Black plate (184,1)
qWarning Light
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-20.
qTransaxle Ranges
lThe shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on
page 4-20.
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 3-43).
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.
4-50
When Driving
Transaxle
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (190,1)
Recommendations for shifting (U.S.A. and Canada)
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, we recommend these shift points.
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 traffic or on a steepupgrade, downshift before the
engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more speed.
On a steepdowngrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolongs brake life.
qDriving Tips
WARNING
Do not allow the vehicle to move in
reverse on an up-slope while the
selector lever is in a forward gear
position, or move forward on a down-
slope while the selector lever is in the
reverse position:
Otherwise, the engine will 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
The accelerator pedal feels heavy as it is being
depressed, but then lightens as it is fully
depressed. 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.
4-56
When Driving
Transaxle
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (192,1)
Lighting Control
qHeadlights
lTurn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
lFor vehicles with the type A instrument cluster, check the vehicle condition or have the
vehicle inspected at an Authorized Mazda Dealer according to the indication.
lA system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-20.
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 9-10.
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 ONACC or
OFFONACC or
OFFONACC or
OFF
Headlights Off Off Off Off On Off
Daytime running lights On
*1Off On*1Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illuminationOff Off On On On Off/On
*2
*1 It turns on while driving the vehicle.
*2 While the lights are turned on, they will remain on even if the ignition is switched to a position other than ON.
If the driver's door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.
4-58
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (196,1)
qLeaving Home Light System
The leaving home light system turns on
the lights when the key unlock button is
pressed while away from the vehicle.
To turn on the system
When the ignition switch and the
headlight switch are as indicated below,
the lights will illuminate when the
transmitter unlock button is pressed and
the vehicle receives the transmitter signal.
The lights turn off after a certain period of
time has elapsed (30 seconds).
lIgnition switch: offlHeadlight switch:or
The following lights turn on when the
leaving home light system is operated.
Low beams, Parking lights, Taillights,
License lights
Unlock button
Lock button
NOTElOperation of the leaving home light system
can be turned on or off.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-10.
lWhen the transmitter lock button is pressed
and the vehicle receives the transmitter
signal, the lights turn off.
lWhen the headlight switch is in a position
other than
or, the lights turn off.
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
4-20.
qDaytime Running Lights
Some countries require moving vehicles
to have their lights on (daytime running
lights) during the daytime.
The daytime running lights turn on
automatically when the vehicle starts
moving.
They turn off when the parking brake is
operated or the shift lever is shifted to the
P position (automatic transaxle vehicle).
NOTE
(Except Canada)
The daytime running lights can be deactivated.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-10.
4-62
When Driving
íSome models.
Switches and Controls
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (204,1)
Horn
To sound the horn, press themark on
the steering wheel.
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 switch
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.
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When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (205,1)
HomeLink Wireless
Control System
í
NOTE
HomeLink and HomeLink house icon are
registered trademarks of Gentex Corporation.
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
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.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
4-71íSome models. CX-5_8DV2-EA-14K_Edition3 Page205
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (208,1)
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.
4-74
When Driving
Brake
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K
Black plate (209,1)
CAUTION
ØDo not drive with your foot held
on the clutch pedal or brake pedal,
or hold the clutch pedal depressed
halfway unnecessarily. Doing so
could result in the following:
ØThe clutch and brake parts will
wear out more quickly.
ØThe brakes can overheat and
adversely affect brake
performance.
ØAlways depress the brake pedal
with the right foot. Applying the
brakes with the unaccustomed left
foot could slow your reaction time
to an emergency situation
resulting in insufficient braking
operation.
ØWear shoes appropriate for driving
in order to avoid your shoe
contacting the brake pedal when
depressing the accelerator pedal.
qElectric Parking Brake
The electric parking brake equipment
applies the parking brake using an electric
motor. The indicator light on the electric
parking brake switch turns on when the
switch is turned on.
Indicator light
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
electric parking brake applied:
If the vehicle is driven with the
parking brake applied, the brake
parts may generate heat and the
brake system may not operate,
leading to an accident.
Before driving, release the electric
parking brake and verify that the
brake system warning light is turned
off.
When Driving
Brake
4-75
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Form No.8DV2-EA-14K