Black plate (143,1)
Brake System
qFoot 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.
WARNING
Coasting with the Engine Off:
Continuing to coast 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
coasting 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
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.
qParking Brake
WARNING
Not Setting the Parking Brake:
Leaving the driver's seat without
setting the parking brake is
dangerous. Unexpected vehicle
movement could occur if the parking
brake is not set. This could cause an
accident. Before leaving the driver's
seat, always set the parking brake and
make sure the shift lever is in 1 or R.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake
linings or pads.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter
Driving (page 4-9) regarding parking
brake use.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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WARNING
Driving with Worn Disc Pads:
Driving with worn disc pads is
dangerous. The brakes could fail and
cause a serious accident. As soon as
you hear a screeching noise consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Manual Transaxle Operation
qManual Transaxle Shift Pattern
Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transaxle is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a device to
prevent shifting to R (reverse) by mistake.
Push the shift lever downward and shift to
R.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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WARNING
Sudden Engine-Braking:
Shifting down while driving on wet,
snowy, or frozen roads, or while
driving at high speeds causes sudden
engine braking, which is dangerous.
The sudden change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid. This could lead
to loss of vehicle control and an
accident. Do not use sudden engine
braking on slippery road surfaces or at
high speeds.
CAUTION
lKeep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
don't use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Riding the
clutch will cause needless clutch
wear and damage.
lMake sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to R.
Shifting to R while the vehicle is still
moving may damage the transaxle.
NOTE
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back
into neutral, release the clutch pedal,
and try again.
qRecommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 30 km/h (19 mph)
2 to 3 47 km/h (29 mph)
3 to 4 59 km/h (37 mph)
4 to 5 68 km/h (42 mph)
5 to 6 90 km/h (50 mph)
For cruising
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 18 km/h (11 mph)
2 to 3 40 km/h (25 mph)
3 to 4 51 km/h (32 mph)
4 to 5 64 km/h (40 mph)
5 to 6 78 km/h (49 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steepupgrade, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steepdowngrade, downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
5-10
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Starting and Driving
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2. Turn the audio control dial to adjust the
selected functions as follows:
Indication Turn Left Turn Right
Select mode
Decrease
bassIncrease
bass
Decrease
trebleIncrease
treble
Shift the
sound to the
frontShift the
sound to the
rear
Shift the
sound to the
leftShift the
sound to the
right
OFF ON
NOTE
About 5 seconds after selecting any
mode, the volume function will be
automatically selected. To reset bass,
treble, fade, and balance, press the
audio control dial for 2 seconds. The
unit will beep and“CLEAR”will be
displayed.
Automatic Level Control (ALC)
The automatic level control is a feature
that automatically adjusts audio volume
and sound quality according to the vehicle
speed.
The volume increases in accordance with
the increase in vehicle speed, and
decreases as vehicle speed decreases.The following four modes are available.
Select the desired mode.
Mode Volume change
No change
Minimum
Medium
Maximum
Turn the audio control dial to select the
ALC OFF, ALC LEVEL1―3 mode. The
selected mode will be indicated.
BEEP setting
The beep-sound when operating the audio
system can be set on or off.
Interior Comfort
Audio System
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1. Park on a level surface off the right-of-
way and firmly set the parking brake.
2. Shift into Reverse (R) or 1 and turn off
the engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle
and away from the vehicle and traffic.
5. Remove the jack, tool bag, and spare
tire (page 7-3).
6. Block the wheel diagonally opposite
the flat tire. When blocking a wheel,
place a tire block both in front and
behind the tire.
NOTE
When blocking a tire, use rocks or
wood blocks of sufficient size to hold
the tire in place.
qRemoving a Flat Tire
1. Loosen the lug nuts by turning them
counterclockwise one turn each, but
don't remove any lug nuts until the tire
has been raised off the ground.
2. Place the jack under the jacking
position closest to the tire being
changed.
Jacking position
7-6
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
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Overheating
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating, the vehicle loses power, or
you hear a loud knocking or pinging
noise, the engine is probably too hot.
WARNING
Electrical Fan and Engine
Inspection:
Working near the electrical cooling
fan when it is running is dangerous.
You could be hit by the fan and
seriously injured. Turn off the ignition
switch and make sure the fan is not
running before attempting to work
near the electrical cooling fan.
Cooling System Caps:
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot
out under pressure and cause serious
injury. Don't remove either cooling
system cap when the engine and
radiator are hot.
Steam from Overheated Engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you. Open the hood
ONLY after steam is no longer
escaping from the engine.
NOTE
Once the engine coolant exceeds a
preset temperature, an electrical cooling
fan turns on. It will continue running
for about 10 minutes after the ignition
switch is turned to off.
If the temperature gauge indicates
overheating:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
park off the right-of-way.
2. Shift into neutral.
Apply the parking brake.
3. Turn off the air conditioner.
4. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from under the hood or from
the engine compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Don't go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine until
it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the
engine and call an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
In Case of an Emergency
Overheating
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M
Maintenance
Introduction .................................. 8-2
Owner maintenance precautions ... 8-9
Owner maintenance schedule ....... 8-8
Scheduled ..................................... 8-3
Manual Transaxle Operation ............... 5-9
Recommendations for shifting.... 5-10
Map Lights ........................................ 6-39
Mirrors
Outside mirrors .......................... 3-55
Rearview mirror ......................... 3-56
Money-Saving Suggestions ................ 4-7
Moonroof .......................................... 3-45
O
Odometer and Trip Meter .................. 5-21
Outside Mirrors ................................. 3-55
Overhead Console ............................. 6-47
Overhead Lights ................................ 6-39
Overheating ....................................... 7-11
Overloading ...................................... 4-10
P
Paint Damage .................................... 8-41
Parking Brake ..................................... 5-5
Parking in an Emergency .................... 7-2
Power Door Locks ............................ 3-27
Power Steering .................................. 5-11
Fluid ........................................... 8-19
Power Windows ................................ 3-34
Push-Starting ..................................... 7-17
R
Rear Door Child Safety Locks .......... 3-29
Rear Seat ............................................. 2-9
R
Rear Window Defroster .................... 5-40
Rearview Mirror ................................ 3-56
Recreational Towing ......................... 7-21
Registering Your Vehicle in A Foreign
Country ............................................. 9-12
Rocking the Vehicle ............................ 4-8
S
Safety Defects, Reporting ................. 9-38
Seat Belt System
Automatic locking ...................... 2-13
Belt minder ................................. 2-21
Center-rear lap/shoulder ............. 2-18
Emergency locking .................... 2-13
Except center-rear position ......... 2-14
Extender ..................................... 2-20
Pregnant women ........................ 2-12
Pretensioner and load limiting .... 2-16
Seat belt precautions .................. 2-11
Warning light/beep ..................... 2-21
Seats
Front seat
(Electrically operated seats) ......... 2-5
Front seat
(Manually operated seats) ............ 2-2
Rear seat ....................................... 2-9
Security System
Immobilizer system
(with advanced key) ................... 3-47
Immobilizer system
(without advanced key) .............. 3-50
Theft-deterrent system ............... 3-53
Service Publications .......................... 9-40
Spare Tire and Tool Storage ................ 7-3
Specifications .................................... 10-3
Speedometer ...................................... 5-21
Index
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