Before Driving Your Mazda; Driving Tips; Snow Tires- Page 78

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Before Driving Your Mazda

Driving Tips

Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

•

Carry emergency gear, including tire 
chains, window scraper, flares, a small 
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag 
of sand or salt.

Ask a 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 8-13).

•

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 8-22).

•

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/cm

2

, 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.

WARNING

CAUTION

J07R_8R09_EA_02G_Edition4.book  Page 8  Monday, February 3, 2003  1:16 PM