2017 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 RF brakes

4–62
When Driving
Transmission
NOTE
  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.
 
 While the selector lever is in the M
position and the DSC is turned off,
manual shift mode does not switch
to automatic shift mode even if
the accelerator pedal is completely
depressed. Operate the selector lever.
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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4–81
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, ¿ nd a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine stalled or
turned off is dangerous. Braking will
require more effort, 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 affected.
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4–82
When Driving
Brake
CAUTION
  Do not drive with your foot held
on the clutch pedal or brake pedal,
or hold the clutch pedal depressed
halfway unnecessarily. Doing so
could result in the following:
 


 The clutch and brake parts will
wear out more quickly.
 


 The brakes can overheat
and adversely affect brake
performance.
 
 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
insuf¿ cient braking operation.


 Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
Parking Brake
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake parts.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter
Driving (page 3-62 ) regarding parking
brake use.
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and then ¿ rmly
pull the parking brake lever fully upwards
with suf¿ cient force to hold the vehicle in
a stationary position.
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4–83
When Driving
Brake
Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and pull the
parking brake lever upwards, then press
the release button. While holding the
button, lower the parking brake lever all
the way down to the released position.
Button
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-42 .
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
When the disc brake pads become worn,
the built-in wear indicators contact the
disc plates. This causes a screeching noise
to warn that the pads should be replaced.
When you hear this noise, consult an expert
repairer, we recommend an Authorised
Mazda Repairer as soon as possible.
WARNING
Do not drive with worn disc pads:
Driving with worn disc pads is
dangerous. The brakes could fail and
cause a serious accident. As soon as
you hear a screeching noise consult
an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer.
Brake Assist
During emergency braking situations
when it is necessary to depress the brake
pedal with greater force, the brake assist
system provides braking assistance, thus
enhancing braking performance.
When the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, the brakes apply
more¿ rmly.
NOTE

 When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly,
the pedal will feel softer but the
brakes will apply more ¿ rmly. This
is a normal effect of the brake assist
operation and does not indicate a
malfunction.
  When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly, a
motor/pump operation noise may be
heard. This is a normal effect of the
brake assist and does not indicate a
malfunction.
  The brake assist equipment does not
supersede the functionality of the
vehicle's main braking system.
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4–86
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed of each wheel. If
one wheel is about to lock up, the ABS
responds by automatically releasing and
reapplying that wheel's brake.
The driver will feel a slight vibration in
the brake pedal and may hear a chattering
noise from the brake system. This is
normal ABS system operation. Continue to
depress the brake pedal without pumping
the brakes.
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-42 .
WARNING
Do not rely on ABS as a substitute for
safe driving:
The ABS cannot compensate for unsafe
and reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), driving on ice and snow,
and hydroplaning (reduced tyre friction
and road contact because of water on
the road surface). You can still have an
accident.
NOTE
  Braking distances may be longer
on loose surfaces (snow or gravel,
for example) which usually have a
hard foundation. A vehicle with a
normal braking system may require
less distance to stop under these
conditions because the tyres will
build up a wedge of surface layer
when the wheels skid.
  The sound of the ABS operating may
be heard when starting the engine
or immediately after starting the
vehicle, however, it does not indicate
a malfunction.
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4–87
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 Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-42 .
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 DSC OFF
switch (page 4-89 ).
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.
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4–124
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
Adjustable Speed Limiter Main Indication (White)/Adjustable Speed Limiter
Set Indication (Green), Adjustable Speed Limiter Main Indicator Light
(Amber)/Adjustable Speed Limiter Set Indicator Light (Green)
Type A instrument cluster
(Adjustable speed limiter main indication (white))
The indication display in white when the MODE switch is pressed and the adjustable speed
limiter is activated.
(Adjustable speed limiter set indication (green))
The indication display in green when a speed has been set.
Type B instrument cluster
(Adjustable speed limiter main indicator light (amber))
The indicator light illuminates amber when the MODE switch is pressed and the adjustable
speed limiter is activated.
(Adjustable speed limiter set indicator light (green))
The indicator light illuminates green when a speed has been set.
Speed Limiter Warning Beep
If the vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 3 km/h (2 mph) or more, a warning
sound operates continuously and the adjustable speed limiter display À ashes at the same
time. The warning sound operates and the display À ashes until the vehicle speed decreases
to the set speed or less.
Verify the safety of the surrounding area and adjust the vehicle speed by applying the
brakes. Additionally, keep a safer distance from the vehicles behind you.
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6–3
Maintenance and Care
Scheduled Maintenance
S c h e d u l e d M a i n t e n a n c e
NOTE
After the prescribed period, continue to follow the described maintenance at the
recommended intervals.
Emission control and related systems
The ignition and fuel systems are highly important to the emission control system and to
ef¿ cient engine operation. Do not tamper with them.
All inspections and adjustments must be made by an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer.
Europe
Maintenance Interval Number of months or kilometres (miles), whichever comes ¿ rst.
Months 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108
×1000 km 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
×1000 miles 12.5 25 37.5 50 62.5 75 87.5 100
112.5
Spark plugs *1 Replace every 120,000 km (75,000 miles).
Air ¿ lter
*2 R R R
Evaporative system (if installed) I I I
Drive belts
*3 I I I
Engine oil & ¿ lter Flexible
*4 Replace when indicator is ON. (Max interval: 12
months/20,000 km (12,500 miles))
Other than
À exible
*5 R R R R R R R R R
Cooling system I I I I
Engine coolant
*6 Replace at ¿ rst 200,000 km (125,000 miles) or 10 years; after
that, every 100,000 km (62,500 miles) or 5 years.
Fuel lines and hoses I I I I
Battery
*7 I I I I I I I I I
Brake lines, hoses and connections I I I I I I I I I
Brake À uid
*8 R R R R
Parking brake I I I I I I I I I
Disc brakes I I I I I I I I I
Steering operation and linkages I I I I
Manual transmission oil R
Rear differential oil
*9
Front and rear suspension, ball joints and wheel
bearing axial play I I I I
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