2021 MAZDA MAZDA transmission

Manual TransmissionShift Pattern
▼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.

WARNING
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
difficult, 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
displayed.
and numer-
al Shift up or down to the indi-
cated gear position is recom-
mended.
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-release button to shift (The ig-
nition 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 tr ansmission 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 4-38).
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Shift-Lock System
▼Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system prevents shifting
out of P unless the brake pedal is
depressed.

To s h i f t f r o m
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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Tra n s m i s s i o n R a n ge s
▼Transmission Ranges
The shift position indication in the
instrument cluster illuminates.
Refer to Shift Position Indication on
page 4-38.
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.
WARNING
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.
WARNING
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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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
4-38.
▼Shift Position Indication
1. 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 transmission
shift points to best suit the road
conditions and driver input. This
improves driving feel. The transmission
may switch 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.
Manual Shift Mode
▼ Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the
feel of driving a manual transmission
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
transmission 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
transmission.
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.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift
the lever from M to D.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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▼Indications
1. Manual shift mode indication
2. Gear position indication
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.

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
transmission).
If the automatic transmission fluid
(ATF) temperature becomes too
high, there is the possibility that the
transmission 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.
▼ 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 (+/OFF) toward you once with
your fingers.

1. UP switch (+/OFF)
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
*Some models.4-39
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WARNING
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. However, 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 (+/OFF)
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
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.

1. DOWN switch (–)
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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