steering MAZDA MODEL 6 2021 User Guide

Do not operate a vehicle with damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components:
Expended or damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components must be replaced
after any collision which caused them to depl oy or damage them. Only a trained Authorized
Mazda Dealer can fully evaluate these systems to see that they will work in any subsequent
accident. Driving with an expended or damage d air bag or pretensioner unit will not afford
you the necessary protection in the event of any subsequent accident which could result in
serious injury or death.
Do not remove interior air bag parts:
Removing any components such as the front se ats, front dashboard, the steering wheel or
parts on the front and rear window pillars and along the roof edge, containing air bag parts
or sensors is dangerous. These parts contain essential air bag components. The air bag could
accidentally activate and cause serious injuri es. Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
remove these parts.
Properly dispose of the air bag system:
Improper disposal of an air bag or a vehicle with live air bags in it can be extremely
dangerous. Unless all safety procedures are foll owed, injury could result. Have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer safely dispose of the air bag sy stem or scrap an air bag equipped vehicle.
NOTE
If it becomes necessary to have the components or wiring system for the supplementary
restraint system modified to accommodate a person with certain medical conditions in
accordance with a certified physician, contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer, refer to
“Customer Assistance (U.S.A.)” (page 8-2).
When an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be
released. Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the text ure of the air bags may cause
light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
Should you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems and
that familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is
important.
This highly-visible label is displayed wh ich warns against the use of a rear-facing
child-restraint system on the front passenger seat.

(Except Mexico) (Mexico)
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-58
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

How the SRS Air Bags Work
Your Mazda is equipped with the following types of SRS air bags. SRS air bags are
designed to work together with the seat belts to help to reduce injuries during an accident.
The SRS air bags are designed to provide further protection for passengers in addition to the
seat belt functions. Be sure to wear seat belts properly.
▼ Front Seat Belt Pretensioners
The front seat belt pretensioners are designed to deploy in mod
erate or severe frontal, near
frontal collisions.
In addition, the pretensioners ope rate when a side collision or a roll-over accident is
detected. The pretensioners operate differently depending on wh at types of air bags are
equipped. For more det ails about seat belt pretensioner operati on, refer to the SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria (page 2-65).
▼ Driver Air Bag
The driver's air bag is mounted in the steering wheel.
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, the
driver's air bag inflates quickly
helping to reduce injury mainly to the driver's head or chest
caused by directly hitting the steering wheel.
For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Ba g Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-65).
(With Front Passenger Occupa nt Classification System)
The driver's dual-stage air bag controls air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity, the driver's air bag deploys with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, it deploys with more energy.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-61
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a few
precautions in the first 1,000 km (600
miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of the vehicle.
Do not race the engine.
Do not maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for e xtended periods of
time.
Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
Avoid full-throttle starts.
Saving Fuel and Protection of the Environment
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save fuel and
reduce CO
2.
Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
Avoid fast starts.
Drive at lower speeds.
Anticipate when to apply the brakes
(avoid sudden braking).
Follow the maintenance schedule (page
6-4) and have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer perform inspections and
servicing.
Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
Slow down on rough roads.
Keep the tires properly inflated.
Do not carry unnecessary weight.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
Keep the wheels in correct alignment.
Keep windows closed at high speeds.
Slow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
WA R N I N G
Never stop the engine when going down a
hill:
Stopping the engine when going down a
hill is dangerous. This causes the loss of
power steering and power brake control,
and may cause damage to the drivetrain.
Any loss of steering or braking control
could cause an accident.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
3-44
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

