2017 MAZDA MODEL CX-3 snow chains

3–51
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Hazardous Driving
WARNING
Be extremely careful if it is necessary
to downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear while
driving on slippery surfaces is
dangerous. The sudden change in tyre
speed could cause the tyres to skid. This
could lead to loss of vehicle control and
an accident.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
 


 Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
 


 Avoid sudden braking and sudden
manoeuvring.
 


 Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
  Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-84 .
 


 If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the front
wheels.
 


 For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow,
use sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or
other nonslip material under the front
wheels.

NOTE
Use snow chains only on the front
wheels.
Floor Mat
We recommend the use of Genuine
Mazda À oor mats.
WARNING
Make sure the À oor mats are secured
with the grommets or the retainers to
prevent them from bunching up under
the foot pedals (Driver's side):
Using a À oor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation
(driver's side), which could result in an
accident.
Only use a À oor mat which conforms
to the shape of the À oor on the driver's
side and make sure it is oriented
correctly.
Secure the À oor mat using the
grommets or retainers.
There are various ways to secure À oor
mats depending on the type used,
therefore secure the mat according to
the type.
After installing the À oor mat, make
sure that it does not slide from side
to side or back and forth, and that
there is suf¿ cient clearance with the
accelerator and brake pedals on the
driver's side.
After removing the À oor mat for
cleaning or some other reason, always
securely reinstall it while paying
attention to the precautions just
mentioned.

3–53
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tyre
chains, window scraper, À ares, a small
shovel, jumper leads, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer to check the
following:
 


 Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
  Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-27 .
 


 Inspect the battery and its leads. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
 


 Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-22 ).




 Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
 


 Use washer À uid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer À uid (page 6-30 ).

NOTE

 Do not use the parking brake in
freezing weather as it may freeze.
Instead, shift to P with an automatic
transaxle and to 1 or R with a manual
transaxle. Block the rear wheels.
  Remove snow before driving. Snow
left on the windscreen is dangerous
as it could obstruct vision.
  Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice
or frozen snow on the mirror glass
and windscreen.
  Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows
and mirrors as it could result in the
glass cracking.
  Drive slowly. Braking performance
can be adversely affected if
snow or ice adheres to the brake
components. If this situation occurs,
drive the vehicle slowly, releasing
the accelerator pedal and lightly
applying the brakes several times
until the brake performance returns
to normal.

3–54
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Snow Tyres
WARNING
Use only the same size and type tyres
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four
wheels:
Using tyres different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle's handling
could be greatly affected and result in
an accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tyres.
Use snow tyres on all four wheels
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed for your snow tyres or legal speed
limits.
E u r o p e
When snow tyres are used, select the
speci¿ ed size and pressure (page 9-9 ).
Tyre Chains
Check local regulations before using tyre
chains.
CAUTION
  Chains may affect handling. 
 Do not go faster than 50 km/h
(30 mph) or the chain manufacturer's
recommended limit, whichever is
lower.
  Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes, and sharp turns.
  Avoid locked-wheel braking. 
 Do not use chains on a temporary
spare tyre; it may result in damage to
the vehicle and to the tyre. In some
models, the vehicle is not equipped
with a factory installed temporary
spare tyre.
  Do not use chains on roads that are
free of snow or ice. The tyres and
chains could be damaged.
  Chains may scratch or chip
aluminium wheels.
NOTE
If your vehicle is equipped with the tyre
pressure monitoring system, the system
may not function correctly when using
tyre chains.
Install the chains on the front tyres only.
Do not use chains on the rear tyres.

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.

4–98
When Driving
i-ACTIV AWD
*Some models.
i-ACTIV AWD Operation *
4WD provides excellent drivability on
snow-covered and ice-packed roads, sand
and mud, as well as on steep slopes and
other slippery surfaces.
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-36 .
WARNING
Never spin a wheel that is off the
ground:
Spinning a wheel that is off the ground
as a result of the vehicle being stuck
or in a ditch is dangerous. The drive
assembly could be seriously damaged
which could lead to an accident or
could even lead to overheating, oil
leakage, and a ¿ re.
4WD Driving
This vehicle has not been designed for the
purpose of off-road driving or rallies. Do
not attempt to drive over uneven or rocky
surfaces, or across rivers.
Although this vehicle is equipped with
4WD, acceleration, steering and braking
operations should be conducted in the
same manner as with a non-4WD vehicle,
with the emphasis placed on safe driving.
Tyres and Tyre Chains
The condition of the tyres plays a large
role in the performance of the vehicle.
Moreover, to prevent adverse effects to the
drive assembly, please note the following:
T y r e s
 




 When replacing tyres, always replace all
front and rear tyres at the same time.
 


