2016 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK engine

4–32
When Driving
Transaxle
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
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.



N O T E
 


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
4-11 .
 


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.
N O T E
 


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.
Ty p e A


Manual shift mode indication
Gear position indication

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4–34
When Driving
Transaxle
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the UP switch
(
) toward you once with your
¿ ngers.


UP switch

WARNING
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using fi ngers on the steering
shift switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of
the steering wheel when using the
steering shift switches is dangerous.
If the driver's air bag were to deploy
in a collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury.

N O T E
 


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.
 


y The steering shift switch can be used
temporarily even if the selector lever is
in the D position while driving. In
addition, it returns to automatic shift
mode when the UP switch (
) is
pulled rearward for a suf¿ cient amount
of time.

Manually Shifting down
(M6
: M5
: M4
: M3
: M2
: M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, move the
selector lever forward
once.



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4–35
When Driving
Transaxle
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
¿ ngers.


DOWN switch

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.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using fi ngers on the steering
shift switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of
the steering wheel when using the
steering shift switches is dangerous.
If the driver's air bag were to deploy
in a collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury.

N O T E
 


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 ¿ 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 ¿ xed mode. The gear is ¿ 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 ¿ xed
mode, the mode will be canceled.
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4–37
When Driving
Transaxle
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift points:
(U.S.A. and Canada)

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 traf¿ 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 prolongs brake life.
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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 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.
N O T E
(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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4–40
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 instrument cluster turns on.



N O T E
 


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 9-12 .



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


I g n i t i o n P o s i t i o n O N O F F O N O F F O N O F F
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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4–42
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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 turns the headlights,
other exterior lights and dashboard illumination on or off (see chart above).
CAUTION
 


¾ Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windshield. Otherwise
the light sensor will not operate correctly.
 

 


¾ The light sensor also works as a rain sensor for the auto-wiper control. Keep hands and
scrapers clear of the windshield when the wiper lever is in the
position and the
ignition is switched ON as fi ngers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades could be
damaged when the wipers activate automatically. If you are going to clean the windshield,
be sure the wipers are turned off completely when it is particularly tempting to leave the
engine running. This is particularly important when clearing ice and snow.

N O T E
 


y The 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 night time if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several
minutes such as inside long tunnels, traf¿ c jams inside tunnels, or in indoor parking lots.

 In this case, the lights turn off if the light switch is turned to the position.



y (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.
 


y The 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 4-15 .



y The sensitivity of the AUTO lights may be changed by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
 Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-12 .
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4–50
When Driving
Switches and Controls
CAUTION
 


¾ Do not shade the rain sensor by
adhering a sticker or a label on the
windshield. Otherwise the rain sensor
will not operate correctly.
 

 


¾ When the wiper lever is in the
position and the ignition is switched ON,
the wipers may move automatically in
the following cases:
 


¾ If the windshield above the rain
sensor is touched or wiped with a
cloth.
 


¾ If the windshield is struck with a hand
or other object from either outside or
inside the vehicle.
  Keep hands and scrapers clear of the
windshield when the wiper lever is in the

position and the ignition is
switched ON as fi ngers could be pinched
or the wipers and wiper blades damaged
when the wipers activate automatically.
  If you are going to clean the windshield,
be sure the wipers are turned off
completely (when it is most likely
that the engine is left running) this is
particularly important when clearing ice
and snow.

N O T E
 


y Switching the auto-wiper lever from the

to the position while driving
activates the windshield wipers once,
after which they operate according to
the rainfall amount.
 


y The auto-wiper control may not operate
when the rain sensor temperature is
about -10 °C (14 °F) or lower, or about
85 °C (185 °F) or higher.
 


y If the windshield is coated with water
repellent, the rain sensor may not be
able to sense the amount of rainfall
correctly and the auto-wiper control
may not operate properly.
 


y If dirt or foreign matter (such as ice or
matter containing salt water) adheres
to the windshield above the rain sensor,
or if the windshield is iced, it could
cause the wipers to move automatically.
However, if the wipers cannot remove
this ice, dirt or foreign matter, the auto-
wiper control will stop operation. In
this case, set the wiper lever to the low
speed position or high speed position
for manual operation, or remove the ice,
dirt or foreign matter by hand to restore
the auto-wiper operation.
 


y If the auto-wiper lever is left in the
position, the wipers could operate
automatically from the effect of strong
light sources, electromagnetic waves, or
infrared light because the rain sensor
uses an optical sensor. It is
recommended that the auto-wiper lever
be switched to the
position other
than when driving the vehicle under
rainy conditions.
 


y The auto-wiper control functions can
be turned off. Refer to Personalization
Features on page 9-12 .

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