2006 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 Owners Manual (in English)

Black plate (137,1)
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 Transmission
Operation
qManual Transmission Shift Pattern
5-speed transmission
6-speed transmissionNeutral position
Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transmission is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
(5-speed transmission)
A safety feature prevents accidental
shifting from 5 to R (reverse). The shift
lever must be put in neutral before being
shifted to R.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-9
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page137
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (138,1)
(6-speed transmission)
Vehicles with 6-speed transmission are
equipped with a device to prevent shifting
to R (reverse) by mistake. Push the shift
lever downward and shift to R.
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
transmission.
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.
Gear5-speed
transmission6-speed
transmission
1 to 2 24 km/h (15 mph) 23 km/h (14 mph)
2 to 3 42 km/h (26 mph) 37 km/h (23 mph)
3 to 4 55 km/h (34 mph) 50 km/h (31 mph)
4 to 5 66 km/h (41 mph) 56 km/h (35 mph)
5to6―66 km/h (41 mph)
For cruising
Gear5-speed
transmission6-speed
transmission
1 to 2 15 km/h (9 mph) 18 km/h (11 mph)
2 to 3 29 km/h (18 mph) 32 km/h (20 mph)
3 to 4 47 km/h (29 mph) 44 km/h (27 mph)
4 to 5 61 km/h (38 mph) 56 km/h (35 mph)
5to6―68 km/h (42 mph)
5-10
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page138
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (139,1)
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.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-11
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page139
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (140,1)
Automatic Transmission Controls
Indicates that you must depress the brake pedal to shift (The ignition
switch must be in the ACC or ON position).
Indicates the shift lever can be shifted freely into any position.
Various Lockouts:
qTransmission Ranges
The shift lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transmission and prevents the
rear wheels from rotating.
WARNING
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.
CAUTION
lShifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transmission.
lShifting into a driving gear or
reverse when the engine is running
faster than idle can damage the
transmission.
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).
5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page140
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (141,1)
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
WARNING
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.
CAUTION
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle. Doing so can cause
transmission damage.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transmission will automatically
shift through a 6-gear sequence.
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
operating the shift lever or steering shift
switches.
Refer to Manual Shift Mode (page 5-14).
qShift-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.
NOTE
lWhen the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the shift lever
cannot be shifted from P.
lTo be sure the vehicle is in park,the
ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in P.
l(With Advanced Key)
The ignition switch cannot be turned
from the ACC position to the LOCK
position when the shift lever is not in
P.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-13
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page141
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (142,1)
qManual Shift Mode
This mode gives you the feel of driving a
manual transmission vehicle by operating
the shift lever and allows you to control
engine rpm and torque to the rear wheels
much like a manual transmission when
more control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift
the lever from M to D.
NOTE
If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
Indicators
Shift position indicator
In manual shift mode, the“M”of the shift
position indicator in the instrument panel
illuminates.Gear position indicator
The numeral for the selected gear
illuminates.
Shift position
indicator
Gear position
indicator
NOTE
If the gears cannot be shifted down
when driving at higher speeds, the gear
position indicator will flash twice to
signal that the gears cannot be shifted
down.
Shifting
You can shift gears up and down by
operating the shift lever or the steering
shift switches.
NOTE
lIf the steering shift switches on both
sides (left and right) are operated
simultaneously, the gear will shift
once.
lThe gear will not shift if:
lThe steering shift switch and the
shift lever are operated
simultaneously.
lThe UP switch and DOWN
switch are operated
simultaneously.
5-14
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page142
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (143,1)
Manually Shifting up
(M1→M2→M3→M4→M5→M6)
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the shift
lever back (
) once.
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, tap either of the
UP switches toward you once with your
fingers.
UP switches
WARNING
Hand Position When Using Steering
Shift Switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of
the steering wheel when using the
steering shift switches is dangerous. If
the driver air bag were to deploy in a
collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury. Keep your
hands on the steering wheel rim when
using fingers or thumbs on the
steering shift switches.
NOTE
lWhen driving slowly, the gears may
not shift up depending on vehicle
speed.
lIn manual shift mode, gears do not
shift up automatically. Don't run the
engine with the tachometer needle in
the RED ZONE. If the tachometer
needle enters the RED ZONE, you
may feel engine-braking because the
fuel delivery will be stopped to
protect the engine. However, this
does not indicate an abnormality.
lWhen depressing the accelerator
fully, the transmission will shift to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed (Except M2→M1).
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-15
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page143
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F

Black plate (144,1)
Manually Shifting down
(M6→M5→M4→M3→M2→M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the shift
lever forward (
) once.
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, press either of the
DOWN switches away from you once
with your thumb.
DOWN switches
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.
Hand Position When Using Steering
Shift Switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of
the steering wheel when using the
steering shift switches is dangerous. If
the driver air bag were to deploy in a
collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury. Keep your
hands on the steering wheel rim when
using fingers or thumbs on the
steering shift switches.
NOTE
lWhen driving at high speeds, the
gear may not shift down depending
on vehicle speed.
lDuring deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending
on vehicle speed.
lWhen depressing the accelerator
fully, the transmission will shift to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
5-16
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8U35-EA-05F_Edition1 Page144
Monday, April 18 2005 4:17 PM
Form No.8U35-EA-05F