2009 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 automatic transmission

Black plate (151,1)
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:
NOTElThe beep sounds to indicate engine overrev when the tachometer needle enters the striped zone.lThe display of the variable red zone in the tachometer changes according to the temperature of the
engine coolant. To protect the engine, when the engine coolant temperature is low, the engine does
not run at high speeds. The fuel supply will be cut at an rpm lower than the red zone.
Refer to Tachometer on page 5-37.
lThe gear shift-up point may move to the high rpm range temporarily while the engine is warming
up in order to shorten the warming-up period.
lThis Sport AT has an option that is not included in traditional automatic transmission - giving the
driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it to the transmission to shift gears.
Even if you intend to use the automatic transmission functions as a traditional automatic, you
should also be aware that you can inadvertently shift into manual shift mode and an inappropriate
gear may be retained as you change speeds. If you notice the engine speed going higher or hear
the engine racing, confirm you have not accidentally slipped into manual shift mode (page 5-15).
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (152,1)
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.
Temporary use of the direct mode is
possible.
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 5-15).
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Starting and Driving
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (153,1)
qActive Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transmission
shift points to best suit the road conditions
and driver input. This optimizes engine
performance and improves driving
comfort. When cornering the vehicle,
AAS mode will hold the transmission in
the gear the vehicle was in before entering
the curve, allowing the vehicle to be
accelerated from the same gear after
exiting the curve.
If the driver accelerates rapidly, or
accelerates and decelerates rapidly by
operating the accelerator and brake pedal
for a certain period of time while the
selector lever is in the D position, AAS
mode could activate. When this occurs,
AAS mode will maintain the transmission
in the optimum gear and the driver may
sense that the transmission is not shifting,
however this does not indicate an
abnormality.
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 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.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (155,1)
NOTElWhen 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.
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.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (156,1)
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.
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 Between 20 and 33 km/h
(13 and 21 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M3 →M4 Between 30 and 33 km/h
(19 and 21 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M4 →M5 43 km/h (27 mph)
M5 →M6 65 km/h (41 mph)
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
M6 →M5 210 km/h (130 mph)
M5 →M4 175 km/h (108 mph)
M4 →M3 Between 122 and 135 km/h
(75 and 83 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M3 →M2 Between 77 and 90 km/h
(47 and 59 mph), depending on how
much the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
M2 →M1 30 km/h (18 mph)
During deceleration, the gears shift down
automatically when speed is reduced to
the following:
Gear Vehicle speed
M6 →M5 60 km/h (37 mph)
M5 →M4 40 km/h (24 mph)
M4 →M3 26 km/h (16 mph)
M3 →M2 18 km/h (11 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 210 km/h (130 mph)
M6 →M4 175 km/h (108 mph)
M5 →M4 175 km/h (108 mph)
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Thursday, July 3 2008 2:23 PM
Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (162,1)
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 SET/-
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 RES/+ switch is
pressed up.
If vehicle speed is below 30 km/h (19
mph), increase the vehicle speed up to 30
km/h (19 mph) and press up the cruise
control RES/+ 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
switched 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).
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Starting and Driving
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (175,1)
NOTE
When the ignition switch is in the ACC or
LOCK position, the odometer or trip meters
cannot be displayed, however, pressing the
selector button can inadvertently switch the
trip meters or reset them during an
approximate ten-minute period in the following
cases:
lAfter the ignition switch is turned to the
ACC or LOCK position from the ON
position.
lAfter the driver's door is opened.
Odometer
The odometer records the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
Trip meter
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 trip 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 1 second or
more. Use this meter to measure trip
distances and to compute fuel
consumption. NOTE
lOnly the trip meters record tenths of
kilometers (miles).
lThe trip record will be erased when:lThe power supply is interrupted (blown
fuse or the battery is disconnected).
lThe vehicle is driven over 999.9 km
(mile).
q
Tachometer
The tachometer shows engine speed in
thousands of revolutions per minute
(rpm).
Automatic transmission
Variable red zones Striped zone
Red zone
Manual transmission
Variable red zones Striped zone
Red zone
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C

Black plate (179,1)
SignalWarning/Indicator Lights Page
Door-Ajar Warning Light 5-47
Low Washer Fluid Level Warning Light5-47
Automatic Transmission Warning Light5-48
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light5-48
KEY Warning Light (Red)/KEY Indicator Light (Green)5-50
Security Indicator Light5-51
Headlight High-Beam Indicator Light5-52
Shift Position Indicator Light5-52
TCS/DSC Indicator Light5-53
DSC OFF Indicator Light5-53
Cruise Main Indicator Light (Amber)/Cruise Set Indicator Light (Green) 5-53
Light-On Indicator Light5-54
Power Steering Malfunction Indicator Light5-54
Headlight Auto-Leveling Malfunction Indicator Light5-54
Turn Signal/Hazard Warning Indicator Lights5-54
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
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Form No.8Z09-EA-08C