5-4
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
5. Turn the ignition switch to the START
position and hold (up to 10 seconds at a
time) until the engine starts.
6. After starting the engine, let it idle for
about 10 seconds.
Foot Brake
Your Mazda has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual. Don’t try the starter for more than 10
seconds at a time. If the engine stalls or
fails to start, wait 10 seconds before
trying again. Otherwise, you may
damage the starter and drain the
battery.
NOTE
•In extremely cold weather, below
−18
°C (0
°F), or after the vehicle has
stood idle several days, let the
engine warm up without operating
the accelerator.
•Whether cold or warm, the engine
should be started without use of the
accelerator.
CAUTION
Brake System
Driving with the Engine Off:
Continuing to drive when the engine
is stalled or turned off is dangerous.
Braking will require more effort, and
the brake’s power-assist could be
depleted if you pump the brake. This
will cause longer stopping distances
or even an accident. Don’t continue
driving when the engine is stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop.
Riding the Brakes:
Driving with your foot continuously
on the brake pedal or steadily
applying the brakes for long distances
is dangerous. This causes overheated
brakes, resulting in longer stopping
distances or even total brake failure.
This could cause loss of vehicle
control and a serious accident. Avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep hills.
WARNING
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5-5
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
Parking Brake
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
brake handle fully upward.Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
handle up and press the button. Lower the
handle to the release position while
holding in the button.
Brake System Warning Light
This warning has the following functions:
Parking brake warning
The light comes on when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch
in the START or ON position. It goes off
when the parking brake is fully released.
Low brake fluid level warning/
Electronic brake force distribution
system warning
If the light stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, you may have a brake
problem.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way.
Driving with Wet Brakes:
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. Dry the brakes by driving
very slowly and applying the brakes
lightly until brake performance is
normal.
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake
linings or pads.
WARNING
CAUTION
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5-7
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed of each wheel. If one
is about to lock up, the ABS responds by
automatically releasing and reapplying
that wheel’s brake.
The driver will feel a slight vibration in
the brake pedal and may hear a chattering
noise from the brake system. This is
normal when the ABS operates. Don’t
pump the brakes, continue to press down
on the brake pedal.
ABS Warning Light
The warning light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the ON position.
If the ABS warning light stays on while
you’re driving, the ABS control unit has
detected a system malfunction. If this
occurs, your brakes will function
normally as if the vehicle had no ABS.
Should this happen, consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
ABS:
The ABS cannot compensate for
unsafe and reckless driving, excessive
speed, tailgating (following another
vehicle too closely), and hydroplaning
(reduced tire friction and road
contact because of water on the road
surface). You can still have an
accident. So don’t rely on ABS as a
substitute for safe driving.
NOTE
Braking distances may be longer on
loose surfaces (snow or gravel, for
example) which usually have a hard
foundation. A vehicle with a normal
braking system may require less
distance to stop under these conditions
because the tires will build up a wedge
of surface layer when the wheels skid.
WARNING
ABS Warning Light and Brake
Warning Light on at the Same Time:
Driving when the brake system
warning light and ABS warning light
are on at the same time is dangerous.
When both lights are on, the rear
wheels could lock more quickly in an
emergency stop than under normal
circumstances.
Don’t drive with both lights on, and
contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer
to have the brakes inspected as soon
as possible.
WARNING
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5-9
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
Various Lockouts: •Keep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
don’t use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. This will
avoid needless clutch wear and
damage.
•Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to
reverse.
Shifting to reverse while the vehicle
is still moving may damage the
transaxle.
NOTE
If shifting to reverse is difficult, shift
into neutral, release the clutch pedal,
and try again.
CAUTIONAutomatic Transaxle
Controls
Indicates that you must depress the
brake pedal and hold in the lock-release
button to shift (The ignition switch must
be in the ACC or ON position).
Indicates the shift lever can be shifted
freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in the lock-
release button to shift.
