CAUTION
Radio equipment like this is governed by
laws in the United States.
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority
to operate the equipment.
NOTE
The keyless entry system operation may
vary due to local conditions.
The keyless entry system is fully
operational (door/fuel-filler lid lock/
unlock) when the ignition is switched
off. The system does not operate if the
ignition is switched to any position other
than off.
If the key does not operate when
pressing a button or the operational
range becomes too small, the battery
may be weak. To install a new battery,
refer to Key Battery Replacement (page
6-33).
Battery life is about one year. Replace
the battery with a new one if the KEY
indicator light (green) flashes in the
instrument cluster (for vehicles with a
type A instrument cluster (page 4-26),
messages are displayed in the
instrument cluster). Replacing the
battery about once a year is
recommended because the KEY warning
light/indicator light may not illuminate
or flash depending on the rate of battery
depletion.
Additional keys can be obtained at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer. Up to 6 keys
can be used with the keyless functions
per vehicle. Bring all keys to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer when
additional keys are required.
▼Tr a n s m i t t e r
Operation buttons
Operation indicator light
NOTE
The headlights turn on/off by operating
the transmitter. Refer to Leaving Home
Light on page 4-48.
Before Driving
Keys
3-4
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3
2018-7-17 15:48:16
Door Locks
WA R N I N G
Always take all children and pets with you
or leave a responsible person with them:
Leaving a child or a pet unattended in a
parked vehicle is dangerous. In hot
weather, temperatures inside a vehicle can
become high enough to cause brain
damage or even death.
Do not leave the key in your vehicle with
children and keep them in a place where
your children will not find or play with
them:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the key is
dangerous. This could result in someone
being badly injured or even killed.
Keep both doors locked when driving:
Unlocked doors in a moving vehicle are
dangerous. Passengers can fall out if a
door is accidentally opened and can more
easily be thrown out in an accident.
Always close both the windows and
convertible top, lock the doors and the
fuel-filler lid and take the key with you
when leaving your vehicle unattended:
Leaving your vehicle unlocked is dangerous
as children could lock themselves in a hot
vehicle, which could result in death. Also, a
vehicle left unlocked becomes an easy
target for thieves and intruders.
After closing the doors and the fuel-filler lid,
always verify that they are securely closed:
Doors and the fuel-filler lid not securely
closed are dangerous, if the vehicle is
driven with a door and the fuel-filler lid not
securely closed, the d oor and the fuel-filler
lid could open unexpectedly resulting in an
accident.
Always confirm the safety around the
vehicle before opening a door and the
fuel-filler lid:
Suddenly opening a door and the fuel-filler
lid is dangerous. A passing vehicle or a
pedestrian could be hit and cause an
accident.
CAUTION
Always
confirm the conditions around
the vehicle before opening/closing the
doors and the fuel -filler lid and use
caution during strong winds or when
parked on an incline. Not being aware of
the conditions around the vehicle is
dangerous because fingers could get
caught in the door and the fuel-filler lid
or a passing pedestrian could be hit,
resulting in an unexpected accident or
injury.
If the power window does not go up or
down automatically because the battery
is dead, slowly open/close the power
window while pressing the glass inward.
Otherwise, the power window may
contact the convertible top/roof and the
door cannot be opened/closed resulting
in damage to the window.
Before Driving
Doors and Locks
3-11
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3 2018-7-17 15:48:16
When loading or unloading luggage in
the trunk, turn off the engine. Otherwise,
you could get burned by the heat of the
exhaust gas.
▼ Opening and Closin
g the Trunk Lid
Opening the trunk lid
Using the remote release button
Push the release button.
The remote release button function can be
disabled by locking the doors using the
transmitter, auxiliary key, or a request
switch to prevent an intruder in the vehicle
from opening the trunk.
To enable the remote release button
operation, unlock the doors by using the
transmitter, auxiliary key, or a request
switch, or switch the ignition ON.
NOTE
The remote release button cannot be
disabled by locking the doors using the
door-lock switch/door-lock knob.
Refer to Locking, Unlocking with
Door-Lock Switch on page 3-15.
Refer to Locking, Unlocking with
Door-Lock Knob on page 3-18.
Using the electric trunk lid opener
(With the advanced keyless function)
A trunk lid can also be opened while the
key is being carried.
Press the electric trunk lid opener and
raise the trunk lid whe n the latch releases.
Electric trunk lid
opener
NOTE
When opening the tr unk lid with the
doors locked, it may require a few
seconds for the trunk lid latch to release
after the electric trunk lid opener is
pressed.
The trunk lid can be closed when the
doors are locked with the key left in the
vehicle. However, to prevent locking the
key in the vehicle, the trunk lid can be
opened by pressing the electric trunk lid
opener. If the trunk lid cannot be opened
despite doing this procedure, first push
the trunk lid completely closed, then
press the electric trunk lid opener to
fully open the trunk lid.
