2017 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 RF manual transmission

4–17
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
NOTE
Engine restarts automatically while engine idling is stopped
Under the following conditions, the engine restarts automatically.
 
 The i-stop OFF switch is pressed until the beep sounds. 
 The ambient temperature is extremely high or low. 
(Manual Air-Conditioning)



 The airÀ ow mode dial of the air conditioner is in the ( ) position and the fan
control dial is in a position other than 0.
 


 The airÀ ow amount is the maximum airÀ ow amount. 

(Fully Automatic Air-Conditioning)



 The airÀ ow mode dial of the air conditioner is in the ( ) position.



 The temperature setting dial of the air conditioner is in the maximum heating or
maximum cooling (A/C ON) position.
 


 The cabin temperature differs greatly from the set temperature of the air conditioner. 

 The brakes are released slightly on a slope and the vehicle begins to move. 
 Two minutes have elapsed since the idling was stopped. 
 The battery power is depleted. 
(Automatic transmission)




 The accelerator pedal is depressed with the selector lever in the D or M (not in
second gear ¿ xed mode) position.




 The selector lever is shifted to the R position.



 The selector lever is shifted from N or P position to D or M (not in second gear ¿ xed
mode) position.
 


 The steering wheel is operated with the selector lever in the D or M (not in second
gear¿ xed mode) position.




 The selector lever is in the M position and the second gear ¿ xed mode is selected. 

(Retractable fastback model) The retractable fastback switch is operated. 
(Except European model)




(Manual transmission)
 With the shift lever in the neutral position, the driver's seat belt is unfastened and the
driver's door is opened.
 


(Automatic transmission)

 With the selector lever in the N or P position, the driver's seat belt is unfastened and
the driver's door is opened.
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4–19
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
i-stop warning light (amber)
When the light is turned on
 




 The light turns on when the ignition is switched ON and turns off when the engine is
started.
 


 The light turns on when the i-stop OFF switch is pressed and the system is turned off.



 The light turns on if the following operations are performed while engine idling is
stopped. In such cases, the engine does not restart automatically to ensure safety. Start the
engine using the normal method.
 

 
 The bonnet is opened.


 
(European model)
 The driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door is opened.


 
(Except European model)



 
(Manual transmission)
 With the shift lever in a position other than neutral, the driver's seat belt is unfastened
and the driver's door is opened.
 

 
(Automatic transmission)
 With the selector lever in the D or M (not in second gear ¿ xed mode) position, the
driver's seat belt is unfastened and the driver's door is opened.
NOTE
A problem in the system may be indicated under the following conditions. Have your
vehicle inspected at an expert repairer, we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer.
 
 The light does not turn on when the ignition is switched ON. 
 The light continues to remain on even though the i-stop OFF switch has been pressed
while the engine is running.
When the light is À ashing
The light continues to À ash if the system has a malfunction. Have your vehicle inspected at
an expert repairer, we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer.
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4–20
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
i-stop indicator light (green)
When the light is turned on
 




 The light turns on while engine idling is stopped and turns off when the engine is
restarted.
 


(Except European model)
 The light turns on when the engine idling stop conditions are met while the vehicle is
driven.
When the light is À ashing






(Manual transmission)
 The light À ashes when the shift lever is shifted to a position other than the neutral while
engine idling is stopped to notify the driver that engine idling is stopped.
  By depressing the clutch pedal, the engine restarts automatically and the light turns off.



(European model)



 
 The light À ashes when the driver's door is opened while engine idling is stopped to
notify the driver that engine idling is stopped. It turns off when the driver's door is
closed.
 

 
 If the engine is restarted due to low battery voltage while the engine idling is stopped,
the i-stop indicator light (green) in the instrument cluster À ashes for about 3 seconds.
However, when the engine is restarted automatically after operating the retractable
fastback switch, the i-stop indicator light (green) in the instrument cluster does not À ash.




(Except European model)



 
(Automatic transmission)
 The light À ashes if the vehicle is stopped but the brake pedal is not depressed with
suf¿ cient force. Depress the brake pedal a little more strongly because the pedal force
may be insuf¿ cient.
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4–48
When Driving
Transmission
Manual Transmission
Operation
Manual Transmission Shift Pattern
Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transmission is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a device to
prevent shifting to R (reverse) by mistake.
Push the shift lever downward and shift
to R.
WARNING
Do not use sudden 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.
Always leave the shift lever in 1 or
R position and set the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle unattended:
Otherwise the vehicle could move and
cause an accident.
CAUTION
  Keep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also, do
not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
on an upgrade. Riding the clutch
will cause needless clutch wear and
damage.
  Do not apply any excessive lateral
force to the shift lever when
changing from 5th to 4th gear. This
could lead to the accidental selection
of 2nd gear, which could result in
damage to the transmission.
  Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to
R. Shifting to R while the vehicle
is still moving may damage the
transmission.
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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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4–55
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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