENESIS
rotary engine in your vehicle consumes
a small amount of engine oil due to its
structural design. An oil pump
optimizes the amount of oil injected to
lubricate the rotor seals in the
combustion cycle. Although your
vehicle is equipped with an engine oil
level warning light and an engine oil
pressure gauge, it is best to keep the
engine oil level in the range between
full and low by checking the oil
dipstick regularly. Mazda recommends
checking the oil level at every second
fuel filling. The oil consumption of the
engine depends on engine speed and
engine load. Under extreme driving
conditions, oil consumption can be
higher.
qEngine Coolant Level Warning Light
This warning light indicates low engine
coolant level.
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
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If the light illuminates while driving:
1. Drive to the side of the road and park
off the right-of-way.
2. Turn off the engine and inspect the
engine coolant level (page 8-14). If it's
low, add engine coolant.
3. Check the light.
If the light remains illuminated even after
you add engine coolant, have your vehicle
towed to an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
Don't run the engine if the engine
coolant level is low. It could result in
extensive engine damage.
qCheck Engine Light
This indicator light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position and goes off when the engine is
started.
If this light comes on while driving, the
vehicle may have a problem. It is
important to note the driving conditions
when the light came on and consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
The check engine light may come on in
the following cases:
lThe fuel tank level being very low or
approaching empty.
lThe engine's electrical system has a
problem.
lThe emission control system has a
problem.
lThe fuel-filler cap is missing or not
tightened securely.
If the check engine light remains on or
flashes continuously, do not drive at high
speeds and consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer as soon as possible.
qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner System Warning Light
If the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner
system is working properly, the warning
light illuminates when the ignition switch
is turned to the ON position or after the
engine is cranked. The warning light turns
off after a specified period of time.
A system malfunction is indicated if the
warning light constantly flashes,
constantly illuminates or does not
illuminate at all when the ignition switch
is turned to the ON position. If either of
these occur, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer as soon as possible. The system
may not work in an accident.
5-44
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
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WARNING
Never tamper with the air bag/
pretensioner systems and always have
an Authorized Mazda Dealer perform
all servicing and repairs:
Self-servicing or tampering with the
systems is dangerous. An air bag/
pretensioner could accidentally
activate or become disabled causing
serious injury or death.
qLow Fuel Warning Light
Low fuel warning light
This warning light in the fuel gauge
signals that the fuel tank will soon be
empty.
Refuel as soon as possible.
qSeat Belt Warning Light/Beep
The seat belt warning light illuminates
and a beep sound will be heard if the
driver's seat belt is not fastened when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position.Conditions of operation
Condition Result
The driver's seat belt is not
fastened when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position.The warning light
flashes and a beep
sound will be heard
for about 6 seconds.
The driver's seat belt is
fastened while the warning
light and the beep sound are
activated.The warning light
turns off and the beep
sound stops.
The driver's seat belt is
fastened before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position.The warning light will
not illuminate and the
beep sound will not be
heard.
Belt minder
NOTE
The belt minder can be deactivated.
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
deactivate and restore the seat belt
minder.
The belt minder is a supplemental
warning to the seat belt warning function.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position, the warning light/beep
operates to give you further reminders
according to the chart below.
ConditionVehicle speed
Between 0―20
km/h
(0―12 mph)20 km/h
(12 mph) or
more
Seat belt
Indicator
Beep
: Fastened: Unfastened: Illuminated: Flashing: Beep
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
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Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine does not start the first time,
perform the following procedure to start
the engine.
1. While the accelerator pedal is fully
depressed, turn the ignition switch to
the START position and crank the
engine for about 7 to 8 seconds.
2. Release the ignition switch and
accelerator pedal.
3. Start the engine as normally without
depressing the accelerator.
lThe fuel injection is cut by fully
depressing the accelerator pedal.
lIf the engine starts during Step 1, the
engine will rev up. Release the ignition
switch and accelerator pedal
immediately.
lAvoid racing the engine or driving the
vehicle right after starting the engine.
lDo not hold the ignition switch in the
START position for over 10 seconds. It
may damage the starter and drain the
battery.
