3–24
Before Driving
Fuel and Emission
Engine Exhaust (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Do not drive your vehicle if you smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle:
Engine exhaust gas is dangerous. This gas contains carbon monoxide (CO), which is
colorless, odorless, and poisonous. When inhaled, it can cause loss of consciousness and
death. If you smell exhaust gas inside the vehicle, keep all windows fully open and contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately.
Do not run the engine when inside an enclosed area:
Running the engine inside an enclosed area, such as a garage, is dangerous. Exhaust
gas, which contains poisonous carbon monoxide, could easily enter the cabin. Loss of
consciousness or even death could occur.
Open the windows or adjust the heating or cooling system to draw fresh air when
idling the engine:
Exhaust gas is dangerous. When the vehicle is stopped with the windows closed and
the engine running for a long time even in an open area, exhaust gas, which contains
poisonous carbon monoxide, could enter the cabin. Loss of consciousness or even death
could occur.
Clear snow from underneath and around your vehicle, particularly the tail pipe, before
starting the engine:
Running the engine when a vehicle is stopped in deep snow is dangerous. The exhaust
pipe could be blocked by the snow, allowing exhaust gas to enter the cabin. Because
exhaust gas contains poisonous carbon monoxide, it could cause loss of consciousness or
even death to occupants in the cabin.
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3–45
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Rocking the Vehicle
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at more than
56 km/h (35 mph), and do not allow
anyone to stand behind a wheel when
pushing the vehicle:
When the vehicle is stuck, spinning the
wheels at high speed is dangerous.
The spinning tire could overheat and
explode. This could cause serious
injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transmission failure, and
tire damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand or mud, depress the accelerator
slightly and slowly move the shift lever
from 1 (D) to R.
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check
the following:
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-29. Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity. Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-27). Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections. Use washer fluid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer fluid (page 6-31).
NOTE
Do not use the parking brake in freezing
weather as it may freeze. Instead, shift
to P with an automatic transmission and
to 1 or R with a manual transmission.
Block the rear wheels. Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision. Do not open or close the soft top when
the temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) or less.
The material of the soft top could be
damaged by freezing. Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield. Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows and
mirrors as it could result in the glass
cracking.
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4–11
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
NOTE
(Vehicles with type B audio)
If the fuel economy data is reset using
the fuel economy monitor, or trip A
is reset using the trip meter when the
function which synchronizes the fuel
economy monitor and the trip meter is
on, the fuel economy data and trip A are
reset simultaneously.
Refer to Fuel Economy Monitor on page
4-59. Only the trip meters record tenths of
kilometers (miles). The trip record will be erased when:
The power supply is interrupted
(blown fuse or the battery is
disconnected). The vehicle is driven over 9999.9 km
(mile).
Tachometer
The tachometer shows engine speed in
thousands of revolutions per minute (rpm).
CAUTION
Do not run the engine with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE.
This may cause severe engine damage.
Striped zone
Red zone
NOTE
When the tachometer needle enters the
STRIPED ZONE, this indicates to the
driver that the gears should be shifted
before entering the RED ZONE.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge
Indicates engine coolant temperature.
CAUTION
If the high engine coolant temperature
warning light (red) turns on, there is
a possibility of overheating. Park the
vehicle in a safe place immediately
and take appropriate measures. If the
vehicle continues to be driven, it could
cause damage to the engine.
Refer to Overheating on page 7-27.
NOTE
The temperature unit (Centigrade/
Fahrenheit) of the engine coolant gauge
display changes in conjunction with
the temperature unit of the outside
temperature display.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-9.
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4–34
When Driving
Transmission
NOTE
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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4–41
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Windshield Wipers and
Washer
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the wipers.
WARNING
Use only windshield washer fluid or
plain water in the reservoir:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
affect your visibility, and could result in
an accident.
Only use windshield washer fluid mixed
with anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions:
Using windshield washer fluid without
anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions is dangerous as
it could freeze on the windshield and
block your vision which could cause
an accident. In addition, make sure
the windshield is sufficiently warmed
using the defroster before spraying the
washer fluid.
NOTE
Because heavy ice and snow can jam the
wiper blades, the wiper motor is protected
from motor breakdown, overheating
and possible fire by a circuit breaker.
This mechanism will automatically stop
operation of the blades, but only for about
5 minutes.
If this happens, turn off the wiper switch
and park off the right-of-way, and remove
the snow and ice.
After 5 minutes, turn on the switch and
the blades should operate normally. If
they do not resume functioning, consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible. Drive to the side of the road and
park off the right-of-way. Wait until the
weather clears before trying to drive with
the wipers inoperative.
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4–49
When Driving
Switches and Controls
6. Firmly press and hold the programmed
HomeLink button for five seconds,
and then release it. Perform this
operation two times to activate the door
or gate. If the door or gate does not
activate, press and hold the just-trained
HomeLink button and observe the
indicator light.
