brakes MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK 2015 (in English) User Guide

4–51
When Driving
Transaxle
Shift Position Indication
The selector position is indicated when the
ignition is switched ON.
Gear position indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication illuminates and the
numeral for the selected gear is displayed.
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-41 .
Transaxle Ranges
 












 The shift position indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminates. Refer to
Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-40 .
 


 The selector lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevents the front
wheels from rotating.
WARNING
Always set the selector lever to P and
set the parking brake:
Only setting the selector lever to the
P position without using the parking
brake to hold the vehicle is dangerous.
If P fails to hold, the vehicle could
move and cause an accident.
CAUTION
  Shifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transaxle.
  Shifting into a driving gear or reverse
when the engine is running faster
than idle can damage the transaxle.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete
stop before shifting to or from R, except
under rare circumstances as explained in
Rocking the Vehicle (page 3-56 ).
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
WARNING
If the engine is running faster than
idle, do not shift from N or P into a
driving gear:
It's dangerous to shift from N or P
into a driving gear when the engine
is running faster than idle. If this is
done, the vehicle could move suddenly,
causing an accident or serious injury.
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle:
Shifting into N while driving is
dangerous. Engine braking cannot be
applied when decelerating which could
lead to an accident or serious injury.
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4–61
When Driving
Transaxle
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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4–82
When Driving
Brake
Brake System
Foot Brake
This vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
use.
Should power-assist fail, you can stop by
applying greater force than normal to the
brake pedal. But the distance required to
stop will be greater than usual.
WARNING
Do not coast with the engine stalled or
turned off, fi nd a safe place to stop:
Coasting with the engine stalled or
turned off is dangerous. Braking will
require more effort, and the brake's
power-assist could be depleted if you
pump the brake. This will cause longer
stopping distances or even an accident.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep hills:
Driving with your foot continuously on
the brake pedal or steadily applying the
brakes for long distances is dangerous.
This causes overheated brakes,
resulting in longer stopping distances
or even total brake failure. This could
cause loss of vehicle control and a
serious accident. Avoid continuous
application of the brakes.
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 affected.
CAUTION
  Do not drive with your foot held
on the clutch pedal or brake pedal,
or hold the clutch pedal depressed
halfway unnecessarily. Doing so
could result in the following:
 


 The clutch and brake parts will
wear out more quickly.
 


 The brakes can overheat
and adversely affect brake
performance.
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4–83
When Driving
Brake
CAUTION
  Always depress the brake pedal with
the right foot. Applying the brakes
with the unaccustomed left foot
could slow your reaction time to
an emergency situation resulting in
insuffi cient braking operation.


 Wear shoes appropriate for driving in
order to avoid your shoe contacting
the brake pedal when depressing the
accelerator pedal.
Parking Brake
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake parts.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter
Driving (page 3-56 ) regarding parking
brake use.
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and then fi rmly
pull the parking brake lever fully upwards
with suffi cient force to hold the vehicle in
a stationary position.
Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and pull the
parking brake lever upwards, then press
the release button. While holding the
button, lower the parking brake lever all
the way down to the released position.
Warning Light
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-41 .
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4–84
When Driving
Brake
Brake Pad Wear Indicator
When the disc brake pads become worn,
the built-in wear indicators contact the
disc plates. This causes a screeching noise
to warn that the pads should be replaced.
When you hear this noise, consult an
expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
Do not drive with worn disc pads:
Driving with worn disc pads is
dangerous. The brakes could fail and
cause a serious accident. As soon as
you hear a screeching noise consult
an expert repairer, we recommend an
Authorised Mazda Repairer.
Brake Assist
During emergency braking situations
when it is necessary to depress the brake
pedal with greater force, the brake assist
system provides braking assistance, thus
enhancing braking performance.
When the brake pedal is depressed hard or
depressed more quickly, the brakes apply
more fi rmly.
NOTE

