maintenance MAZDA MX5 MIATA 2017 Workshop Manual

6 –34 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance 3. Tilt the blade assembly and remove it
from the arm.
CAUTION To prevent damage to the windshield
let the wiper arm down easily, do not
let it slap down on the windshield.
4. Pull down the blade rubber and slide it
out of blade holder.
5. Remove the metal stiffeners from each
blade rubber and install them in the
new blade. CAUTION 
Do not bend or discard the stiffeners. You
need to use them again. 
If the metal stiffeners are switched,
the blade's wiping efficiency could be
reduced.
So do not use the driver's side metal
stiffeners on the passenger's side, or vice
versa. 
Be sure to reinstall the metal stiffeners in
the new blade rubber so that the curve
is the same as it was in the old blade
rubber.
6. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.
Then install the blade assembly in the
reverse order of removal.
(Type B)
1. Raise the wiper arm and turn the blade
assembly to expose the plastic locking
clip.
Compress the clip and slide the
assembly downward; then lift it off the
arm.
Plastic locking clip
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 34 2016/08/11 20:29:45

6 –35 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
CAUTION To prevent damage to the windshield
let the wiper arm down easily, do not
let it slap down on the windshield.
2. Hold the end of the rubber and pull
until the tabs are free of the metal
support. Metal support
Ta b
3. Remove the metal stiffeners from each
blade rubber and install them in the
new blade. CAUTION 
Do not bend or discard the stiffeners. You
need to use them again. 
If the metal stiffeners are switched,
the blade's wiping efficiency could be
reduced.
So do not use the driver's side metal
stiffeners on the passenger's side, or vice
versa. 
Be sure to reinstall the metal stiffeners in
the new blade rubber so that the curve
is the same as it was in the old blade
rubber.
4. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.
Then install the blade assembly in the
reverse order of removal.
NOTE
Install the blade so that the tabs are
toward the bottom of the wiper arm.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 35 2016/08/11 20:29:45

6 –36 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
BatteryWARNINGWash hands after handling the battery and related accessories:
Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and reproductive harm.
Read the following precautions carefully before using the battery or inspecting
to ensure safe and correct handling:
Always wear eye protection when working near the battery:
Working without eye protection is dangerous. Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID
which could cause blindness if splashed into your eyes. Also, hydrogen gas produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode.
Wear eye protection and protective gloves to prevent contact with battery fluid:
Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC ACID which could cause serious injuries if it gets in eyes,
or on the skin or clothing. If this happens, immediately flush your eyes with water for 15
minutes or wash your skin thoroughly and get medical attention.
Always keep batteries out of the reach of children:
Allowing children to play near batteries is dangerous. Battery fluid could cause serious
injuries if it gets in the eyes or on the skin.
Keep flames and sparks away from open battery cells and do not allow metal
tools to contact the positive ( ) or negative ( ) terminal of the battery when working
near a battery. Do not allow the positive (
) terminal to contact the vehicle body:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries. Keep all flames including
cigarettes and sparks away from open battery cells.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 36 2016/08/11 20:29:45

6 –37 Maintenance and Care
Owner MaintenanceKeep all flames, including cigarettes, and sparks away from open battery cells:
Flames and sparks near open battery cells are dangerous. Hydrogen gas, produced
during normal battery operation, could ignite and cause the battery to explode. An
exploding battery can cause serious burns and injuries.
NOTE
Before performing battery maintenance, remove the battery cover.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 37 2016/08/11 20:29:45

6 –38 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance 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 and charge the battery every six
weeks.
Battery ReplacementContact an Authorized Mazda Dealer for a
battery replacement purchase. Key Battery Replacement If the buttons on the transmitter are
inoperable and the operation indicator
light does not flash, the battery may be
dead.
Replace with a new battery before the
transmitter becomes unusable.
CAUTION 
Make sure the battery is installed
correctly. Battery leakage could occur if it
is not installed correctly. 
When replacing the battery, be careful
not to touch any of the internal circuitry
and electrical terminals, bend the
electrical terminals, or get dirt in the
transmitter as the transmitter could be
damaged. 
There is the danger of explosion if the
battery is not correctly replaced. 
Dispose of used batteries according to
the following instructions. 
Insulate the plus and minus terminals
of the battery using cellophane or
equivalent tape. 
Never disassemble. 
Never throw the battery into fire or
water. 
Never deform or crush. 
Replace only with the same type battery
(CR2025 or equivalent).
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 38 2016/08/11 20:29:46

