3–27
Before Driving
Steering Wheel
Steering Wheel
WARNING
Never adjust the steering wheel while
the vehicle is moving:
Adjusting the steering wheel while
the vehicle is moving is dangerous.
Moving it can very easily cause the
driver to abruptly turn to the left or
right. This can lead to loss of control or
an accident.
Steering Wheel Adjustment
To change the angle of the steering wheel:
1. Stop the vehicle, and then pull down
the lock release lever under the steering
column.
Lock release lever
2. Tilt the steering wheel to the desired
positions, then push the lever up to lock
the column.
3. Attempt to push the steering wheel
up and down to make sure it's locked
before driving.
/ : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D / : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D
3–52
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 tire
speed could cause the tires 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:
y Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
y Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
y Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-65 .
y If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the rear
wheels.
y 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 rear
wheels.
N O T E
Use snow chains only on the rear wheels.
Floor Mat
We recommend the use of Genuine
Mazda À oor mats.
WARNING
Make sure the fl oor mats are hooked on
the retention pins to prevent them from
bunching up under the foot pedals:
Using a fl oor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.
Do not install two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side:
Installing two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side is
dangerous as the retention pins can
only keep one fl oor mat from sliding
forward.
Loose fl oor mat(s) will interfere with
the foot pedal and could result in an
accident.
If using an all weather mat for winter
use always remove the original fl oor
mat.
When setting a À oor mat, position the À oor
mat so that its grommets are inserted over
the pointed end of the retention posts.
/ : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D / : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D
4–37
When Driving
Transmission
Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda
Dealer to have the system checked.
Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel
of driving a manual transmission vehicle
by allowing you to operate the selector
lever manually. This allows you to control
engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels
much like a manual transmission when
more control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.
N O T E
Changing to manual shift mode while
driving will not damage the transmission.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the
lever from M to D.
N O T E
y If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
y If you change to manual shift mode
without depressing the accelerator
pedal when driving in D range, 5th
gear/6th gear, the gear will shift to M4/
M5.
Indicators
Manual shift mode indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication in the instrument panel
illuminates.
Gear position indication
The numeral for the selected gear
illuminates.
Manual shift mode indication
Gear position indication
N O T E
If the gears cannot be shifted down when
driving at higher speeds, the gear position
indication will À ash twice to signal that
the gears cannot be shifted down (to
protect the transmission).
/ : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D / : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D
4–39
When Driving
Transmission
*Some models.
Manually shifting down
You can shift gears down by operating
the selector lever or the steering shift
switches
* .
M 6 : M5 : M4 : M3 : M2: M1
Using selector lever
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the
selector lever forward
once.
Using steering shift switch
*
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
¿ ngers.
DOWN switch (-)
WARNING
Do not use engine braking on slippery
road surfaces or at high speeds:
Shifting down while driving on wet,
snowy, or frozen roads, or while driving
at high speeds causes sudden engine
braking, which is dangerous. The
sudden change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid. This could
lead to loss of vehicle control and an
accident.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using fi ngers on the steering
shift switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of
the steering wheel when using the
steering shift switches is dangerous.
If the driver's air bag were to deploy
in a collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury.
N O T E
y When driving at high speeds, the gear
may not shift down.
y During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed.
y When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transmission will shift to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle speed.
However, the gears do not kickdown
while the DSC is turned off.
/ : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D / : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D
4–67
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Dynamic Stability
Control (DSC)
The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
automatically controls braking and engine
torque in conjunction with systems such
as ABS and TCS to help control side slip
when driving on slippery surfaces, or
during sudden or evasive maneuvering,
enhancing vehicle safety.
Refer to ABS (page 4-65 ) and TCS
(page 4-66 ).
DSC operation is possible at speeds
greater than 20 km/h (12 mph).
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-26 .
WARNING
Do not rely on the Dynamic Stability
Control as a substitute for safe driving:
The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
cannot compensate for unsafe and
reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), and hydroplaning
(reduced tire friction and road contact
because of water on the road surface).
You can still have an accident.
CAUTION
¾ The DSC may not operate correctly
unless the following are observed:
¾ Use tires of the correct size specifi ed
for your Mazda on all four wheels.
¾ Use tires of the same manufacturer,
brand and tread pattern on all four
wheels.
¾ Do not mix worn tires.
¾ The DSC may not operate correctly when
tire chains are used or a temporary spare
tire is installed because the tire diameter
changes.
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
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
/ : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D / : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D
4–71
When Driving
Drive Selection
*Some models.
Drive Selection *
Drive selection is a system to switch the vehicle's drive mode. When the sport mode
is selected, vehicle's response against accelerator operation is enhanced. This provides
additional quick acceleration which may be needed to safely make maneuvers such as lane
changes, merging onto freeways, or passing other vehicles.
CAUTION
Do not use the sport mode when driving on slippery roads such as wet or snow-covered
roads. It may cause tire slipping.
N O T E
y When the sport mode is selected, driving at higher engine speeds increases and it may
increase fuel consumption. Mazda recommends that you cancel the sport mode on normal
driving.
y Drive mode cannot be switched in the following conditions:
y ABS/TCS/DSC is operating
y Cruise control is operating.
y Steering wheel is being operated abruptly
/ : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D / : A ( 4 ' # , A ' F K V K Q P K P F D