MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR 2017 Owners Manual

4–41
When Driving
Automatic 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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4–42
When Driving
Automatic 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.
 While the selector lever is in the M
position and the DSC is turned off,
manual shift mode does not switch
to automatic shift mode even if the
accelerator pedal is completely
depressed. Operate the selector lever.
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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4–43
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lighting Control
Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights and other exterior light\
s 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 ACC or
OFF ONACC or
OFF ONACC or
OFF
Headlights OffOffOffOff OnOn
*2
Daytime running lights On*1OffOn*1Off OffOff
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights Off
Off OnOn
*2OnOn*2
*1 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven.*2 The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto he adlight off function.
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4–44
When Driving
Switches and Controls
With auto-light control
Switch Position
Ignition PositionONACC
or OFF ONACC
or OFF ONACC
or OFF ONACC
or OFF
Headlights OffOffAuto
*2Auto*4Off Off OnOn*5
Daytime running lights On*1OffOn*3OffOn*1Off OffOff
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights Off
OffAuto
*2Auto*4On On*5OnOn*5
*1 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven.*2 The lights are turned on by the auto light function.*3 The lights are turned on while the vehicle is driven, and turned of f when the headlights are turned on by the auto light function.*4 The lights are turned on continuously if the ignition is switched from ON to any other position with the lights turned on. The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto headlight off function.*5 The lights are turned on for the specified period by the auto he adlight off function.
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4–45
When Driving
Switches and Controls
*Some models.
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
and other exterior lights on or off.
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 and other exterior lights may not turn off immediately ev\
en 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. The sensitivity of the auto-light control may be changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on page 9-12.
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4–46
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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
To flash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (the 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.
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4–47
When Driving
Switches and Controls
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 the doors
are closed.
NOTE
 The time until the headlights turn off
after all of the doors are closed can be
changed.
Refer to Personalization Features on
page 9-12. 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 transmitter 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 lights.
To turn on the lights
When the ignition switch and the headlight
switch are in the following conditions,
the headlights will illuminate when the
transmitter unlock button is pressed and
the vehicle receives the transmitter signal.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed (30 seconds).
 Ignition switch: off Headlight switch: or or
Lock button
Unlock
b
utton
NOTE
 Operation of the leaving home light can
be turned on or off.
Refer to Personalization Featur es on
page 9-12. When the transmitter lock button is
pressed and the vehicle receives the
transmitter signal, the headlights turn
off.
 When the headlight switch is turned to
the position, the headlights turn off.
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4–48
When Driving
Switches and Controls
*Some models.
Headlight Leveling*
The number of passengers and weight of
cargo in the luggage compartment change
the angle of the headlights.
The angle of the headlights will be
automatically adjusted when turning on
the headlights.
Daytime Running Lights
Some countries require moving vehicles
to have their lights on (daytime running
lights) during the daytime.
The daytime running lights turn on
automatically when the vehicle starts
moving.
They turn off when the parking brake is
operated or the shift lever is shifted to the
P position (automatic transaxle vehicle).
NOTE
(Except Canada)
The daytime running lights can be
deactivated.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-12.
Fog Lights*
The fog lights can be used when the
ignition is switched ON.
Use this switch to turn on the fog lights.
The fog lights will improve visibility at
night and during foggy conditions.
To turn the fog lights on, rotate the fog
light switch to the
position.
Fog light switch
The headlight switch must be in the
position before turning on the fog lights.
To turn the fog lights off, do any of the
following:
 Rotate the fog light switch to the
position. Turn the headlight switch to the or
position. Switch the ignition to a position other
than ON.
NOTE
 The fog lights will turn off when the
headlights are set at high beams. (With auto-light control)
If the fog light switch is in the
position and the headlight switch is in
the
position, the fog lights will
turn on when the headlights, the
exterior lights and dashboard
illumination turn on.
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4–49
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
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 right 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.
(page
9-12)
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 three times.
The operation can be cancelled 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 Personalization Features on page
9-12.
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4–50
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Windshield Wipers and
Washer
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the wipers.
WARNING
Use only windshield washer fluid or
plain water in the reservoir:Using radiator antifreeze as washer
fluid is dangerous. If sprayed on the
windshield, it will dirty the windshield,
affect your visibility, and could result in
an accident.
Only use windshield washer fluid mixed
with anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions: Using windshield washer fluid without
anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions is dangerous as
it could freeze on the windshield and
block your vision which could cause
an accident. In addition, make sure
the windshield is sufficiently warmed
using the defroster before spraying the
washer fluid.
NOTE
If the windshield wipers are operated
under cold weather conditions or
during snowfall, they could stop due to
accumulated snow on the windshield. If the
windshield wipers stop due to accumulated
snow on the windshield, park the vehicle in
a safe place, turn the wiper switch off, and
then remove the accumulated snow. If the
wiper switch is turned to another position
other than OFF, the wipers will operate. If
the wipers do not operate even though the
wiper switch is turned to a position other
than OFF, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer as soon as possible.
Windshield Wipers
Turn the wipers on by pressing the lever
up or down.
With intermittent wiper
Switch
Position Wiper operation
Operation while pulling up lever
Stop
Intermittent
Low speed
High speed
Variable-speed intermittent wipers
Set the lever to the intermittent position
and choose the interval timing by rotating
the ring.
INT ringFast
Slow
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