MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR 2014 Owners Manual

4–65
When Driving
Radar Sensor
Radar Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a radar sensor.
The following systems also use the radar sensor.
 y Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) y Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW)
The radar sensor functions by detecting the radio waves refl ected off a vehicle ahead or an
obstruction sent from the radar sensor.
The radar sensor is mounted behind the front emblem.
Radar Sensor
If the Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW) indicator light (amber) is illuminated, the area
around the radar sensor may be dirty. Refer to “Warning Guidance” in the type B audio
display.
Refer to If a Warning Light Turns On or Flashes on page 7-24 .
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4–66
When Driving
Radar Sensor
CAUTION
Heed the following precautions to assure correct operation of each system.


4–67
When Driving
Radar Sensor
NOTE
 y In the following cases, the radar sensor may not be able to detect vehic\
les ahead or
obstructions.
 y The rear surface of a vehicle ahead does not refl ect radio waves effectively, such as
an unloaded trailer or an automobile with a loading platform covered by a soft top,
vehicles with a hard plastic tailgate, and round-shaped vehicles.
 y Vehicles ahead with low vehicle height and thus less area for refl ecting radio waves. y Visibility is reduced due to a vehicle ahead casting off water, snow, or sand from its
tires and onto your windshield.
 y The trunk/luggage compartment is loaded with heavy objects or the rear passenger
seats are occupied.
 y Ice, snow, or soiling is on the front surface of the front emblem. y During inclement weather such as rain, snow, or sand storms. y When driving near facilities or objects emitting strong radio waves.
 y In the following cases, the radar sensor may detect vehicles in the oppo\
site lane or
surrounding obstructions, or it may not be able to detect vehicles ahead or \
obstructions.
 y The beginning and end of a curve. y Roads with continuous curves. y Narrow lane roads due to road construction or lane closures. y The vehicle ahead enters the radar sensor's blind spot. y The vehicle ahead is running abnormally due to accident or vehicle damag\
e.  y Roads with repeated up and down slopes y Driving on poor roads or unpaved roads. y The distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead is extremely short. y A vehicle suddenly comes close such as by cutting into the lane.
 y To prevent incorrect operation of the system, use tires of the same specifi ed size,
manufacturer, brand, and tread pattern on all four wheels. In addition, do not use tires
with signifi cantly different wear patterns or tire pressures on the same vehicle. (Including
the temporary spare tire)
 y If the battery power is weak, the system may not operate correctly. y When driving on roads with little traffi c and few vehicles ahead or obstructions for the
radar sensor to detect, Forward Obstruction Warning/Smart City Brake Support (FOW/
SCBS) indicator light temporarily illuminates, however, this does not indicate a problem.
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4–68
When Driving
Brake
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 off , fi nd a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine stalled or
turned off is dangerous. Braking will
require more eff ort, 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 off
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 aff ected.
CAUTION


4–69
When Driving
Brake
Parking Brake
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on
will cause excessive wear of the brake
parts.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter
Driving (page 3-47 ) regarding parking
brake use.
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and then fi rmly
pull the parking brake lever fully upwards
with suffi cient force to hold the vehicle in
a stationary position.
Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and pull the
parking brake lever upwards, then press
the release button. While holding the
button, lower the parking brake lever all
the way down to the released position.
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-22 .
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
When the disc brake pads become worn,
the built-in wear indicators contact the
disc plates. This causes a screeching noise
to warn that the pads should be replaced.
When you hear this noise, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
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4–70
When Driving
Brake
WARNING
Do not drive with worn disc pads: Driving with worn disc pads is
dangerous. The brakes could fail and
cause a serious accident. As soon as
you hear a screeching noise consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Brake Assist
During emergency braking situations
when it is necessary to depress the brake
pedal with greater force, the brake assist
system provides braking assistance, thus
enhancing braking performance.
When the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, the brakes apply
more fi rmly.
NOTE
 y When the brake pedal is depressed hard
or depressed more quickly, the pedal
will feel softer but the brakes will apply
more fi rmly. This is a normal effect of
the brake assist operation and does not
indicate a malfunction.
 y  When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly, a
motor/pump operation noise may be
heard. This is a normal effect of the
brake assist and does not indicate a
malfunction.
 y The brake assist equipment does not
supersede the functionality of the
vehicle's main braking system.
Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) is a function
which assists the driver in accelerating
from a stop while on a slope. When
the driver releases the brake pedal and
depresses the accelerator pedal while
on a slope, the function prevents the
vehicle from rolling. The braking force is
maintained automatically after the brake
pedal is released on a steep grade.
For vehicles with a manual transaxle,
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) operates on a
downward slope when the shift lever is in
the reverse (R) position, and on an upward
slope when the shift lever is in a position
other than the reverse (R) position.
For vehicles with an automatic transaxle,
Hill Launch Assist (HLA) operates on a
downward slope when the shift lever is in
the reverse (R) position, and on an upward
slope when the shift lever is in a forward
gear.
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4–71
When Driving
Brake
WARNING
Do not rely completely on Hill Launch
Assist (HLA): Hill Launch Assist (HLA) is an auxiliary
device for accelerating from a stop
on a slope. The system only operates
for about two seconds and therefore,
relying only on the system, when
accelerating from a stop is dangerous
because the vehicle may move (roll)
unexpectedly and cause an accident.
The vehicle could roll depending on
the vehicle's load or if it is towing
something. In addition, for vehicles
with a manual transaxle, the vehicle
could still roll depending on how the
clutch pedal or the accelerator pedal is
operated.
Always confi rm the safety around the
vehicle before starting to drive the
vehicle.
NOTE
 y Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
operate on a gentle slope. In addition,
the gradient of the slope on which the
system will operate changes depending
on the vehicle's load.
 y Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
operate if the parking brake is applied,
the vehicle has not stopped completely,
or the clutch pedal is released.
 y While Hill Launch Assist (HLA) is
operating, the brake pedal may feel
stiff and vibrate, however, this does not
indicate a malfunction.
 y Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
operate while the TCS/DSC indicator
light is illuminated.
 Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-21 .
 y Hill Launch Assist (HLA) does not
turn off even if the DSC OFF switch is
pressed to turn off the TCS/DSC.
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*Some models.4–72
When Driving
Brake
Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) *
The Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system is designed to reduce damag\
e in the
event of a collision by operating the brake control (SCBS brake) when \
the system's laser
sensor detects a vehicle ahead and determines that a collision with the \
vehicle ahead is
unavoidable. It may also be possible to avoid a collision if the relativ\
e speed between your
vehicle and the vehicle ahead is less than about 15 km/h (9.3 mph).
In addition, when the driver depresses the brake pedal while the system \
is in the operation
range at about 4 to 30 km/h (2 to 18 mph), the brakes are applied fi\
rmly and quickly to
assist. (Brake Assist (SCBS brake assist))
Laser sensor
WARNING
Do not rely on the Smart City Brake Support System (SCBS) as a substitute for safe
driving: The Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system cannot compensate for unsafe and reckless
driving, excessive speed, tailgating (following another vehicle too closely), and driving on
slippery roads such as wet, snowy, and icy roads (reduced tire friction and road contact
because of water on the road surface). You can still have an accident.

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4–73
When Driving
Brake
Do not rely completely on the Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) system:


4–74
When Driving
Brake
CAUTION