2018 MAZDA MODEL CX-5 tow

▼Safety Chains
Safety chains must be used as a precautionary measure should th
e trailer become
unintentionally unhitched. They should cross under the trailer tongue and attach to the hitch.
Leave enough slack to allow full turns. Consult literature publ ished by your trailer or hitch
manufacturer for more details.
WA R N I N G
Make sure the safety chain is securely attached to both the trailer and the vehicle prior to
departure:
Towing a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer and the
vehicle is dangerous. If damage occurs to the coupling unit or hitch ball, the trailer could
wander into another lane and cause a collision.
▼ Trailer Lights
Trailer lights must comply with
all federal, state, and local regulations. Equip your trailer as
required before towing it day or night.
CAUTION
Do not connect a trailer lighting system directl y to the lighting system of your Mazda. This
may damage your vehicle's electrical system an d lighting systems. Have a recreational vehicle
dealer or trailer rental agency connect the system, and inspect the brake lights and turn
signals yourself before each trip.
▼ Trailer Brakes
If the total trailer weight ex
ceeds 450 kg (1,000 lb), trailer brakes are required. If your trailer
has brakes, make sure they comply with all federal, state, and local regulations.
WA R N I N G
Do not connect a hydraulic trailer-brake system to your vehicle's brake system:
Connecting a hydraulic trailer-brake system directly to the vehicle brake system is dangerous
and will result in inadequate braking and possible injury.
Before Driving
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▼Trailer Towing Tips
•Verify that your Mazda
maintains a near-normal attitude when a loaded or unloaded trailer
is connected. Do not drive if it has an abn ormal front-up or front-down position. Inspect
for incorrect tongue load, worn suspension parts, and trailer o verloading.
•Make sure the trailer is properly loaded and the cargo is secur e to prevent it from shifting.
•Make sure the mirrors conform to all government regulations. If they do not, install
required rear view mirrors appr opriate for towing purposes.
The three main causes of vehicle-trailer accidents are driver e rror, excessive speed, and
improper trailer loading.
Before driving
•Have your cooling and braking system checked by an Authorized M azda Dealer.
•Before starting out, inspect the operation of all vehicle and trailer lights and all
vehicle-to-trailer connections. S top and re-inspect all lights and connections after driving
a short distance.
Driving
•Your Mazda will handle differe ntly with a trailer in tow, so practice turning, backing, and
stopping in a traffic-free area.
•Take time to get accustomed to the extra weight and length.
•Allow more room between your vehicle and the one in front becau se braking distance
increases with a trailer. For eac h 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, a llow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between your Mazda and the vehicle ahead.
•Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
•Avoid sudden braking. It may cau se loss of control and result in jackknifing, especially so
on wet or slippery roads.
•Shift the selector lever to the D position when towing a traile r in hilly terrain or when
heavily loaded.
The D position will allow opera ting the vehicle without frequen t shifting.
Lane changes and turning
Avoid quick lane changes, sudden turns, and tight turns. Slow d own before turning to avoid
the need of sudden braking.
A turning trailer will make a tigh ter arc than the tow vehicle. Compensate with turns that are
larger than normal.
Before Driving
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Parking
Always make sure the tires of the trailer and the tow vehicle are blocked while parked.
Apply the parking brake firmly and put the transaxle in P.
Avoid parking on an incline, but if you must, follow these instructions:
1. Depress and hold down the brake pedal.
2. Have a helper put wheel blocks against the downhill side of a ll vehicle and trailer tires.
3. Then release the brake pedal slowly until the blocks bear the load.
•If the grade is downhill, turn the steering wheel so that the front of the front tires face
the curb.
•If it is uphill, face the rear of the front tires against the curb.
4. Firmly apply th e parking brake.
5. Shift the transaxle into P, and stop the engine.
To restart after parking on an incline:
1. With the transaxle in P, start the engine. (Be sure to depress and hold the brake pedal.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also the foot brake) and pull away from the wheel blocks. Stop; apply the parking brake and shift into P.
4. Have a helper retrieve the wheel blocks.
Fuel consumption
Trailer towing causes higher fuel consumption.
Maintenance
If you tow a trailer frequently, have your vehicle serviced as shown in Scheduled
Maintenance (page 6-4).
Before Driving
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Recreational Towing
An example of "recreational towing" is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transaxle is not designed for towing
this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
"Towing Description" (page 7-20) and
"Tiedown Hooks" (page 7-21) and
carefully follow the instructions.
Before Driving
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▼Headlight High-Low Beam
The 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 Headlights
Can be used when the ignition is switched
ON.
To flash the headlight
s, pull the lever fully
towards you (th e 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.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Turn and Lane-ChangeSignals
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the turn and lane -change signals.
▼Turn Signals
Move the signal lever down (for a left
turn) or up (for a righ
t 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 turn
Right 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 direct
ion 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.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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•If the headlight switch and the
windshield wiper switch are in
,
and the wipers are operated at low or
high speed by the auto wiper control for
several seconds, bad weather conditions
are determined and the headlights may
be turned on.
•The auto-wiper control functions can be
turned off. Refer to Personalization
Features on page 9-9.
▼ Windshield Washer
Pull the lever toward
you and hold it to
spray washer fluid.

Washer
OFF
NOTE
If the windshield washer is turned on when
the windshield wipers are not operating,
the windshield wipers operate a few times.
If the washer does not work, inspect the
fluid level (page 6-20). If the fluid level
is normal, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Rear Window Wiper and
Wa s h e r
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the wiper.
▼Rear Window Wiper
Turn the wiper on by turning the rear
wiper/washer switch.
Switch Posi-
tion Wiper operation
Stop
Intermittent
Normal
▼
Rear Window Washer
To spray washer fluid,
turn the rear wiper/
washer switch to either of the
position.
After the switch is released, the washer
will stop.
If the washer does no t work, inspect the
fluid level (page 6-20). If the fluid level
is normal and the washer still does not
work, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Horn
To sound the horn, press the mark on
the steering wheel.
Hazard Warning Flasher
The hazard warning lights should always
be used when you stop on or near a
roadway in an emergency.

The hazard warning lights warn other
drivers that your vehicle is a traffic hazard
and that they must take extreme caution
when near it.

Depress the hazard warning flasher and all
the turn signals will flash. The hazard
warning indicator lights in the instrument
cluster flash simultaneously.
NOTE
•The turn signals do not work when the
hazard warning lights are on.
•Check local regulations about the use of
hazard warning lights while the vehicle
is being towed to verify that it is not in
violation of the law.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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