MAZDA MODEL 626 2001 Owners Manual
Page 141 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda
5-17
114 –2B1E
J94A4010
Traction Control Indicators
Traction control system (TCS)
warning light
This warning light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position. It flashes when the system regulates
engine torque. If the light stays on,
take your vehicle to an Authorized
Mazda Dealer. The traction control
system may have a malfunction.
NOTE•
In addition to the TCS warning
light flashing, a slight lugging
sound will come from the
engine. This indicates that the
traction control system is
operating properly.
• On slippery surfaces, such as
fresh snow, it will be
impossible to achieve high rpm
when the traction control
system is on.
Page 142 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda5-18
J94A4011
TCS OFF Indicator Light
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON position. It
goes off when the engine is started. It also comes on when you switch off
the traction control system or when the
system has a malfunction.
NOTEAfter starting the engine on very
cold days, the TCS OFF indicator
will remain on and the system will
not operate until the engine is
warm.
114-3AE
J94A4012 TCS OFF Switch
Push this switch once to turn off the
TCS. Push it again to turn the TCS
back on.
Page 143 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda
5-19
NOTE•If the TCS is off when the
engine is turned off, it
automatically activates when
the ignition switch is turned on.
• Leaving the TCS on will
provide the best traction.
047-1A1E
Brake SystemFoot Brake
Your Mazda 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
!
Driving with the Engine Off:Continuing to drive when the
engine is stalled or turned off is
dangerous. Braking will require
more effort, and the brake’ s
power assist could be depleted if
you pump the brake. This will
cause longer stopping distances
or even an accident. Don’ t
continue driving when the engine
is stalled or turned off, find a safe
place to stop.
Page 144 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda5-20
WARNING
!
Riding the Brakes: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. Shift to
a lower gear when going down
steep hills.
WARNING
!
Driving with Wet Brakes: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 affected. Dry
the brakes by driving very slowly
and applying the brakes lightly
until brake performance is
normal.
047-2A1E
J94A4013
(J18Y4021)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.
Page 145 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda
5-21
When you hear this noise, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
!
Driving 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 the pad wear
indicator consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Q047-3A1E
J94A4014
To releaseTo set
Parking brake
handle
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal; then pull the brake handle
fully upward.
To release it, pull the handle up and
press the button. Depress the brake pedal; then lower the handle to the
release position while holding the
button in. Release the pedal when it’
s
safe to do so.
Q047-6A1E
CAUTION
!
Driving with the parking brake on
will cause excessive wear of the
brake linings or pads.
Page 146 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
*Some models.
Driving Your Mazda5-22
Q047-4AE
J94A4015
BRAKE
Brake System Warning Light
If the brake warning light stays on
after the parking brake is fully
released, the brake system has a
malfunction. Refer to Warning
Lights/Beeps (page 5-36).
Q047-5A2E
Antilock Brake System (ABS)*
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed of each wheel. If
one is about to lock up, the ABS
responds by automatically releasing
and reapplying that wheel’ s brake.
The driver will feel a slight vibration
in the brake pedal and may hear a
chattering noise from the brake
system. This is normal when the ABS
operates. Don’ t pump the brakes,
continue to press down on the brake
pedal.
Q047-7B2E
NOTEIf the ABS warning light stays on
while you’re driving, the ABS
control unit has detected a system
malfunction. If this occurs, your
brakes will function normally as if
the vehicle had no ABS. Should
this happen, consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
Page 147 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda
5-23
NOTEBraking distances may be longer
on loose surfaces (snow or gravel,
for example) which usually have a
hard foundation. A vehicle with a
normal braking system may
require less distance to stop under
these conditions because the tires
will build up a wedge of surface
layer when the wheels skid.
WARNING
!
ABS:The ABS cannot compensate for
unsafe and reckless driving,
excessive speed, tailgating
(following another vehicle too
closely), and hydroplaning
(reduced tire friction and road
contact because of water on the
road surface). You can still have
an accident. So don’t rely on ABS
as a substitute for safe driving.
NOTEWhen the engine is jump-started,
an unevenness of rpm occurs and
the ABS warning light comes on.
This is due to a lack of battery
capacity and doesn’ t indicate a
malfunction.
Have the battery recharged as soon
as possible.
Page 148 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
*Some models.
Driving Your Mazda5-24
048-1A1E
Power SteeringPower steering uses energy from the
engine. If the engine is off or if the
power steering system becomes
inoperative, you can still steer, but it
will require more effort.
If you find steering hard in normal
driving, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
CAUTION
!
Never hold the steering wheel to
the extreme left or right for more
than five seconds with the engine
running. This could damage the
power steering system.
049-1A1E
Cruise Control*With cruise control, you can set and
automatically maintain any speed of
more than about 40 km/h (25 mph).
WARNING
!
Cruise Control Use:Using cruise control in the
following conditions could cause
you to lose control of the vehicle:
•Heavy or unsteady traffic
• Slippery or winding roads
• Similar restrictions that
require inconsistent speed
Don’ t use cruise control in these
situations.
Page 149 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda
5-25
049-2F1E
CRUISE MAIN switchJ94A4017_2001
To activate the system, push the
CRUISE MAIN end of the switch.
To deactivate the system, push the
OFF end.
049-3AE
WARNING
!
Cruise Main Switch:Leaving the CRUISE MAIN
switch on when not using the
cruise control is dangerous as it
may be switched on accidently.
This could result in loss of vehicle
control. Keep the CRUISE MAIN
switch off when cruise control is
not in use.
049-12AE
J94A4018 Cruise Set Indicator Light
The cruise set indicator comes on
when a cruising speed is set.
Page 150 of 365
Form No. 8P95-EA-00G
Driving Your Mazda5-26
049-4F1E
J94A4019
(J18T4016)
RESUME/
ACCEL
button
SET/
COAST
button
To Set Speed
1. Turn on the CRUISE MAIN switch.
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than 40 km/h
(25 mph). 3. Press the SET/COAST button and
release it at the speed you want.
Release the accelerator at the same
time.
049-5AE
NOTE• The SET function can’ t be
activated until approximately 2
seconds after the CRUISE
MAIN switch has been
engaged.
• On a steep grade, the vehicle
may momentarily slow down
going up or speed up while
going down.
049-6A3E
To Cancel
To turn off the system, use one of
these methods:
• Press the OFF end of the Cruise
main switch.
• Slightly depress the brake pedal.
• (Manual transaxle)
Depress the clutch pedal.
The system is off when the ignition is
off.