2021 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK manual transmission

NOTE
The engine cannot be started
unless the clutch pedal is fully
depressed (manual transmission)
or the brake pedal is fully
depressed (automatic
transmission).
If there is a malfunction with the
push button start function, the
push button start indicator light
(amber) flashes. In this case, the
engine may start, however, have
the vehicle checked at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible.
If the push button start indicator
light (green) does not illuminate,
perform the operation from the
beginning again. If it does not
illuminate, have the vehicle
checked at an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
To switch the ignition position
without starting the engine,
perform the following operations
after the push button start
indicator light (green) turns on.
1. Release the clutch pedal (manual transmission) or
brake pedal (automatic
transmission).
2. Press the push button start to switch the ignition position.
The ignition switches in the
order of ACC, ON, and off
each time the push button
start is pressed. To switch the
ignition position again,
perform the operation from
the beginning.
▼ Emergency Operation for Starting
the Engine
If the KEY warning indication (red) is
displayed, or the push button start
indicator light (amber)
flashes, this
could indicate that the engine may not
start using the usual starting method.
Have your vehicle inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible. If this occurs, the engine can
be force-started. Press and hold the
push button start until the engine
starts. Other procedures necessary for
starting the engine such as having the
key in the cabin, and depressing the
clutch pedal (manual transmission) or
the brake pedal (automatic
transmission) are required.
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
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Turning the Engine Off
▼Turning the Engine
Off
WARNING
Do not stop the engine while the
vehicle is moving:
Stopping the engine while the vehicle
is moving for any reason other than in
an emergency is dangerous. Stopping
the engine while the vehicle is moving
will result in reduced braking ability
due to the loss of power braking ,
which could cause an accident and
serious injury.
1. Stop the vehicle completely.
2. (Manual transmission)
Shift into neutral and set the
parking brake.
(Automatic transmission)
Shift the selector lever to the P
position and set the parking brake.
3. Press the push button start to turn
off the engine. The ignition position
is o ff.
CAUTION
 When leaving the vehicle, make sure
the push button start is o ff.
NOTE
(SKYACTIV -G 2.0, SKYACTIV -G 2.5)
The cooling fan in the engine
compartment could turn on for a few
minutes after the ignition is switched
from ON to OFF, whether or not the
A/C is on or o ff, to cool the engine
compartment quickly.
If the system detects that the
remaining battery power of the key is
low when the ignition is switched
from ON to ACC or OFF, the
following is indicated.
Replace with a new battery before
the key becomes unusable.
Refer to Key Battery Replacement on
page 6-31.
A message is indicated in the display
of the instrument cluster.
Refer to KEY Warning Indication/
Warning Light (Red) on page 7-33.
(Automatic transmission)
If the engine is turned off while the
selector lever is in a position other
than P, the ignition switches to ACC.
▼ Emergency Engine Stop
Continuously pressing the push button
start or quickly pressing it any number
of times while the engine is running or
the vehicle is being driven will turn the
engine
off immediately. The ignition
switches to ACC.
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
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Cylinder Deact ivat ion
▼Cylinder Deact ivat ion
The cylinder deactivation is a function
designed to reduce fuel consumption
and improve fuel economy by
deactivating 2 out of the 4 cylinders
while driving. The function constantly
determines which is better for driving;
4 cylinders or 2 cylinders, regardless of
the driver's operations, and it performs
the switching automatically.
When the cylinder deactivation
function does not operate
The cylinder deactivation function
does not operate under the following
conditions.
The selector lever is in the P, N, or R
position (automatic transmission), or
1st gear (manual transmission).
The engine oil temperature or engine
coolant temperature is low.
After disconnecting the battery
terminals for some reason, such as
for battery replacement.
When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
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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 o ff 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 noti
fies 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 o ff 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
tra ffic 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, con firm you
have not accidentally slipped into
manual shift mode (page 4-38).
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 o ff 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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