2017 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 RF ignition

4–49
When Driving
Transmission
NOTE
  A natural driving posture can be
realized by lightly gripping the shift
lever from the side without having to
rest your elbow on the centre console
box.

  If shifting to R is dif¿ cult, shift back
into neutral, release the clutch pedal,
and try again.
 (With i-stop function) If the engine has stopped due to
stalling, it can be restarted by
depressing the clutch pedal within 3
seconds of the engine stopping.
 The engine cannot be restarted even
if the clutch pedal is depressed under
the following conditions:
 


 The driver's door is open.



 The driver's seat belt is unfastened.



 The clutch pedal is not released
completely after the engine stalled.
 


 The clutch pedal is depressed with
the engine not stopped completely.
NOTE
 (With parking sensor system) When the shift 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 .
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.
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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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4–54
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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4–64
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Without auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition Position ON ACC or
OFF O N ACC or
OFF O N ACC or
OFF
Headlights Off Off Off Off On Off
Running lights On
*1 Off Off Off Off Off
Tail lights
Position lights
Number plate lights
Instrument panel illumination On
*2 Off On On On On *3
*1 It turns on while driving the vehicle.
*2 When the running lights are turned on, the position lights, tail lights, and number plate lights turn on. The
instrument panel illumination does not turn on.
*3 If the driver's door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.
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4–65
When Driving
Switches and Controls
With auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition Position ON ACC
or OFF O N ACC
or OFF O N ACC
or OFF O N ACC
or OFF
Headlights Off Off Auto
*1 Off Off Off On Off
Running lights On *2 Off Auto *1 Off Off Off Off Off
Tail lights
Position lights
Number plate lights
Instrument panel illumination On
*3 Off Auto *1 On *4 /
Off *5 On On On On *6
*1 The headlight and other light settings switch automatically depending on the surrounding brightness detected by
the sensor.
*2 It turns on while driving the vehicle.
*3 When the running lights are turned on, the position lights, tail lights, and number plate lights turn on. The
instrument panel illumination does not turn on.
*4 While the lights are turned on, they will remain on even if the ignition is switched to a position other than ON .
If the driver’s door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.
*5 When the ignition is switched to a position other than ON , the lights will not turn on even if the light switch is
switched to
.
*6 If the driver’s door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.
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4–66
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Auto-light control
When the headlight switch is in the
position and the ignition is switched ON, the light
sensor senses the surrounding lightness or darkness and automatically turns the headlights,
other exterior lights and instrument panel illumination on or off (see chart above).
CAUTION
  Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windscreen.
Otherwise the light sensor will not operate correctly.

  The light sensor also works as a rain sensor for the auto-wiper control. Keep hands and
scrapers clear of the windscreen when the wiper lever is in the
position and the
ignition is switched ON as ¿ ngers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades
damaged when the wipers activate automatically. If you are going to clean the
windscreen, be sure the wipers are turned off completely — this is particularly
important when clearing ice and snow — when it is particularly tempting to leave the
engine running.
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