 When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly,
the pedal will feel softer but the
brakes will apply more fi rmly. This
is a normal effect of the brake assist
operation and does not indicate a
malfunction.
  When the brake pedal is depressed
hard or depressed more quickly, a
motor/pump operation noise may be
heard. This is a normal effect of the
brake assist and does not indicate a
malfunction.
  The brake assist equipment does not
supersede the functionality of the
vehicle's main braking system.
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4–87
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Antilock Brake System
(ABS)
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed of each wheel. If
one wheel is about to lock up, the ABS
responds by automatically releasing and
reapplying that wheel's brake.
The driver will feel a slight vibration in
the brake pedal and may hear a chattering
noise from the brake system. This is
normal ABS system operation. Continue to
depress the brake pedal without pumping
the brakes.
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-41 .
WARNING
Do not rely on ABS as a substitute for
safe driving:
The ABS cannot compensate for unsafe
and reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), driving on ice and snow,
and hydroplaning (reduced tyre friction
and road contact because of water on
the road surface). You can still have an
accident.
NOTE
  Braking distances may be longer
on loose surfaces (snow or gravel,
for example) which usually have a
hard foundation. A vehicle with a
normal braking system may require
less distance to stop under these
conditions because the tyres will
build up a wedge of surface layer
when the wheels skid.
  The sound of the ABS operating may
be heard when starting the engine
or immediately after starting the
vehicle, however, it does not indicate
a malfunction.
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*Some models.4–88
When Driving
ABS/TCS/DSC
Traction Control System
(TCS)
*
The Traction Control System (TCS)
enhances traction and safety by controlling
engine torque and braking. When the TCS
detects driving wheel slippage, it lowers
engine torque and operates the brakes to
prevent loss of traction.
This means that on a slick surface, the
engine adjusts automatically to provide
optimum power to the drive wheels,
limiting wheel spin and loss of traction.
The warning light turns on when the
system has a malfunction.
Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-41 .
WARNING
Do not rely on the Traction Control
System (TCS) as a substitute for safe
driving:
The Traction Control System (TCS)
cannot compensate for unsafe and
reckless driving, excessive speed,
tailgating (following another vehicle
too closely), and hydroplaning (reduced
tyre friction and road contact because
of water on the road surface). You can
still have an accident.
Use snow tyres or tyre chains and
drive at reduced speeds when roads are
covered with ice and/or snow:
Driving without proper traction devices
on snow and/or ice-covered roads
is dangerous. The Traction Control
System (TCS) alone cannot provide
adequate traction and you could still
have an accident.
NOTE
To turn off the TCS, press the DSC OFF
switch (page 4-90 ).
TCS/DSC Indicator Light
This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON. If the TCS or DSC is operating, the
indicator light fl ashes.
If the light stays on, the TCS, DSC
or the brake assist system may have a
malfunction and they may not operate
correctly. Take your vehicle to an expert
repairer, we recommend an Authorised
Mazda Repairer.
NOTE
  In addition to the indicator light
fl ashing, a slight labouring sound
will come from the engine. This
indicates that the TCS/DSC is
operating properly.
  On slippery surfaces, such as fresh
snow, it will be impossible to achieve
high rpm when the TCS is on.
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*Some models.4–91
When Driving
i-ELOOP
i-ELOOP *
On conventional vehicles, the kinetic energy that is generated when the vehicle is
decelerated by applying the brakes or during engine braking ends up being discarded as
heat. By utilizing this discarded kinetic energy to generate electricity and use it to power the
vehicle's electrical devices and accessories such as the A/C and audio, fuel consumption can
be reduced. Mazda's system for generating electricity from this kinetic energy is called the
Regenerative Braking System (i-ELOOP).
Electric components
Engine Components
Vehicle Systems:
Air-conditioning
Audio
Head-lights, etc
Accelerator OFF
Accelerator ONEnergy
regeneration
ChargeBattery
Battery Power
Power
Electric components
Engine Components
Vehicle Systems:
Air-conditioning
Audio
Head-lights, etc
Engine
Variable
Voltage
alternator
Variable
Voltage
alternator Engine
Tyre TyreCapacitor
CapacitorDC-DC converter
DC-DC converter
Kinetic energy
Electrical power
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*Some models.4–123
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) *
The Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system is designed to maintain headway control *1
according to the vehicle speed using a radar sensor (front) to detect the distance to a vehicle
ahead, which frees the driver from having to constantly use the accelerator or brake pedals.
*1 Headway Control: Control of the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead
detected by the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system.
Additionally, if your vehicle starts closing in on the vehicle ahead because, for example, the
vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, a warning sound and a warning indication in the display are
activated simultaneously to alert you to maintain a suffi cient distance between the vehicles.
The possible vehicle speed setting ranges are as follows:
 


(European models)
 About 30 km/h (19 mph) to 200 km/h (124 mph)



(Except European models)
 About 30 km/h (19 mph) to 145 km/h (90 mph)
Use the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system on expressways and other highways
which do not require a lot of repeated acceleration and deceleration.
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4–124
When Driving
i-ACTIVSENSE
WARNING
Do not rely completely on the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system and always
drive carefully:
The Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system is designed to reduce load on the
driver, and although it maintains a constant vehicle speed, or specifi cally, it maintains
a constant distance between your vehicle and the detected vehicle ahead according to
the vehicle speed, the system has detection limitations depending on the type of vehicle
ahead and its conditions, the weather conditions, and the road conditions. Additionally,
the system may be unable to decelerate suffi ciently to avoid hitting the vehicle ahead if
the vehicle ahead applies the brakes suddenly or another vehicle cuts into the driving
lane, which could result in an accident. Always verify the safety of the surrounding area
and depress the brake pedal or accelerator pedal while keeping a safer distance from
vehicles ahead or on-coming vehicles.
Do not use the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system in the following locations.
Otherwise, it could lead to an accident:
 
 Roads with sharp curves and where vehicle traffi c is heavy and there is insuffi cient
space between vehicles. Roads where frequent and repetitive acceleration and
deceleration occur (Driving under these conditions using the Mazda Radar Cruise
Control (MRCC) system is not possible).
  When entering and exiting interchanges, service areas, and parking areas of
highways (If you exit a highway while headway control is in use, the vehicle ahead
will no longer be tracked and your vehicle may accelerate to the set speed).
  Slippery roads such as ice or snow-bound roads (The tyres could spin causing you to
lose vehicle control).
  Long descending slopes (to maintain distance between vehicles, the system
automatically and continuously applies the brakes which could result in the loss of
brake power).
For the purposes of safety, switch the Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system off
when it is not being used.
CAUTION
If the vehicle is towed or you are towing something, switch the Mazda Radar Cruise
Control (MRCC) system off to prevent an incorrect operation.
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