If the vehicle battery is dead or there is
a malfunction in the electrical system
and the trunk lid cannot be unlocked,
the trunk lid can be opened by
performing the emergency procedure.
Before Driving
Doors and Locks
3-20
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3 2018-7-17 15:48:16
Power Windows
The windows can be opened/closed by
operating the power window switches.
WA R N I N G
Make sure the opening is clear before
closing a window:
Closing a power window is dangerous. A
person's hands, head, or even neck could
be caught by the window and result in
serious injury or even death. This warning
applies especially to children.
Never allow children to play with power
window switches:
Power window switches that are not locked
with the power window lock switch would
allow children to operate power windows
unintentionally, which could result in
serious injury if a child's hands, head or
neck becomes caught by the window.
Make sure nothing bloc ks the w indow just
before it reaches the fully closed position or
while fully holding up the power window
switch:
Blocking the power window just before it
reaches the fully closed position or while
fully holding up the power window switch
is dangerous.
In this case, the jam-safe function cannot
prevent the window from closing all the
way. If fingers are caught, serious injuries
could occur.
Before Driving
Windows
3-31
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition32018-7-17 15:48:16
Modification and Add-OnEquipment
Mazda cannot guarantee the immobilizer
and the theft-deterrent systems' operation
if the system has been modified or if any
add-on equipment has been installed.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to the vehicle, do not
modify the system or install any add-on
equipment to the immobilizer and the
theft-deterrent systems or the vehicle.
Immobilizer System
The immobilizer system allows the engine
to start only with a key the system
recognizes.
If someone attempts to start the engine
with an unrecognized key, the engine will
not start, thereby helping to prevent
vehicle theft.
If you have a pr oblem with the
immobilizer system or the key, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
Radio equipment like this is governed by
laws in the United States.
Changes or
modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's
authority to operate the equipment.
To avoid damage to the key, do not:
Drop the key.
Get the key wet.
Expose the key to any kind of magnetic
field.
Expose the key to high temperatures
on places such as the dashboard or
hood, under direct sunlight.
If the engine does not start with the
correct key, and the security indicator
light keeps illuminating or flashing, the
system may have a malfunction. Consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Before Driving
Security System
3-44
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3 2018-7-17 15:48:16
NOTE
A natural driving posture can be
realized by lightly gripping the shift
lever from the side without having to
rest your elbow on the center console
box.
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
▼Gear Shift Indicator (GSI)
The GSI supports you to obtain optimum
fuel economy and smooth driving. It
displays the selected gear position in the
instrument cluster as well as notifies the
driver to change to the most suitable gear
position corresponding to the actual
driving condition.
Selected gear position Suitable gear position
Indication
Condition
Numeral The selected gear position is dis‐
played.
and numeral Shift up or down to the indicated
gear position is recommended.
CAUTION
Do not rely solely on the shift-up/
shift-down recommendations by
indications. The actual driving situation
might require shift operations different
from indication. To avoid the risk of
accidents, the road and traffic conditions
have to be judged correctly by the driver
before shifting.
NOTE
The GSI turns off wh
en the following
operations are performed.
The vehicle is stopped.
The vehicle is put in neutral.
The vehicle is driven in reverse.
The clutch is not fully engaged when
accelerating from a stop.
The clutch pedal remains depressed for
2 seconds or longer while driving.
▼ Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, Mazda
recommends these shift points:
Gear
Vehicle speed
1 to 2 23 km/h (14 mph)
2 to 3 39 km/h (24 mph)
3 to 4 53 km/h (33 mph)
4 to 5 61 km/h (38 mph)
5 to 6 77 km/h (48 mph)
When Driving
Manual Transmission Operation
4-32
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3 2018-7-17 15:48:16
Variable-speed intermittent wipers
Set the lever to the intermittent position
and choose the interval timing by rotating
the ring.
INT ringFast
Slow
With auto-wiper control
Switch Posi‐tion Wiper operation
Operation while pulling up lever
Stop
Auto control
Low speed
High speed
Auto-wiper control
When the wiper lever is in the
position, the rain sensor senses the amount
of rainfall on the windshield and turns the
wipers on or off automatically
(off―intermittent―low speed―high
speed).
The sensitivity of th
e rain sensor can be
adjusted by turning the switch on the
wiper lever.
From the center position (normal), rotate
the switch upward for higher sensitivity
(faster response) or r otate it downward for
less sensitivity (slower response).
Higher sensitivity
Less sensitivitySwitch
Center
position
CAUTION
Do not shade the rain sensor by adhering
a sticker or a label on the windshield.
Otherwise the rain sensor will not
operate correctly.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
4-51
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3 2018-7-17 15:48:16
Antilock Brake System(ABS)
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed o f 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 brak e pedal without
pumping the brakes.
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Contact Authorized Mazda
Dealer and Have Vehicle Inspected on
page 7-36.
WA R N I N G
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 wi ll 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.
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
4-64
MX-5_8GV5-EA-18E_Edition3 2018-7-17 15:48:16