Black plate (158,1)
qWarning Light
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-15.
qTransaxle Ranges
lThe shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on
page 4-15.
lThe shift lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevents the
front 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 transaxle.
ØShifting into a driving gear or
reverse when the engine is running
faster than idle can damage the
transaxle.
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 3-41).
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle 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 transaxle
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.
4-34
When Driving
Transaxle
CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page158
Friday, June 22 2012 3:45 PM
Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (164,1)
Lighting Control
qHeadlights
lTurn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
lA system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-15.
NOTE
lIf the light switch is left on, the lights will automatically switch off (if equipped) approximately 30
seconds after switching the ignition off.
The time setting can be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-9.
lTo prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while the engine is off unless safety
requires them.
Without auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition Position ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF
Headlights Off Off Off Off On On
Daytime running lights On Off On Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illuminationOff Off On On On On
4-40
When Driving
Switches and Controls
CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page164
Friday, June 22 2012 3:45 PM
Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (167,1)
NOTElThe headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination may not turn off immediately
even if the surrounding area becomes well-lit because the light sensor determines that it is
nighttime if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several minutes such as inside long
tunnels, traffic jams inside tunnels, or in indoor parking lots.
In this case, the light turns off if the light switch is turned to the
position.l(Without auto headlight off function)
When the headlight switch is in the
position and the ignition is switched to ACC or the
ignition is switched off, the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination will turn
off.
lThe dashboard illumination can be adjusted by rotating the knob in the instrument cluster. Also,
the day/night mode can be changed by rotating the knob until a beep sound is heard. To adjust the
brightness of the dashboard illumination:
Refer to Dashboard Illumination on page 4-11.
lThe sensitivity of the AUTO lights may be changed by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-9.
Xenon fusion headlight bulbsí
The low-beam bulbs of the headlights have xenon fusion bulbs that produce a bright white
beam over a wide area.
WARNING
Do not replace the xenon fusion bulbs yourself
Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs yourself is dangerous. Because the xenon fusion
bulbs require high voltage, you could receive an electric shock if the bulbs are
handled incorrectly. Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer when the replacement is
necessary.
NOTE
If the headlights flicker, or the brightness weakens, the bulb-life may be depleted and a replacement is
necessary. Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
4-43íSome models. CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page167
Friday, June 22 2012 3:45 PM
Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (168,1)
qHeadlight High-Low Beam
Press the lever forward to turn on the high
beams.
Pull the lever back to its original position
for the low beams.
The headlight high-beam indicator light in
the instrument cluster illuminates while
the high beams are turned on.
High beam
Low beam
qFlashing the Headlights
To flash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (the headlight switch does
not need to be on). The headlight high-
beam indicator light in the instrument
cluster illuminates simultaneously. The
lever will return to the normal position
when released.
OFF
Flashing
qHeadlight Levelingí
The number of passengers and weight of
cargo in the luggage compartment change
the angle of the headlights.
The angle of the headlights will be
automatically adjusted when turning on
the headlights.
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-15.
qAdaptive Front Lighting System
(AFS)í
The adaptive front lighting system (AFS)
automatically adjusts the headlight beams
to the left or right in conjunction with the
operation of the steering wheel after the
headlights have been turned on and the
vehicle speed is about 2 km/h (2 mph) or
higher.
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-15.
4-44
When Driving
íSome models.
Switches and Controls
CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page168
Friday, June 22 2012 3:45 PM
Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (177,1)
Hazard Warning Flasher
The hazard warning lights should always
be used when you stop on or near a
roadway in an emergency.
The hazard warning lights warn other
drivers that your vehicle is a traffic hazard
and that they must take extreme caution
when near it.
Depress the hazard warning flasher and all
the turn signals will flash. The hazard
warning indicator lights in the instrument
cluster flash simultaneously.
NOTE
lThe turn signals do not work when the
hazard warning lights are on.
lCheck local regulations about the use of
hazard warning lights while the vehicle is
being towed to verify that it is not in
violation of the law.
HomeLink Wireless
Control System
í
NOTE
HomeLink and HomeLink house are registered
trademarks of Johnson Controls.
The HomeLink system replaces up to 3
hand-held transmitters with a single built-
in component in the auto-dimming mirror.
Pressing the HomeLink button on the
auto-dimming mirror activates garage
doors, gates and other devices
surrounding your home.
