Mazda Protege (2003 year). Instruction - part 14

8-18

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

▼ Inspecting Washer Fluid Level

Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid 
reservoir; add fluid if necessary.

The top of the float should be between 
FULL and LOW.

Use plain water if washer fluid is 
unavailable.
But use only washer fluid in cold weather 
to prevent it from freezing.

To inspect the washer fluid level in the 
front reservoir, pull off the cap. Then, 
holding your thumb over the hole in the 
center of the cap, lift it straight up. There 
should be fluid in the straw. Add fluid if 
necessary.

Use plain water if washer fluid is 
unavailable. But use only washer fluid in 
cold weather to prevent it from freezing.

Washer Fluid

Substitute Washer Fluid:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer 
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the 
windshield, it will dirty the 
windshield, affect your visibility, and 
could result in an accident. Use only 
windshield washer fluid or plain 
water in the reservoir.

WARNING

Float

Sedan

Hatchback

8-19

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

All moving points of the body, such as 
door and hood hinges and locks, should 
be lubricated each time the engine oil is 
changed. Use a nonfreezing lubricant on 
locks during cold weather.

Make sure the engine hood’s secondary 
latch keeps the hood from opening when 
the primary latch is released.

A viscous paper air filter fits inside the air 
cleaner housing, as shown. It’s been 
specially treated and should not be 
cleaned and reused. Replace it when 
necessary.

▼ Replacing the Air Filter

1. Unfasten the clamps.

Body Lubrication

Air Filter

Don’t drive without an air filter. This 
could result in excessive engine wear.

NOTE

If the vehicle is operated in very dusty 
or sandy areas, replace the filter more 
often than recommended intervals.

CAUTION

Clamp

8-20

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

2. Lift off the air filter cover and remove 

the filter.

3. Wipe inside the air cleaner housing 

with a damp cloth.

4. Replace the filter.

5. Install in the reverse order of removal.

 Replace the filter according to Scheduled 
Maintenance (page 8-3).

Contamination of either the windshield or 
the blades with foreign matter can reduce 
wiper effectiveness. Common sources are 
insects, tree sap, and hot wax treatments 
used by some commercial car washes.

If the blades are not wiping properly, 
clean the window and blades with a good 
cleaner or mild detergent; then rinse 
thoroughly with clean water. Repeat if 
necessary.

▼ Replacing Windshield Wiper 

Blades

When the wipers no longer clean well, the 
blades are probably worn or cracked.
Replace them.

Air filter cover

Air filter

Wiper Blades

Hot waxes applied by automatic car 
washes have been known to affect the 
cleanability of windows.

To prevent damage to the wiper blades, 
don’t use gasoline, kerosene, paint 
thinner, or other solvents on or near 
them.

To prevent damage to the wiper arms 
and other components, don’t move the 
wipers by hand.

CAUTION

CAUTION

CAUTION

8-21

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

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.

2. Hold the end of the rubber and pull 

until the tabs are free of the metal 
support.

3. Remove the metal stiffeners from the 

blade rubber and install them in new 
blades.

To prevent damage to the windshield, 
don’t let the wiper arm fall on it.

Push

Plastic locking clip

CAUTION

Pull out

Tab

Metal support

• Don’t bend the stiffeners. You need 

to use them again.

• If the metal stiffeners are switched, 

the blade’s wiping efficiency could 
be reduced.
So don’t 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.

Stiffeners

CAUTION

8-22

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

4. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.

Then install the blade assembly in the 
reverse older of removal.

▼ Replacing Rear Window Wiper 

Blade (Hatchback)

When the wiper no longer cleans well, the 
blade is probably worn or cracked.
Replace it.

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.

2. Pull down the blade rubber and slide it 

out of the blade holder.

NOTE

Install the blade so that the tabs are 
toward the bottom of the wiper arm.

To prevent damage to the wiper arm 
and other components, don’t move the 
wiper by hand.

Tab

CAUTION

To prevent damage to the rear window, 
don’t let the wiper arm fall on it.