If the indicator light stays on
constantly, programming is complete
and your device should activate when
the HomeLink button is pressed and
released.
NOTE
To program the remaining two HomeLink
buttons, begin with “Programming”—
step 1
If the indicator light blinks rapidly
for two seconds and then turns
to a constant light, continue with
“Programming” steps 7—9 to
complete the programming of a rolling
code equipped device (most commonly
a garage door opener).
7. At the garage door opener receiver
(motor-head unit) in the garage, locate
the “learn” or “smart” button. This can
usually be found where the hanging
antenna wire is attached to the motor-
head unit.
8. Firmly press and release the “learn” or
“smart” button. (The name and color of
the button may vary by manufacturer.)
NOTE
Complete the programming within 30
seconds.
9. Return to the vehicle and firmly press,
hold for two seconds and release the
programmed HomeLink button. Repeat
the “press/hold/release” sequence a
second time, and, depending on the
brand of the garage door opener (or
other rolling code equipped device),
repeat this sequence a third time to
complete the programming process.
HomeLink should now activate your
rolling code equipped device.
NOTE
To program the remaining two HomeLink
buttons, begin with “Programming”—
step 1
For questions or comments, please contact
HomeLink at www.homelink.com or 1-
800-355-3515.
Gate operator/Canadian
Programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require
transmitter signals to “time-out” (or quit)
after several seconds of transmission
— which may not be long enough for
HomeLink to pick up the signal during
programming. Similar to this Canadian
law, some U.S. gate operators are designed
to “time-out” in the same manner.
If you live in Canada or you are having
difficulties programming a gate operator
by using the “Programming” procedures
(regardless of where you live), replace
“Programming HomeLink” step 3 with
the following:
NOTE
If programming a garage door opener or
gate operator, it is advised to unplug the
device during the “cycling” process to
prevent possible overheating.
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5–7
Interior Features
Climate Control System
Heating
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the air intake selector to the outside
air position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
hot position.
4. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
5. If dehumidified heating is desired, turn
on the air conditioner.
NOTE
If the windshield fogs up easily, set the
mode selector dial to the position. If cooler air is desired at face level, set
the mode selector dial at the position
and adjust the temperature control dial
to maintain maximum comfort. The air to the floor is warmer than air
to the face (except when the temperature
control dial is set at the extreme hot or
cold position).
Cooling (With air conditioner)
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
cold position.
3. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
4. Turn on the air conditioner by pressing
the A/C switch.
5. After cooling begins, adjust the fan
control dial and temperature control
dial as needed to maintain maximum
comfort.
CAUTION
If the air conditioner is used while
driving up long hills or in heavy
traffic, monitor the engine coolant
temperature warning light to see if it is
illuminated or flashing (page 4-16).
The air conditioner may cause engine
overheating. If the warning light is
illuminated or flashing, turn the air
conditioning off (page 7-27).
NOTE
When maximum cooling is desired,
set the temperature control dial to the
extreme cold position and set the air
intake selector to the recirculated air
position, then turn the fan control dial
fully clockwise. If warmer air is desired at floor level,
set the mode selector dial at the
position and adjust the temperature
control dial to maintain maximum
comfort. The air to the floor is warmer than air
to the face (except when the temperature
control dial is set at the extreme hot or
cold position).
Ventilation
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the air intake selector to the outside
air position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
4. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
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5–8
Interior Features
Climate Control System
Windshield Defrosting and
Defogging
1. Set the mode selector dial to the
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
3. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
4. If dehumidified heating is desired, turn
on the air conditioner.
WARNING
Do not defog the windshield using the
position with the temperature
control set to the cold position:
Using the position with the
temperature control set to the cold
position is dangerous as it will cause
the outside of the windshield to fog up.
Your vision will be hampered, which
could lead to a serious accident. Set
the temperature control to the hot or
warm position when using the
position.
NOTE
For maximum defrosting, turn on the air
conditioner, set the temperature control
dial to the extreme hot position, and
turn the fan control dial fully clockwise. If warm air is desired at the floor, set the
mode selector dial to the position. When the fan control dial is ON, and the
mode selector dial is in the or
position, the air conditioner is
automatically turned on and the outside
air position is automatically selected to
defrost the windshield. In the or
position, the outside air position cannot
be changed to the recirculated air
position.
Dehumidifying (With air
conditioner)
Operate the air conditioner in cool or cold
weather to help defog the windshield and
side windows.
1. Set the mode selector dial to the desired
position.
2. Set the air intake selector to the outside
air position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
4. Set the fan control dial to the desired
speed.
5. Turn on the air conditioner by pressing
the A/C switch.
NOTE
One of the functions of the air conditioner
is dehumidifying the air and, to use
this function, the temperature does not
have to be set to cold. Therefore, set the
temperature control dial to the desired
position (hot or cold) and turn on the air
conditioner when you want to dehumidify
the cabin air.
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