HomeLink button
Indicator light
When Driving
Switches and Controls
4-53íSome models. CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page177
Friday, June 22 2012 3:45 PM
Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (178,1)
WARNING
Do not use the HomeLink system with
any garage door opener that lacks the
safety stop and reverse feature:
Using the HomeLink system with any
garage door opener that lacks the
safety stop and reverse feature as
required by federal safety standards
is dangerous. (This includes garage
doors manufactured before April 1,
1982.)
Using these garage door openers can
increase the risk of serious injury or
death. For further information,
contact HomeLink at 1-800-355-3515
or www.homelink.com or your
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Always check the areas surrounding
garage doors and gates for people or
obstructions before programming or
during operation of the HomeLink
system:
Programming or operating the
HomeLink system without verifying
the safety of areas surrounding
garage doors and gates is dangerous
and could result in an unexpected
accident and serious injury if
someone were to be hit.
NOTE
The programming will not be erased even if
the battery is disconnected.
qPre-programming the HomeLink
System
NOTE
It is recommended that a new battery be
placed in the hand-held transmitter of the
device being programmed to HomeLink for
quicker training and accurate transmission of
the radio-frequency signal.
lVerify that there is a remote control
transmitter available for the device you
would like to program.
lDisconnect the power to the device.
qProgramming the HomeLink System
CAUTION
When programming a garage door
opener or a gate, disconnect the
power to these devices before
performing programming, as
continuous operation of the devices
could damage the motor.
The HomeLink system provides 3 buttons
which can be individually selected and
programmed using the transmitters for
current, on-market devices as follows:
1. Position the end of your hand-held
transmitter 2.5―7.5 cm (1―3 inches)
away from the HomeLink button you
wish to program while keeping the
indicator light in view.
2. Simultaneously press and hold both the
chosen HomeLink and hand-held
transmitter buttons.Do not release the
buttons until step 3 has been
completed.
NOTE
Some gate operators and garage door openers
may require you to replace this Programming
Step 2 with procedures noted in the“Gate
Operator/Canadian Programming”section.
3. After the HomeLink indicator light
changes from a slow to a rapidly
blinking light, release both the
HomeLink and hand-held transmitter
buttons.
4-54
When Driving
Switches and Controls
CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page178
Friday, June 22 2012 3:45 PM
Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (181,1)
Brake System
qFoot Brake
Your Mazda has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual.
WARNING
Do not coast with the engine stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine stalled or
turned off is dangerous. Braking will
require more effort, and the brake's
power-assist could be depleted if you
pump the brake. This will cause
longer stopping distances or even an
accident.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep hills:
Driving with your foot continuously
on the brake pedal or steadily
applying the brakes for long
distances is dangerous. This causes
overheated brakes, resulting in
longer stopping distances or even
total brake failure. This could cause
loss of vehicle control and a serious
accident. Avoid continuous
application of the brakes.
Dry off brakes that have become wet
by driving slowly, releasing the
accelerator pedal and lightly applying
the brakes several times until the brake
performance returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is
dangerous. Increased stopping
distance or the vehicle pulling to one
side when braking could result in a
serious accident. Light braking will
indicate whether the brakes have
been affected.
When Driving
Brake
4-57
CX-5_8CA5-EA-11L_Edition3 Page181
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Form No.8CA5-EA-11L
Black plate (183,1)
qWarning Light
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-15.
qBrake Pad Wear Indicator
When the disc brake pads become worn,
the built-in wear indicators contact the
disc plates. This causes a screeching noise
to warn that the pads should be replaced.
When you hear this noise, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
Do not drive 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.
qBrake Assist
During emergency braking situations
when it is necessary to depress the brake
pedal with greater force, the brake assist
system provides braking assistance, thus
enhancing braking performance.
When the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, the brakes apply
more firmly.
NOTE
lWhen the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, the pedal will feel
softer but the brakes will apply more firmly.
This is a normal effect of the brake assist
operation and does not indicate a
malfunction.
lWhen the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, a motor/pump
operation noise may be heard. This is a
normal effect of the brake assist and does
not indicate a malfunction.
lThe brake assist equipment does not
supersede the functionality of the vehicle's
main braking system.
When Driving
Brake
4-59
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Form No.8CA5-EA-11L