tires MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR 2015 Owners Manual

1–5
Pictorial Index
Exterior Overview
(4-Door)



Hood ........................................................................\
.............................................. page 6-24



Windshield wiper blades ........................................................................\
............... page 6-33



Moonroof ........................................................................\
...................................... page 3-39



Doors and keys ........................................................................\
.............................. page 3-12



Fuel-fi ller lid ........................................................................\
................................. page 3-30



Wheels and Tires ........................................................................\
........................... page 6-42



Exterior lights ........................................................................\
................................ page 6-46



Trunk lid ........................................................................\
........................................ page 3-21



Antenna ........................................................................\
......................................... page 5-16



Child safety locks ........................................................................\
.......................... page 3-20



Outside mirror ........................................................................\
............................... page 3-33
The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle
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1–6
Pictorial Index
Exterior Overview
(5-Door)



Hood ........................................................................\
.............................................. page 6-24



Windshield wiper blades ........................................................................\
............... page 6-33



Moonroof ........................................................................\
...................................... page 3-39



Doors and keys ........................................................................\
.............................. page 3-12



Fuel-fi ller lid ........................................................................\
................................. page 3-30



Wheels and Tires ........................................................................\
........................... page 6-42



Exterior lights ........................................................................\
................................ page 6-46



Rear window wiper blade ........................................................................\
............. page 6-35



Liftgate ........................................................................\
.......................................... pag e 3-21



Antenna ........................................................................\
......................................... page 5-16



Child safety locks ........................................................................\
.......................... page 3-20



Outside mirror ........................................................................\
............................... page 3-33
The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle
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3–45
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a
few precautions in the fi rst 1,000 km
(600 miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of the vehicle.
 y  Do not race the engine. y Do not maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
 y  Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for extended periods of
time.
 y  Avoid unnecessary hard stops. y Avoid full-throttle starts.
Saving Fuel and
Protection of the
Environment
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save fuel and
reduce CO2.
 y Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
 y  Avoid fast starts. y Drive at lower speeds. y Anticipate when to apply the brakes
(avoid sudden braking).
 y  Follow the maintenance schedule
(page 6-4 ) and have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer perform inspections and
servicing.
 y  Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
 y  Slow down on rough roads. y Keep the tires properly infl ated. y Do not carry unnecessary weight. y Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
 y  Keep the wheels in correct alignment. y Keep windows closed at high speeds. y Slow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
WARNING
Never stop the engine when going down
a hill: Stopping the engine when going
down a hill is dangerous. This causes
the loss of power steering and power
brake control, and may cause damage
to the drivetrain. Any loss of steering
or braking control could cause an
accident.
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3–46
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Hazardous Driving
WARNING
Be extremely careful if it is necessary to
downshift on slippery surfaces: Downshifting into lower gear
while driving on slippery surfaces 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.
When driving on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
 y  Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
 y  Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
 y  Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
 Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-78 .
 y If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the front
wheels.
 y  For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow,
use sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or
other nonslip material under the front
wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the front wheels.
Floor Mat
WARNING
Make sure the fl oor mats are hooked on
the retention pins to prevent them from
bunching up under the foot pedals: Using a fl oor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.

Do not install two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side: Installing two fl oor mats, one on top
of the other, on the driver's side is
dangerous as the retention pins can
only keep one fl oor mat from sliding
forward.
In using a heavy duty fl oor mat for
winter use always remove the original
fl oor mat.
Loose fl oor mat(s) will interfere with
the foot pedal and could result in an
accident.
When setting a fl oor mat, position the fl oor
mat so that its grommets are inserted over
the pointed end of the retention posts.
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3–48
Before Driving
Driving Tips
 y Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows and
mirrors as it could result in the glass
cracking.
 y Drive slowly. Braking performance
can be adversely affected if snow or
ice adheres to the brake components. If
this situation occurs, drive the vehicle
slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal
and lightly applying the brakes several
times until the brake performance
returns to normal.
Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Infl ate snow
tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2 , 4.3 psi) more
than recommended on the tire pressure
label (driver's door frame), but never
more than the maximum cold-tire pressure
shown on the tires.
The vehicle is originally equipped with
all season radials designed to be used all
year around. In some extreme climates you
may fi nd it necessary to replace them with
snow tires during the winter months to
further improve traction on snow and ice
covered roads.
WARNING
Use only the same size and type tires
(snow, radial, or non-radial) on all four
wheels: Using tires diff erent in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehicle's handling
could be greatly aff ected and result in
an accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
Tire Chains
Check local regulations before using tire
chains.
CAUTION


3–49
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Installing the chains
1. If your vehicle is equipped with wheel covers remove them, otherwise the
chain bands will scratch them.
2. Secure the chains on the front tires as tightly as possible.
Always follow the chain manufacturer's instructions.
3. Retighten the chains after driving 1/2—1 km (1/4—1/2 mile). Driving In Flooded Area
WARNING
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
Do not drive the vehicle on fl ooded
roads as it could cause short circuiting
of electrical/electronic parts, or
engine damage or stalling from
water absorption. If the vehicle has
been immersed in water, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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3–51
Before Driving
Driving Tips
Driving on Uneven Road
Your vehicle's suspension and underbody can be damaged if driven on rough/uneven roads
or over speed bumps at excessive speeds. Use care and reduce speed when \
traveling on
rough/uneven roads or over speed bumps.
Use care not to damage the vehicle's underbody, bumpers or muffl er(s) when driving under
the following conditions:
 y Ascending or descending a slope with a sharp transition angle y Ascending or descending a driveway or trailer ramp with a sharp transiti\
on angle
This vehicle is equipped with low profi le tires allowing class-leading performance and
handling. As a result, the sidewall of the tires are very thin and the tires and w\
heels can be
damaged if driven through potholes or on rough/uneven roads at excessive\
speeds. Use care
and reduce speed when traveling on rough/uneven roads or through pothole\
s.
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4–26
When Driving
Transaxle
Manual Transaxle
Operation
Manual Transaxle Shift Pattern
Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transaxle is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a device to
prevent shifting to R (reverse) by mistake.
Push the shift lever downward and shift
to R.
WARNING
Do not use sudden 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.

Always leave the shift lever in 1 or R
position and set the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle unattended: Otherwise the vehicle could move and
cause an accident.
CAUTION


4–35
When Driving
Transaxle
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
fi ngers.
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 fi ngers 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
 y When driving at high speeds, the gear
may not shift down.
 y During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed.
 y When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
Second gear fi xed mode
When the selector lever is moved back
while the vehicle speed is about 10 km/h
(6.2 mph) or less, the transaxle is set in the
second gear fi xed mode. The gear is fi xed
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 fi xed
mode, the mode will be canceled.
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4–48
When Driving
Switches and Controls
NOTE
The timing in which the system switches the headlights changes under the\
following
conditions. If the system does not switch the headlights appropriately, manually switch
between high and low beams according to the visibility as well as road and traffi c
conditions.
 y When there are sources of light in the area such as street lamps, illuminated signboards,
and traffi c signals.
 y When there are refl ective objects in the surrounding area such as refl ective plates and
signs.
 y When visibility is reduced under rain, snow and foggy conditions. y When driving on roads with sharp curves or hilly terrain. y When the headlights/rear lamps of vehicles in front of you or in the opposite lane are dim
or not illuminated.
 y When there is suffi cient darkness such as at dawn or dusk. y When the luggage compartment is loaded with heavy objects or the rear passenger seats
are occupied.
 y When visibility is reduced due to a vehicle in front of you spraying water from its tires
onto your windshield.
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