Break-In Period
▼Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a
few precautions in the
first 1,000 km
(600 miles) may add to the
performance, economy, and life of the
vehicle.
Do not race the engine.Do not maintain one constant
speed, either slow or fast, for a long
period of time.
Do not drive constantly at
full-throttle or high engine rpm for
extended periods of time.
Avoid unnecessary hard stops.Avoid full-throttle starts.
Saving Fuel and
Protection of the Environment
▼ Saving Fuel and Protection of the
Environment
How you operate your Mazda
determines how far it will travel on a
tank of fuel. Use these suggestions to
help save fuel and reduce CO
2.
Avoid long warm-ups. Once the
engine runs smoothly, begin driving.
Avoid fast starts.Drive at lower speeds.Anticipate when to apply the brakes
(avoid sudden braking).
Follow the maintenance schedule
and have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer perform inspections and
servicing.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance
(U.S.A. and Puerto Rico) on page
6-4.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance
(Canada) on page 6-6.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance
(Mexico) on page 6-9.
Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
Slow down on rough roads.Keep the tires properly in
flated.Do not carry unnecessary weight.Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving.
Keep the wheels in correct
alignment.
Keep windows closed at high
speeds.
Slow down when driving in
crosswinds and headwinds.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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WARNING
Never stop the engine when going
down a hill:
Stopping the engine when going down
a hill is dangerous. This causes the loss
of power steering and power brake
control, and may cause damage to the
drivetrain. Any loss of steering or
braking control could cause an
accident.
Hazardous Driving
▼Hazardous Driving
WARNING
Be extremely careful if it is necessary
to downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear while
driving on slippery surfaces 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.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
Be cautious and allow extra distance
for braking.
Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
Do not pump the brakes. Continue
to press down on the brake pedal.
Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-77.
If you get stuck, select a lower gear
and accelerate slowly. Do not spin
the front wheels.
For more traction in starting on
slippery surfaces such as ice or
packed snow, use sand, rock salt,
chains, carpeting , or other nonslip
material under the front wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the front
wheels.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Floor Mat
▼Floor Mat
We recommend the use of Genuine
Mazda
floor mats.
WARNING
Make sure the
floor mats are hooked
on the retention pins to prevent them
from bunching up under the foot
pedals:
Using a floor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.
Do not install two floor mats, one on
top of the other, on the driver's side:
Installing two floor mats, one on top of
the other, on the driver's side is
dangerous as the retention pins can
only keep one floor mat from sliding
forward.
Loose floor mat(s) will interfere with
the foot pedals and could result in an
accident.
If using an all-weather mat for winter
use always remove the original floor
mat.
When setting a floor mat, position the
fl oor mat so that its grommets are
inserted over the pointed end of the
retention posts.
Rocking the Vehicle
▼ Rocking the Vehicle
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at more than
56 km/h (35 mph), and do not allow
anyone to stand behind a wheel when
pushing the vehicle:
When the vehicle is stuck, spinning the
wheels at high speed is dangerous. The
spinning tire could overheat and
explode. This could cause serious
injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating , transmission failure, and
tire damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from snow, sand or mud, depress the
accelerator slightly and slowly move
the shift lever/selector lever from 1 (D)
to R position.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Winter Driving
▼Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper,
flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
check the following:
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page
6-20.
Inspect the battery and its cables.
Cold reduces battery capacity.
Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that
the vehicle will be driven in (page
6-17).
Inspect the ignition system for
damage and loose connections.
Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze ―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 6-22).
NOTE
Remove snow before driving. Snow
left on the windshield is dangerous
as it could obstruct vision.
Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice
or frozen snow on the mirror glass
and windshield.
Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows
and mirrors as it could result in the
glass cracking.
Drive slowly. Braking performance
can be adversely a ffected if snow or
ice adheres to the brake
components. If this situation occurs,
drive the vehicle slowly, releasing the
accelerator pedal and lightly applying
the brakes several times until the
brake performance returns to
normal.
▼ Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all 4 wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75
mph) while driving with snow tires.
