Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).
Follow this procedure:
1. If the engine does not start within fiveseconds on the first try, wait ten
seconds and try again.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the accelerator all the way and hold it there.
4. Depress the clutch pedal (Manual transaxle) or the brake pedal
(Automatic transaxle), then press the
push button start. If the engine starts,
release the accelerator immediately
because the engine will suddenly rev
up.
5. If the engine fails to start, crank it
without depressing the accelerator.
If the engine still does not start using the
previous procedure, have your vehicle
inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Push-Starting
Do not push-start your Mazda.
WA R N I N G
Never tow a vehicle to start it:
Towing a vehicle to start it is dangerous.
The vehicle being towed could surge
forward when its engine starts, causing the
two vehicles to collide. The occupants
could be injured.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transaxle. It can damage the
emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transaxle by pushing it.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
7-19
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
Overheating
If the high engine coolant temperature
warning light turns on, the vehicle loses
power, or you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine is probably too
hot.
WA R N I N G
Pull over to a safe location, then switch
the ignition off and make sure the fan is not
running before attempting to work near
the cooling fan:
Working near the cooling fan when it is
running is dangerous. The fan could
continue running indefinitely even if the
engine has stopped and the engine
compartment temperature is high. You
could be hit by the fan and seriously
injured.
Do not remove either cooling
system cap when the engine and radiator
are hot:
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot out
under pressure and cause serious injury.
Open the hood ONLY after steam is no
longer escaping from the engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you.
If the high engine coolant temperature
warning light turns on:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and
park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transaxle in park (P), a manual
transaxle in neutral.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Turn off the air conditioner.
5. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from the engine
compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Do not go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine
until it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the
engine and call an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
6. Make sure the cooling fan is operating, then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
7. When cool, check the coolant level. If it is low, look for coolant leaks from
the radiator and hoses.
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
7-20
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.
A towed vehicle usually should have its
drive wheels (front wheels) off the ground.
If excessive damage or other conditions
prevent this, use wheel dollies.
Wheel dollies
When towing with the rear wheels on the
ground, release the parking brake.
Refer to Parking Brake on page 4-61.
Refer to Electric Parking Brake (EPB) on
page 4-61.
CAUTION
Do not tow the vehicle pointed backward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transaxle.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or flatbed equipment.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
7-22
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
( With Electric Parking Brake (EPB))
If the electric parking brake (EPB) cannot
be released when towing the vehicle,
transport the vehicle with all front and
rear wheels raised
off the ground as
shown in the figure. If the vehicle is
towed without raising the wheels off the
ground, the brake system could be
damaged.
Wheel dollies
Tiedown Hooks*
CAUTION
Do not use the front and rear tiedown
eyelets for towing the vehicle.
They have been designed only for securing
the vehicle to a transport vessel during
shipping.
Using the eyelets for any other purpose
could result in the vehicle being damaged.
▼ Tiedown Hooks
1. Remove the tiedown eyelet and the lug
wrench from the luggage compartment
(page 7-3).
2. Wrap a flathead screwdriver or similar
tool with a soft c loth to prevent
damage to a painted bumper, and open
the cap located on the front or rear
bumper.
Front
Rear
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
*Some models.7-23
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
If a Warning Light Turns On or Flashes
If any warning light turns on/flashes, take appropriate action for each light. There is no
problem if the light turns off, h owever if the light does not turn off or turns on/flashes again,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
(Vehicles with type B audio)
The details for some warnings can be viewed on the center display.
1. If the warning light is turned on, select
icon on the home screen to display the
application screen.
2. Select “Vehicle Status Monitor”.
3. Select “Warning Guidance” to display the current warnings.
4. Select the applicable warni ng to view the warning details.
▼Stop Vehicle in Safe Place Immediately
If any of the following warning
lights turns on, the system may have a malfunction. Stop the
vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact an Authorized M azda Dealer.
SignalWarning
Brake System Warning
Light Without Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
This warning has the
following functions:
Parking brake warning/Warning light inspection
The light illuminates when the par king brake is applied with the ignition switched to
START or ON. It turns off when the parking brake is fully relea sed.
Low brake fluid level warning
If the brake warning light remains illuminated even though the parking brake is re-
leased, the brake fluid may be l ow or there could be a problem with the brake system.
Park the vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact an Aut horized Mazda Dealer.
WA R N I N G
Do not drive with the brake system warning light illuminated. Contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as soon as possible:
Driving with the brake system warning light illuminated is dangerous. It indicates that
your brakes may not work at all or that they could completely fail at any time. If this
light remains illuminated, after checking that the parking brake is fully released, have
the brakes inspected immediately.
