2017 MAZDA MODEL 2 brakes

4–23
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
WARNING
Do not rely completely on the vehicle roll prevention function.  
 The vehicle roll prevention function is a supplementary function which operates
for a maximum of four seconds after releasing the brake pedal and accelerating the
vehicle from an engine idling stop condition. Over reliance on the system may result
in an unexpected accident if the vehicle were to suddenly accelerate. Before starting
to drive the vehicle, always con¿ rm the safety of the surroundings and operate the
selector lever, brake pedal, and accelerator pedal appropriately. Note that the vehicle
may move suddenly depending on the grade of the road, the vehicle's load, or if it is
towing something.
  Note that the vehicle may move suddenly after the vehicle roll prevention function is
released while the vehicle is under the following conditions:
 

 
 The selector lever is in the N position. 

 
 If the selector lever is shifted to the N position and the brake pedal is released
while the i-stop function is operating, the brake force is gradually released. To
accelerate the vehicle, release the brake pedal after the engine restarts and shift
the selector lever to a position other than the N position.
NOTE
  When the vehicle is stopped on a steep grade, the vehicle roll prevention function does
not operate because engine idling is not stopped.
  The brake pedal response may change, sound may occur from the brakes, or the
brake pedal could vibrate from the operation of the vehicle roll prevention function.
However, this does not indicate a malfunction.

4–51
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
Transaxle Ranges
 












 The shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates. Refer
to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-38 .
 


 The selector 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 selector lever to P and
set the parking brake:
Only setting the selector 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
  Shifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transaxle.
  Shifting 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 3-51 ).
NOTE
(With parking sensor system)
When the selector lever is shifted to the
R position with the ignition switched
ON, the parking sensor system is
activated and a beep sound is heard.
Refer to Parking Sensor System on page
4-204 .
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.

4–60
When Driving
Automatic 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 dif¿ 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
  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.
 
 While the selector lever is in the M
position and the DSC is turned off,
manual shift mode does not switch
to automatic shift mode even if
the accelerator pedal is completely
depressed. Operate the selector lever.
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.

4–81
When Driving
Brake
B r a k e S y s t e m
Foot Brake
This vehicle 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, ¿ nd 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.

4–82
When Driving
Brake
CAUTION
  Do 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:
 


 The clutch and brake parts will
wear out more quickly.
 


 The brakes can overheat
and adversely affect brake
performance.
 
 Always 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
insuf¿ cient braking operation.


 Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
Parking Brake
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake parts.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter
Driving (page 3-51 ) regarding parking
brake use.
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and then ¿ rmly
pull the parking brake lever fully upwards
with suf¿ cient force to hold the vehicle in
a stationary position.

4–83
When Driving
Brake
Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and pull the
parking brake lever upwards, then press
the release button. While holding the
button, lower the parking brake lever all
the way down to the released position.


Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-38 .
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
When the disc brake pads become worn,
the built-in wear indicators contact the
disc plates. This causes a screeching noise
to warn that the pads should be replaced.


When you hear this noise, consult an
expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
Do not drive with worn disc pads:
Driving with worn disc pads is
dangerous. The brakes could fail and
cause a serious accident. As soon as
you hear a screeching noise consult
an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer.
Brake Assist
During emergency braking situations
when it is necessary to depress the brake
pedal with greater force, the brake assist
system provides braking assistance, thus
enhancing braking performance.

When the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, the brakes apply
more ¿ rmly.
NOTE

 When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly,
the pedal will feel softer but the
brakes will apply more ¿ rmly. This
is a normal effect of the brake assist
operation and does not indicate a
malfunction.
  When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly, a
motor/pump operation noise may be
heard. This is a normal effect of the
brake assist and does not indicate a
malfunction.
  The brake assist equipment does not
supersede the functionality of the
vehicle's main braking system.

4–86
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed of each wheel. If
one wheel is about to lock up, the ABS
responds by automatically releasing and
reapplying that wheel's brake.

The driver will feel a slight vibration in
the brake pedal and may hear a chattering
noise from the brake system. This is
normal ABS system operation. Continue to
depress the brake pedal without pumping
the brakes.

The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-38 .
WARNING
Do not rely on ABS as a substitute for
safe driving:
The ABS cannot compensate for unsafe
and reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), driving on ice and snow,
and hydroplaning (reduced tyre friction
and road contact because of water on
the road surface). You can still have an
accident.
NOTE
  Braking distances may be longer
on loose surfaces (snow or gravel,
for example) which usually have a
hard foundation. A vehicle with a
normal braking system may require
less distance to stop under these
conditions because the tyres will
build up a wedge of surface layer
when the wheels skid.
  The sound of the ABS operating may
be heard when starting the engine
or immediately after starting the
vehicle, however, it does not indicate
a malfunction.

4–87
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
*Some models.
Traction Control System
(TCS)
*
The Traction Control System (TCS)
enhances traction and safety by controlling
engine torque and braking. When the TCS
detects driving wheel slippage, it lowers
engine torque and operates the brakes to
prevent loss of traction.

This means that on a slick surface, the
engine adjusts automatically to provide
optimum power to the drive wheels,
limiting wheel spin and loss of traction.

The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-38 .
WARNING
Do not rely on the Traction Control
System (TCS) as a substitute for safe
driving:
The Traction Control System (TCS)
cannot compensate for unsafe and
reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), and hydroplaning (reduced
tyre friction and road contact because
of water on the road surface). You can
still have an accident.

Use snow tyres or tyre chains and
drive at reduced speeds when roads are
covered with ice and/or snow:
Driving without proper traction devices
on snow and/or ice-covered roads
is dangerous. The Traction Control
System (TCS) alone cannot provide
adequate traction and you could still
have an accident.
NOTE
To turn off the TCS, press the DSC OFF
switch (page 4-89 ).
TCS/DSC Indicator Light

This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON. If the TCS or DSC is operating, the
indicator light À ashes.

If the light stays on, the TCS, DSC
or the brake assist system may have a
malfunction and they may not operate
correctly. Take your vehicle to an expert
repairer, we recommend an Authorised
Mazda Repairer.
NOTE
  In addition to the indicator light
À ashing, a slight labouring sound
will come from the engine. This
indicates that the TCS/DSC is
operating properly.
  On slippery surfaces, such as fresh
snow, it will be impossible to achieve
high rpm when the TCS is on.