2017 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 RF Owners Manual (in English)

4–51
When Driving
Transmission
Automatic Transmission Controls
Lock-release button
Indicates the selector lever can be shifted freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in the lock-release button to shift. Indicates that you must depress the brake pedal and hold in the lock-release
button to shift (The ignition must be switched ON). Various Lockouts:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transmission
that gives the driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it to the
transmission to shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transmission functions
as a traditional automatic, you should also be aware that you can inadvertently shift
into manual shift mode and an inappropriate gear may be retained as the vehicle speed
increases. If you notice the engine speed going higher or hear the engine racing, con¿ rm
you have not accidentally slipped into manual shift mode (page 4-55 ).
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4–52
When Driving
Transmission
Shift Position Indication
The selector position is indicated when the
ignition is switched ON.
NOTE
If one of the following actions is
performed, the selector position is
displayed for 5 minutes even if the
ignition switch is in a position other than
ON.
 
 The ignition is switched OFF. 
 The driver's door is opened.
Gear position indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication illuminates and the
numeral for the selected gear is displayed.
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-42 .
Transmission Ranges
 












 The shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates. Refer
to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-42 .
 


 The selector lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transmission and prevents the
rear wheels from rotating.
WARNING
Always set the selector lever to P and
set the parking brake:
Only setting the selector lever to the
P position without using the parking
brake to hold the vehicle is dangerous.
If P fails to hold, the vehicle could
move and cause an accident.
CAUTION
  Shifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transmission.
  Shifting into a driving gear or
reverse when the engine is running
faster than idle can damage the
transmission.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete
stop before shifting to or from R, except
under rare circumstances as explained in
Rocking the Vehicle (page 3-62 ).
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4–53
When Driving
Transmission
NOTE
(With parking sensor system)
When the selector lever is shifted to the
R position with the ignition switched
ON, the parking sensor system is
activated and a beep sound is heard.
Refer to Parking Sensor System on page
4-148 .
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
WARNING
If the engine is running faster than
idle, do not shift from N or P into a
driving gear:
It's dangerous to shift from N or P
into a driving gear when the engine
is running faster than idle. If this is
done, the vehicle could move suddenly,
causing an accident or serious injury.
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle:
Shifting into N while driving is
dangerous. Engine braking cannot be
applied when decelerating which could
lead to an accident or serious injury.
CAUTION
Do not shift into N when driving
the vehicle. Doing so can cause
transmission damage.
NOTE
Apply the parking brake or depress the
brake pedal before moving the selector
lever from N to prevent the vehicle from
moving unexpectedly.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transmission will automatically
shift through a 6-gear sequence.
M (Manual)


M is the manual shift mode position. Gears
can be shifted up or down by operating the
selector lever. Refer to Manual Shift Mode
on page 4-55 .
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transmission
shift points to best suit the road conditions
and driver input. This improves driving
feel. The transmission may switch to AAS
mode when driving up and down slopes,
cornering, driving at high elevations,
or depressing the accelerator pedal
quickly while the selector lever is in the
D position. Depending on the road and
driving conditions/vehicle operations, gear
shifting could be delayed or not occur,
however, this does not indicate a problem
because the AAS mode will maintain the
optimum gear position.
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4–54
When Driving
Transmission
Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system prevents shifting out
of P unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift from P:
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
NOTE
  When the ignition is switched to
ACC or the ignition is switched off,
the selector lever cannot be shifted
from P.
  The ignition cannot be switched to
OFF if the selector lever is not in P.
Shift-Lock Override
If the selector lever will not move from P
using the proper shift procedure, continue
to hold down the brake pedal.
Ty p e A
1. Remove the shift-lock override cover
using a cloth-wrapped À at head
screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.
Cover
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
Take the vehicle to an expert repairer, we
recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer
to have the system checked.
Ty p e B
1. Press the lock-release button with the
button pressed.
Lock-release button
button
2. Move the selector lever.
Take the vehicle to an expert repairer, we
recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer
to have the system checked.
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4–55
When Driving
Transmission
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.
NOTE
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.
NOTE
  If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
  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
NOTE
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).
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4–56
When Driving
Transmission
*Some models.
Gear Shift Indicator *
The gear shift indicator supports you to
obtain optimum fuel economy and smooth
driving. It displays the selected gear
position in the instrument cluster as well
as noti¿ es the driver to change to the most
suitable gear position corresponding to the
actual driving condition.
Selected gear position Suitable gear position
Indication Condition
Numeral The selected gear position is
displayed.
and numeral Shift up or down to the indicated
gear position is recommended.
CAUTION
Do not rely solely on the shift-up/
shift-down recommendations by
indications. The actual driving situation
might require shift operations different
from indication. To avoid the risk of
accidents, the road and traf¿ c conditions
have to be judged correctly by the driver
before shifting.
NOTE
The gear shift indicator turns off when
the following operations are performed.
 
 The vehicle is stopped. 
 Manual shift mode is cancelled.
Manually shifting up
You can shift gears up by operating
the selector lever or the steering shift
switches
* .
M 1
: M2
: M3
: M4
: M5
: M6
Using selector lever
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the
selector lever back
once.
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4–57
When Driving
Transmission
*Some models.
Using steering shift switch *
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the UP switch
(
) toward you once with your
¿ ngers.
UP switch (+/OFF)
WARNING
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using ¿ 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.
NOTE
  When driving slowly, the gears may
not shift up.
  Do not drive the vehicle with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE
while in manual shift mode. In
addition, manual shift mode switches
to automatic shift mode while the
accelerator pedal is completely
depressed.
 This function is cancelled while
the DSC is turned off. However,
if the vehicle is continuously
driven at a high rpm, the gears may
automatically shift up to protect the
engine.
  The steering shift switch can be used
temporarily even if the selector lever
is in the D position while driving. In
addition, it returns to automatic shift
mode when the UP switch (
)
is pulled rearward for a suf¿ cient
amount of time.
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4–58
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 tyre speed could
cause the tyres to skid. This could
lead to loss of vehicle control and an
accident.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using ¿ 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.
NOTE
  When driving at high speeds, the
gear may not shift down.
  During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending
on vehicle speed.
  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.
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