2020 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK tow

Parking in an Emergency
▼Parking in an Emergency
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 wi
ll 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.
If Trouble Arises
Parking in an Emergency
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Starting a Flooded Engine
▼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 5
seconds on the first try, wait 10
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
transmission) or the brake pedal
(automatic transmission), 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
▼ 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
2 vehicles to collide. The occupants could
be injured.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transmission. It can damage the
emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing it.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
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To w i n g D e s c r i p t i o n
▼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. Particularly
when towing an AWD
vehicle, where all
the wheels are connected to the drive train,
proper transporting of the vehicle is
absolutely essential to avoid damaging the
drive system. Government and local laws
must be followed.
1. Wheel dollies

A towed FWD vehicle should have its
drive wheels (front wheels) off the ground.
If excessive damage or other conditions
prevent this, use wheel dollies.

When towing a FWD ve hicle with the rear
wheels on the ground, release the parking
brake.
Refer to Electric Par king Brake (EPB) on
page 4-64.

A towed AWD vehicle must have all its
wheels off the ground.
WA R N I N G
Always tow an AWD vehicle with all four
wheels off the ground:
Towing an AWD vehicle with either the
front or rear wheels on the ground is
dangerous as the drive train could be
damaged, or the vehicle could trail away
from the tow truck and cause an accident.
If the drive train has been damaged,
transport the vehicle on a flatbed truck.
CAUTION
 Do not tow the vehicle pointed backward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transmission.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or
flatbed equipment.

If the parking brake 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.
1. Wheel dollies
Tiedown Hooks*
▼ 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.
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 cloth to prevent
damage to a painted bumper, and open
the cap located on the front or rear
bumper.
Front
(4–Door)
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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(5–Door)
Rear
(4–Door)
(5–Door)
CAUTION
Do not use excessive force as it may
damage the cap or scratch the painted
bumper surface.
NOTE
Remove the cap completely and store it
so as not to lose it.
3. Securely install the tiedown eyelet using the lug wrench.
Front
(4–Door)
1. Lug wrench
2. Tiedown eyelet

(5–Door)
1. Lug wrench
2. Tiedown eyelet

If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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Rear
(4–Door)
1. Lug wrench
2. Tiedown eyelet

(5–Door)

4. Hook the tying rope to the tiedown eyelet.
CAUTION
If the tiedown eyelet is not securely
tightened, it may loosen or disengage
from the bumper when tying the
vehicle. Make sure that the tiedown
eyelet is securely tightened to the
bumper.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Towing
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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 Warning
If the electronic brake force distribution
control unit determines that some
components are operating incorrectly, the
control unit may illuminate the brake
system warning light and the ABS
warning light simultaneously. The
problem is likely to be
the electronic brake
force distribution system.
WA R N I N G
Do not drive with both the brake system
warning light and ABS 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
light and ABS warning light are illuminated
simultaneously is dangerous.
When both lights are illuminated, the rear
wheels could lock more quickly in an
emergency stop than under normal
circumstances.
▼ Charging System Warning
Indication/Warning Light
If the warning light
illuminates while
driving, it indicates a malfunction of the
alternator or of the charging system.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving when the charging
system warning light is illuminated
because the engine could stop
unexpectedly.
▼ Engine Oil Warning Indication/
Wa r n i n g L i g h t
This warning light indicates low engine oil
pressure.
CAUTION
Do not run the engine if the oil pressure is
low. Otherwise, it could result in extensive
engine damage.
If the light illuminates or the warning
indication is displayed while driving:
1. Drive to the side of the road and park
off the right-of-wa y on level ground.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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2. Turn off the engine and wait 5 minutesfor the oil to drain back into the oil
pan.
3. Inspect the engine oil level (page 6-16). If it's low, add the appropriate
amount of engine oil while being
careful not to overfill.
CAUTION
Do not run the engine if the oil level is
low. Otherwise, it could result in
extensive engine damage.
4. Start the engine and check the warning light.

If the light remains illuminated even
though the oil level is normal or after
adding oil, stop the engine immediately
and have your vehicle towed to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
▼ High Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Indication
Displays if the engine coolant temperature
has increased excessively.
“Elevated Engine Coolant Temp. Drive
Slowly” displayed
Drive slowly to redu
ce engine load until
you can find a safe place to stop the
vehicle and wait for the engine to cool
down.
“Excessive Engine Coolant Temp. Stop
the Vehicle in a Safe Location”
displayed
This indicates the possibility of
overheating. Park the vehicle in a safe
place immediately and stop the engine.
Refer to Overheati ng on page 7-21.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle with the high
engine coolant temperature warning light
illuminated. Otherwise, it could result in
damage to the engine.
▼Power Steering Malfunction
Indication/Indicator Light
The message is displayed if the electric
power steering has a malfunction.
If the message is displayed, stop the
vehicle in a safe place and do not operate
the steering wheel. Contact an Authorized
Mazda Dealer if the message is displayed
continuously.
NOTE
If the message is displayed, the power
steering will not operate normally. In
this case, the steering wheel can still be
operated, however, the operation may
feel heavy compared to normal, or the
steering wheel could vibrate when
turning.
If Trouble Arises
Warning/Indicator Lights and Warning Sounds
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