2004 Mazda RX-8 Owners Manual - MyMazda

J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 15 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PMMaintenance and CareOwner Maintenance▼ Adding Brake/Clutch FluidWARNINGSpilled Brake Fluid:Spilled brake fluid is dangerous. If itgets in your eyes, they could beseriously injured. If this happens,immediately flush your eyes withwater and get medical attention.Brake fluid spilled on a hot enginecould cause a fire. Be careful not tospill brake fluid on yourself or on theengine.Low Brake/Clutch Fluid Levels:Low brake/clutch fluid levels aredangerous. Low levels could signalbrake lining wear or a brake systemleak. Your brakes could fail and causean accident. If you find a low fluidlevel, have the brakes and clutchinspected.If the fluid level is low, add fluid until itreaches MAX.Before adding fluid, thoroughly clean thearea around the cap.CAUTION• Brake and clutch fluid will damagepainted surfaces. If brake or clutchfluid does get on a painted surface,wipe it off immediately.• Using nonspecified brake and clutchfluids (page 10-5) will damage thesystems. Mixing different fluids willalso damage them.If the brake/clutch system frequentlyrequires new fluid, consult anAuthorized Mazda Dealer.Automatic TransmissionFluid (ATF)▼ Inspecting AutomaticTransmission Fluid LevelThe automatic transmission fluid levelshould be inspected regularly. Measure itas described below.The volume of fluid changes with thetemperature. Fluid must be checked at idlewithout driving at normal operatingtemperature.CAUTION• Low fluid level causes transmissionslippage. Overfilling can causefoaming, loss of fluid, andtransmission malfunction.• Use specified fluid (page 10-5). Anonspecified fluid could result intransmission malfunction andfailure.1. Park on a level surface and set theparking brake firmly.2. Idle the engine about two minutes.Push down on the brake pedal.3. Move the shift lever through all rangesand set it at P.8-15Form No. 8R65-EA-03C