engine MAZDA MODEL 3 5-DOOR 2014 Owner's Guide

4–21
When Driving
Transaxle
Manual Transaxle
Operation
Manual Transaxle Shift Pattern
N eutr al 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


*Some models.4–22
When Driving
Transaxle
NOTE
 y(For vehicles with type B instrument
cluster*1 ) If the engine speed is about to exceed
the permissible engine speed, the buzzer
sounds.
 Refer to Over Rev. Buzzer on page 7-36 .
*1 To determine which instrument cluster is equipped on your Mazda,
Refer to Meters and Gauges on page
4-9 .
 y If shifting to R is diffi cult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
Gear Shift Indication *
The gear shift indication supports you to
obtain optimum fuel economy and smooth
driving. It displays the selected gear
position in the instrument cluster as well
as notifi es the driver to change to the most
suitable gear position corresponding to the
actual driving condition.
Selected gear position Suitable gear position
Indication Condition
Numeral The selected gear position is
displayed.
and numeral Shift up or down to the indicated
gear position is recommended.
CAUTION
Do not rely solely on the shift-up/
shift-down recommendations by
indications. The actual driving
situation might require shift operations
diff erent from indication. To avoid the
risk of accidents, the road and traffi
c
conditions have to be judged correctly
by the driver before shifting.
NOTE
The gear shift indicator turns off when the
following operations are performed.
 y  The vehicle is stopped. y The vehicle is put in neutral. y The vehicle is driven in reverse. y The clutch is not fully engaged when
accelerating from a stop.
 y The clutch pedal remains depressed for
2 seconds or longer while driving.
Recommendations for Shifting (for Vehicles without Gear Shift
Indication)
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, Mazda
recommends these shift points:
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 24 km/h (15 mph)
2 to 3 42 km/h (26 mph)
3 to 4 60 km/h (37 mph)
4 to 5 75 km/h (46 mph)
5 to 6 79 km/h (49 mph)
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4–23
When Driving
Transaxle
For cruising, Mazda recommends these
shift points:
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 13 km/h (8 mph)
2 to 3 29 km/h (18 mph)
3 to 4 49 km/h (30 mph)
4 to 5 63 km/h (39 mph)
5 to 6 70 km/h (43 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traffi c
or on a steep upgrade , downshift before
the engine starts to overwork. This reduces
the chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you need more speed.
On a steep downgrade , downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
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4–24
When Driving
Transaxle
Automatic Transaxle Controls
Lock-r elease button
I ndicates the shift leve r can be shifted fr eely into any position.
I ndicates that you m ust hold in the lock-r elease button to shift.
I ndicates that you m ust depr ess the br ake pedal and hold in the lock-r elease
button to shift ( The ignition m ust be switched ON ) .
V a rious L oc k ou t s:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transax\
le that
gives the driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it\
to the transaxle to
shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transaxle functions\
as a traditional
automatic, you should also be aware that you can inadvertently shift into manual shift mode
and an inappropriate gear may be retained as the vehicle speed increases. If you notice the
engine speed going higher or hear the engine racing, confi rm you have not accidentally
slipped into manual shift mode (page 4-27 ).
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4–26
When Driving
Transaxle
CAUTION
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle. Doing so can cause transaxle
damage.
NOTE
Apply the parking brake or depress the
brake pedal before moving the selector
lever from N to prevent the vehicle from
moving unexpectedly.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transaxle will automatically shift
through a 6-gearsequence.
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 4-27 .
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transaxle shift
points to best suit the road conditions
and driver input. This improves driving
feel. The transaxle may switch to AAS
mode when driving up and down slopes,
cornering, or depressing the accelerator
pedal quickly while the selector lever is in
the D position. Depending on the driving
conditions and vehicle operations, the
transaxle may not shift gears, however,
this does not indicate a problem because
the AAS mode will maintain the optimum
gear position.
Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system prevents shifting out
of P unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift from P:
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
NOTE
 y When the ignition is switched to ACC or
the ignition is switched off, the selector
lever cannot be shifted from P.
 y The ignition cannot be switched to OFF
if the selector lever is not in P.
Shift-Lock Override
If the selector lever will not move from P
using the proper shift procedure, continue
to hold down the brake pedal.
1. Remove the shift-lock override cover using a cloth-wrapped fl at head
screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.
C ove r
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
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4–27
When Driving
Transaxle
4. Move the selector lever.
5. Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the system
checked.
Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel
of driving a manual transaxle 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 transaxle 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 transaxle.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the
lever from M to D.
NOTE
 y If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
 y 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.
Indicators
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.
Type A
G ear position indication
Manual shift m ode indication
Type B
Manual shift m ode indication G ear position indication
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*Some models.4–28
When Driving
Transaxle
NOTE
 y If the gears cannot be shifted down
when driving at higher speeds, the gear
position indication will fl ash twice to
signal that the gears cannot be shifted
down (to protect the transaxle).
 y If the automatic transaxle fl uid (ATF)
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.
NOTE
 y  When driving slowly, the gears may not
shift up.
 y 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.
 y When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
Manually Shifting down
(M6
: M5
: M4
: M3
: M2
: M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, move the
selector lever forward (
) once.
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.
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4–31
When Driving
Transaxle
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift point\
s:
Gear Vehicle speed *1
M1 to M2 24 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 traffi c 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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4–32
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 diffi cult 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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4–33
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Lighting Control
Headlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
When the lights are turned on, the lights-on indicator light in the inst\
rument cluster turns on.
NOTE
 y 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 9-10 . y 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 Position ON OFF ON OFF ON OFF
Headlights Off Off Off Off On On
Daytime running lights On Off On Off Off Off
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illumination Off Off On On On On
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