transmission MAZDA CX3 2023 User Guide

D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From
a stop, the transmission will
automatically shift through a 6-gear
sequence.
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
operating the selector lever.
Refer to Manual Shift Mode on page
4-41.
▼Shift Position Indication
1. Shift position indication

The selector position is indicated when
the ignition is switched ON.
Gear position indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the
shift position indication illuminates
and the numeral for the selected gear
is displayed.
▼ Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transmission
shift points to best suit the road
conditions and driver input. This
improves driving feel. The transmission
may switch to AAS mode when driving
up and down slopes, cornering, driving
at high elevations, or depressing the
accelerator pedal quickly while the
selector lever is in the D position.
Depending on the road and driving
conditions/vehicle operations, gear
shifting could be delayed or not occur,
however, this does not indicate a
problem because the AAS mode will
maintain the optimum gear position.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Manual Shift Mode
▼Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the
feel of driving a manual transmission
vehicle by allowing you to operate the
selector lever manually. This allows you
to control engine rpm and torque to
the drive wheels much like a manual
transmission when more control is
desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift
the lever from D to M.

NOTE
Changing to manual shift mode
while driving will not damage the
transmission.
If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
If you change to manual shift mode
without depressing the accelerator
pedal when driving in D range, 5th
gear/6th gear, the gear will shift to
M4/M5.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift
the lever from M to D.
▼ Indications
1. Manual shift mode indication
2. Gear position indication
Manual shift mode indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the
shift position indication in the
instrument panel illuminates.
Gear position indication
The numeral for the selected gear
illuminates.

NOTE
If the gears cannot be shifted down
when driving at higher speeds, the
gear position indication will
flash
twice to signal that the gears cannot
be shifted down (to protect the
transmission).
If the automatic transmission fluid
(ATF) temperature becomes too
high, there is the possibility that the
transmission will switch to automatic
shift mode, canceling manual shift
mode and turning off the gear
position indication illumination. This
is a normal function to protect the
AT. After the ATF temperature has
decreased, the gear position
indication illumination turns back on
and driving in manual shift mode is
restored.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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▼Manually Shifting Up
You can shift gears up by operating the
selector lever or the steering shift
switches
*.
M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6
Using selector lever
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the
selector lever back + once.

Using steering shift switch*
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the UP
switch (+/OFF) toward you once with
your fingers.

1. UP switch (+/OFF)
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
TCS is turned off or the
Off-Road
Traction Assist
* is turned on.
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 sufficient
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
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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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 (–)
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 transmission
does not kickdown while the TCS is
turned off or the Off-Road Traction
Assist
* is operating.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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▼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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▼Shift Gear (Shifting) Speed Limit
For each gear position while in the manual
mode, the speed limit is set as follows:
When the selector lever is operated within the range of the speed limit, the gear is
shifted.

1. 1st
2. 2nd
3. 3rd
4. 4th
5. 5th
6. 6th
Shift up
The gear does not shift up while the vehicle speed is lower than the speed limit.
Shift down
The gear does not shift down while the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit.
If the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limi t and the gear does not shift down, the
gear position indication flashes 2 times to notify the driver that the gear cannot be
shifted.
Kickdown
When the accelerator pedal is depressed fully while driving, the gear shifts down.
However, the transmission does not kickdown while the TCS is turned off or the
Off-Road Traction Assist
* is operating.
NOTE
The gear also shifts down using kickdown while in the second gear fixed mode.
Auto-shift down
The gear shifts down automatically depending on the vehicle speed during
deceleration.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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NOTE
If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fixed mode, the gear remains
in second.
▼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 traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before
the engine starts to overwork. This give s better acceleration when you need more
speed.

On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolongs brake
life.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Direct Mode*
▼Direct Mode
Direct mode can be used for
temporarily switching gears by
operating the steering shift switch
while the vehicle is being driven with
the selector lever in the D position.
While in direct mode, the D and M
indication illuminate and the gear
position in use is illuminated.
1. Direct mode indication
2. Gear position indication

Direct mode is canceled (released)
under the following conditions.
The UP switch (+/OFF) is pulled
rearward for a certain amount of
time or longer.
The vehicle is driven for a certain
amount of time or longer (time
differs
depending on the driving
conditions while operating).
The vehicle is stopped or moving at a
slow speed.

NOTE
Shifting up and down while in direct
mode may not be possible depending
on the vehicle speed. In addition,
because direct mode is canceled
(released) depending on the rate of
acceleration or if the accelerator is fully
depressed, use of the manual shift
mode is recommended if you need to
drive the vehicle in a particular gear for
long periods.
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 difficult 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.
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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WARNING
Do not use the HomeLink system with
any garage door opener that lacks the
safety stop and reverse feature:
Using the HomeLink system with any
garage door opener that lacks the
safety stop and reverse feature as
required by federal safety standards is
dangerous. (This includes garage doors
manufactured before April 1, 1982.)
Using these garage door openers can
increase the risk of serious injury or
death. For further in formation, contact
HomeLink at www.homelink.com or
www.youtube.com/HomeLinkGentex
or an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Always check the areas surrounding
garage doors and gates for people or
obstructions before programming or
during operation of the HomeLink
system:
Programming or operating the
HomeLink system without verifying the
safety of areas surrounding garage
doors and gates is dangerous and
could result in an unexpected accident
and serious injury if someone were to
be hit.
NOTE
The programming will not be erased
even if the battery is disconnected.
▼ Pre-programming the HomeLink
System
NOTE
It is recommended that a new battery
be placed in the hand-held transmitter
of the device being programmed to
HomeLink for quicker training and
accurate transmission of the
radio-frequency signal.
Verify that there is a remote control
transmitter available for the device
you would like to program.
▼Programming the HomeLink
System
The HomeLink system provides 3
buttons which can be individually
selected and programmed using the
transmitters for current, on-market
devices as follows:
1. Press and release the HomeLink
button you would like to program.
The indicator light flashes slowly in
amber when the button is pressed.
1. Indicator light
2. HomeLink button

2. Hold the hand-held transmitter 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 in) away from the
HomeLink button you would like to
program while keeping the
indicator light in view.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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