2017 MAZDA MODEL CX-5 tow

3–60
Before Driving
Towing
Safety Chains
Safety chains must be used as a precautionary measure should the trailer\
become
unintentionally unhitched. They should cross under the trailer tongue and attach to the hitch.
Leave enough slack to allow full turns. Consult literature published by \
your trailer or hitch
manufacturer for more details.
WARNING
Make sure the safety chain is securely attached to both the trailer and the vehicle prior
to departure: Towing a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer and the
vehicle is dangerous. If damage occurs to the coupling unit or hitch ball, the trailer could
wander into another lane and cause a collision.

Trailer Lights
Trailer lights must comply with all federal, state, and local regulations\
. Equip your trailer as
required before towing it day or night.
CAUTION
Do not connect a trailer lighting system directly to the lighting system of your Mazda. This
may damage your vehicle's electrical system and lighting systems. Have a recreational
vehicle dealer or trailer rental agency connect the system, and inspect the brake lights
and turn signals yourself before each trip.

Trailer Brakes
If the total trailer weight exceeds 450 kg (1,000 lb), trailer brakes \
are required. If your trailer
has brakes, make sure they comply with all federal, state, and local reg\
ulations.
WARNING
Do not connect a hydraulic trailer-brake system to your vehicle's brake system: Connecting a hydraulic trailer-brake system directly to the vehicle brake system is
dangerous and will result in inadequate braking and possible injury.

CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 602016/12/12 10:05:39

3–61
Before Driving
Towing
Trailer Towing Tips
  Verify that your Mazda maintains a near-normal attitude when a loaded or unloaded trailer
is connected. Do not drive if it has an abnormal front-up or front-down \
position. Inspect
for incorrect tongue load, worn suspension parts, and trailer overloadin\
g.
   Make sure the trailer is properly loaded and the cargo is secure to prevent it from shifting.  Make sure the mirrors conform to all government regulations. If they do \
not, install
required rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.

The three main causes of vehicle-trailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed, and
improper trailer loading.
Before driving
   Have your cooling and braking system checked by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.  Before starting out, inspect the operation of all vehicle and trailer li\
ghts and all vehicle-
to-trailer connections. Stop and re-inspect all lights and connections a\
fter driving a short
distance.

Driving
   Your Mazda will handle differently with a trailer in tow, so practice turning, backing, and
stopping in a traf fi c-free area.
   Take time to get accustomed to the extra weight and length.  Allow more room between your vehicle and the one in front because brakin\
g distance
increases with a trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, allow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between your Mazda and the vehicle ahead.
   Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.  Avoid sudden braking. It may cause loss of control and result in jackkni fi ng, especially so
on wet or slippery roads.
   Shift the shift lever to the D position when towing a trailer in hilly t\
errain or when heavily
loaded.

The D position will allow operating the vehicle without frequent shiftin\
g.
Lane changes and turning
Avoid quick lane changes, sudden turns, and tight turns. Slow down before\
turning to avoid
the need of sudden braking.
A turning trailer will make a tighter arc than the tow vehicle. Compensat\
e with turns that are
larger than normal.
CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 612016/12/12 10:05:39

3–62
Before Driving
Towing
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other vehicles, and provide plenty of room befor\
e changing lanes.
Crosswinds from passing vehicles, especially larger ones, and the effects of rough roads will
affect handling.
If swaying occurs, fi rmly grip the steering wheel and reduce speed immediately, but
gradually.
Steer straight ahead. If no extreme correction of steering or braking is\
made, the
combination of less speed and fi rm steering will result in stability.
Backing up
Backing a vehicle with a trailer requires practice and patience. Back sl\
owly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of the trailer to reduce the risk of an accid\
ent.
To turn the trailer, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it in the\

direction you want the trailer to go. Make only slight movements to prev\
ent sharp or
prolonged turning.
Ascending a hill
Shift into a lower gear to reduce the possibility of overloading or over\
heating the engine, or
both.
Descending a hill
Shift into a lower gear and use engine compression as a braking effect.
WARNING
Always use lower gears to reduce speed: Holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently is dangerous as it could cause
the brakes to overheat and lose power, resulting in loss of control and a serious accident.
Use lower gears to help reduce speed. Pull off the road and allow brakes to cool down
whenever braking performance feels reduced.

