steering MAZDA MODEL 6 2017 (in English) User Guide

4–33
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.
Warning Indication/Warning Lights
These lights turn on or flash to notify the user of the system operation status or a system
malfunction.
Signal WarningPage
Brake System Warning Light*1*27-22
ABS Warning Light*1
Electronic
Brake Force Distribution
System Warning 7-22,
ABS warning 7-25
Charging System Warning Light*17-22
Engine Oil Warning Light*17-22
(Red)
*High Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Indication/
Warning Light*17-22
Power Steering Malfunction Indication/Malfunction
Indicator Light*17-22
Master Warning Indication/Warning Light*17-25
Electric Parking Brake Warning Light 7-25
Check Engine Light*17-25
Automatic Transaxle Warning Indication/Warning Light*17-25
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning
Light*17-25
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light*1
Flashing
7-25,
Illuminate 7-29
(Amber)
*KEY Warning Indication 7-25
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4–46
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
*Some models.
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.
Manual shift mode indicator
Gear position indicator
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 (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 AT. After the ATF
temperature has decreased, the gear
position indication illumination turns
back on and driving in manual shift
mode is restored.
Manually Shifting Up
You can shift gears up by operating
the selector lever or the steering shift
switches
*.
M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6
Using selector lever
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the
selector lever back
once.
Using steering shift switch*
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the UP switch
(
) toward you once with your
fingers.
UP switch (+/OFF)
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4–47
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
*Some models.
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.
 Do not drive the vehicle with the
tachometer needle in the RED ZONE
while in manual shift mode. In
addition, manual shift mode switches
to automatic shift mode while the
accelerator pedal is completely
depressed.
This function is canceled while the DSC
is turned off. However, if the vehicle
is continuously driven at a high rpm,
the gears may automatically shift up to
protect the engine.
 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
You can shift gears down by operating
the selector lever or the steering shift
switches
*.
M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2→ M1
Using selector lever
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the
selector lever forward
once.
Using steering shift switch*
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
fingers.
DO WN switch (-)
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4–48
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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. However,
the gears do not kickdown while the
DSC is turned off.
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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4–51
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
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.
Gear position indicator
Direct mode indicator
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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4–52
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
 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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4–65
When Driving
Switches and Controls
Horn
To sound the horn, press the mark on
the steering wheel.
Hazard Warning Flasher
The hazard warning lights should always
be used when you stop on or near a
roadway in an emergency.
The hazard warning lights warn other
drivers that your vehicle is a traffic hazard
and that they must take extreme caution
when near it.
Depress the hazard warning flasher and
all the turn signals will flash. The hazard
warning indicator lights in the instrument
cluster flash simultaneously.
NOTE
 The turn signals do not work when the
hazard warning lights are on.
 Check local regulations about the use of
hazard warning lights while the vehicle
is being towed to verify that it is not in
violation of the law.
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4–82
When Driving
i-ELOOP
i-ELOOP Control Status Display
The driver is notified of the i-ELOOP
power generating status and the vehicle
conditions by the control status display.
The i-ELOOP power generating status is
displayed in the center display.
Refer to Control Status Display on page
4-85.
i-ELOOP Charging Display
If the engine is started after the vehicle
has not been driven for a long period of
time, an “i-ELOOP Charging Please don't
Drive” message may be indicated in the
display.
Leave the engine idling and wait until the
message disappears.
NOTE
If the vehicle is driven while the message
is displayed, a beep sound is heard.
If you turn the steering wheel while the
message is displayed, it will feel heavier
than normal, but this does not indicate
an abnormality. Stop the vehicle in a safe
location with the engine running and do
not attempt to turn the steering wheel. The
steering operation will return to normal
after the message is no longer displayed.
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4–86
When Driving
Drive Selection
*Some models.
Drive Selection*
Drive selection is a system to switch the vehicle's drive mode. When the sport mode
is selected, vehicle's response against accelerator operation is enhance\
d. This provides
additional quick acceleration which may be needed to safely make maneuvers such as lane
changes, merging onto freeways, or passing other vehicles.
CAUTION
Do not use the sport mode when driving on slippery roads such as wet or snow-covered
roads. It may cause tire slipping.
NOTE
 When the sport mode is selected, driving at higher engine speeds increases and it may
increase fuel consumption. Mazda recommends that you cancel the sport mode on normal
driving.
 Drive mode cannot be switched in the following conditions:
 ABS/TCS/DSC is operating The Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) system/cruise control is operating. Steering wheel is being operated abruptly
Drive Selection Switch
Press the drive selection switch forward
(“
”) to select the sport mode.
Pull the drive selection switch back

(“”) to cancel the sport mode.
NOTE
 When the ignition is switched off, the
sport mode is canceled.
 Depending on the driving conditions
when sport mode is selected, the vehicle
may perform shift-down or slightly
accelerate.
Select Mode Indication
When the sport mode is selected, the select
mode indication turns on in the instrument
cluster.
NOTE
If the drive selection cannot be switched
to sport mode, the select mode indication
flashes to notify the driver.
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4–87
When Driving
Power Steering
Power Steering
 Power steering is only operable when
the engine is running. If the engine is
off or if the power steering system is
inoperable, you can still steer, but it
requires more physical effort.
If the steering feels stiffer than usual
during normal driving or the steering
vibrates, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
 The warning indication/warning
light notifies the driver of system
abnormalities and operation conditions.
In addition, the buzzer may also activate
depending on the system abnormality or
operation condition.
Refer to Warning Indication/Warning
Lights on page 4-33.
Refer to Power Steering Warning Buzzer
on page 7-39.
CAUTION
Never hold the steering wheel to the
extreme left or right for more than 5
seconds with the engine running. This
could damage the power steering
system.
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