2009 Mazda MAZDA3 Owner's Manual - Page 116

Before Driving Your Mazda Driving Tips Winter Driving 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 8-21. 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 8-27). l Do not use the parking brake in 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. l 18-inch 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. NOTE If your vehicle is equipped with the tire pressure monitoring system, the system may not function correctly when using tires with steel wire reinforcement in the sidewalls (page 5-31). 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/cm2, 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. Except 18-inch tires Your vehicle is originally equipped with all season radials designed to be used all year around. In some extreme climates you may find it necessary to replace them with snow tires during the winter months to further improve traction on snow and ice covered roads. 4-10