tow MAZDA CX9 2023 User Guide

Make sure there are no exhaust gas leaks into the passenger compartment if any mounting
bolts are connected to the body:
Modifying your vehicle exhaust system is dangerous. Exhaust gas entering the vehicle could
cause loss of consciousness or even death.
When mounting the trailer hitch, make no modifications to the vehicle exhaust system.
CAUTION
Make all hitch adjustments with actual loads. Do not load and unload vehicle while
adjusting hitch. This action wi ll change the vehicle height.
 Do not use an axle-mounted hitch. This may damage the axle and related parts.
▼ Tires
When towing a trailer, make sure
that the tire pressures of the rear tires are at 20 kPa (0.2
bar, 2.9 psi) higher than the recommended tire pressures indica ted on the tire pressure
chart on the driver's door frame.
Trailer tire size, load rating, and inflation pressures should conform to tire manufacturer
specifications.
Do not exceed 100 km/h (62 mph) w ith a trailer in tow. If the local legal maximum speed
with a trailer in tow is less than 100 km/h (62 mph), do not ex ceed the legal speed.
CAUTION
If the vehicle exceeds 100 km/h (62 mph) with a trailer in tow, the vehicle could be
damaged.
WA R N I N G
Never use the temporary spare tire when towing:
Using the temporary spare tire on your vehicle wh en towing a trailer is dangerous as it could
result in tire failure, loss of control, and injury to vehicle occupants.
▼ Safety Chains
Safety chains must be used as a precautionary measure should th
e trailer become
unintentionally unhitched. They should cross under the trailer tongue and attach to the hitch.
Leave enough slack to allow full turns. Consult literature publ ished by your trailer or hitch
manufacturer for more details.
Before Driving
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WA R N I N G
Make sure the safety chain is securely attached to both the trailer and the vehicle prior to
departure:
Towing a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer and the
vehicle is dangerous. If damage occurs to the coupling unit or hitch ball, the trailer could
wander into another lane and cause a collision.
▼ Trailer Lights
Trailer lights must comply with a
ll federal, state, and local regulations. Equip your trailer as
required before towing it day or night.
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.
WA R N I N G
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
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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 t railer lights and all
vehicle-to-trailer connections. Stop and re-inspect all lights and connections after driving
a short distance.
Driving
Your Mazda will handle differentl y 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 each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, a llow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between your M azda and the vehicle ahead.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
Avoid sudden braking. It may cause loss of control and result i n jackknifing, especially so
on wet or slippery roads.
Shift the selector lever to the D position when towing a trailer in hilly terrain or when
heavily loaded.
The D position will allow operating the vehicle without frequen t shifting.
Lane changes and turning
Avoid quick lane changes, sudden turns, and tight turns. Slow d own before turning to avoid
the need of sudden braking.
A turning trailer will make a tighter arc than the tow vehicle. Compensate with turns that are
larger than normal.
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other v ehicles, and provide plenty of r oom before changing lanes.
Crosswinds from passing vehicles, especially larger ones, and t he effects of rough roads will
affect handling.
If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and reduce sp eed immediately, but
gradually.
Steer straight ahead. If no extr eme correction of steering or b raking is made, the
combination of less speed and firm steering will result in stab ility.
Backing up
Backing a vehicle with a traile r requires practice and patience . Back slowly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of th e trailer to reduce the risk of an accident.
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To turn the trailer, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it in the
direction you want the trailer to go. Make only slight movements to prevent sharp or
prolonged turning.
Ascending a hill
Shift into a lower gear to reduce the possibility of overloadin g or overheating the engine, or
both.
Descending a hill
Shift into a lower gear and use engine compression as a braking effect.
WA R N I N G
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.
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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.
Maintenance
If you tow a trailer frequently, have your vehicle serviced as shown in Scheduled
Maintenance (page 6-4).
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Recreational Towing
An example of "recreational towing" is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transaxle is not designed for towing
this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
"Towing Description" (page 7-25) and
carefully follow the instructions.
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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
(
) toward you once with your
fingers.
UP switch (+/OFF)
WA R N I N G
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 th e 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 (
) is
pulled rearward for a sufficient amount
of time.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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▼Manually Shifting Down
You can shift gears down by operating the
selector lever or the steering shift
switches
*.
M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2→ M1
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.
DOWN switch (-)
WA R N I N G
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 th e accelerator fully,
the transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed. However,
the gears do not kickdown while the TCS
is turned off or the Off-Road Traction
Assist is operating.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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▼Headlight High-Low Beam
The headlights switch between high and
low beams by moving the lever forward or
backward.

High beam
Low beam
When the headlight high-beams are on, the
headlight high-beam indicator light is
turned on.

▼Flashing the Headlights
Can be used when the ignition is switched
ON.
To flash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (th
e headlight switch does not
need to be on).

OFF
Headlight
flashing
The headlight high-beam indicator light in
the instrument cluster illuminates
simultaneously. The lever will return to
the normal position when released.

▼ Coming Home Light
The coming home light turns on the
headlights (low beams) when the lever is
operated.
To turn on the lights
When the lever is pulled with the ignition
switched to ACC or OFF, the low beam
headlights turn on.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed after all of the
doors are closed.
NOTE
The time until the headlights turn off
after all of the doors are closed can be
changed.
Refer to the Settings section in the
Mazda Connect Owner's Manual.
If no operations are done for 3 minutes
after the lever is pulled, the headlights
turn off.
The headlights turn off if the lever is
pulled again while the headlights are
illuminated.
▼Leaving Home Light
The leaving home light turns on the lights
when the transmitte
r unlock button is
pressed while away from the vehicle.
The following lights turn on when the
leaving home light is operated.
Low beams, Parking lights, Taillights,
License plate lights.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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Turn and Lane-ChangeSignals
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the turn and lane -change signals.
▼Turn Signals
Move the signal lever down (for a left
turn) or up (for a righ
t turn) to the stop
position. The signal will self-cancel after
the turn is completed.

If the indicator light continues to flash
after a turn, manually return the lever to its
original position.
Right turn
Left turn
Right lane change
Left lane change OFF
The turn signal
indicators in the
instrument cluster flash according to the
operation of the turn signal lever to show
which signal is working.

NOTE
If an indicator light stays on without
flashing or if it flashes abnormally, one
of the turn signal bulbs may be burned
out.
A personalized function is available to
change the turn indicator sound volume.
Refer to the Settings section in the
Mazda Connect Owner's Manual.
▼ Lane-Change Signals
Move the lever halfway toward the
direction of the lane change―until the
indicator flashes― and hold it there. It
will return to the off position when
released.
▼Three-Flash Turn Signal
After releasing the turn signal lever, the
turn signal indicator
flashes 3 times. The
operation can be canceled by moving the
lever in the direction opposite to which it
was operated.
NOTE
The three-flash turn signal function can be
switched to operable/inoperable using the
personalization function.
Refer to the Settings section in the Mazda
Connect Owner's Manual.
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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