 All tyres must be of the same size,
manufacture, brand and tread pattern.
Pay particular attention when equipping
snow or other types of winter tyres.
 


 Do not mix tread-worn tyres with
normal tyres.
 


 Inspect tyre inÀ ation pressures at the
speci¿ ed periods adjust to the speci¿ ed
pressures, and initialize the tyre pressure
monitoring system.
  Refer to Tyre Pressure Monitoring
System Initialization on page 4-201 .

NOTE
Check the tyre inÀ ation pressure label
attached to driver's door frame for the
correct tyre inÀ ation pressure.




 Make sure to equip the vehicle with
genuine wheels of the speci¿ ed size,
on all wheels. With 4WD, the system is
calibrated for all four wheels being of
the same dimensions.

4–99
When Driving
i-ACTIV AWD
Tyre chains
 




 Install tyre chains to the front tyres.



 Do not use tyre chains on the rear
wheels.
 


 Do not drive the vehicle faster than 30
km/h (19 mph) with the tyre chains
installed.
 


 Do not drive the vehicle with tyre chains
on road conditions other than snow or
ice.

Towing
If the vehicle requires towing, have it
towed with all four wheels completely off
the ground.
Refer to Towing Description on page
7-44 .

4–183
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
NOTE
  In the following cases, the Forward Sensing Camera (FSC) may not be able to detect
target objects correctly.
 


 Under bad weather condition, such as rain, fog and snow.



 The window washer is being used or the windscreen wipers are not used when it's
raining.
 


 Ice, fog, snow, frost, rainfall, dirt, or foreign matter such as a plastic bag is stuck on
the windscreen.
 


 Trucks with low loading platforms and vehicles with an extremely low or high
pro¿ le.




 When driving next to walls with no patterning (including fences and longitudinally
striped walls).
 


 The tail lights of the vehicle ahead are turned off.



 A vehicle is outside the illumination range of the headlights.



 The vehicle is making a sharp turn, or ascending or descending a steep slope.



 Entering or exiting a tunnel.



 Heavy luggage is loaded causing the vehicle to tilt.



 Strong light is shone at the front of the vehicle (back light or high-beam light from
on-coming vehicles).
 


 There are many light emitters on the vehicle ahead.



 When the vehicle ahead is not equipped with tail lights or the tail lights are turned
off at nighttime.
 


 Elongated luggage or cargo is loaded onto installed roof rails and covers the Forward
Sensing Camera (FSC).
 


 Exhaust gas from the vehicle in front, sand, snow, and water vapour rising from
manholes and grating, and water splashed into the air.
 


 When towing a malfunctioning vehicle.



 The vehicle is driven with tyres having signi¿ cantly different wear.



 The vehicle is driven on down slopes or bumpy roads.



 There are water puddles on the road.



 The surroundings are dark such as during the night, early evening, or early morning,
or in a tunnel or indoor parking lot.
 


 The illumination brightness of the headlights is reduced or the headlight illumination
is weakened due to dirt or a deviated optical axis.
 


 The target object enters the blind spot of the Forward Sensing Camera (FSC).



 A person or object bursts onto the road from the shoulder or cuts right in front of
you.
 


 You change lanes and approach a vehicle ahead.



 When driving extremely close to the target object.



 Tyre chains or a temporary spare tyre is installed.



 The vehicle ahead has a special shape. For example, a vehicle towing a trailer house
or a boat, or a vehicle carrier carrying a vehicle with its front pointed rearward.

4–200
When Driving
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
NOTE
Because this system detects slight changes in tyre conditions, the timing of the warning
may be faster or slower in the following cases:
 
 The size, manufacturer, or the type of tyres is different from the speci¿ cation. 
 The size, manufacturer, or the type of a tyre is different from the others, or the level of
tyre wear is excessively different between them.
  A run-À at tyre, studless tyre, snow tyre, or tyre chains are used. 
 An emergency tyre is used (The tyre pressure monitoring system warning light may
À ash and then continue illuminating).

 A tyre is repaired using the emergency À at tyre repair kit. 
 The tyre pressure is excessively higher than the speci¿ ed pressure, or the tyre pressure
is suddenly lowered for some reason such as a tyre burst during driving.
  The vehicle speed is lower than about 15 km/h (9.3 mph) (including when the vehicle
is stopped), or the drive period is shorter than 5 minutes.
  The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road or a slippery, icy road. 
 Hard steering and rapid acceleration/deceleration are repeated such as during
aggressive driving on a winding road.
  Load on the vehicle is applied to a tyre such as by loading heavy luggage to one side of
the vehicle.
  System initialization has not been implemented with the speci¿ ed tyre pressure.