CAUTION
In addition, the effectiveness of the brakin g may diminish so you may need to depress
the brake pedal more strongly than normal to stop the vehicle.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
7-25
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
SignalWarning
Brake System Warning
Light With Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
This warning has the following functions:
Parking brake warning/Warning light inspection
The light illuminates when the electric parking brake (EPB) is
applied with the igni-
tion switched to START or ON. It turns off when the electric pa rking brake (EPB) is
released.
When the light turns on
If the brake system warning light remains turned on even though the electric parking
brake (EPB) is released, the brak e fluid may be low or there could be a problem with
the brake system. Park the vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact an Author-
ized Mazda Dealer.
When the light is flashing
The light flashes if the electric parking brake (EPB) has a mal function.
If the light remains flashing ev en if the electric parking brake (EPB) switch is operat-
ed, consult an Authorized Mazd a Dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
Do not drive with the brake system warning light illuminated. Contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as soon as possible:
Driving with the brake system warning light illuminated is dangerous. It indicates that
your brakes may not work at all or that they could completely fail at any time. If this
light remains illuminated, after checking that the parking brake is fully released, have
the brakes inspected immediately.
CAUTION
In addition, the effectiveness of the braking may diminish so you may need to depress
the brake pedal more strongly than normal to stop the vehicle.
Electronic Brake Force Distribution System Wa r n i n g If the electronic brake force di
stribution control unit determines that some compo-
nents are operating incorrectly , the control unit may illuminate the brake system
warning light and the ABS warni ng light simultaneously. The problem is likely to be
the electronic brake force distribution system.
WARNING
Do not drive with both the ABS warning light and brake warning light illuminated.
Have the vehicle towed to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the brakes inspected as
soon as possible:
Driving when the brake system warning ligh t and ABS warning light are illuminated si‐
multaneously is dangerous.
When both lights are illuminated, the rear wheels could lock more quickly in an emer‐
gency stop than under normal circumstances.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
7-26
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
SignalWarning
Power Steering Mal-
function Indicator Light The light illuminates/flashes if the electric power steering ha
s a malfunction.
If the light illuminates/flashes, stop the vehicle in a safe pl ace and do not operate the
steering wheel. There is no problem if the light turns off afte r a while. Contact an Au-
thorized Mazda Dealer if the lig ht illuminates/flashes continuously.
NOTE
If the indicator light illuminates/flashes, the power steering will not operate normal-
ly. In this happens, the st eering wheel can still be oper ated, however, the operation
may feel heavy compar ed to normal, or the steering wheel could vibrate when turn-
ing.
Repeatedly jerking the steering wheel left and right while the vehicle is stopped or
moving extremely slowly will cause the power steering system to go into protective
mode which will make the steering feel heavy, but this does not indicate a problem. If
this occurs, park the vehicle safely and wait several minutes for the system to return
to normal.
▼ Contact Authorized Mazda Deal
er and Have Vehicle Inspected
If any of the following warning lights o r the indicator light turns on/flashes, the system may
have a malfunction. Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have your vehicle inspected.
SignalWarning
ABS Warning LightIf the ABS warning light stays on while you're driving, the ABS
control unit has detected
a system malfunction. If this occurs, your brakes will function normally as if the vehicle
had no ABS.
Should this happen, consult an A uthorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
NOTE
When the engine is jump-started to charge the battery, uneven rpm occurs and the ABS
warning light may illuminate. If this occurs, it is the result of the weak battery and does
not indicate an ABS malfunction.
The brake assist system does not operate while the ABS warning light is illuminated.
Master Warning
Light
(Vehicles with type B audio)
The light turns on when the system has a malfunction.
Operate the center display and verify the content.
Refer to If a Warning Light Turns On or Flashes on page 7-25.
(Vehicles without type B audio)
The light illuminates continuously if any one of the following occurs. Consult an Au-
thorized Mazda Dealer.
There is a malfunction in the battery management system.There is a malfunction in the brake switch.
Electric Parking
Brake (EPB) Warn-
ing Light
*
The warning light illuminates when the system has a malfunction . Have your vehicle in-
spected at an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
7-28*Some models.
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21
CAUTION
Operate the accelerator and shift gears
according to the driving conditions so that
the buzzer does not sound. If the engine
speed exceeds the permissible engine
speed, the engine could be damaged.
▼ Electric Parking Brake (EPB)
Warning Beep
The warning buzzer is activated under the
following conditions:
The vehicle is driven with the electric
parking brake (EPB) applied.
The electric parking brake (EPB) switch
is pulled while the
vehicle is driven.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
7-42
Mazda3_8GE4-EA-17F_Edition1 2017-4-7 11:59:21