2017 MAZDA MX5 MIATA ignition

4 –36 When Driving
Transmission
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 4-37 .
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. 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.
1. Remove the shift-lock override cover
using a cloth-wrapped flat head
screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.

C ove r
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
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4 –45 When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lighting Control HeadlightsTurn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
When the lights are turned on, the lights-on indicator light in the instrument cluster turns on.
NOTE 
If the light switch is left on, the lights will automatically switch off approximately 30
seconds after switching the ignition off.
The time setting can be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-9 .
To prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while the engine is off unless
safety requires them.
Without auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition Position ON ACC or
OFF ON ACC or
OFF ON ACC or
OFF
Headlights Off Off Off Off On On *2
Daytime running lights On *1
Off On *1
Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illumination Off Off On On *2
On On *2
*1 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven.
*2 The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto he adlight off function.
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4 –46 When Driving
Switches and Controls With auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition Position ON ACC
or OFF ON ACC
or OFF ON ACC
or OFF ON ACC
or OFF
Headlights Off Off Auto *2
Auto *3
Off Off On On *5
Daytime running lights On *1
Off On *4
Off On *1
Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illumination Off Off Auto *2
Auto *3
On On *5
On On *5
*1 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven.
*2 The lights are turned on by the auto light function.
*3 The lights are turned on continuously if the ignition is switch ed from ON to any other position with the lights
turned on. The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto headlight off function.
*4 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven, and turned off when the headlights are turned on by the auto
light function.
*5 The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto he adlight off function.
MX-5_8FR4-EA-16J_Edition1.indb 46 2016/08/11 20:28:52

4 –47 When Driving
Switches and Controls
*Some models.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 dashboard illumination on or off.
CAUTION 
Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windshield. 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 windshield when the wiper lever is in the position and the
ignition is switched ON as fingers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades could be
damaged when the wipers activate automatically. If you are going to clean the windshield,
be sure the wipers are turned off completely when it is particularly tempting to leave the
engine running. This is particularly important when clearing ice and snow.
NOTE 
The headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination may not turn off
immediately even if the surrounding area becomes well-lit because the light sensor
determines that it is night time if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several
minutes such as inside long tunnels, traffic jams inside tunnels , or in indoor parking lots.
In this case, the lights turn off if the light switch is turned to the position.
The dashboard illumination can be adjusted by rotating the knob in the instrument cluster.
Also, the day/night mode can be changed by rotating the knob until a beep sound is heard.
To adjust the brightness of the dashboard illumination:
Refer to Dashboard Illumination on page 4-15 .
The sensitivity of the auto-light control may be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-9 .
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4 –48 When Driving
Switches and Controls Headlight High-Low BeamThe headlights switch between high and
low beams by moving the lever forward or
backward. High beam
Low beam
When the headlight high-beams are on,
the headlight high-beam indicator light is
turned on.
Flashing the HeadlightsCan be used when the ignition is switched
ON.
To flash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (the headlight switch does not
need to be on). OFF
Headlight
flashing The headlight high-beam indicator light
in the instrument cluster illuminates
simultaneously. The lever will return to the
normal position when released.
Coming Home Light The coming home light turns on the
headlights (low beams) when the lever is
operated.
To turn on the lights
When the lever is pulled with the ignition
switched to ACC or OFF, the low beam
headlights turn on.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed after the doors
are closed.
NOTE 
The time until the headlights turn off
after all of the doors are closed can be
changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on
page 9-9 . 
If no operations are done for 3 minutes
after the lever is pulled, the headlights
turn off. 
The headlights turn off if the lever is
pulled again while the headlights are
illuminated.
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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 .
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4 –50 When Driving
Switches and Controls
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals The ignition must be switched ON to use
the turn and lane-change signals.
Turn SignalsMove the signal lever down (for a left
turn) or up (for a right turn) to the stop
position. The signal will self-cancel after
the turn is completed.
If the indicator light continues to flash
after a turn, manually return the lever to its
original position. Right turn
Left turnRight lane change
Left lane change OFF
The turn signal indicators in the instrument
cluster flash according to the operation of
the turn signal lever to show which signal
is working. NOTE 
If an indicator light stays on without
flashing or if it flashes abnormally, one
of the turn signal bulbs may be burned
out. 
A personalized function is available to
change the turn indicator sound volume.
(page 9-9 )
Lane-Change Signals Move the lever halfway toward the
direction of the lane change—until the
indicator flashes— and hold it there. It will
return to the off position when released.
Three-Flash Turn Signal After releasing the turn signal lever, the
turn signal indicator flashes three times.
The operation can be cancelled by moving
the lever in the direction opposite to which
it was operated.
NOTE
The three-flash turn signal function can be
switched to operable/inoperable using the
personalization function.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-9 .
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4 –51 When Driving
Switches and Controls
Windshield Wipers and
Washer The ignition must be switched ON to use
the wipers.
WARNING Use only windshield washer fluid or
plain water in the reservoir:
Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
affect your visibility, and could result in
an accident.
Only use windshield washer fluid mixed
with anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions:
Using windshield washer fluid without
anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions is dangerous as
it could freeze on the windshield and
block your vision which could cause
an accident. In addition, make sure
the windshield is sufficiently warmed
using the defroster before spraying the
washer fluid. NOTE
If the windshield wipers are operated
under cold weather conditions or
during snowfall, they could stop due to
accumulated snow on the windshield.
If the windshield wipers stop due to
accumulated snow on the windshield,
park the vehicle in a safe place, turn the
wiper switch off, and then remove the
accumulated snow. If the wiper switch is
turned to another position other than OFF,
the wipers will operate. If the wipers do
not operate even though the wiper switch
is turned to a position other than OFF,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible.
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