light MAZDA MODEL PROTÉGÉ 2003 (in English) Owner's Guide

5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
O/D OFF indicator light
This light comes on when the overdrive
has been turned off.

Driving Tips
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.
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 1, depending on the load
weight and grade steepness.
3. Release all brakes while gradually
accelerating.Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to 2
or 1, depending on load weight and grade
steepness. Descend slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating.
If the overdrive-off indicator light
flashes, the transaxle has an electrical
problem. Continuing to drive your
Mazda in this condition could cause
damage to your transaxle. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
CAUTION
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5-13
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Various Lockouts:

Transaxle Ranges
The shift lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete stop
before shifting to or from R, except as
explained under Rocking the Vehicle
(page 4-7).
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
Automatic Transaxle
Controls (Sport AT)
Indicates that you must depress the
brake pedal to shift (The ignition switch
must be in the ON position).
Indicates the shift lever can be shifted
freely into any position.
Holding the Vehicle with P:
Setting the shift 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. To hold the
vehicle, set the shift lever to P AND
set the parking brake.
•Shifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transaxle.
•Shifting into a driving gear or
reverse when the engine is running
faster than idle can damage the
transaxle.
WARNING
CAUTION
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5-19
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
With cruise control, you can set and
automatically maintain any speed of more
than about 40 km/h (25 mph).

Cruise Set Indicator Light
This light comes on when a cruising speed
is set.

Activation/Deactivation
To activate the system, press the cruise
main switch.
To deactivate the system, press the switch
again.
Cruise Control
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.
WARNING
Cruise Main Switch:
Leaving the cruise main switch on
when not using the cruise control is
dangerous as it may be switched on
accidentally. This could result in loss
of vehicle control. Keep the cruise
main switch off when cruise control is
not in use.
Cruise main switch
WARNING
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5-22
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

To Cancel
To turn off the system, use one
of these
methods:
•Press the cruise main switch.
•Slightly depress the brake pedal.
•Press the CANCEL button.
• (Manual transaxle)
Depress the clutch pedal.
The system is off when the ignition is off.
NOTE
Cruise control will cancel at about 15
km/h (9 mph) below the preset speed
or below 40 km/h (25 mph).
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5-24
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Speedometer
The speedometer indicates the speed of
the vehicle.

Odometer and Trip Meter
The display mode can be changed from
odometer to trip meter A to trip meter B
and then back to odometer by pressing the
selector while they are displayed. The
selected mode will be displayed.
Odometer
When this mode is selected, ODO will be
displayed.
The odometer records the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
Tr i p m e t e r
The trip meter can record the total
distance of two trips. One is recorded in
trip meter A, and the other is recorded in
trip meter B.
For instance, trip meter A can record the
distance from the point of origin, and trip
meter B can record the distance from
where the fuel tank is filled.
When trip meter A is selected, pressing
the selector again within one second will
change to trip meter B mode.
Selector
Odometer
Trip meter A Press the selector
Press the selector
Press the selector Trip meter B
NOTE
The odometer and trip meter can be
displayed as follows even when the
ignition switch is in the ACC or LOCK
position:
•Displays for about 10 minutes after
the ignition switch is turned to the
ACC or LOCK position from the
ON position.
•Displays for about 10 minutes after
any door is opened.
(Sport AT model)

The headlight switch must be in the
or position to see the
odometer and trip meter display when
the ignition switch is in the LOCK
position.
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5-26
Driving Your Mazda
Instrument Cluster and Indicators
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Fuel Gauge
The fuel gauge shows approximately how
much fuel is in the tank. We recommend
keeping the tank over 1/4 full. When the
low fuel warning light illuminates or
when the needle is near E, refuel as soon
as possible.

Dashboard Illumination
When the headlight switch is in the
or position, rotate the thumb-wheel
to adjust the brightness of the dashboard
lights.
Low fuel warning
light
Bright
Dim
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5-27
Driving Your Mazda
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beeps
Warning/Indicator Lights
Signal Warning/Indicator Lights Page
Brake System Warning Light 5-29
Charging System Warning Light 5-30
Engine Oil Pressure Warning Light 5-31
Check Engine Light 5-31
ABS Warning Light 5-32
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light 5-32
Low Fuel Warning Light 5-33
Warning/Indicator lights will appear in any of the highlighted areas
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5-28
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beeps
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Seat Belt Warning Light 5-33
Door-Ajar Warning Light 5-33
Low Washer Fluid Level Warning Light 5-33
Automatic Transaxle Warning Light 5-33
Headlight High-Beam Indicator Light 5-34
O/D OFF Indicator Light 5-34
Shift Position Indicator Light 5-34
Cruise Set Indicator Light 5-35 Signal Warning/Indicator Lights Page
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5-29
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beeps
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Brake System Warning Light
This warning has the following functions:
Parking brake warning
The light comes on when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch
in the START or ON position. It goes off
when the parking brake is fully released.
Low brake fluid level warning/
Electronic brake force distribution
system warning
If the light stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, you may have a brake
problem.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way.
Low brake fluid level warning
You may notice that the pedal is harder to
push or that it may go closer to the floor.
In either case, it will take longer to stop
the vehicle.
1. With the engine stopped, check the
brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required (page 8-14).
2. After adding fluid, check the light
again.If the warning light remains on, or if the
brakes do not operate properly, do not
drive the vehicle. Have it towed to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Even if the light goes off, have your brake
system inspected as soon as possible.
Electronic brake force distribution
system warning
If the electronic brake force distribution
control unit determines that some
components are operating incorrectly, the
control unit may turn the brake system
warning light on.
In this case, the ABS warning light comes
on at the same time (page 5-32).
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5-30
Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beeps
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Charging System Warning Light
This warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position and goes off when the engine is
started.
If the warning light comes on while
driving, it indicates a malfunction of the
alternator or of the charging system.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
Brake Warning Light:
Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous. It
indicates that your brakes may not
work at all or that they could
completely fail at any time. If this
light remains on, have the brakes
inspected immediately. Don’t drive
with this light on, and contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the
brakes inspected as soon as possible.
ABS Warning Light and Brake
Warning Light on at the Same Time:
Driving when the brake system
warning light and ABS warning light
are on at the same time is dangerous.
When both lights are on, the rear
wheels could lock more quickly in an
emergency stop than under normal
circumstances.
Don’t drive with both lights on, and
contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer
to have the brakes inspected as soon
as possible.
WARNING
Don't continue driving when the
charging system warning light is
illuminated.
CAUTION
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