2017 MAZDA MODEL 6 brake

4–44
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
Transaxle Ranges
 The shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates. Refer
to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-32.
 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 3-46).
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 selector
lever from N to prevent the vehicle from
moving unexpectedly.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence.
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position. Gears
can be shifted up or down by operating the
selector lever. Refer to Manual Shift Mode
on page 4-45.
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4–50
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift point\
s:
Gear Vehicle speed*1
M1 to M224 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 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 prolong\
s brake life.
Mazda6_8FH2-EA-16F_Edition2.indb 502016/07/07 13:44:53

4–52
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 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 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.
Mazda6_8FH2-EA-16F_Edition2.indb 522016/07/07 13:44:53

4–58
When Driving
Switches and Controls
*Some models.
Headlight Leveling*
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.
Daytime Running Lights
Some countries require moving vehicles
to have their lights on (daytime running
lights) during the daytime.
The daytime running lights turn on when
the vehicle is driven and turn off when the
parking brake is operated or the selector
lever is shifted to the P position (automatic
vehicle).
NOTE
(Except Canada)
The daytime running lights can be
deactivated.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-10.
Fog Lights*
The fog lights can be turned on with the
ignition switched ON and the headlights
turned on.
Use this switch to turn on the fog lights.
The fog lights will improve visibility at
night and during foggy conditions.
The fog lights turn on when the fog light
switch is turned to the
position and turn
off when the switch is turned to the

position.
Fog light switch
NOTE
The fog lights will turn off when the
headlights are set at high beams.
Mazda6_8FH2-EA-16F_Edition2.indb 582016/07/07 13:44:55

4–70
When Driving
Brake
Brake System
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, 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.
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 insufficient braking
operation.

 Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
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4–71
When Driving
Brake
Electric Parking Brake
The electric parking brake equipment
applies the parking brake using an electric
motor. When the electric parking brake is
applied, the electric parking brake switch
indicator light turns 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.
NOTE
 The electric parking brake cannot be
applied or released while the vehicle
battery is dead.
 An operation sound occurs when
applying or releasing the electric
parking brake, however, this does not
indicate a malfunction.
 If the electric parking brake is not
used for long periods, an automatic
inspection of the system is performed
while the vehicle is parked. An
operation sound can be heard, however,
this does not indicate a problem.
 When the electric parking brake is
applied and the ignition is switched
OFF, an operation sound can be heard,
however, this does not indicate a
problem.
 The brake pedal may move while the
electric parking brake is being applied
or released, however, this does not
indicate a problem.
 If the electric parking brake switch is
continually pulled while driving the
vehicle, the electric parking brake will
be applied and the electric parking
brake warning beep will be activated.
When the switch is released, the electric
parking brake is released and the beep
stops.
 If the electric parking brake is applied
with the ignition switched off or in ACC,
the brake system warning light in the
instrument cluster and the indicator
light in the switch may turn on for 15
seconds.
 When running the vehicle through an
automatic car wash, it may be necessary
to switch the ignition off with the
parking brake released depending on
the type of automatic car wash.
Mazda6_8FH2-EA-16F_Edition2.indb 712016/07/07 13:45:00

4–72
When Driving
Brake
When applying the electric parking
brake
The electric parking brake can be applied
regardless of the ignition switch position.
Securely depress the brake pedal and pull
up the electric parking brake switch.
The electric parking brake is applied and
the brake system warning light and the
electric parking brake switch indicator
light turn on.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-32.
When releasing the electric parking
brake
The electric parking brake can be released
while the ignition is switched ON or
the engine is running. When the electric
parking brake is released, the brake system
warning light and the electric parking
brake switch indicator light turn off.Electric parking brake manual release
Securely depress the brake pedal and press
down the electric parking brake switch.
Firmly depress the brake pedal and press
the electric parking brake switch.
If the electric parking brake switch is
pressed without depressing the brake
pedal, the display or indicator light in the
instrument cluster notifies the driver that
the brake is not depressed.
(Type A instrument cluster)
A message is displayed on the multi-
information display in the instrument
cluster.
Refer to Message Indicated in Multi-
information Display on page 7-35.
(Type B instrument cluster)
The brake pedal operation demand
indicator light in the instrument cluster
turns on.
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4–73
When Driving
Brake
Electric parking brake automatic
release
If the accelerator pedal is depressed with
the electric parking brake applied and
all of the following conditions met, the
parking brake is released automatically.
 The engine is running. The driver's door is closed. The driver's seat belt is fastened.
(Manual transaxle)
 The change lever is in a position other
than neutral.
 The clutch pedal is depressed halfway
(Automatic transaxle)
 Selector lever is in the D, M, or R
position
NOTE
If something such as the driver's foot
contacts the accelerator pedal with the
engine running and the electric parking
brake applied, the parking brake may
be released automatically. If you do not
intend to drive immediately, shift the
change lever (manual transaxle) to the
neutral position, or shift the selector
lever (automatic transaxle) to the P or N
position.
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-33.
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
Authorized Mazda Dealer 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
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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 firmly.
Mazda6_8FH2-EA-16F_Edition2.indb 732016/07/07 13:45:00