Push

Plastic locking clip

CAUTION

Pull out

8-23

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

3. Remove the metal stiffeners from the 

blade rubber and install them in new 
blades.

4. Carefully insert the new blade rubber.

Then install the blade assembly in the 
reverse order of removal.

Don’t bend the stiffeners. You need to 
use them again.

Stiffeners

CAUTION

Battery

Battery-Related Lead Materials:
Battery posts, terminals and related 
accessories contain lead and lead 
compounds, chemicals known to the 
State of California to cause cancer 
and reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling.

Spilled Battery Fluid:
Spilled battery fluid is dangerous.
Battery fluid contains SULFURIC 
ACID which could cause serious 
injuries, if it gets in your eyes or on 
your skin. If this happens, 
immediately flush your eyes with 
water for 15 minutes or wash your 
skin thoroughly and get medical 
attention. Be careful not to get battery 
fluid on yourself.

Battery-Related Explosion:
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.

Children and Batteries:
Allowing children to play near 
batteries is dangerous. Battery fluid 
could cause serious injuries if it gets 
in the eyes or on the skin. Always 
keep batteries out of the reach of 
children.

WARNING

8-24

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.

For 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.

Tires

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 when using 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 your Mazda (page 10-8) 
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 your 
Mazda.

WARNING

8-25

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

▼ Tire Inflation Pressure

Inspect all tire pressures monthly 
(including the spare) when the tires are 
cold. Maintain recommended pressures 
for the best ride, top handling, and 
minimum tire wear.

Refer to the specification charts (page 10-
8).

Incorrect Tire Inflation:
Overinflation or underinflation of 
tires is dangerous. Adverse handling 
or unexpected tire failure could result 
in a serious accident. Always inflate 
the tires to the correct pressure (page 
10-8).

WARNING

NOTE

• Warm tires normally exceed 

recommended pressures. Don’t 
release air from warm tires to adjust 
the pressure.

• Underinflation can cause reduced 

fuel economy 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 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.

8-26

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

▼ Tire Rotation

To equalize tread wear, rotate the tires 
every 12,000 km (7,500 miles) or sooner 
if irregular wear develops. During 
rotation, inspect them for correct balance.

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 10-8) and inspect the 
lug nuts for tightness.

▼ Replacing a Tire

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 weakened if rotated from side 
to side.

Front

Do not include (TEMPORARY USE ONLY)
spare tire in rotation.

CAUTION

Limited-Slip Differential system;
don’t 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 aren’t 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.

Worn Tires:
Driving with worn tires is dangerous.
Reduced braking, steering, and 
traction could result in an accident.
Always use tires that are in good 
condition.

CAUTION

WARNING

8-27

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

If a tire wears evenly, a wear indicator will 
appear as a solid band across the tread.
Replace the tire when this happens.

You may need to replace it before the 
band is across the entire tread.

▼ Temporary Spare Tire

Inspect the temporary spare tire at least 
monthly to make sure it’s properly 
inflated and stored.
The temporary spare tire is easier to 
handle because of its construction. It is 
lighter and smaller than a conventional 
tire and should be used only for an 
emergency and only for a short distance.

Use the temporary only until the 
conventional tire is repaired, which should 
be as soon as possible.

Maintain its pressure at 420 kPa 
(4.2 kgf/cm

2

 or bar, 60 psi).

▼ Replacing a Wheel

When replacing a wheel, make sure the 
new one is the same as the original factory 
wheel in diameter, rim width, and offset.

Proper tire balancing provides the best 
riding comfort and helps reduce tread 
wear. Out-of-balance tires can cause 
vibration and uneven wear, such as 
cupping and flat spots.

New tread

Worn tread

Tread wear indicator

• Don’t use your temporary spare tire 

rim with a snow tire or a 
conventional tire. Neither will 
properly fit and could damage both 
tire and rim.

• The temporary spare tire has a tread 

life of up to 5,000 km (3,000 miles), 
depending on road conditions and 
driving habits.