lIf the engine still does not start using
the above procedure, have your vehicle
inspected by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
7-20
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
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qSchedule 1
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers (miles), whichever comes first
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48
×1000 km 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96
×1000 miles 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60
ENGINE
Engine oilRRRRRRRR
Engine oil filterRRRRRRRR
Drive belt I I
AIR FILTER
Air filter C C R C
IGNITION SYSTEM
Spark plugs R
FUEL SYSTEM
Fuel filter Replace every 160,000 km (100,000 miles)
Fuel lines, hoses and connections
*1II
COOLING SYSTEM
Cooling system I I
Engine coolantFL22 type
*2Replace at first 192,000 km (120,000 miles) or 10 years; after
that, every 96,000 km (60,000 miles) or 5 years
OthersReplace at first 96,000 km (60,000 miles) or 4 years; after that,
every 2 years
CHASSIS AND BODY
Brake lines, hoses and connections I I
Disc brakesIIII
Tire (Rotation) Rotate every 12,000 km (7,500 miles)
Steering operation and linkages I I
Front and rear suspension, ball joints and wheel
bearing axial playII
Manual transmission oilR
Rear differential oilR
Driveshaft dust boots I I
Exhaust system and heat shields Inspect every 72,000 km (45,000 miles) or 5 years
All locks and hingesLLLLLLLL
Bolts and nuts on chassis and body T T
Flat tire repair kit
*3Inspect every year
8-4
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
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qSchedule 2
Maintenance IntervalNumber of months or kilometers (miles), whichever comes first
Months 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48
×1000 km 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96
×1000 miles 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
ENGINE
Engine oilPuerto Rico Replace every 5,000 km (3,000 miles) or 3 months
OthersRRRRRRRRRRRR
Engine oil filterRRRRRRRRRRRR
Drive belt I I
AIR FILTER
Air filter C C R C
IGNITION SYSTEM
Spark plugs R
FUEL SYSTEM
Fuel filter Replace every 160,000 km (100,000 miles)
Fuel lines, hoses and connections
*1II
COOLING SYSTEM
Cooling system I I
Engine coolantFL22 type
*2Replace at first 192,000 km (120,000 miles) or 10 years; after
that, every 96,000 km (60,000 miles) or 5 years
OthersReplace at first 96,000 km (60,000 miles) or 4 years; after that,
every 2 years
Engine coolant levelIIIIIIIIIIII
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Function of all lightsIIIIIIIIIIII
8-6
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
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Owner Maintenance Schedule
The owner or a qualified service technician should make these vehicle inspections at the
indicated intervals to ensure safe and dependable operation.
Bring any problem to the attention of an Authorized Mazda Dealer or qualified service
technician as soon as possible.
qWhen Refueling
lBrake and clutch fluid level (page 8-16)
lEngine coolant level (page 8-14)
lEngine oil level (page 8-13)
lWasher fluid level (page 8-17)
qAt Least Monthly
Tire inflation pressures (page 8-24)
qAt Least Twice a Year (For Example, Every Spring and Fall)
You can do the following scheduled maintenance items if you have some mechanical
ability and a few basic tools and if you closely follow the directions in this manual.
lEngine coolant (page 8-14)
lEngine oil (page 8-12)
8-8
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Engine Oil
CAUTION
Do not use either synthetic or semi-
synthetic motor oil. Otherwise engine
starting performance could worsen.
NOTE
lChanging the engine oil should be
done by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
lThe Mazda RX-8 requires regular
checking of the engine oil level. The
compact, high performance
RENESIS rotary engine in your
vehicle consumes a small amount of
engine oil due to its structural
design. An oil pump optimizes the
amount of oil injected to lubricate
the rotor seals in the combustion
cycle. Although your vehicle is
equipped with an engine oil level
warning light and an engine oil
pressure gauge, it is best to keep the
engine oil level in the range between
full and low by checking the oil
dipstick regularly. Mazda
recommends checking the oil level at
every second fuel filling. The oil
consumption of the engine depends
on engine speed and engine load.
Under extreme driving conditions,
oil consumption can be higher.
qRecommended Oil
Use SAE 5W-20 engine oil.
Oil container labels provide important
information.
A chief contribution this type of oil makes
to fuel economy is reducing the amount of
fuel necessary to overcome engine
friction.
U.S.A. and CANADA
(ILSAC)
8-12
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Only use oils“Certified For Gasoline
Engines”by the American Petroleum
Institute (API). An oil with this trademark
symbol conforms to the current engine
and emission system protection standards
and fuel economy requirements of the
International Lubricant Standardization
and Approval Committee (ILSAC),
comprised of U.S. and Japanese
automobile manufacturers.
5W-20
120 100 80
60 40
20
0 –20
50 40 30
20 10
0 –10
–20 –30
Except U.S.A. and CANADA
(ILSAC)
The quality designation SL,SM, or ILSAC
must be on the label.
5W-20
120 100 80
60 40
20
0 –20
50 40 30
20 10
0 –10
–20 –30
qInspecting Engine Oil Level
1. Be sure the vehicle is on a level
surface.
2. Warm up the engine to normal
operating temperature.
3. Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes
for the oil to return to the oil pan.
4. Remove the engine cover.
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
8-13
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Tires
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.
WARNING
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 10-6)
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.
qTire Inflation Pressure
WARNING
Always inflate the tires to the correct
pressure:
Overinflation or underinflation of tires
is dangerous. Adverse handling or
unexpected tire failure could result in
a serious accident.
Refer to specification charts on page
10-6.The Tire Pressure Monitoring System
í
does not alleviate the need to check the
tire condition every day, including
whether the tires all look inflated properly.
Inspect all tire pressure monthly
(including the spare
í) when the tires are
cold. Maintain recommended pressures
for the best ride, handling, and minimum
tire wear.
When checking the tire pressures, use of a
digital tire pressure gauge is
recommended.
Refer to the specification charts (page
10-6).
8-24
Maintenance and Care
íSome models.
Owner Maintenance
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