2020 MAZDA MODEL 6 engine

Manual Transaxle ShiftPattern
Neutral position
The shift pattern o f the transaxle 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 transaxle.
 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 transaxle.
NOTE
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
When Driving
Manual Transaxle 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.

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 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:
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:
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 Transaxle Operation
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Automatic Transaxle Controls
Lock-release button
Indicates the selector lever can be shifted freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in the lock-release button to shift. Indicates that you must depress the brake pedal and hold in the lock-release
button to shift (The ignition must be switched ON).
Various Lockouts:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transaxle that
gives the driver the option of selecting each
gear instead of leaving it to the transaxle to
shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transaxle functions as a traditional
automatic, you should also be aw are 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 4-71).
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system prevents 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 switch ed 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
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 screwdriver and push it down.
Cover
Lock-release button
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.
Transaxle Ranges
The shift position indication in the
instrument cluster illuminates.
Refer to Indication/Indicator Lights on
page 4-28, 4-45, 4-60.
The selector lever must be in P or N
position to operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle 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 transaxle.
 Shifting into a driving gear or reverse
when the engine is running faster than
idle can damage the transaxle.
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).
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle 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 transaxle
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 transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gear sequence.
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
operating the selector lever. Refer to
Manual Shift Mode on page 4-71.
▼ Shift Position
Indication
The selector position is indicated when the
ignition is switched ON.
Gear position indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication illuminates and the
numeral for the selected gear is displayed.
▼ Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive
Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transaxle shift
points to best suit the road conditions and
driver input. This im proves driving feel.
The transaxle may s witch to AAS mode
when driving up and down slopes,
cornering, driving at high elevations, or
depressing the accelerator pedal quickly
while the selector lever is in the D
position. Depending on the road and
driving conditions/vehicle operations, gear
shifting could be delayed or not occur,
however, this does not indicate a problem
because the AAS mode will maintain the
optimum gear position.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel
of driving a manual transaxle vehicle by
allowing you to operate the selector lever
manually. This allows you to control
engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels
much like a manual transaxle when more
control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.

NOTE
Changing to manual shift mode while
driving will not damage the transaxle.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the
lever from M to D.
NOTE
If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
If you change to manual shift mode
without depressing the accelerator pedal
when driving in D range, 5th gear/6th
gear, the gear will shift to M4/M5.
▼Indicators
Manual shift mode indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication in the instrument panel
illuminates.
Gear position indication
The numeral for the selected gear
illuminates.

Manual shift mode
indicationGear position
indication
NOTE
If the gears cannot be shifted down
when driving at higher speeds, the gear
position indication will flash twice to
signal that the gears cannot be shifted
down (to protect the transaxle).
If the automatic transaxle fluid (ATF)
temperature becomes too high, there is
the possibility that the transaxle will
switch to automatic shift mode,
canceling manual shift mode and
turning off the gear position indication
illumination. This is a normal function
to protect the AT. After the ATF
temperature has decreased, the gear
position indication
illumination turns
back on and driving in manual shift
mode is restored.
(SKYACTIV-D 2.2)
If the engine oil temperature becomes
too high, there is the possibility that the
transaxle will switch to automatic shift
mode, canceling manual shift mode and
turning off the gear position indicator
illumination. Afte r the engine oil
temperature has decreased, the gear
position indicator illumination turns
back on and driving in manual shift
mode is restored.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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▼Manually Shifting Up
You can shift gears up by operating the
selector lever or
the steering shift
switches
*.
M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6
Using selector lever
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the
selector lever back
once.

Using steering shift switch*
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the UP switch
(
) toward you once with your
fingers.

UP switch (+/OFF)
WA R N I N G
Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim
when using fingers on the steering shift
switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of the
steering wheel when using the steering
shift switches is dangerous. If the driver's
air bag were to deploy in a collision, your
hands could be impacted causing injury.
NOTE
When driving slowly, the gears may not
shift up.
Do not drive the vehicle with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE
while in manual shift mode. In addition,
manual shift mode switches to automatic
shift mode while the accelerator pedal is
completely depressed.
This function is canceled while the DSC
is turned off. Howeve r, if the vehicle is
continuously driven at a high rpm, the
gears may automatically shift up to
protect the engine.
The steering shift switch can be used
temporarily even if the selector lever is
in the D position while driving. In
addition, it returns to automatic shift
mode when the UP switch (
) is
pulled rearward for a sufficient amount
of time.
▼ Manually Shifting Down
You can shift gears down by operating the
selector lever or the steering shift
switches
*.
M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2→ M1
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
4-72*Some models.
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Using selector lever
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the
selector lever forward
once.

Using steering shift switch*
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
fingers.

DOWN switch (-)
WA R N I N G
Do not use 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.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim
when using fingers on the steering shift
switches:
Putting your hands inside the rim of the
steering wheel when using the steering
shift switches is dangerous. If the driver's
air bag were to deploy in a collision, your
hands could be impacted causing injury.
NOTE
When driving at high speeds, the gear
may not shift down.
During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed.
When depressing th e accelerator fully,
the transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed. However,
the gears do not kickdown while the
DSC is turned off.
▼ Second Gear Fixed Mode
When the selector lever is moved back
while the vehicle speed is about 10 km/h
(6.2 mph) or less, the t
ransaxle is set in the
second gear fixed mode. The gear is fixed
in second while in this mode for easier
acceleration from a stop and driving on
slippery roads such as snow-covered
roads.
If the selector lever is moved back
or
forward
while in the second gear fixed
mode, the mode will be canceled.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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