• When the tread wear solid-band 

indicator appears, replace the tire 
with the same type of temporary 
spare (page 8-26).

Using a Wrong-Sized Wheel:
Using a wrong-sized wheel is 
dangerous. Braking and handling 
could be affected, leading to loss of 
control and an accident. Always use 
wheels of the correct size on your 
vehicle.

CAUTION

WARNING

8-28

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

A wrong-sized wheel may adversely 
affect
• Tire fit
• Wheel and bearing life
• Ground clearance
• Snow-chain clearance
• Speedometer calibration
• Headlight aim
• Bumper height

CAUTION

8-29

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

Light Bulbs

License plate lights

Front side-marker lights

Overhead lights/Map lights

Sedan

Headlights

Front turn signal lights/
Parking lights

Brake lights/Taillights

Rear turn signal lights

Reverse lights

Taillights

High-mount brake light

Trunk light

Rear side-marker lights

Side turn signal lights

8-30

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

License plate lights

Front side-marker lights

Overhead lights/Map lights

Headlights

Front turn signal lights/
Parking lights

Reverse lights

Rear turn signal lights

Brake lights/Taillights

Hatchback

Side turn signal lights

8-31

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

Your Mazda’s headlights have replaceable 
halogen bulbs.

▼ Replacing a Headlight Bulb

Sedan

1. Make sure the headlight switch is off.

2. Lift the hood and find the bulb in the 

rear of the headlight body.

3. Detach the electrical connector from 

the bulb by pulling it to the rear.

4. Pull off the sealing cover.

5. Unhook the bulb retaining spring.

6. Swing the retaining spring out and 

away to free the headlight bulb.

7. Carefully remove the headlight bulb 

from the socket by pulling it straight 
back.

8. Replace the bulb.

Handling Halogen Bulbs:
When a halogen bulb breaks, it is 
dangerous. These bulbs contain 
pressurized gas. If one is broken, it 
will explode and serious injuries 
could be caused by the flying glass.
If the glass portion is touched with 
bare hands, body oil could cause the 
bulb to overheat and explode when lit. 
Never touch the glass portion of the 
bulb with your bare hands and always 
wear eye protection when handling or 
working around halogen bulbs.

Children and Halogen Bulbs:
Playing with a halogen bulb is 
dangerous. Serious injuries could be 
caused by dropping a halogen bulb or 
breaking it some other way.
Always keep halogen bulbs out of the 
reach of children.

WARNING

Sedan

Hatchback

Headlight low beam

Do not touch the glass surface

Headlight main beam

Sealing cover

8-32

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

9. Install in the reverse order of removal.

Hatchback

1. Make sure the headlight switch is off.

2. Lift the hood and find the bulbs in the 

rear of the headlight body.

(Low beam bulb)

3. Detach the electrical connector from 

the bulb by pulling it to the rear.

4. Pull off the sealing cover.

5. Unhook the bulb retaining spring.

6. Swing the retaining spring out and 

away to free the headlight bulb.

7. Carefully remove the headlight bulb 

from the socket by pulling it straight 
back.

8. Replace the bulb.

9. Install in the reverse order of removal.

(High beam bulb)

10.Turn the socket and bulb assembly 

counterclockwise and remove it. 
Carefully remove the headlight bulb 
from its socket in the reflector by 
gently pulling it straight backward out 
of the socket.

NOTE

• When reinstalling the sealing cover, 

make sure 

 faces up.

• Use the protective cover and carton 

to dispose of the old bulb promptly 
out of the reach of children.

NOTE

• When reinstalling the sealing cover, 

make sure 

 faces up.

• Use the protective cover and carton 

to dispose of the old bulb promptly 
out of the reach of children.

Sealing cover

8-33

Maintenance and Care

Owner Maintenance

11.Remove the bulb from the electrical 

connector by pressing the tab on the 
connector with your finger and pulling 
the bulb upward.

12.Install the new bulb in the reverse 

order of removal.

NOTE

Use the protective cover and carton to 
dispose of the old bulb promptly out of 
the reach of children.