Manual Transmission ShiftPattern
▼Manual Transmission Shift Pattern
1. Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transmission is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a device to
prevent shifting to R (reverse) by mistake.
Push the shift lever downward and shift to
R.
WA R N I N G
Do not use sudden engine braking on
slippery road surfaces or at high speeds:
Shifting down while driving on wet, snowy,
or frozen roads, or while driving at high
speeds causes sudden engine braking,
which is dangerous. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires to skid. This
could lead to loss of vehicle control and an
accident.
Always leave the shift lever in 1 or R
position and set the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle unattended:
Otherwise the vehicle could move and
cause an accident.
CAUTION
Keep your foot off the clutch pedal except
when shifting gears. Also, do not use the
clutch to hold the vehicle on an upgrade.
Riding the clutch will cause needless
clutch wear and damage.
Do not apply any excessive lateral force
to the shift lever when changing from
5th to 4th gear. This could lead to the
accidental selection of 2nd gear, which
could result in damage to the
transmission.
Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to R.
Shifting to R while the vehicle is still
moving may damage the transmission.
NOTE
If shifting to R is di fficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
When Driving
Manual Transmission Operation
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▼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.
1. Selected gear position
2. 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 when 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:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
Gear
Vehicle speed
1 to 2 24 km/h (15 mph)
2 to 3 42 km/h (26 mph)
3 to 4 60 km/h (37 mph)
4 to 5 75 km/h (46 mph)
5 to 6 79 km/h (49 mph)
For cruising, Mazda recommends these
shift points:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 13 km/h (8 mph)
2 to 3 29 km/h (18 mph)
3 to 4 49 km/h (30 mph)
4 to 5 63 km/h (39 mph)
5 to 6 70 km/h (43 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep upgrade , downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steep downgrade , downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
When Driving
Manual Transmission Operation
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Automatic TransmissionControls
▼Automatic Transmission Controls
1. Lock-release button
2. Selector lever
Indication Various Lockouts
Indicates that you must depress the
brake pedal and hold in the lock-re‐
lease button to shift (The ignition
must be switched ON).
Indicates the selector lever can be
shifted freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in the
lock-release button to shift.
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not
included in the traditional automatic
transmission that gives the driver the
option of selecting each gear instead of
leaving it to the transmission to shift
gears. Even if you intend to use the
automatic transmission functions as a
traditional automatic, you should also be
aware that you can inadvertently shift into
manual shift mode and an inappropriate
gear may be retained as the vehicle speed
increases. If you notice the engine speed
going higher or hear the engine racing,
confirm you have not accidentally slipped
into manual shift mode (page 4-36).
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Shift-Lock System
▼Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system p
revents 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 position.
The ignition cannot be switched to OFF
if the selector lever is not in P position.
▼ Shift-Lock Override
If the selector lever will not move from P
position 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 flat screwdriver and push it down.
1. Cover
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda
Dealer to have the system checked.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Transmission Ranges
▼Transmission Ranges
The shift position indication in the
instrument clust
er illuminates.
Refer to Shift Position Indication on
page 4-36.
Shift the selector lever to the P or N
position to start the engine.
P (Park)
P locks the transmission and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
WA R N I N G
Always set the selector lever to P position
and set the parking brake:
Only setting the selector lever to the P
position without using the parking brake to
hold the vehicle is dangerous. If P fails to
hold, the vehicle could move and cause an
accident.
CAUTION
Shifting into P, N or R while the vehicle is
moving can damage your transmission.
Shifting into a driving gear or reverse
when the engine is running faster than
idle can damage the transmission.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete stop
before shifting to or from R, except under
rare circumstances as explained in
Rocking the Vehicle (page 3-46).
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
WA R N I N G
If the engine is running faster than idle, do
not shift from N or P into a driving gear:
It's dangerous to shift from N or P into a
driving gear when the engine is running
faster than idle. If this is done, the vehicle
could move suddenly, causing an accident
or serious injury.
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle:
Shifting into N while driving is dangerous.
Engine braking cannot be applied when
decelerating which could lead to an
accident or serious injury.
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 position 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.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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▼Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these sh
ift points:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
Gear Vehicle speed*1
M1 to M224 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 65 km/h (40 mph)
M4 to M5 73 km/h (45 mph)
M5 to M6 81 km/h (50 mph)
*1 Always observe local speed limit regulations.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before the
engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more speed.
On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed an d prolongs brake life.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Driving Tips
▼Driving Tips
WA R N I N G
Do not let the vehicle move in a direction
opposite to the direction selected by the
selector lever:
Do not let the vehicle move backward with
the selector lever in a forward position, or
do not let the vehicle move forward with
the selector lever in the reverse position.
Otherwise, the engine may stop, causing
the loss of the power brake and power
steering functions, and make it
difficult to
control the vehicle which could result in an
accident.
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transmission will
shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
NOTE
The accelerator pedal may initially feel
heavy as it is being depressed, then feel
lighter as it is depressed further. This
change in pedal force aids the engine
control system in determining how much
the accelerator pedal has been
depressed for performing kickdown, and
functions to control whether or not
kickdown should be performed.
While the selector lever is in the M
position and the DSC is turned off,
manual shift mode does not switch to
automatic shift mode even if the
accelerator pedal is completely
depressed. Operate the selector lever.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift to D or M1, depending on the load weight and grade steepness.
3. Release the brake pedal while gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to
lower gears, depending on load weight and
grade steepness. Desce nd slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Brake System
▼Foot Brake
This vehicle has pow
er-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual.
WA R N I N G
Do not coast with the engine stalled or
turned off,
find a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engi ne stalled or turned
off is dangerous. Braking will require more
effort, and the brake's power-assist could
be depleted if you pump the brake. This will
cause longer stopping distances or even an
accident.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep hills:
Driving with your foot continuously on the
brake pedal or steadily applying the brakes
for long distances is dangerous. This causes
overheated brakes, resulting in longer
stopping distances or even total brake
failure. This could cause loss of vehicle
control and a serious accident. Avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
Dry off brakes that have become wet by
driving slowly, releasing the accelerator
pedal and lightly applying the brakes
several times until the brake performance
returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the vehicle
pulling to one side when braking could
result in a serious accident. Light braking
will indicate whether the brakes have been
affected.
CAUTION
Do not drive with your foot held on the
clutch pedal or brake pedal, or hold the
clutch pedal depressed halfway
unnecessarily. Doing so could result in
the following:
The clutch and brake parts will wear
out more quickly.
The brakes can overheat and adversely
affect brake performance.
Always depress the brake pedal with the
right foot. Applying the brakes with the
unaccustomed left foot could slow your
reaction time to an emergency situation
resulting in insufficient braking
operation.
Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting the
brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
When Driving
Brake
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