Get Before Driving -> Driving Tips Guide for Mazda 2 SUV First Generation (2002-2007)

Before Driving

Driving Tips

Running-In

Saving Fuel and

No special running-in is necessary, but

a few precautions in the ¿rst 1,000 km

(600 miles) may add to the performance,

economy, and life of the vehicle.

Protection of the

Environment

How you operate your Mazda determines

how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use

these suggestions to help save fuel and

reduce CO2.

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Do not race the engine.

Do not maintain one constant speed,

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either slow or fast, for a long period of

time.

Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or

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Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine

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runs smoothly, begin driving.

Avoid fast starts.

Drive at lower speeds.

Anticipate when to apply the brakes

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high engine rpm for extended periods of

time.

Avoid unnecessary hard stops.

Avoid full-throttle starts.

Do not tow a trailer.

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(avoid sudden braking).

Follow the maintenance schedule (page

ꢀ ꢀ

6-3) and have an expert repairer,

we recommend an Authorised Mazda

Repairer perform inspections and

servicing.

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Use the air conditioner only when

necessary.

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Slow down on rough roads.

Keep the tyres properly inÀated.

Do not carry unnecessary weight.

Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal

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while driving.

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Keep the wheels in correct alignment.

Keep windows closed at high speeds.

Slow down when driving in crosswinds

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and headwinds.

3

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Before Driving

Driving Tips

Hazardous Driving

WARNING

Never stop the engine when going

down a hill:

WARNING

Stopping the engine when going

down a hill is dangerous. This causes

the loss of power steering and power

brake control, and may cause damage

to the drivetrain. Any loss of steering

or braking control could cause an

accident.

Be extremely careful if it is necessary

to downshift on slippery surfaces:

Downshifting into lower gear while

driving on slippery surfaces is

dangerous. The sudden change in tyre

speed could cause the tyres to skid. This

could lead to loss of vehicle control and

an accident.

When driving on ice or in water, snow,

mud, sand, or similar hazards:

ꢀ ꢀ

Be cautious and allow extra distance for

braking.

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Avoid sudden braking and sudden

manoeuvring.

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Do not pump the brakes. Continue to

press down on the brake pedal.

Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)

ꢀ

on page 4-84.

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If you get stuck, select a lower gear and

accelerate slowly. Do not spin the front

wheels.

For more traction in starting on slippery

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surfaces such as ice or packed snow,

use sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or

other nonslip material under the front

wheels.

NOTE

Use snow chains only on the front

wheels.

3

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Before Driving

Driving Tips

Floor Mat

We recommend the use of Genuine

WARNING

Mazda Àoor mats.

Do not install two Àoor mats, one on

top of the other, on the driver's side:

Installing two Àoor mats, one on top

of the other, on the driver's side is

dangerous as the retention pins can

only keep one Àoor mat from sliding

forward.

WARNING

Make sure the Àoor mats are secured

with the grommets or the retainers to

prevent them from bunching up under

the foot pedals (Driver's side):

Using a Àoor mat that is not secured is

dangerous as it will interfere with the

accelerator and brake pedal operation

(driver's side), which could result in an

accident.

Loose Àoor mat(s) will interfere with

the foot pedals and could result in an

accident.

When using an all weather mat for

winter, always remove the original Àoor

mat.

Only use a Àoor mat which conforms

to the shape of the Àoor on the driver's

side and make sure it is oriented

correctly.

Secure the Àoor mat using the

grommets or retainers.

There are various ways to secure Àoor

mats depending on the type used,

therefore secure the mat according to

the type.

After installing the Àoor mat, make

sure that it does not slide from side

to side or back and forth, and that

there is suf¿cient clearance with the

accelerator and brake pedals on the

driver's side.

When setting a Àoor mat, position the

Àoor mat so that its grommets or retainers

are inserted over the pointed end of the

retention posts.

After removing the Àoor mat for

cleaning or some other reason, always

securely reinstall it while paying

attention to the precautions just

mentioned.

3

–49

Before Driving

Driving Tips

Rocking the Vehicle

Winter Driving

Carry emergency gear, including tyre

chains, window scraper, Àares, a small

shovel, jumper leads, and a small bag of

sand or salt.

Ask an expert repairer, we recommend an

Authorised Mazda Repairer to check the

following:

WARNING

Do not spin the wheels at high speed,

and do not allow anyone to stand

behind a wheel when pushing the

vehicle:

When the vehicle is stuck, spinning

the wheels at high speed is dangerous.

The spinning tyre could overheat and

explode. This could cause serious

injuries.

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Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the

radiator.

Refer to Engine Coolant on page

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6-29.

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Inspect the battery and its leads. Cold

reduces battery capacity.

Use an engine oil appropriate for the

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lowest ambient temperatures that the

vehicle will be driven in (page 6-23).

Inspect the ignition system for damage

CAUTION

ꢀ ꢀ

and loose connections.

Use washer Àuid made with antifreeze—

but do not use engine coolant antifreeze

for washer Àuid (page 6-32).

Too much rocking may cause engine

overheating, transaxle failure, and tyre

damage.