In
flate snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2,
4.3 psi) more than recommended on
the tire pressure label (driver's door
frame), but never more than the
maximum cold-tire pressure shown on
the tires.
Mexico
The vehicle is originally equipped with
summer tires designed for optimum
traction on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, Mazda recommends
that you replace the tires originally
equipped on your vehicle with snow
tires during the winter months.
Except Mexico
The vehicle is originally equipped with
all season radials designed to be used
all year around. In some extreme
climates you may find it necessary to
replace them with snow tires during
the winter months to further improve
traction on snow and ice covered
roads.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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WARNING
Use only the same size and type tires
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all 4
wheels:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle's handling
could be greatly a ffected and result in
an accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
NOTE
The tire pressure monitoring system
may not function correctly when using
tires with steel wire reinforcement in
the sidewalls (page 4-220).
▼ Tire Chains
Check local regulations before using
tire chains.
CAUTION
Chains may a ffect handling.
Do not go faster than 50 km/h (30
mph) or the chain manufacturer's
recommended limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps,
holes, and sharp turns.
Avoid locked-wheel braking.
Do not use chains on a temporary
spare tire; it may result in damage to
the vehicle and to the tire.
Do not use chains on roads that are
free of snow or ice. The tires and
chains could be damaged.
Chains may scratch or chip
aluminum wheels.
NOTE
The tire pressure monitoring system
may not function correctly when
using tire chains.
Install the chains on the front tires only.
Do not use chains on the rear tires.
Please consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Installing the chains
1. If your vehicle is equipped with wheel covers remove them,
otherwise the chain bands will
scratch them.
2. Secure the chains on the front tires as tightly as possible.
Always follow the chain
manufacturer's instructions.
3. Retighten the chains after driving 1/2 ―1 km (1/4 ―1/2 mile).
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Driving on Uneven Road
▼Driving on Uneven Road
Your vehicle's suspension and
underbody can be damaged if driven
on rough/uneven roads or over speed
bumps at excessive speeds. Use care
and reduce speed when traveling on
rough/uneven roads or over speed
bumps.
Use care not to damage the vehicle's
underbody, bumpers or
muffler(s)
when driving under the following
conditions:
Ascending or descending a slope
with a sharp transition angle
Ascending or descending a driveway
or trailer ramp with a sharp transition
angle
This vehicle is equipped with low
pro file tires allowing class-leading
performance and handling. As a result,
the sidewall of the tires are very thin
and the tires and wheels can be
damaged if driven through potholes or
on rough/uneven roads at excessive
speeds. Use care and reduce speed
when traveling on rough/uneven roads
or through potholes.
Turbocharger Information
(SKYACTIV -G 2.5T)
▼ Turbocharger Information
(SKYACTIV
-G 2.5T)
CAUTION
After driving at freeway speeds or up
a long hill, idle the engine at least 30
seconds before stopping it.
Otherwise, the turbocharger could
be damaged.
Racing or over-revving the engine,
particularly after it's just been
started, can damage the
turbocharger.
To protect the engine from damage,
the engine is designed so that it
cannot be raced just after starting it
in extremely cold weather.
The turbocharger greatly enhances
engine power. Its advanced design
provides improved operation and
requires minimum maintenance.
To get the most from it, observe the
following.
1. Change engine oil and filter
according to Scheduled
Maintenance.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance
(U.S.A. and Puerto Rico) on page
6-4.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance
(Canada) on page 6-6.
Refer to Scheduled Maintenance
(Mexico) on page 6-9.
2. Use only recommended engine oil (page 6-17). Extra additives are
NOT recommended.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Tra i l e r To w i n g
▼Tra i l e r To w i n g
Yo u r M a z d a i s n o t d e
signed for towing.
Never tow a trailer with your Mazda.
Recreational Towing
▼ Recreational Towing
An example of "recreational towing" is
towing your vehicle behind a
motorhome.
The transmission is not designed for
towing this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer
to "Towing Description" (page 7-23)
and "Tiedown Hooks" (page 7-24)
and carefully follow the instructions.
Before Driving
Towing
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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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