WARNING
Always keep tow loads within specified limits as indicated in the Trailer Towing-Load Table:
Attempting to tow loads great er than those specified is dangerous as it may cause serious
handling and performance problems that could result in personal injury or vehicle damage,
or both.
Load your trailer with the weight about 60 % toward the front and 40 % toward the rear:
Loading the trailer with more weight in the rear than in the front is dangerous. Doing so could
cause you to lose control. The trailer tongue load must be 10 % ―15 % of the total trailer load
(sum of the weights of the trailer and cargo).
Always have the total trailer weight and tongue load determined prior to departure:
Attempting to tow loads withou t determining the total trailer weight and tongue load is
dangerous. Trailer sway from crosswinds, roug h roads or other causes could result in loss of
control and a serious accident.
CAUTION
The total trailer weight and tongue load ca n be determined by weighing the trailer on
platform scales at a highway weight station or a trucking company.
▼ Trailer Hitch
Use only a hitch ball recommended by the trailer manufacturer that conforms to the gross
trailer weight requirement.
When not towing a trailer, remove
the trailer hitch (if detachable) to reduce the possibility of
damage as a result of the vehicle being rear-ended.
WARNING
Always make sure the trailer hitch is securely attached before departure:
An unsecured trailer hitch is dangerous as it causes greater trailer sway from crosswinds,
rough roads or other causes, resulting in loss of control and a serious accident.
Examine all trailer-hitch mounting bolts regularly and tighten any that are loose. If the hitch
is removed, seal any open mounting holes to prevent exhaust, dust, water, dirt and other
foreign elements from filtering in, possibly en dangering personal safety and damaging your
vehicle.
Do not install a hitch that stiffens the bumper as it will reduce the bumper's performance.
Before Driving
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CAUTION
Do not connect a trailer lighting system directly to the lighting system of your Mazda. This
may damage your vehicle's electrical system an d lighting systems. Have a recreational vehicle
dealer or trailer rental agency connect the system, and inspect the brake lights and turn
signals yourself before each trip.
▼ Trailer Brakes
If the total trailer weight exc
eeds 450 kg (1,000 lb), trailer brakes are required. If your trailer
has brakes, make sure they compl y with all federal, state, and local regulations.
WARNING
Do not connect a hydraulic trailer-brake system to your vehicle's brake system:
Connecting a hydraulic trailer-brake system direc tly to the vehicle brake system is dangerous
and will result in inadequate braking and possible injury.
▼ Trailer Towing Tips
Verify that your Mazda
maintains a near-normal attitude when a loaded or unloaded trailer
is connected. Do not d rive if it has an abnormal front-up or fr ont-down position. Inspect
for incorrect tongue load, worn suspension parts, and trailer o verloading.
Make sure the trailer is properly loaded and the cargo is secur e to prevent it from shifting.
Make sure the mirrors conform to all government regulations. If they do not, install
required rear view mirrors appr opriate for towing purposes.
The three main causes of vehicle-trailer accidents are driver e rror, excessive speed, and
improper trailer loading.
Before driving
Have your cooling and braking system checked by an Authorized M azda Dealer.
Before starting out, inspect the operation of all vehicle and trailer lights and all
vehicle-to-trailer connections. S top and re-inspect all lights and connections after driving
a short distance.
Driving
Your Mazda will handle differe ntly with a trailer in tow, so practice turning, backing, and
stopping in a traffic-free area.
Take time to get accustomed to the extra weight and length.
Allow more room between your vehicle and the one in front becau se braking distance
increases with a trailer. For eac h 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, a llow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between your Mazda and the vehicle ahead.
Before Driving
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WARNING
Always use lower gears to reduce speed:
Holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently is dangerous as it could cause the
brakes to overheat and lose power, resulting in loss of control and a serious accident. Use
lower gears to help reduce speed . Pull off the road and allow brakes to cool down whenever
braking performance feels reduced.
Overheated engine
The extra weight of the trailer may strain the engine on hot da ys and on long or steep
upgrades.
If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, turn off the ai r conditioner, drive safely to
the side of the road, park off t he right-of-way and wait for en gine to cool. Refer to
Overheating on page 7-23.
Parking
Always make sure the tires of the trailer and the tow vehicle a re blocked while parked.
Apply the parking brake firmly and put the transaxle in P.
Avoid parking on an incline, but if you must, follow these instructions:
1. Depress and hold down the brake pedal.
2. Have a helper put wheel blocks against the downhill side of a ll vehicle and trailer tires.
3. Then release the brake pedal slowly until the blocks bear the load.
If the grade is downhill, turn the steering wheel so that the front of the front tires face
the curb.
If it is uphill, face the rear of the front tires against the curb.
