2008 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA POWER RETRACTABLE HARDTOP transmission

Black plate (161,1)
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
Always set the shift lever to P and set
the parking brake:
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.
CAUTION
ØShifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage
your transmission.
Ø Shifting 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 4-8).
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
If the engine is running faster than idle,
do not shift from N or P into a driving
gear:
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.
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle: Shifting into N while driving is
dangerous. Engine braking cannot be
applied when decelerating which
could lead to an accident or serious
injury.
CAUTION
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle. Doing so can cause
transmission damage.
NOTE
Apply the parking brake or depress the brake
pedal before moving the shift lever from N to
prevent the vehicle from moving unexpectedly.
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).
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-13
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page161
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (162,1)
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.
q Manual 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.
5-14
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page162
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (163,1)
Gear position indicator
The numeral for the selected gear
illuminates.
Shift position
indicator
Gear position
indicator
NOTElIf 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.
lIf the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)
temperature becomes too high, there is the
possibility that the transmission will switch
to automatic shift mode, canceling manual
shift mode and turning off the gear position
indicator illumination. This is a normal
function to protect the AT. After the ATF
temperature has decreased, the gear
position indicator illumination turns back
on and driving in manual shift mode is
restored.
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.
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
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-15
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page163
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (164,1)
WARNING
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using fingers or thumbs on
the 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.
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).
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
Do not use engine braking on slippery
road surfaces or at high speeds: 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.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using fingers or thumbs on
the 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.
5-16
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page164
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (165,1)
NOTElWhen 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 (Except
M2→M1).
Second gear fixed mode
When the shift lever is tapped back (
)
while the vehicle is stopped, the
transmission is set in the second gear
fixed mode. The gear is fixed in second
while in this mode for easier starting and
driving on slippery roads. If the shift lever
is tapped back (
) or forward () while
in the second gear fixed mode, the mode
will be canceled.
Shifting specification
Shifting up
If the vehicle speed is lower than the
speed specified for each gear, the gear
cannot be shifted up to a higher gear.
Gear Vehicle speed
M1 →M2 Between 0 and 18 km/h
(0 and 11 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M2 →M3
M3 →M4 Between 22 and 32 km/h
(13 and 19 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M4 →M5 Between 40 and 48 km/h
(25 and 29 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M5 →M6 Between 50 and 68 km/h
(31 and 42 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
Shifting down
If the vehicle speed is higher than the
speed specified for each gear, the gear
cannot be shifted down to a lower gear.
Gear
Vehicle speed
M5 →M4 164 km/h (102 mph)
M4 →M3 117 km/h (72 mph)
M3 →M2 80 km/h (49 mph)
M2 →M1 35 km/h (21 mph)
During deceleration, the gears shift down
automatically when speed is reduced to
the following:
Gear Vehicle speed
M6 →M5 47 km/h (29 mph)
M5 →M4 38 km/h (23 mph)
M4 →M3 20 km/h (12 mph)
M3 →M2 15 km/h (9 mph)
M2 →M1 12 km/h (7 mph)
NOTE
The gear does not shift down to M1
automatically while in the second gear fixed
mode.
If the vehicle is kicked down at the
following speeds or lower, the gears shift
down automatically:
Gear Vehicle speed
M6 →M5 190 km/h (118 mph)
M6 →M4 125 km/h (77 mph)
M5 →M4 125 km/h (77 mph)
M5 →M3 78 km/h (48 mph)
M4 →M3 78 km/h (48 mph)
M4 →M2 50 km/h (31 mph)
M3 →M2 50 km/h (31 mph)
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-17
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page165
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (166,1)
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend these shift
points.Gear Vehicle speed
M1 to M2 24 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 53 km/h (33 mph)
M4 to M5 59 km/h (37 mph)
M5 to M6 78 km/h (49 mph)
For cruising Gear Vehicle speed
M1 to M2 22 km/h (14 mph)
M2 to M3 27 km/h (17 mph)
M3 to M4 41 km/h (26 mph)
M4 to M5 56 km/h (35 mph)
M5 to M6 64 km/h (40 mph)
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.
q Driving Tips
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transmission 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 the brake pedal 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.
5-18
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page166
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (170,1)
Your vehicle has a tap-down feature that
allows you to decrease your current speed
in decrements of 1.6 km/h (1 mph) by a
momentary tap of the cruise control
switch. Multiple taps will decrease your
vehicle speed 1.6 km/h (1 mph) for each
tap.
qTo 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 (such as applying the brake pedal)
and the system is still activated, the most
recent set speed will automatically resume
when the cruise control switch pulled up.
If vehicle speed is below 30 km/h (19
mph), increase the vehicle speed up to 30
km/h (19 mph) and pull up the cruise
control switch.
Cruise
control
switch
qTo Cancel
To cancel the system, use oneof these
methods:
lPress the ON/OFF switch.lSlightly depress the brake pedal.lDepress the clutch pedal (Manual
transmission only).
lPress 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 (such as may
happen when climbing a long, steep grade) or
below 30 km/h (19 mph).
5-22
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page170
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F

Black plate (188,1)
SignalWarning/Indicator Lights Page
Door-Ajar Warning Light 5-45
Automatic Transmission Warning Light5-45
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light5-46
Flat Tire Warning Light 5-48
KEY Warning Light (Red)/KEY Indicator Light (Green)5-48
Security Indicator Light5-49
Headlight High-Beam Indicator Light5-50
Shift Position Indicator Light5-50
TCS/DSC Indicator Light5-51
DSC OFF Indicator Light5-51
Cruise Main Indicator Light (Amber)/Cruise Set Indicator Light (Green) 5-51
Turn Signal/Hazard Warning Indicator Lights5-52
5-40
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
MX-5_8X49-EA-07F_Edition5 Page188
Thursday, February 21 2008 12:51 AM
Form No.8X49-EA-07F