2014 MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR Owners Manual

4–27
When Driving
Transaxle
Manual Transaxle
Operation
Manual Transaxle Shift Pattern
Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transaxle is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a device to
prevent shifting to R (reverse) by mistake.
Push the shift lever downward and shift
to R.
WARNING
Do not use sudden 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.

Always leave the shift lever in 1 or R
position and set the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle unattended: Otherwise the vehicle could move and
cause an accident.
CAUTION


*Some models.4–28
When Driving
Transaxle
NOTE
 y(For vehicles with type C instrument
cluster*1 ) If the engine speed is about to exceed
the permissible engine speed, the buzzer
sounds.
 Refer to Over Rev. Buzzer on page 7-39 .
*1 To determine which instrument cluster is equipped on your Mazda,
Refer to Meters and Gauges on page
4-12 .
 y If shifting to R is diffi cult, shift back
into neutral, release the clutch pedal,
and try again.
Gear Shift Indication *
The gear shift indication supports you to
obtain optimum fuel economy and smooth
driving. It displays the selected gear
position in the instrument cluster as well
as notifi es the driver to change to the most
suitable gear position corresponding to the
actual driving condition.
Selected gear position Suitable gear position
Indication Condition
Numeral The selected gear position is
displayed.
and numeral Shift up or down to the indicated
gear position is recommended.
CAUTION
Do not rely solely on the shift-up/
shift-down recommendations by
indications. The actual driving
situation might require shift operations
diff erent from indication. To avoid the
risk of accidents, the road and traffi
c
conditions have to be judged correctly
by the driver before shifting.
NOTE
The gear shift indicator turns off when the
following operations are performed.
 y  The vehicle is stopped. y The vehicle is put in neutral. y The vehicle is driven in reverse. y The clutch is not fully engaged when
accelerating from a stop.
 y The clutch pedal remains depressed for
2 seconds or longer while driving.
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4–29
When Driving
Transaxle
Recommendations for Shifting (for Vehicles without Gear Shift
Indication)
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, Mazda
recommends these shift points:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 24 km/h (15 mph)
2 to 3 42 km/h (26 mph)
3 to 4 60 km/h (37 mph)
4 to 5 75 km/h (46 mph)
5 to 6 79 km/h (49 mph)
For cruising, Mazda recommends these shift points:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 13 km/h (8 mph)
2 to 3 29 km/h (18 mph)
3 to 4 49 km/h (30 mph)
4 to 5 63 km/h (39 mph)
5 to 6 70 km/h (43 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traffi c
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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4–30
When Driving
Transaxle
Automatic Transaxle Controls
Lock-release button
Indicates the shift lever can be shifted freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in the lock-release button to shift.
Indicates that you must depress the brake pedal and hold in the lock-rel\
ease
button to shift (The ignition must be switched ON).
Various Lockouts:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transax\
le that
gives the driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it\
to the transaxle to
shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transaxle 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, confi rm you have not accidentally
slipped into manual shift mode (page 4-33 ).
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4–31
When Driving
Transaxle
Shift Position Indication
This indicates the selected shift position.
Gear position indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication illuminates and the
numeral for the selected gear is displayed.
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-22 .
Transaxle Ranges
 y The shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates. Refer to
Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-21 .
 y  The selector 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 selector lever to P and set
the parking brake: Only setting the selector 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


4–32
When Driving
Transaxle
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 selector
lever from N to prevent the vehicle from
moving unexpectedly.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transaxle 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
selector lever. Refer to Manual Shift Mode
on page 4-33 .
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transaxle shift
points to best suit the road conditions
and driver input. This improves driving
feel. The transaxle may switch to AAS
mode when driving up and down slopes,
cornering, or depressing the accelerator
pedal quickly while the selector lever is in
the D position. Depending on the driving
conditions and vehicle operations, the
transaxle may not shift gears, however,
this does not indicate a problem because
the AAS mode will maintain the optimum
gear position.
Shift-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. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
NOTE
 y When the ignition is switched to ACC
or the ignition is switched off, the
selector lever cannot be shifted from P.
 y The ignition cannot be switched to OFF
if the selector lever is not in P.
Shift-Lock Override
If the selector lever will not move from P
using the proper shift procedure, continue
to hold down the pedal.
1. Remove the shift-lock override cover using a cloth-wrapped fl at head
screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.
Cover
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
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4–33
When Driving
Transaxle
5. Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the system
checked.
Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel
of driving a manual transaxle vehicle by
allowing you to operate the selector lever
manually. This allows you to control
engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels
much like a manual transaxle when more
control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.
NOTE
 y(For vehicles with type C instrument
cluster*1 ) If the engine speed is about to exceed
the permissible engine speed, the buzzer
sounds.
 Refer to Over Rev. Buzzer on page 7-39 .
*1 To determine which instrument cluster is equipped on your Mazda,
Refer to Meters and Gauges on page
4-12 .
 y Changing to manual shift mode while
driving will not damage the transaxle.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the
lever from M to D.
NOTE
 y If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
 y If you change to manual shift mode
without depressing the accelerator
pedal when driving in D range, 5th
gear/6th gear, the gear will shift to M4/
M5.
Indicators
Manual shift mode indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication in the instrument panel
illuminates.
Gear position indication
The numeral for the selected gear
illuminates.
Type A
Manual shift mode indication
Gear position indication
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*Some models.4–34
When Driving
Transaxle
Type B
Gear position indication
Manual shift mode indication
Type C
Manual shift mode indication Gear position indication
NOTE
 y
 If the gears cannot be shifted down
when driving at higher speeds, the gear
position indication will fl ash twice to
signal that the gears cannot be shifted
down (to protect the transaxle).
 y If the automatic transaxle fl uid (ATF)
temperature becomes too high, there
is the possibility that the transaxle
will switch to automatic shift mode,
canceling manual shift mode and
turning off the gear position indication
illumination. This is a normal function
to protect the automatic transaxle. After
the ATF temperature has decreased, the
gear position indication illumination
turns back on and driving in manual
shift mode is restored.
Shifting
You can shift gears up and down by
operating the selector lever or the steering
shift switches
* .
Manually Shifting up
(M1
: M2
: M3
: M4
: M5
: M6)
To shift up to a higher gear, move the
selector lever back (
) once.
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