4. Firmly apply th e parking brake.
5. Shift the transaxle into P, and stop the engine.
To restart after parking on an incline:
1. With the transaxle in P, start the engine. (Be sure to depress and hold the brake pedal.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also the foot brake) and pull away from the wheel blocks.
Stop; apply the parking brake and shift into P.
4. Have a helper retrieve the wheel blocks.
Fuel consumption
Trailer towing causes higher fuel consumption.
Before Driving
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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 difficult to
control the vehicle which could result in an
accident.
Passing
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress
the accelerator fully. The transaxle 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 TCS is turned off,
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. Desce nd slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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To turn on the lights
When the ignition switch and the headlight
switch are in the following conditions, the
headlights will illuminate when the
transmitter unlock button is pressed and
the vehicle receives the transmitter signal.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed (30 seconds).
Ignition switch: off
Headlight switch: AUTO, , or
Unlock
button Lock button
NOTE
Operation of the leaving home light can
be turned on or off.
Refer to the Settings section in the
Mazda Connect Owner's Manual.
When the transmitter lock button is
pressed and the vehicle receives the
transmitter signal, the headlights turn
off.
When the headlight switch is turned to
the OFF position, the headlights turn
off.
▼ Headlight Leveling
The number of passengers and weight of
cargo in the luggage compartment change
the angle of the headlights.
The angle of the headlights will be
automatically adjusted when turning on
the headlights.
▼Daytime Running Lights
Some countries require moving vehicles to
have their lights on (daytime running
lights) during the daytime.
Except Canada
The daytime running lights turn on
automatically when the vehicle starts
moving.
They turn off when the parking brake is
operated or the selector lever is shifted to
the P position.
NOTE
The daytime running lights can be
deactivated.
Refer to the Settings section in the Mazda
Connect Owner's Manual.
Canada
The daytime running
lights continuously
turn on when the ignition is switched ON.
When the light switch is switched to the
OFF or
position while the vehicle is
stopped, the daytime running lights turns
off. When you start driving the vehicle,
they turn on again.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Display/IconContent
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) warning
lightsIndicates when the Rear Cross Tr
affic Alert (RCTA) has oper‐
ated.
For details, refer to Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA).
Refer to Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) on page 4-127.
NOTE
The parking sensor obstruction detection indication does not display. Switch the screen
display to the top view/rear view display if the parking sensor warning sound is activated.
The rear wide view screen displays the image at the rear of the vehicle at a wide angle
and corrects the image to help detect approaching obstructions from the side. Therefore, it
differs from the actual view.
▼ Margin of Error Between Road Surf
ace on Screen and Actual Road Surface
There might be some margin of err or between the road surface appearing on the screen and
the actual road surface. A margi n of error in the perceived distance could lead to an
accident, therefore be aware of the following conditions which can more easily produce
errors in the perceived distance.
The vehicle tilts due to weight of passengers and cargo.
If the vehicle is tilted, obstructions picked up by a camera ca n appear farther or closer than
the actual distance from the vehicle.
Front camera
Obstruction
Margin of error
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
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NOTE
If the parking space has division lines, straighten the wheels when the vehicle width
guide lines are parallel to them.
Because there may be a difference between the displayed image, such as indicated
below, and the actual conditions when parking, always verify the safety at the rear of
the vehicle and the surrounding area directly with your eyes.
In the image of the parking space (or garage) displayed on the screen, the back end
and distance guide lines may appear aligned in the monitor, but they may not
actually be aligned on the ground.
When parking in a space with a division li ne on only one side of the parking space,
the division line and the vehicle width guide line appear aligned in the monitor, but
they may not actually be aligned on the ground.
▼ Variance Between Actual Road Con
ditions and Displayed Image
Some variance occurs between the actual road and the displayed road. Such variance in
distance perspective could lead to an accident. Note the following conditions that may cause
a variance in distance perspective.
When the vehicle is tilted due to the weight of passengers and load
When the vehicle rear is lowered, the object displayed on the s creen appears farther than the
actual distance.
Variance Object
When Driving
Rear View Monitor (Maz
da Connect (Type A))
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When parking in a space with a division line on only one side of the parking space, the
division line and the vehicle width guide line appear aligned in the monitor, but they may
not actually be aligned on the ground.
▼ Variance Between Actual Road C
onditions and Displayed Image
Some variance occurs between the actual road and the displayed road. Such variance in
distance perspective could lead to an accident. Note the follow ing conditions that may cause
a variance in distance perspective.
When the vehicle is tilted due to the weight of passengers and load
When the vehicle rear is lowered, the object displayed on the screen appears farther than the
actual distance.
Variance Object
When Driving
Rear View Monitor (Maz
da Connect (Type B))
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