2018 MAZDA MODEL CX-9 steering wheel

Driving
•Your Mazda will handle differently 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.
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other vehicles, and provide plenty of r oom before changing lanes.
Crosswinds from passing vehicles, especially larger ones, and t he effects of rough roads will
affect handling.
If swaying occurs, fir mly grip the steering wheel and reduce speed immediately, but
gradually.
Steer straight ahead. If no extreme correction of steering or b raking is made, the
combination of less speed and firm steering will result in stab ility.
Backing up
Backing a vehicle with a trailer requires practice and patience . Back slowly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of th e trailer to reduce the risk of an accident.
To turn the trailer, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it in the
direction you want the trailer to go. Make only slight movements to prevent sharp or
prolonged turning.
Ascending a hill
Shift into a lower gear to reduce the possibility of overloadin g or overheating the engine, or
both.
Before Driving
To w i n g
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Descending a hill
Shift into a lower gear and use engine compression as a braking effect.
WA R N I N G
Always use lower gears to reduce speed:
Holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently is dangerous as it could cause the
brakes to overheat and lose power, resulting in loss of control and a serious accident. Use
lower gears to help reduce speed. Pull off the road and allow brakes to cool down whenever
braking performance feels reduced.
Overheated engine
The extra weight of the trailer may strain the engine on hot days and on long or steep
upgrades.
If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, turn off the ai r conditioner, drive safely to
the side of the road, park off the right-of-way and wait for en gine to cool. Refer to
Overheating on page 7-25.
Parking
Always make sure the tires of the trailer and the tow vehicle a re 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 t he 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 depres s 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.
Before Driving
To w i n g
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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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Drive Selection
Drive selection is a system to switch the vehicle's drive mode. When the sport mode is
selected, vehicle's response against accelerator operation is enhanced. This provides
additional quick acceleration which may be needed to safely mak e maneuvers such as lane
changes, merging onto freeways, or passing other vehicles.
CAUTION
Do not use the sport mode when driving on slip pery roads such as wet or snow-covered roads.
It may cause tire slipping.
NOTE
•When the sport mode is selected, driving at higher engine speeds increases and it may
increase fuel consumption. Mazda recommends that you cancel the sport mode on normal
driving.
•Drive mode cannot be switched in the following conditions:
•ABS/TCS/DSC is operating
•The Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system/cruise control is operating.
•Steering wheel is being operated abruptly
When Driving
Drive Selection
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Power Steering
•Power steering is only operable when
the engine is running. If the engine is off
or if the power steering system is
inoperable, you can still steer, but it
requires more physical effort.
If the steering feels stiffer than usual
during normal driving or the steering
vibrates, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
•The warning indication/warning light
notifies the driver of system
abnormalities and operation conditions.
In addition, the buzzer may also activate
depending on the system abnormality or
operation condition.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-32.
Refer to Power Steering Warning
Buzzer on page 7-50.
CAUTION
Never hold the steering wheel to the
extreme left or right for more than 5
seconds with the engine running. This
could damage the power steering system.
When Driving
Power Steering
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Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)*
The adaptive front lighting system (AFS) automatically adjusts the headlight beams to the
left or right in conjunction with the operation of the steering wheel after the headlights have
been turned on.
A system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-31.
NOTE
The Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) func tion can be switched to operable/inoperable
using the personalization function.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-11.
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
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Lane-keep Assist System (LAS) & Lane DepartureWarning System (LDWS)
*
The LAS&LDWS alerts the driver th at the vehicle may be deviating from its lane and it
provides steering assistance to help the driver stay within the vehicle lanes.
The Forward Sensing Camera (FSC) detects the white lines (yello w lines) of the vehicle
lane in which the vehicle is traveling and if the system determ ines that the vehicle may
deviate from its lane, it operates the electric power steering to assist the driver's steering
operation. The system also alerts the driver by activating a la ne departure warning sound,
vibrating the steering wheel, and indicating an alert in the di splay. Use the system when you
drive the vehicle on ro ads with white (yellow) lines such as ex pressways and highways.
Refer to Forward Sensing Camera (FSC) on page 4-145.
Forward Sensing
Camera (FSC)
WA R N I N G
Do not rely completely on the LAS&LDWS:
 The LAS&LDWS is not an automatic driving syst em. In addition, the system is not designed
to compensate for a driver's lack of caution, and over-reliance on the system could lead to
an accident.
 The detection ability of the LAS&LDWS is limite d. Always stay on course using the steering
wheel and drive with care.
Do not use the LAS&LDWS in the following cases:
The system may not operate adequately accordin g to the actual driving conditions, resulting
in an accident.
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
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Driving on roads with tight curves.
 Driving under bad weather conditions (rain, fog, and snow).
 Slippery roads such as ice or snow-bound roads.
 Roads with heavy traffic and insufficient distance between vehicles.
 Roads with no white (yellow) lane lines.
 Narrow roads resulting from road construction or lane closures.
 The vehicle is driven on a temp orary lane or section with a closed lane resulting from road
construction where there may be multiple white (yellow) lane lines or they are interrupted.
 Vehicle is driven on roads other than expressways and highways.
 The tire pressures are not adjusted to the
specified pressure.
 Tires of a different specified size are used, such as an emergency spare tire.
CAUTION
Heed the following cautions so that the LAS&LDWS can operate normally.
Do not modify the suspensions.
 Always use wheels of the
specified type and size for the front and rear wheels. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer for tire replacement.
NOTE
•When the turn signal lever is operated for a lane change, the LAS&LDWS is
automatically disabled. The LAS&LDWS becomes operational again when the turn signal
lever is returned and the system detects white (yellow) lane lines while the vehicle is being
driven normally within its vehicle lane.
•If the steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal is operated abruptly and the
vehicle moves close to a white (yellow) line, the system determines that the driver is
making a lane change and the LAS&LDWS operation is temporarily canceled. The
LAS&LDWS becomes operational again when the system detects white (yellow) lane lines
while the vehicle is being driven normally within its vehicle lane.
•If the vehicle deviates from its lane repe atedly within a short period of time, the
LAS&LDWS may not operate.
•When white (yellow) lane lines are not detected, the LAS&LDWS does not operate.
•Under the following conditions, the LAS&LDWS may not be able to detect white (yellow)
lane lines correctly and it may not operate normally.
•If an object placed on the dashboard is reflected in the windshield and picked up by the
camera.
•Heavy luggage is loaded in the luggage compartment or on the rear seat and the
vehicle is tilted.
•The tire pressures are not adjusted to the specified pressure.
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
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