2014 MAZDA MODEL 3 5-DOOR Owners Manual

4–27
When Driving
Transaxle
4. Move the selector lever.
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
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
G ear position indication
Manual shift m ode indication
Type B
Manual shift m ode indication G ear position indication
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*Some models.4–28
When Driving
Transaxle
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.
NOTE
 y  When driving slowly, the gears may not
shift up.
 y In manual shift mode, do not run the
engine with the tachometer needle in
the RED ZONE. When the engine rpm is
high, a gear may shift up automatically
to protect the engine.
 y When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transaxle 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, move the
selector lever forward (
) once.
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.
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4–29
When Driving
Transaxle
NOTE
 y When driving at high speeds, the gear
may not shift down.
 y During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed.
 y When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
Second gear fi xed mode
When the selector lever is moved back (
)
while the vehicle speed is about 10 km/h
(6.2 mph) or less, the transaxle is set in the
second gear fi xed mode. The gear is fi xed
in second while in this mode for easier
acceleration from a stop and driving on
slippery roads such as snow-covered
roads.
If the selector lever is moved back (
) or
forward (
) while in the second gear fi xed
mode, the mode will be canceled.
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4–30
When Driving
Transaxle
Shift gear (shifting) speed limit
For each gear position while in the manual mode, the speed limit is set \
as follows: When the
selector lever is operated within the range of the speed limit, the gear\
is shifted.
Shift up
The gear does not shift up while the vehicle speed is lower than the spe\
ed limit.
Shift down
The gear does not shift down while the vehicle speed exceeds the speed l\
imit.
If the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit and the gear does not shift\
down, the gear
position indication fl ashes 2 times to notify the driver that the gear cannot be shifted.
Kickdown
When the accelerator pedal is depressed fully while driving, the gear sh\
ifts down.
NOTE
The gear also shifts down using kickdown while in the second gear fi xed mode.
Auto-shift down
The gear shifts down automatically depending on the vehicle speed during\
deceleration.
NOTE
If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fi xed mode, the gear remains in
second.
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4–31
When Driving
Transaxle
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift point\
s:
Gear Vehicle speed *1
M1 to M2 24 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 65 km/h (40 mph)
M4 to M5 73 km/h (45 mph)
M5 to M6 81 km/h (50 mph)
*1 Always observe local speed limit regulations.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traffi c 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 prolong\
s brake life.
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4–32
When Driving
Transaxle
Driving Tips
WARNING
Do not let the vehicle move in a
direction opposite to the direction
selected by the selector lever: Do not let the vehicle move backward
with the selector lever in a forward
position, or do not let the vehicle
move forward with the selector lever
in the reverse position. Otherwise, the
engine may stop, causing the loss of
the power brake and power steering
functions, and make it diffi cult 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 transaxle will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
NOTE
(Some models)
The accelerator pedal may initially feel
heavy as it is being depressed, then feel
lighter as it is depressed further. This
change in pedal force aids the engine
control system in determining how much
the accelerator pedal has been depressed
for performing kickdown, and functions to
control whether or not kickdown should be
performed.
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 the load 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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4–33
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lighting Control
Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
When the lights are turned on, the lights-on indicator light in the inst\
rument cluster turns on.
NOTE
 y If the light switch is left on, the lights will automatically switch off\
approximately 30
seconds after switching the ignition off.
 The time setting can be changed. Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-10 . y To 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 illumination Off Off On On On On
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4–34
When Driving
Switches and Controls
With auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition Position ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF
Headlights Off Off Auto *1 Off Off Off On On
Daytime running lights On Off Auto *1 Off On Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illumination Off Off Auto
*1 Off On On On On
*1 The headlight and other light settings switch automatically depending on\
the surrounding brightness detected by the sensor.
Auto-light control
When the headlight switch is in the
position and the ignition is switched ON, the light
sensor senses the surrounding lightness or darkness and automatically tu\
rns the headlights,
other exterior lights and dashboard illumination on or off (see chart above).
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