2010 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA POWER RETRACTABLE HARDTOP brake

Black plate (164,1)
CAUTION
ØKeep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
do not use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Riding the
clutch will cause needless clutch
wear and damage.
Ø Do not apply any excessive lateral
force to the gear lever when
changing from 5th to 4th gear.
This could lead to the accidental
selection of 2nd gear, which can
result in damage to the
transmission.
Ø Make 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.
q Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
Gear 5-speed
transmission 6-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
Gear 5-speed
transmission 6-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)
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.
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Form No.8AV1-EA-09F

Black plate (165,1)
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:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the 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 the vehicle speed increases. 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
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Black plate (166,1)
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.
Refer to Direct Mode on page 5-19.
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).
5-14
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Form No.8AV1-EA-09F

Black plate (167,1)
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.
NOTE
Changing to manual shift mode while driving
will not damage the transmission.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift
the lever from M to D.
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Black plate (171,1)
During deceleration, the gears shift down
automatically when speed is reduced to
the following:
GearVehicle 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)
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, 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 Direct Modeí
Direct mode can be used for temporarily
switching gears by operating the steering
shift switch while the vehicle is being
driven with the selector lever in the D
range.
While in direct mode, the D and M
indicator lights illuminate and the gear
position in use is illuminated.
Direct mode is canceled (released) under
the following conditions.
lThe vehicle is driven at a constant
speed.
lThe needle in the tachometer
approaches the red zone.
lThe vehicle is driven at a constant
speed and the accelerator pedal is
heavily depressed.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-19íSome models.
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Black plate (172,1)
lThe vehicle is stopped or moving at a
slow speed.
Gear position indicator
Direct mode indicator
NOTE
Shifting up and down while in direct mode may
not be possible depending on the vehicle
speed. In addition, because direct mode is
canceled (released) depending on the rate of
acceleration or if the accelerator is fully
depressed, use of the manual shift mode is
recommended if you need to drive the vehicle
in a particular gear for long periods.
q
Driving Tips
WARNING
Do not allow the vehicle to move in
reverse on an up-slope while the
selector lever is in a forward gear
position, or move forward on a down-
slope while the selector lever is in the
reverse position.
Otherwise, the engine will stop,
causing the loss of the power brake
and power steering functions, and
make it difficult to control the vehicle
which could result in an accident.
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 theload 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.
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Black plate (176,1)
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) or more 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 switch.
The system turns 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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Black plate (177,1)
Traction Control System
(TCS)
í
The Traction Control System (TCS)
enhances traction and safety by
controlling engine torque and braking.
When the TCS detects driving wheel
slippage, it lowers engine torque and
operates the brakes to prevent loss of
traction.
This means that on a slick surface, the
engine adjusts automatically to provide
optimum power to the drive wheels
without causing them to spin and lose
traction.
WARNING
Do not rely on the traction control
system as a substitute for safe driving:The traction control system (TCS)
cannot compensate for unsafe and
reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), and hydroplaning
(reduced tire friction and road
contact because of water on the road
surface). You can still have an
accident.
Use snow tires or tire chains and drive
at reduced speeds when roads are
covered with ice and/or snow: Driving without proper traction
devices on snow and/or ice-covered
roads is dangerous. The traction
control system (TCS) alone cannot
provide adequate traction and you
could still have an accident.
NOTE
To turn off the TCS, press the DSC OFF switch
(page 5-27).
q TCS/DSC Indicator Light
This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the ON position. If the TCS or DSC is
operating, the indicator light flashes.
If the light stays on, the TCS or DSC may
have a malfunction and they may not
operate correctly. Take your vehicle to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
NOTE
lIn addition to the indicator light flashing, a
slight lugging sound will come from the
engine. This indicates that the TCS is
operating properly.
lOn slippery surfaces, such as fresh snow, it
will be impossible to achieve high rpm
when the TCS is on.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-25íSome models.
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Form No.8AV1-EA-09F