Lock-release button
To prevent unsafe
shifting
Overdrive button
For gear selection with either
a three-speed or four-speed
transaxle
Shift pattern indicator
Shows shift lever
position
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5-11
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
Shift-Lock System
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift-lock, which prevents shifting
out of P unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift from P:
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Push and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the shift lever.
Overdrive
Overdrive operation
In D, the transaxle automatically shifts to
overdrive, which improves fuel economy
and reduces noise.
To allow engine braking when going
down a steep grade, make sure the
overdrive button is in the off position.
And for a smoother ride with less shifting,
don’t use it when:
•Going up a steep grade.
•Driving in stop-and-go traffic.
•Pulling heavy loads.
To turn off the overdrive, push the
button.
The transaxle will then shift through a
three-gear sequence in D.
Shift patterns without overdrive:
D = 1st, 2nd, 3rd
2 = 2nd
1 = 1st
To turn it on, push the button again.
Shift patterns with overdrive:
D = 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
2 = 2nd
1 = 1st
NOTE
•When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle
cannot be shifted from P.
•To be sure the vehicle is in park,
the ignition key cannot be
removed unless the shift lever is in
P.Overdrive button
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5-19
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
To C a n c e l
To turn off the system, use one
of these
methods:
•Press the CRUISE MAIN switch.
•Slightly depress the brake pedal.
• (Type A)
Pull the lever toward you.
(Type B)
Press the CANCEL button.• (Manual transaxle)
Depress the clutch pedal.
The system is off when the ignition is off.
NOTE
Cruise control will cancel at about 15
km/h (9 mph) below the preset speed
or below 40 km/h (25 mph).
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5-21
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
Speedometer
The speedometer indicates the speed of
the vehicle.
Odometer and Trip Meter
The ignition switch must be in the ON
position.
The display mode can be changed from
odometer to trip meter A to trip meter B
and then back to odometer by pressing the
selector. The selected mode will be
displayed.Odometer
When this mode is selected, ODO will be
displayed.
The odometer records the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
Tr i p m e t e r
The trip meter can record the total
distance of two trips. One is recorded in
trip meter A, and the other is recorded in
trip meter B.
For instance, trip meter A can record the
distance from the point of origin, and trip
meter B can record the distance from
where the fuel tank is filled.
When trip meter A is selected, pressing
the selector again within one second will
change to trip meter B mode.
When trip meter A is selected, TRIP A
will be displayed. When meter B is
selected, TRIP B will be displayed.
The trip meter records the total distance
the vehicle is driven until the meter is
again reset. Return it to "0.0" by holding
the selector depressed for more than 1
second. Use this meter to measure trip
distances and in to compute fuel
consumption.
Selector
Odometer
Trip meter A Press the selector
Press the selector
Press the selector Trip meter B
NOTE
The display mode can be changed
while the vehicle is stopped for about a
10 minute period after the door is
opened or the ignition switch is in the
ACC or LOCK position.
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5-26
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beeps
Form No. 8Q36-EA-01F
Brake System Warning Light
This warning has the following functions:
Parking brake warning
The light comes on when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch
in the START or ON position. It goes off
when the parking brake is fully released.
Low brake fluid level warning/
Electronic brake force distribution
system warning
If the light stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, you may have a brake
problem.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way.
Low brake fluid level warning
You may notice that the pedal is harder to
push or that it may go closer to the floor.
In either case, it will take longer to stop
the vehicle.
1. With the engine stopped, check the
brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required (page 8-16).
2. After adding fluid, check the light
again.If the warning light remains on, or if the
brakes do not operate properly, do not
drive the vehicle. Have it towed to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Even if the light goes off, have your brake
system inspected as soon as possible.
Electronic brake force distribution
system warning
If the electronic brake force distribution
control unit determines that some
components are operating incorrectly, the
control unit may turn the brake system
warning light on.
In this case, the ABS warning light comes
on at the same time (page 5-29).
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