MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR 2016 Owners Manual

4–33
When Driving
Transaxle
*Some models.
Type B
Gear position indication
Manual shift mode indication
Type C
Manual shift mode indicationGear position indication
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 transaxle).
 If the automatic transaxle fluid (A
TF)
temperature becomes too high, there
is the possibility that the transaxle
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 automatic transaxle. After
the ATF temperature has decreased, the
gear position indication illumination
turns back on and driving in manual
shift mode is restored.
Shifting
You can shift gears up and down by
operating the selector lever or the steering
shift switches
*.
Manually Shifting up
(M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6)
To shift up to a higher gear, move the
selector lever back
once.
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4–34
When Driving
Transaxle
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the UP switch
(
) toward you once with your
fingers.
UP switch
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. In manual shift mode, do not run the
engine with the tachometer needle in
the RED ZONE. When the engine rpm is
high, a gear may shift up automatically
to protect the engine.
 When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
 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.
Manually Shifting down
(M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2 → M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, move the
selector lever forward
once.
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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
fingers.
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 transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
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 transaxle 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.
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4–36
When Driving
Transaxle
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.
Shift up
The gear does not shift up while the vehicle speed is lower than the spe\
ed limit.
Shift down
The gear does not shift down while the vehicle speed exceeds the speed l\
imit.
If the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit 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 sh\
ifts down.
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.
NOTE
If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fixed mode, the gear remains in
second.
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4–37
When Driving
Transaxle
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift point\
s:
(U.S.A. and Canada)
GearVehicle 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 gives better acceleration when you need more speed.
On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolong\
s brake life.
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4–38
When Driving
Transaxle
*Some models.
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
range.
While in direct mode, the D and M
indication illuminate and the gear position
in use is illuminated.
Direct mode is canceled (released) under
the following conditions.
 The UP switch () 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.
Type A
Gear position indication
Direct mode indication
Type B
Gear position indication
Direct mode indication
Type C
Gear position indication
Direct mode indication
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.
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4–39
When Driving
Transaxle
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.
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.
NOTE
(Some models)
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.
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4–40
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lighting Control
Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights a\
nd dashboard
illumination on or off.
When the lights are turned on, the lights-on indicator light in the inst\
rument cluster turns on.
NOTE
 If the light switch is left on, the lights will automatically switch off\
approximately 30
seconds after switching the ignition off.
The time setting can be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-12. To prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while the engine is off unless
safety requires them.
Without auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition PositionON OFF ONOFF ONOFF
Headlights OffOffOffOff OnOn
Daytime running lights OnOff OnOff OffOff
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illumination Off
Off OnOnOnOn
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4–41
When Driving
Switches and Controls
With auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition PositionONOFF ONOFF ONOFF ONOFF
Headlights OffOffAuto*1Off OffOff OnOn
Daytime running lights OnOffAuto*1Off OnOff OffOff
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illumination Off
OffAuto
*1Off OnOnOnOn
*1 The headlight and other light settings switch automatically depending on\
the surrounding brightness detected by the sensor.
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4–42
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Auto-light control
When the headlight switch is in the
position and the ignition is switched ON, the light
sensor senses the surrounding lightness or darkness and automatically tu\
rns the headlights,
other exterior lights and dashboard illumination on or off (see chart above).
CAUTION
 Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windshield. Otherwise
the light sensor will not operate correctly.

 The light sensor also works as a rain sensor for the auto-wiper control. Keep hands and
scrapers clear of the windshield when the wiper lever is in the position and the
ignition is switched ON as fingers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades could be
damaged when the wipers activate automatically. If you are going to clean the windshield,
be sure the wipers are turned off completely when it is particularly tempting to leave the
engine running. This is particularly important when clearing ice and snow.
NOTE
 The headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination may not turn off
immediately even if the surrounding area becomes well-lit because the light sensor
determines that it is night time if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several
minutes such as inside long tunnels, traffic jams inside tunnels, or in indoor parking lots.
In this case, the lights turn off if the light switch is turned to the position. (Without auto headlight off function)
When the headlight switch is in the position and the ignition is switched to ACC or
the ignition is switched off, the headlights, other exterior lights and \
dashboard
illumination will turn off.
 The dashboard illumination can be adjusted by rotating the knob in the instrument cluster.
Also, the day/night mode can be changed by rotating the knob until a beep sound is heard.
To adjust the brightness of the dashboard illumination:
Refer to Dashboar d Illumination on page 4-15. The sensitivity of the AUTO lights may be changed by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Refer to Personalization Featur es on page 9-12.
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