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Winter Driving
l
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:
l
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 8-22.
l
Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
l
Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
l
Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-25).
l
Do not use the parking brake in
freezing weather as it may freeze.
Instead, shift to P with an automatic
transmission and to 1 or R with a
manual transmission. Block the rear
wheels.
l
Snow left on the windshield is
dangerous as it could obstruct vision.
Remove snow before driving.
l
Do not open or close the soft top when
the temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) or less.
The material of the soft top could be
damaged by freezing.
l
Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
l
Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows
and mirrors as it could result in the
glass cracking.
l
Braking performance can be adversely
affected if snow or ice adheres to the
brake equipment. If this situation
occurs, drive the vehicle slowly,
releasing the accelerator pedal and
lightly applying the brakes several
times until the brake performance
returns to normal.
qSnow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Inflate
snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2
, 4.3 psi)
more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver's door frame), 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, Mazda recommends that
you replace the tires originally equipped
on your vehicle with snow tires during the
winter months.
WARNING
Use only the same size and type tires
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four
wheels:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle 's handling
could be greatly affected and result
in an accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
BeforeDriving YourMazda
Driving Tips
4-9
MX-5_8DG6-EA-13F_Edition1 Page139
Thursday, May 30 2013 10:50 AM
Form No.8DG6-EA-13F