2017 MAZDA MODEL CX-9 tow
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3–61
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 regulations.
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.
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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 overloading.
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 lights and all vehicle-
to-trailer connections. Stop and re-inspect all lights and connections after driving a short
distance.
Driving
Your Mazda will handle differently with a trailer in tow, so practice turning, backing, and
stopping in a traffi 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 braking 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 jackknifi ng, especially so
on wet or slippery roads.
Shift the shift lever to the D position when towing a trailer in hilly terrain or when heavily
loaded.
The D position will allow operating the vehicle without frequent shifting.
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. Compensate with turns that are
larger than normal.
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Before Driving
Towing
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other vehicles, and provide plenty of room before 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 slowly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of the trailer to reduce the risk of an accident.
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 prevent sharp or
prolonged turning.
Ascending a hill
Shift into a lower gear to reduce the possibility of overloading or overheating 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 7-24 .
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Before Driving
Towing
Parking
Always make sure the tires of the trailer and the tow vehicle are blocked 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 the 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 ).
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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 7-26 ) and carefully
follow the instructions.
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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.
T o 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.
Coming Home Light
The coming home light turns on the
headlights (low beams) when the lever is
operated.
To turn on the lights
When the lever is pulled with the ignition
switched to ACC or OFF, the low beam
headlights turn on.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed after the doors
are closed.
NOTE
The time until the headlights turn off
after all of the doors are closed can be
changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on
page 9-11 .
If no operations are done for 3 minutes
after the lever is pulled, the headlights
turn off.
The headlights turn off if the lever is
pulled again while the headlights are
illuminated.
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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.
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When Driving
Switches and Controls
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 6-31 ). If the fl uid level
is normal, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Rear Window Wiper and
Washer
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the wiper.
Rear Window Wiper
Turn the wiper on by turning the rear
wiper/washer switch.
Switch
Position Wiper operation
Stop
Intermittent
Normal
Rear Window Washer
To spray washer fl uid, turn the rear wiper/
washer switch to either of the
position.
After the switch is released, the washer
will stop.
If the washer does not work, inspect the
fl uid level (page 6-31 ). If the fl uid
level is normal and the washer still does
not work, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
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