3–20
Before Driving
Doors and Locks
Liftgate/Trunk Lid
WARNING
Never allow a person to ride in the
luggage compartment/trunk:Allowing a person to ride in the
luggage compartment/trunk is
dangerous. The person in the luggage
compartment/trunk could be seriously
injured or killed during sudden braking
or a collision.
Do not drive with the liftgate/trunk lid
open: Exhaust gas in the cabin of a vehicle is
dangerous. An open liftgate/trunk lid
in a moving vehicle will cause exhaust
gas to be drawn into the cabin. This
gas contains CO (carbon monoxide),
which is colorless, odorless, and highly
poisonous, and it can cause loss of
consciousness and death. Moreover,
an open liftgate/trunk lid could cause
occupants to fall out in an accident.
Do not stack or leave loaded luggage
unsecured in the luggage compartment: Otherwise, the luggage may move
or collapse, resulting in injury or an
accident. In addition, do not load
luggage higher than the seatbacks. It
may affect the side or rear field of view.
CAUTION
Before opening the liftgate/trunk lid,
remove any snow and ice accumulation
on it. Otherwise, the liftgate/trunk lid
could close under the weight of the snow
and ice resulting in injury.
Be careful when opening/closing the
liftgate/trunk lid during strong winds.
If a strong gust blows against the
liftgate/trunk lid, it could close suddenly
resulting in injury.
Fully open the liftgate/trunk lid and
make sure that it stays open. If the
liftgate/trunk lid is only opened partially,
it could slam shut by vibration or wind
gusts resulting in injury.
When loading or unloading luggage in
the luggage compartment/trunk, turn
off the engine. Otherwise, you could get
burned by the heat of the exhaust gas.
Be careful not to apply excessive force
to the damper stay on the liftgate such
as by putting your hand on the stay.
Otherwise, the damper stay may bend
and affect the liftgate operation.
Damper stay
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3–23
Before Driving
Doors and Locks
Luggage Compartment
Luggage compartment cover (5-door)
WARNING
Do not place anything on top of the
cover:Placing luggage or other cargo on top
of the luggage compartment cover is
dangerous. During sudden braking or
a collision, the cargo could become
a projectile that could hit and injure
someone. The vehicle has a light
weight luggage compartment cover to
keep the contents of your luggage area
out of sight; it will not retain heavy
objects that are not tied down in an
accident such as a rollover. Tie down
all heavy objects, whether luggage or
cargo, using the tie down hooks.
Make sure luggage and cargo are
secured before driving: Not securing cargo while driving is
dangerous as it could move or be
crushed during sudden braking or a
collision and cause injury.
CAUTION
Make sure the luggage compartment
cover is firmly secured. If it is not
firmly secured, it could unexpectedly
disengage resulting in injury. The luggage compartment can be accessed
by opening the liftgate when the straps are
attached to the sides of the liftgate.
Strap
Removing the cover
This cover can be removed for more room.
1. Remove the straps from the hooks.
2. Lift the end of the luggage
compartment cover a little, pull it
outward, and remove it from the pins.
Pin
Pin
3. Lift the front end of the luggage
compartment cover and remove it.
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3–44
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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 the vehicle.
Do not race the engine. Do not maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for extended periods of
time.
Avoid unnecessary hard stops. Avoid full-throttle starts.
Saving Fuel and
Protection of the
Environment
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save fuel and
reduce CO2.
Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving. Avoid fast starts. Drive at lower speeds. Anticipate when to apply the brakes
(avoid sudden braking). Follow the maintenance schedule
(page 6-4) and have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer perform inspections and
servicing.
Use the air conditioner only when
necessary. Slow down on rough roads. Keep the tires properly inflated. Do not carry unnecessary weight. Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Keep windows closed at high speeds. Slow 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.
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3–49
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Overloading
WARNING
Be careful not to overload your vehicle:
The gross axle weight rating (GAWR)
and the gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR) of the vehicle are on the
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Label
on the driver's door frame. Exceeding
these ratings can cause an accident
or vehicle damage. You can estimate
the weight of the load by weighing the
items (or people) before putting them
in the vehicle.
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4–39
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 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 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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4–44
When Driving
Switches and Controls
*Some models.
Headlight High-Low Beam
The headlights switch between high and
low beams by moving the lever forward or
backward.
High beam
Low beam
When the headlight high-beams are on,
the headlight high-beam indicator light is
turned on.
Flashing the Headlights
T o À ash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (the headlight switch does not
need to be on).
OFF
Headlight
flashing
The headlight high-beam indicator light
in the instrument cluster illuminates
simultaneously. The lever will return to the
normal position when released.
Headlight Leveling *
The number of passengers and weight of
cargo in the luggage compartment change
the angle of the headlights.
Auto type
The angle of the headlights will be
automatically adjusted when turning on
the headlights.
The warning/indicator light turns on when
the system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-20 .
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