4When Driving
Information concerning safe driving and stopping.
Start/Stop Engine.............................. 4-4 Ignition Switch........ ..................... 4-4
Starting the Engine....................... 4-5
Turning the Engine Off............... 4-11
Cylinder Deactivation
*............... 4-12
Instrument Cluster and Display ............
........................................................... 4-13 Instrument Cluster and
Display........................................4-13
Instrument Cluster (Type A)....... 4-14
Instrument Cluster (Type B)....... 4-33
Instrument Cluster (Type C)....... 4-51
Active Driving Display
*............. 4-64
Automatic Transaxle....................... 4-67 Automatic Transaxle
Controls...................................... 4-67
Shift-Lock System...................... 4-68
Transaxle Ranges........................4-68
Manual Shift Mode..................... 4-70
Direct Mode
*.............................. 4-76
Driving Tips................................4-77
Switches and Controls..................... 4-78 Lighting Control......................... 4-78
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals........................................ 4-84
Windshield Wipers and
Washer........................................ 4-85
Rear Window Defogg er.............. 4-89
Horn............................................ 4-91
Hazard Warning Flasher............. 4-91
HomeLink Wireless Control System
(Type A)
*.................................... 4-92
HomeLink Wireless Control System
(Type B)
*.................................... 4-95
Brake.............................................. 4-100 Brake System........................... 4-100
AUTOHOLD............................ 4-105
Hill Launch Assist (HLA)........ 4-109
ABS/TCS/DSC................................4-111 Antilock Brake System
(ABS)........................................ 4-111
Traction Control System
(TCS)........................................ 4-112
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)........................................ 4-113
Drive Selection............................... 4-115 Drive Selection
*........................4-115
i-ACTIV AWD............................... 4-117 i-ACTIV AWD Operation
*....... 4-117
Power Steering............................... 4-118 Power Steering..........................4-118
i-ACTIVSENSE............................. 4-119 i-ACTIVSENSE....................... 4-119
Adaptive Front Lighting System
(AFS)
*...................................... 4-122
High Beam Control System
(HBC)
*......................................4-123
*Some models.4-1
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

▼Warning/Indicator Lights
Instrument Cluster varies depending on model and specifications
.
Front Center of Headliner
Warning lights will appear in any of the highlighted areas
Instrument Cluster
▼
Warning Indication/Warning Lights
These lights turn on or flash to notify the user of the system
operation status or a system
malfunction.
Signal Warning Page
Brake System Warning Indication/Warning Light*1*27-25
ABS Warning Light*1
Electronic Brake
Force Distribu‐ tion System
Wa r n i n g
7-25
ABS warning 7-28
Charging System Warning Indication/Warning Light*17-25
Engine Oil Warning Light*17-25
High Engine Coolant Temperat ure Warning Indication 7-25
Power Steering Malfunction Indication 7-25
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
4-26
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

SignalWarning Page
Power Steering Malfunction Indication 7-25
Master Warning Indication 7-28
Electric Parking Brake (EPB) Warning Indication/Warning Light*17-28
Check Engine Light*17-28
*Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system Warning Indication/W arning
Light*17-28
Automatic Transaxle War ning Indication 7-28
*AWD Warning Indication 7-28
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light*17-28
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light*1
Flashing
7-28
Turns on 7-35
(Amber/White) KEY Warning Indication Amber
7-28
White 7-35
(Amber)
*High Beam Control System (HBC) Warning Indication/Warning Light*17-28
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) Warning Indication 7-28
(Amber)
*Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go function (MRCC with Stop
& Go function) War ning Indication 7-28
*Lane-keep Assist System (LAS) & Lane Departure Warning System
(LDWS) Warning Indication 7-28
LED Headlight Warning Light*17-28
(Amber)
*Smart Brake Support/Smart City B
rake Support (SBS/SCBS) Warning In‐
dication 7-35
Low Fuel Warning Indication
7-35
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.4-45
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

▼Warning/Indicator Lights
Instrument Cluster varies depending on model and specifications
.
Front Center of Headliner
Warning lights will appear in any of the highlighted areas
Instrument Cluster
▼
Warning Indication/Warning Lights
These lights turn on or flash to
notify the user of the system operation status or a system
malfunction.
Signal Warning Page
Brake System Warning Light*1*27-25
ABS Warning Light*1
Electronic Brake
Force Distribu‐ tion System
Wa r n i n g
7-25
ABS warning 7-28
Charging System Warning Light*17-25
Engine Oil Warning Light*17-25
Power Steering Malfunction Indicator Light*17-25
Master Warning Light*17-28
When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
4-59
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

(SKYACTIV-D 2.2)
If the engine oil 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 indicator
illumination. After the engine oil
temperature has decreased, the gear
position indicator 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)
WA R N I N G
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.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
*Some models.4-71
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

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.

DOWN switch (-)
WA R N I N G
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.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
4-72*Some models.
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27

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 se cond gear fixed
mode, the mode will be canceled.
When Driving
Automatic Transaxle
4-73
Mazda6_8JN3-EA-20H_Edition1_old 2020-6-18 17:31:27