Black plate (144,1)
Before Getting In
lBe sure the windows, outside mirrors,
and outside lights are clean.
lInspect inflation pressures and
condition of tires.
lLook under the vehicle for any sign of
fluid leaks.
lIf you plan to back up, make sure
nothing is in your way.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer
fluid, and other fluid levels should be
inspected. See Maintenance, Section 8.
After Getting In
lAre all doors closed and locked?lIs the seat adjusted properly?lAre the inside and outside mirrors
adjusted?
lIs the steering wheel adjusted properly?lIs everyone's seat belt fastened?lCheck all gauges.lCheck all warning lights when the
ignition is switched ON.
lRelease the parking brake and make
sure the brake warning light goes off.
Always be thoroughly familiar with your
Mazda.
4-6
Before Driving Your Mazda
Before Starting the Engine
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Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a few
precautions in the first 1,000 km (600
miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of your Mazda.
lDo not race the engine.lDo not maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
lDo not drive constantly at full-throttle
or high engine rpm for extended
periods of time.
lAvoid unnecessary hard stops.lAvoid full-throttle starts.lDo not tow a trailer.
Money-Saving Suggestions
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save money on
fuel and repairs.
lAvoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
lAvoid fast starts.lKeep the engine tuned. Follow the
maintenance schedule (page 8-3) and
have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform inspections and servicing.
lUse the air conditioner only when
necessary.
lSlow down on rough roads.lKeep the tires properly inflated.lDo not carry unnecessary weight.lDo not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving.
lKeep the wheels in correct alignment.lKeep windows closed at high speeds.lSlow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
WARNING
Never stop the engine when going
down a hill:
Stopping the engine when going
down a hill is dangerous. This causes
the loss of power steering and power
brake control, and may cause
damage to the drivetrain. Any loss of
steering or braking control could
cause an accident.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
4-7
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Form No.8CG3-EA-11J
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Winter Driving
lCarry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
perform the following precautions:
lHave the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 8-23.
lInspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
lUse only cold-weather engine oil (page
8-19).
lInspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
lUse washer fluid made with
antifreeze―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-29).
lDo not use the parking brake in
freezing weather as it may freeze.
Instead, shift to P and block the rear
wheels.
lDo not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
lNever use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows
and mirrors as it could result in the
glass cracking.
lBraking performance can be adversely
affected if snow or ice adheres to the
brake equipment. If this situation
occurs, drive the vehicle slowly,
releasing the accelerator pedal and
lightly applying the brakes several
times until the brake performance
returns to normal.
qSnow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Inflate
snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2, 4.3 psi)
more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver's door frame), but
never more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.
Your vehicle is originally equipped with
all season radials designed to be used all
year around. In some extreme climates
you may find it necessary to replace them
with snow tires during the winter months
to further improve traction on snow and
ice covered roads.
WARNING
Use only the same size and type tires
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four
wheels:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle's handling
could be greatly affected and result
in an accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
NOTE
If your vehicle is equipped with the tire
pressure monitoring system, the system may
not function correctly when using tires with
steel wire reinforcement in the sidewalls (page
5-33).
4-10
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
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Form No.8CG3-EA-11J
Black plate (161,1)
5Driving Your Mazda
Explanation of instruments and controls.
Starting and Driving ..................................................................... 5-2
Ignition Switch .......................................................................... 5-2
Starting the Engine .................................................................... 5-4
Turning the Engine Off ............................................................. 5-5
Brake System ............................................................................ 5-5
Automatic Transaxle Controls ................................................ 5-12
Power Steering ........................................................................ 5-18
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Operation
í..................................... 5-19
Cruise Control ......................................................................... 5-21
Traction Control System (TCS) .............................................. 5-25
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) ........................................... 5-28
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
í......................................... 5-29
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) Systemí................................. 5-35
Instrument Cluster and Indicators ............................................ 5-40
Meters and Gauges .................................................................. 5-40
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds ............................ 5-45
Warning/Indicator Lights ........................................................ 5-45
Beep Sounds ........................................................................... 5-60
Switches and Controls ................................................................ 5-62
Lighting Control ..................................................................... 5-62
Turn and Lane-Change Signals ............................................... 5-68
Fog Lights
í............................................................................ 5-68
Windshield Wipers and Washer .............................................. 5-69
Rear Window Wiper and Washer ............................................ 5-73
Rear Window Defroster ........................................................... 5-73
Horn ........................................................................................ 5-74
Hazard Warning Flasher .......................................................... 5-75
HomeLink Wireless Control System
í.................................... 5-75
5-1íSome models.