6 –39 Maintenance and Care
Owner MaintenanceThe following conditions indicate that the
battery power is low: 
The KEY indicator light (green) flashes
in the instrument cluster for about 30
seconds after the engine is turned off
(for vehicles with a type A instrument
cluster (page 4-26 ), messages are
displayed in the instrument cluster). 
The system does not operate and
the operation indicator light on the
transmitter does not flash when the
buttons are pressed. 
The system's operational range is
reduced.
Replacing the battery at an Authorized
Mazda Dealer is recommended to prevent
damage to the key. If replacing the battery
by yourself, follow the instruction.
Replacing the key battery
1. Press the knob and pull out the
auxiliary key. Knob 2. Twist a tape-wrapped flathead
screwdriver in the direction of the
arrow and open the cover slightly. C ove r
3. Insert the tape-wrapped flathead
screwdriver into the gap and slide it in
the direction of the arrow. C ove r
Gap
4. Twist the flathead screwdriver in the
direction of the arrow and remove the
cover. C ove r
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 39 2016/08/11 20:29:46

6 –40 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance 5. Remove the battery cap, then remove
the battery.
6. Insert a new battery with the positive
pole facing up, and then cover the
battery with the battery cap.
7. Close the cover.
8. Reinsert the auxiliary key. CAUTION 
Be careful not to allow the rubber ring
shown in the figure to be scratched or
damaged. 
If the rubber ring detaches, reattach it
before inserting a new battery. Rubber ring
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 40 2016/08/11 20:29:46

6 –41 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
TiresFor 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.
Except for the limited use of the
temporary spare tire, use only the
same type tires (radial, bias-belted,
bias-type) on all four wheels.
Using Wrong-Sized Tires:
Using any other tire size than what is
specified for the vehicle (page 9-8 )
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 the
vehicle. Tire 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 Tires on page 9-8 .
Use only a Mazda-genuine tire valve
cap:
Use of a non-genuine part is
dangerous as the correct tire air
pressure cannot be maintained if the
tire valve becomes damaged. If the
vehicle is driven under this condition,
the tire air pressure will decrease which
could result in a serious accident. Do
not use any part for the tire valve cap
that is not a Mazda-genuine part.
Inspect all tire pressures monthly when
the tires are cold. Maintain recommended
pressures for the best ride, handling, and
minimum tire wear.
Refer to the specification charts (page
9-8 ).
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-108 .
NOTE 
Always check tire pressure when tires
are cold. 
Warm tires normally exceed
recommended pressures. Do not release
air from warm tires to adjust the
pressure.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 41 2016/08/11 20:29:46

6 –42 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance 
Underinflation can cause reduced fuel
economy, uneven and accelerated tire
wear, 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,
uneven and accelerated tire wear, 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.
Tire Rotation
WARNINGRotate tires periodically:
Irregular tire wear is dangerous. To
equalize tread wear for maintaining
good performance in handling and
braking, rotate the tires every 12,000
km (7,500 miles). However Mazda
recommends to rotate every 8,000 km
(5,000 miles) to help increase tire life
and distribute wear more evenly.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4 .
During rotation, inspect them for correct
balance.
Do not include (TEMPORAR Y USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation. Forward 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 9-8 ) and inspect the
lug nuts for tightness.
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-108 .
CAUTION 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 reduced if rotated from side to
side.
(With limited-slip differential)
Do not 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 are not 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.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 42 2016/08/11 20:29:47

6 –43 Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
*Some models. Replacing a Tire
WARNING Always use tires that are in good
condition:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and
traction could result in an accident.
Replace all four tires at the same time:
Replacing just one tire is dangerous. It
could cause poor handling and poor
braking resulting in loss of vehicle
control. Mazda strongly recommends
that you replace all four tires at the
same time.
If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.
Ne w tread Tread wear indicator
Worn tread
You should replace the tire before the band
crosses the entire tread.
(With tire pressure monitoring system)
After adjusting the tire pressure,
initialization of the tire pressure
monitoring system is necessary to make
the system operate normally.
Refer to Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Initialization on page 4-108 . NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when
they are not being used on the road. It
is recommended that tires generally be
replaced when they are 6 years or older.
Heat caused by hot climates or frequent
high loading conditions can accelerate the
aging process. The period in which the tire
was manufactured (both week and year) is
indicated by a 4-digit number.
Refer to Tire Labeling on page 8-24 .
Replacing a Wheel
WARNING Always use wheels of the correct size on
your vehicle:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is
dangerous. Braking and handling
could be affected, leading to loss of
control and an accident.
CAUTION 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 *
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 43 2016/08/11 20:29:47