2017 MAZDA MODEL CX-3 engine

4–58
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 TCS 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.

4–59
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lighting Control
Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and instrument panel
illumination on or off.
When the lights are turned on, the lights-on indicator light in the instrument cluster turns on.



NOTE
  To prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while the engine is off
unless safety requires them.
  Headlights do not blind drivers approaching in the opposite direction no matter
what side of the road you must drive your vehicle (left-hand or right-hand traf¿ c).
Therefore, it is not necessary to adjust the optical axis of the headlights when
switching temporarily to driving on the opposite side of the road (left-hand or right-
hand traf¿ c).

4–62
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 instrument panel illumination on or off (see chart above).
CAUTION
  Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windscreen.
Otherwise the light sensor will not operate correctly.

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

4–73
When Driving
Switches and Controls
CAUTION
  Do not shade the rain sensor by
adhering a sticker or a label on the
windscreen. Otherwise the rain
sensor will not operate correctly.
 
 When the wiper lever is in the
position and the ignition is switched
ON, the wipers may move
automatically in the following cases:
 


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


 If the windscreen is struck with a
hand or other object from either
outside or inside the vehicle.
  Keep hands and scrapers clear of the
windscreen when the wiper lever is
in the
position and the ignition
is switched ON as ¿ ngers could be
pinched or the wipers and wiper
blades damaged when the wipers
activate automatically.
 If you are going to clean the
windscreen, 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.
NOTE
  Switching the auto-wiper lever from
the
to the position while
driving activates the windscreen
wipers once, after which they operate
according to the rainfall amount.
  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.
  If the windscreen is coated with
water repellent, the rain sensor may
not be able to sense the amount of
rainfall correctly and auto-wiper
control may not operate properly.
  If dirt or foreign matter (Such as
ice or matter containing salt water)
adheres to the windscreen above
the rain sensor or if the windscreen
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.
  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.

4–75
When Driving
Switches and Controls
*Some models.
Headlight Washer *
The engine must be started and the
headlights must be turned on.

If you want to operate headlight washers,
double À ick the wiper lever.


Washer OFF

NOTE
  When the windscreen washer
is operated for the ¿ rst time
after turning on the headlights,
the headlight washers operate
automatically.
  If air enters the headlight washer
À uid pipe under conditions such
as when the vehicle is brand-new
or after an empty washer tank is
replenished with washer À uid,
washer À uid will not spray even
when the wiper lever is operated. If
this occurs, perform the following
procedure:

1. Start the engine.
2. Turn on the headlights.
3. Double À ick the wiper lever
several times until the washer
À uid sprays.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger clears fog from
the rear window.

The ignition must be switched ON to use
the defogger.

Press the switch to turn on the rear
window defogger. The rear window
defogger operates for about 15 minutes
and then turns off automatically.
The indicator light illuminates when the
defogger is operating.

To turn off the rear window defogger
before the 15 minutes has elapsed, press
the switch again.
Manual Air-Conditioning

Indicator light

Fully Automatic Air-Conditioning

Indicator light

4–79
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.

4–84
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 4-36 .
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.

4–85
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
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 4-36 .
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 TCS OFF
switch (page 4-86 ).
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.