Overheated engine
The extra weight of the trailer may strain the engine on hot days and on\
long or steep
upgrades.
If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, turn off the air conditioner, drive safely
to the side of the road, park off the right-of-way and wait for engine to cool. Refer to
Overheating on page 7-18 .
CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 622016/12/12 10:05:39

3–63
Before Driving
Towing
Parking
Always make sure the tires of the trailer and the tow vehicle are blocke\
d while parked.
Apply the parking brake fi rmly and put the transaxle in P.
Avoid parking on an incline, but if you must, follow these instructions:
1. Depress and hold down the brake pedal.
2. Have a helper put wheel blocks against the downhill side of all vehicle \
and trailer tires.
3. Then release the brake pedal slowly until the blocks bear the load.
 If the grade is downhill, turn the steering wheel so that the front of t\
he front tires face the curb.
 If it is uphill, face the rear of the front tires against the curb.
4. Firmly apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transaxle into P, and stop the engine.

To restart after parking on an incline:
1. With the transaxle in P, start the engine. (Be sure to depress and hold the brake pedal.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also the foot brake) and pull away from the\
wheel blocks. Stop; apply the parking brake and shift into P.
4. Have a helper retrieve the wheel blocks.

Fuel consumption
Trailer towing causes higher fuel consumption.
Maintenance
If you tow a trailer frequently, have your vehicle serviced as shown in Scheduled
Maintenance (page 6-4 ).
CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 632016/12/12 10:05:40

3–64
Before Driving
Towing
Recreational Towing
An example of "recreational towing" is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transaxle is not designed for towing
this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
"Towing Description" (page 7-20 ) and
carefully follow the instructions.

CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 642016/12/12 10:05:40

4–54
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Headlight High-Low Beam
The headlights switch between high and
low beams by moving the lever forward or
backward.

High beam
Low beam

When the headlight high-beams are on,
the headlight high-beam indicator light is
turned on.



Flashing the Headlights
Can be used when the ignition is switched
ON.
To fl ash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (the headlight switch does not
need to be on).


OFF
Headlight
flashing

The headlight high-beam indicator light
in the instrument cluster illuminates
simultaneously. The lever will return to the
normal position when released.



CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 542016/12/12 10:05:54

4–58
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lane-Change Signals
Move the lever halfway toward the
direction of the lane change—until the
indicator fl ashes— and hold it there. It will
return to the off position when released.
Three-Flash Turn Signal
After releasing the turn signal lever, the
turn signal indicator fl ashes three times.
The operation can be cancelled by moving
the lever in the direction opposite to which
it was operated.
NOTE
The three-fl ash turn signal function can be
switched to operable/inoperable using the
personalization function.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-11 .

Windshield Wipers and
Washer
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the wipers.
WARNING
Use only windshield washer fl uid or
plain water in the reservoir: Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fl uid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
aff ect your visibility, and could result in
an accident.

Only use windshield washer fl uid mixed
with anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions: Using windshield washer fl uid without
anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions is dangerous as
it could freeze on the windshield and
block your vision which could cause
an accident. In addition, make sure
the windshield is suffi ciently warmed
using the defroster before spraying the
washer fl uid.

CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 582016/12/12 10:05:56

4–61
When Driving
Switches and Controls
NOTE
  Switching the auto-wiper lever from the

to the position while driving
activates the windshield 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 windshield is coated with water
repellent, the rain sensor may not be
able to sense the amount of rainfall
correctly and the auto-wiper control
may not operate properly.
  If dirt or foreign matter (such as ice or
matter containing salt water) adheres
to the windshield above the rain sensor,
or if the windshield 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.
   If the headlight switch and the
windshield wiper switch are in
,
and the wipers are operated at low or
high speed by the auto wiper control for
several seconds, bad weather conditions
are determined and the headlights may
be turned on.
   The auto-wiper control functions can
be turned off. Refer to Personalization
Features on page 9-11 .

Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you and hold it to
spray washer fl uid.


Washer
OFF

NOTE
If the windshield washer is turned on when
the windshield wipers are not operating,
the windshield wipers operate a few times.

If the washer does not work, inspect the
fl
uid level (page 6-27 ). If the fl uid level
is normal, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
CX-5_8FN1-EA-16L_Edition1.indb 612016/12/12 10:05:57