2021 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK engine

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
4-40*Some models.
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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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▼Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift points:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
Gear
Vehicle speed*1
M1 to M224 km/h (15 mph)
M2 to M3 40 km/h (25 mph)
M3 to M4 65 km/h (40 mph)
M4 to M5 73 km/h (45 mph)
M5 to M6 81 km/h (50 mph)
*1 Always observe local speed limit regulations.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy tra ffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before
the engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more
speed.

On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps ma intain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Driving Tips
▼Driving Tips
WARNING
Do not let the vehicle move in a
direction opposite to the direction
selected by the selector lever:
Do not let the vehicle move backward
with the selector lever in a forward
position, or do not let the vehicle
move forward with the selector lever in
the reverse position. Otherwise, the
engine may stop, causing the loss of
the power brake and power steering
functions, and make it diffi
cult to
control the vehicle which could result
in an accident.
Pa s s i n g
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades,
depress the accelerator fully. The
transmission will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
NOTE
The accelerator pedal may initially
feel heavy as it is being depressed,
then feel lighter as it is depressed
further. This change in pedal force
aids the engine control system in
determining how much the
accelerator pedal has been
depressed for performing kickdown,
and functions to control whether or
not kickdown should be performed.
While the selector lever is in the M
position and the DSC is turned o ff,
manual shift mode does not switch
to automatic shift mode even if the
accelerator pedal is completely
depressed. Operate the selector
lever.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift to D or M1, depending on the
load weight and grade steepness.
3. Release the brake pedal while
gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift
to lower gears, depending on load
weight and grade steepness. Descend
slowly, using the brakes only
occasionally to prevent them from
overheating.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Lighting Control
▼Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the head
lights and other exterior lights on or off.
When the taillights, parking lights, license plate lights, and the side-marker lights are
turned on, the lights-on indicator light in the instrument cluster turns on.

NOTE
If the light switch is left on, the lights will automatically switch o ff approximately
30 seconds after switching the ignition o ff.
The time setting can be changed.
Refer to the Settings section in the Mazda Connect Owner's Manual.
To prevent discharging the battery, do no t leave the lights on while the engine is
o ff unless safety requires them.
Without auto-light control
Switch Position OFF
Headlights Off Off
On*1
Daytime running lights On*2On*2Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License plate lights
Side-marker lights Off
On
*3On*1
*1 When the ignition is switched from ON to ACC or OFF, the headlights turn o ff if the auto headlight
o ff function has been canceled. If the auto headlight
off function is enabled, the lights turn on for the
set period using the auto headlight off function, and then they turn
off.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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*2 When the light switch is switched to a different position from the OFF, position while the
vehicle is stopped, the daytime running lights turn o ff. When starting to drive the vehicle, the daytime
running lights turn on again.
*3 When the ignition is switched from ON to ACC or OFF, the headlights remain on if the auto headlight off function has been canceled. If the auto headlight
off function is enabled, the lights turn on for the
set period using the auto headlight o ff function, and then they turn o ff.
With auto-light control
Switch Position
OFF*1
AUTO
Surround-
ings are
bright
*2
Surround- ings are
dark
*3
Surround- ings are
bright
*2
Surround- ings are
dark
*3
Headlights Off Off On Off
On*4*5On*6
Daytime running lights O ff
On*7Off On*8Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License plate lights
Side-marker lights Off
OffOn
On
*9On*9On*6
*1 When the light switch is switched to OFF while the vehicle is stopped, the lights turn o ff. The light
switch returns automatically to the AUTO position and the headlights change to AUTO operation
when you start driving the vehicle.
*2 The level of brightness around the vehicle is of a su fficient level.*3 The level of brightness around the vehicle is of an insu fficient level.*4 The daytime running lights can be disabled usin g the personalization features (page 4-51). If the
daytime running lights are disabled, the headlights turn o ff directly after starting the engine. The
headlights turn on when you begin driving the vehicle.
*5 When the light switch is switched from the OFF, AUTO, or position to the position while
the vehicle is stopped, the headlights turn o ff. When starting to drive the vehicle, the headlights turn
on again.
*6 When the ignition is switched from ON to ACC or OFF, the headlights turn o ff if the auto headlight
o ff function has been canceled. If the auto headlight o ff function is enabled, the lights turn on for the
set period using the auto headlight o ff function, and then they turn o ff.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Brake System
▼Foot Brake
This vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through
normal use.

Should power-assist fail, you can stop
by applying greater force than normal
to the brake pedal. But the distance
required to stop will be greater than
usual.
WARNING
Do not coast with the engine stalled
or turned o
ff, fi nd a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine stalled or
turned o ff is dangerous. Braking will
require more e ffort, and the brake's
power-assist could be depleted if you
pump the brake. This will cause longer
stopping distances or even an
accident.
Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep hills:
Driving with your foot continuously on
the brake pedal or steadily applying
the brakes for long distances is
dangerous. This causes overheated
brakes, resulting in longer stopping
distances or even total brake failure.
This could cause loss of vehicle control
and a serious accident. Avoid
continuous application of the brakes.
Dry o ff brakes that have become wet
by driving slowly, releasing the
accelerator pedal and lightly applying
the brakes several times until the
brake performance returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the
vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious
accident. Light braking will indicate
whether the brakes have been
a ff ected.
CAUTION
 Do not drive with your foot held on
the clutch pedal or brake pedal, or
hold the clutch pedal depressed
halfway unnecessarily. Doing so
could result in the following:
 The clutch and brake parts will
wear out more quickly.
 The brakes can overheat and
adversely
aff ect brake
performance.
 Always depress the brake pedal with
the right foot. Applying the brakes
with the unaccustomed left foot
could slow your reaction time to an
emergency situation resulting in
insu fficient braking operation.
 Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
When Driving
Brake
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If there is a problem with the brake
system (foot brake) while driving the
vehicle, continually pulling up the
EPB switch will apply the brakes and
decelerate or stop the vehicle. The
parking brake on-reminder sound is
activated while the brake is applied.
In addition, when releasing the
switch, the brake is released and the
sound stops.
If the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switched OFF or in ACC,
the EPB indicator light in the
instrument cluster and the indicator
light in the switch may turn on for 15
seconds.
When using an automatic car wash
which moves the vehicle with the
front tires mounted, it is necessary to
cancel the parking brake auto
operation before the vehicle enters
the automatic car wash. For details,
refer to Canceling the parking brake
automatic operation.
Manual operation
Applying the parking brake manually
When the brake pedal is firmly
depressed and the EPB switch is pulled
up, the parking brake is applied
regardless of the ignition position.
When the parking brake is applied, the
EPB indicator light in the instrument
cluster and the EPB switch indicator
light turn on.
Releasing the parking brake manually
When the brake pedal is firmly
depressed and the EPB switch is
pressed while the ignition is switched
ON or the engine is running, the
parking brake is released. When the
parking brake is released, the EPB
indicator light in the instrument cluster
and the EPB switch indicator light turn
o ff.
If the EPB switch is pressed without
depressing the brake pedal, a message
is displayed on the multi-information
display to notify the driver to depress
the brake pedal.
Refer to Message Indicated on
Multi-information Display on page
7-39.
Auto operation
Applying the parking brake
automatically
When the ignition is switched from ON
to ACC or OFF, the parking brake will
be applied automatically. When the
parking brake is applied, the EPB
indicator light in the instrument cluster
and the EPB switch indicator light turn
on.
When Driving
Brake
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