2021 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK Owners Manual

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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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 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
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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 o ff. 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 su fficient
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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WARNING
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 the accelerator
fully, the transmission will shift to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed. However, the gears do not
kickdown while the DSC is turned
o ff.
▼ 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
transmission 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 Transmission
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▼Shift Gear (Shifting) Speed Limit
For each gear position while in the manual
mode, the speed limit is set as follows:
When the selector lever is operated within the range of the speed limit, the gear is
shifted.

1. 1st
2. 2nd
3. 3rd
4. 4th
5. 5th
6. 6th
Shift up
The gear does not shift up while the vehi cle speed is lower than the speed limit.
Shift down
The gear does not shift down while th e vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit.
If the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limi t and the gear does not shift down, the
gear position indication flashes 2 times to notify the driver that the gear cannot be
shifted.
Kickdown
When the accelerator pedal is depressed fu lly while driving, the gear shifts down.
However, the gears do not kickdown while the DSC is turned o ff.
NOTE
The gear also shifts down using kickdown while in the second gear fixed mode.
Auto-shift down
The gear shifts down automatically depending on the vehicle speed during
deceleration.
NOTE
If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fixed mode, the gear remains
in second.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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