ꢀ ꢀ

If you must rock the vehicle to free it from

snow, sand or mud, depress the accelerator

slightly and slowly move the shift lever

from 1 (D) to R.

3

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Before Driving

Driving Tips

NOTE

CAUTION

ꢀ ꢀ

Do not use the parking brake in

Check local regulations before using

studded tyres.

freezing weather as it may freeze.

Instead, shift to P with an automatic

transaxle and to 1 or R with a manual

transaxle. Block the rear wheels.

Remove snow before driving. Snow

left on the windscreen is dangerous

as it could obstruct vision.

ꢀ ꢀ

Use snow tyres on all four wheels

Do not exceed the maximum permissible

speed for your snow tyres or legal speed

limits.

Do not apply excessive force to a

window scraper when removing ice

or frozen snow on the mirror glass

and windscreen.

E u r o p e

When snow tyres are used, select the

speci¿ed size and pressure (page 9-10).

ꢀ ꢀ

Never use warm or hot water for

removing snow or ice from windows

and mirrors as it could result in the

glass cracking.

Drive slowly. Braking performance

can be adversely affected if

Tyre Chains

ꢀ ꢀ

Check local regulations before using tyre

chains.

snow or ice adheres to the brake

components. 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.

CAUTION

ꢀ ꢀ

Chains may affect handling.

Do not go faster than 50 km/h (30

mph) or the chain manufacturer's

recommended limit, whichever is

lower.

Drive carefully and avoid bumps,

holes, and sharp turns.

Avoid locked-wheel braking.

Do not use chains on a temporary

spare tyre; it may result in damage to

the vehicle and to the tyre.

Do not use chains on roads that are

free of snow or ice. The tyres and

chains could be damaged.

Chains may scratch or chip

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Snow Tyres

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WARNING

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Use only the same size and type tyres

(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four

wheels:

Using tyres different in size or type is

dangerous. Your vehicle's handling

could be greatly affected and result in

an accident.

ꢀ ꢀ

aluminium wheels.

3

–51

Before Driving

Driving Tips

NOTE

ꢀ ꢀ

If your vehicle is equipped with the

Although Mazda recommends hexagon

type steel ring chains, all chains within

the installation speci¿cations may be

used.

tyre pressure monitoring system, the

system may not function correctly

when using tyre chains.

ꢀ ꢀ

Use of tyre chains on a vehicle

equipped with 185/60R16 tyres could

cause interference with the vehicle

body and scratching. If tyre chains

are to be used, replace both the front

and rear tyres with 185/65R15 tyres

and replace both the front and rear

wheels with genuine Mazda 15-inch

wheels of the same size, and use

genuine Mazda tyre chains. Consult

an expert repairer, we recommend an

Authorised Mazda Repairer.

Installation speci¿cation (Europe)

When installing tyre chains, the distance

between the tyre tread and the chain must

be within the prescribed limits in the

following table.

Distance [Unit: mm (in)]

A

B

MAX 11 (0.43)

Install the chains on the front tyres only.

Do not use chains on the rear tyres.

A

B

Tyre chain selection (Europe)

Mazda recommends hexagon type

steel ring chains. Select the proper type

according to your tyre size.

Tyre

Cross section view

Side view

Installing the chains

1. If your vehicle is equipped with wheel

covers remove them, otherwise the

chain bands will scratch them.

2. Secure the chains on the front tyres as

tightly as possible. Always follow the

chain manufacturer's instructions.

3. Retighten the chains after driving

1/2—1 km (1/4—1/2 mile).

Tyre size

Tyre chain

185/65R15

Hexagon type

3

–52

Before Driving

Driving Tips

Driving In Flooded Area

WARNING

Dry off brakes that have become

wet by driving slowly, releasing the

accelerator pedal and lightly applying

the brakes several times until the brake

performance returns to normal:

Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.

Increased stopping distance or the

vehicle pulling to one side when

braking could result in a serious

accident. Light braking will indicate

whether the brakes have been affected.

CAUTION

Do not drive the vehicle on Àooded

roads as it could cause short circuiting

of electrical/electronic parts, or

engine damage or stalling from water

absorption. If the vehicle has been

immersed in water, consult an expert

repairer, we recommend an Authorised

Mazda Repairer.

3

–53

Before Driving

Driving Tips

Turbocharger Information (SKYACTIV-D 1.5)

CAUTION

ꢀ ꢀ

After driving at freeway speeds or up a long hill, idle the engine at least 30 seconds

before stopping it. Otherwise, the turbocharger could be damaged. However, when

i-stop operates, idling is unnecessary.

Racing or over-revving the engine, particularly after it's just been started, can damage

the turbocharger.

ꢀ ꢀ

To protect the engine from damage, the engine is designed so that it cannot be raced

just after starting it in extremely cold weather.

The turbocharger greatly enhances engine power. Its advanced design provides improved

operation and requires minimum maintenance.

To get the most from it, observe the following.

1. Change engine oil and ¿lter according to Scheduled Maintenance (page 6-3).

2. Use only recommended engine oil (page 6-23). Extra additives are NOT

recommended.

3

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Before Driving -> Driving Tips for Your Mazda 2 SUV First Generation (2002-2007)

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