3–43
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, transaxle 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 D to R.
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, À ares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check
the following:
y Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-30 .
y Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
y Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-27 ).
y Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
y Use washer À uid made with antifreeze—
but do not use engine coolant antifreeze
for washer À uid (page 6-32 ).
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4–40
When Driving
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 diffi 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.
N O T E
(Some models)
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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4–54
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 , fi nd a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine stalled or
turned off is dangerous. Braking will
require more eff ort, 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 aff ected.
CAUTION
¾ Do not drive with your foot held on the
brake pedal. Doing so could result in the
following:
¾ The brake parts will wear out more
quickly.
¾ The brakes can overheat and
adversely aff ect brake performance.
¾ 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 insuffi cient braking
operation.
¾ Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
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5–8
Interior Features
Climate Control System
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
traffi c, monitor the engine coolant
temperature warning light to see if it is
illuminated or fl ashing (page 4-24 ).
The air conditioner may cause engine
overheating. If the warning light is
illuminated or fl ashing, turn the air-
conditioning off (page 7-22 ).
N O T E
y 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 set the fan control dial to
position 4.
y If warmer air is desired at À oor level,
set the mode selector dial at the
position and adjust the temperature
control dial to maintain maximum
comfort.
y The air to the À oor 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. (Type A)
Set the air intake selector to the outside
air position.
(Type B)
Set the air intake selector to the
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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