2004 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK brake

5-10
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
For cruising
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep upgrade
, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steep downgrade
, downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
Various Lockouts:
1 to 2 26 km/h (16 mph)
2 to 3 45 km/h (28 mph)
3 to 4 56 km/h (35 mph)
4 to 5 73 km/h (45 mph)
1 to 2 16 km/h (10 mph)
2 to 3 31 km/h (19 mph)
3 to 4 48 km/h (30 mph)
4 to 5 66 km/h (41 mph)
Automatic Transaxle
Controls
Indicates that you must depress
the brake pedal to shift (The
ignition switch must be in the
ON position).
Indicates the shift lever can be
shifted freely into any position.
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5-11
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Transaxle Ranges
The shift lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete stop
before shifting to or from R, except under
rare circumstances as explained in
Rocking the Vehicle (page 4-9).N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear sequence.
Holding the Vehicle with P:
Only setting the shift lever to the P
position without using the parking
brake to hold the vehicle is
dangerous. If P fails to hold, the
vehicle could move and cause an
accident. To hold the vehicle, set the
shift lever to P AND set the parking
brake.
•Shifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transaxle.
•Shifting into a driving gear or
reverse when the engine is running
faster than idle can damage the
transaxle.
WARNING
CAUTION
Shifting from N or P:
It’s dangerous to shift from N or P
into a driving gear when the engine is
running faster than idle. If this is
done, the vehicle could move
suddenly, causing an accident or
serious injury. If the engine is
running faster than idle, don’t shift
from N or P into a driving gear.
Shifting into N while Driving:
Shifting into N while driving is
dangerous. Engine braking cannot be
applied when decelerating which
could lead to an accident or serious
injury. Do not shift into N when
driving the vehicle.
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle. Doing so can cause transaxle
damage.
WARNING
CAUTION
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5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
operating the shift lever.
Refer to Manual Shift Mode (page 5-13).

Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system 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. Move the shift lever.

Shift-Lock Override
If the shift lever won’t move from P using
the proper shift procedure, continue to
hold down the pedal.
1. Remove the shift-lock override cover
with a screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Take the vehicle to an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the system
checked.
NOTE
•When the ignition switch is in the
ACC or LOCK position, the shift
lever 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.
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5-16
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
If the vehicle is kicked down at the
following speeds or lower, the gears shift
down automatically:
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, we
recommend these shift points.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep upgrade
, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
gives better acceleration when you need
more speed.
On a steep downgrade
, downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.

Driving Tips
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift to D or M1, depending on the
load weight and grade steepness.
3. Release all brakes while gradually
accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to
lower gears, depending on load weight
and grade steepness. Descend slowly,
using the brakes only occasionally to
prevent them from overheating.
NOTE
If the vehicle is driven at a low speed
from a standing start while in M2, the
gear may not shift down to M1
automatically.
Gear Vehicle speed
M4→
M3 135 km/h (84 mph)
M3→
M2 64 km/h (40 mph)
M1 to M2 24 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 65 km/h (40 mph)
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5-21
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

To Resume Cruising Speed at
More Than 30 km/h (19 mph)
If some other method besides the ON/
OFF switch was used to cancel cruising
speed and the system is still activated, the
most recent set speed will automatically
resume when the RES/ACCEL button is
pressed.
If vehicle speed is below 30 km/h (19
mph), increase the vehicle speed up to 30
km/h (19 mph) and press the RES/
ACCEL button.

To Cancel
To turn off the system, use one
of these
methods:
•Press the ON/OFF switch.
•Slightly depress the brake pedal.
•Depress the clutch pedal. (Manual
transaxle only)
•Press the CANCEL button.
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 30 km/h (19 mph).
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5-31
Driving Your Mazda
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
Warning/Indicator Lights
Signal Warning/Indicator Lights Page
Brake System Warning Light 5-33
Charging System Warning Light 5-34
Engine Oil Pressure Warning Light 5-34
Check Engine Light 5-35
ABS Warning Light 5-35
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light 5-36
Low Fuel Warning Light 5-36
Warning/Indicator lights will appear in any of the highlighted areas
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Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

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 8-18).
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 5-35).Brake Warning Light:
Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous. It
indicates that your brakes may not
work at all or that they could
completely fail at any time. If this
light remains on, after checking that
the parking brake is fully released,
have the brakes inspected
immediately. Don’t drive with this
light on, and contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the brakes
inspected as soon as possible.
WARNING
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5-34
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Charging System Warning Light
This warning light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position and turns off when the engine is
started.
If the warning light illuminates while
driving, it indicates a malfunction of the
alternator or of the charging system.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.

Engine Oil Pressure Warning
Light
This warning light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position and turns off when the engine is
started.
This warning light indicates low engine
oil pressure.
If the light illuminates while driving:
1. Drive to the side of the road and park
off the right-of-way.
2. Turn off the engine and inspect the
engine oil level (page 8-13). If it’s low,
add oil.
3. Check the light.
If the light remains illuminated even after
you add oil, have your vehicle towed to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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.
Don’t continue driving when the
charging system warning light is
illuminated.
WARNING
CAUTION
Don’t run the engine if oil pressure is
low. It could result in extensive engine
damage.
CAUTION
J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition1.book Page 34 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:51 AM