2017 MAZDA MX5 MIATA brake light

4 –28 When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.Signal Warning Lights Page
Seat Belt Warning Light 7-41*
Door-Ajar Warning Light 7-41*
Door-Ajar Warning Indication 7-41*
Trunk lid-Ajar Warning Indication 7-41*
Low Fuel Warning Indication/Warning Light 7-41
Check Fuel Cap Warning Light *1
7-41*
Low Washer Fluid Level Warning Indication/Warning Light 7-41
*1 The light turns on when the ignition is switched on for an operation check, and turns off a few seconds later or
when the engine is started. If the light does not turn on or remains turned on, have the vehicle inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
*2 The light turns on continuously when the parking brake is applied.
Indication/Indicator Lights
These lights turn on or flash to notify the user of the system o peration status or a system
malfunction. Signal Indicator Lights Page*
Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Indicator Light *1
2-37
(White/Green) *
KEY Indicator/Indicator Light 3-8
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 28 2016/08/11 20:28:48

4 –35 When Driving
Transmission Shift Position Indication
The selector position is indicated when the
ignition is switched ON.
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 LightThe warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-26 .
Transmission Ranges 
The shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates. Refer to
Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-26 . 
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 3-53 ).
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.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 35 2016/08/11 20:28:50

4 –44 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.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 44 2016/08/11 20:28:52

4 –49 When Driving
Switches and Controls Leaving Home LightThe leaving home light turns on the lights
when the transmitter unlock button is
pressed while away from the vehicle.
The following lights turn on when the
leaving home light is operated.
Low beams, Parking lights, Taillights,
License lights.
To turn on the lights
When the ignition switch and the headlight
switch are in the following conditions,
the headlights will illuminate when the
transmitter unlock button is pressed and
the vehicle receives the transmitter signal.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed (30 seconds). 
Ignition switch: off 
Headlight switch: or Lock button
Unlock
b
utton NOTE 
Operation of the leaving home light can
be turned on or off.
Refer to Personalization Features on
page 9-9 . 
When the transmitter lock button is
pressed and the vehicle receives the
transmitter signal, the headlights turn
off. 
When the headlight switch is in a
position other than or , the
headlights turn off.
Headlight Leveling The number of passengers and weight of
cargo in the luggage compartment change
the angle of the headlights.
The angle of the headlights will be
automatically adjusted when turning on
the headlights.
Daytime Running Lights Some countries require moving vehicles
to have their lights on (daytime running
lights) during the daytime.
The daytime running lights turn on
automatically when the vehicle starts
moving.
They turn off when the parking brake is
operated or the shift lever is shifted to
the P position (automatic transmission
vehicle).
NOTE
(Except Canada)
The daytime running lights can be
deactivated.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-9 .
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 49 2016/08/11 20:28:53

4 –61 When Driving
Brake
Brake System Foot BrakeThis 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, find 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.
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 insufficient braking
operation.


Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 61 2016/08/11 20:28:57

4 –62 When Driving
Brake 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 3-53 ) regarding parking
brake use.
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and then firmly
pull the parking brake lever fully upwards
with sufficient force to hold the vehicle in
a stationary position. 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 Lights on page 4-26 .
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
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 62 2016/08/11 20:28:57

4 –64 When Driving
Brake
WARNINGDo not rely completely on Hill Launch
Assist (HLA):
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) is an auxiliary
device for accelerating from a stop
on a slope. The system only operates
for about two seconds and therefore,
relying only on the system, when
accelerating from a stop is dangerous
because the vehicle may move (roll)
unexpectedly and cause an accident.
The vehicle could roll depending on
the vehicle's load or if it is towing
something. In addition, for vehicles
with a manual transmission, the
vehicle could still roll depending on
how the clutch pedal or the accelerator
pedal is operated.
Always confirm the safety around the
vehicle before starting to drive the
vehicle. NOTE 
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
operate on a gentle slope. In addition,
the gradient of the slope on which the
system will operate changes depending
on the vehicle's load. 
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
operate if the parking brake is applied,
the vehicle has not stopped completely,
or the clutch pedal is released. 
While Hill Launch Assist (HLA) is
operating, the brake pedal may feel
stiff and vibrate, however, this does not
indicate a malfunction. 
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
operate while the TCS/DSC indicator
light is illuminated.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on
page 4-26 . 
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
turn off even if the DSC OFF switch is
pressed to turn off the TCS/DSC.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 64 2016/08/11 20:28:57

4 –65 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 4-26 .
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 tire 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 tires 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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