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Form No.8CG3-EA-11J
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lThe following conditions may affect the visibility of the BSM warning lights on the outside mirror,
making it difficult to confirm the illumination of the lights:
lIce or snow adheres to the surface of the outside mirrors.lThe door window glass is tinted.
qBSM Warning Light/Beep
BSM warning light
Equipped on the left and right door
mirrors.
This warning light illuminates for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON.
If the BSM system detects a vehicle in the
detection area while the vehicle is driven
at a speed of about 32 km/h (20 mph) or
more, the BSM warning light illuminates
on the side of the vehicle where the rear
on-coming vehicle is detected.
NOTE
lIf ice or snow adhere to the outer mirror
surface, the BSM warning light may not be
visible.
lIf the door window glass is tinted, it may
affect the visibility of the BSM warning
light, making it difficult to confirm the
illumination of the light.
BSM warning beep
The warning beep operates when the turn
signal lever is operated to the side where
the BSM warning light is illuminated.
NOTE
The system can be customized so that the BSM
warning beep does not operate. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
qBSM OFF Indicator Light
This indicator light illuminates for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON.
The BSM OFF indicator light illuminates
when the BSM system is turned off by
pressing the BSM OFF switch.
The indicator light flashes if the BSM
system has a malfunction. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
NOTE
If the vehicle is driven on a road with less
traffic and few vehicles that the radar sensors
can detect, the system may pause (The BSM
OFF indicator light in the instrument panel
flashes). However, it does not indicate a
malfunction.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-37
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Form No.8CG3-EA-11J
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Rear Window Wiper and
Washer
The ignition must be switched ON.
qRear Window Wiper
Turn the wiper on by turning the rear
wiper/washer switch.
ON―Normal
INT―Intermittent
qRear Window Washer
To spray washer fluid, turn the rear wiper/
washer switch to the
position. After
the switch is released, the washer will
stop.
If the washer does not work, inspect the
fluid level (page 8-29). If it's normal and
the washer still does not work, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster clears frost,
fog, and thin ice from the rear window.
The ignition must be switched ON.
Press the switch to turn on the rear
window defroster. The rear window
defroster operates for about 15 minutes
and turns off automatically.
The indicator light illuminates during
operation.
To turn off the rear window defroster
before the 15 minutes has elapsed, press
the switch again.
Indicator light
CAUTION
Do not use sharp instruments or
window cleaners with abrasives to
clean the inside of the rear window
surface. They may damage the
defroster grid inside the window.
NOTE
This defroster is not designed for melting snow.
If there is an accumulation of snow on the rear
window, remove it before using the defroster.
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
5-73
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qMirror Defrosterí
To turn on the mirror defrosters, switch
the ignition ON and press the rear window
defroster switch (page 5-73).
Horn
To sound the horn, press themark on
the steering wheel.
5-74
Driving Your Mazda
íSome models.
Switches and Controls
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Form No.8CG3-EA-11J
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Operating Tips
qOperating the Climate Control
System
Operate the climate control system with
the engine running.
NOTE
To prevent the battery from being discharged,
do not leave the fan control dial on for a long
period of time with the ignition switched ON
when the engine is not running.
qClearing the Air Inlet
Clear all obstructions such as leaves,
snow and ice from the hood and the air
inlet in the cowl grille to improve the
system efficiency.
qFoggy Windows
The windows may fog up easily in humid
weather. Use the climate control system to
defog the windows.
To help defog the windows, operate the
air conditioner to dehumidify the air.
NOTE
The air conditioner may be used along with the
heater to dehumidify the air.
qParking in Direct Sunlight
If the vehicle has been parked in direct
sunlight during hot weather, open the
windows to let warm air escape, then run
the climate control system.
qNot Using for a Long Period
Run the air conditioner about 10 minutes
at least once a month to keep internal
parts lubricated.
qCheck the Refrigerant before the
Weather Gets Hot
Have the air conditioner checked before
the weather gets hot. Lack of refrigerant
may make the air conditioner less
efficient. Consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer for refrigerant inspection.
The air conditioner is filled with
HFC134a (R134a), a refrigerant that will
not damage the ozone layer.
If the air conditioner is low on refrigerant
or has a malfunction, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
6-2
Interior Comfort
Climate Control System
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Form No.8CG3-EA-11J