stop start MAZDA MODEL 626 2002 Owners Manual

4-5
Before Driving Your Mazda
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Engine Exhaust (Carbon Monoxide)
Carbon Monoxide: Engine exhaust is dangerous. This gas contains carbon monoxide (CO), which is
colorless, odorless, and poisonous. When inhaled, it can cause loss of consciousness
and death. If you smell exhaust gas inside your vehicle, keep all windows fully open
and contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately.
Exhaust Gas in Enclosed Area:
Running the engine inside an enclosed area, such as a garage, is dangerous. Exhaust
gas, which contains poisonous carbon monoxide, could easily enter the cabin. Loss of
consciousness or even death could occur. Don’t run the engine when inside an
enclosed area.
Idling with the Windows Closed:
Exhaust gas is dangerous. When your vehicle is stopped with the windows closed and
the engine running for a long time in an open area, exhaust gas, which contains
poisonous carbon monoxide, could enter the cabin. Loss of consciousness or even
death could occur. Open the windows or adjust the heating or cooling system to draw
fresh air.
Snow Blocking the Exhaust Gas:
Running the engine when a vehicle is stopped in deep snow is dangerous. The exhaust
pipe could be blocked by the snow, allowing exhaust gas to enter the cabin. Because
exhaust gas contains poisonous carbon monoxide, anyone in the cabin could be
injured or killed. Clear the snow from underneath and around your vehicle before
starting the engine.
WARNING
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4-7
Before Driving Your Mazda
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Driving Tips
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 your Mazda.
•Don ’t race the engine.
• Don ’t maintain one constant speed for
long.
• Don ’t drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for extended periods
of time.
• Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
• Avoid full-throttle starts. How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save money on
fuel and repairs.
•
Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
• Av o i d f a s t s t a r t s .
• Keep the engine tuned. Follow the
maintenance schedule (page 8-3)
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.
• Don ’t carry unnecessary weight.
• Don ’t 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.
Break-In PeriodMoney-Saving Suggestions
Coasting:Turning off the engine to coast down
a hill is dangerous. This causes the
loss of power steering and power
brake control. Any loss of steering or
braking control could cause an
accident. Never turn off the engine
and coast down a hill.
WARNING
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5-4
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
(Automatic transaxle)
Put the vehicle in park (P). If you must
restart the engine while the vehicle is
moving, shift into neutral (N).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the START position and hold (up to 10 seconds at a
time) until the engine starts.
6. After starting the engine, let it idle for about 10 seconds.





Foot Brake
Your Mazda 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.NOTE
The starter will not operate if the shift
lever is not in P or N.
Don ’t try the starter for more than 10
seconds at a time. If the engine stalls or
fails to start, wait 10 seconds before
trying again. Otherwise, you may
damage the starter and drain the
battery.
NOTE
• In extremely cold weather, below
−18 °C (0 °F), or after the vehicle has
stood idle several days, let the
engine warm up without operating
the accelerator.
• Whether cold or warm, the engine
should be started without use of the
accelerator.
CAUTION
Brake System
Driving with the Engine Off:Continuing to drive when the engine
is 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. Don ’t continue
driving when the engine is stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop.
Riding the Brakes:
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.
Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep hills.
WARNING
J94S.book Page 4 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM

5-5
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Parking Brake
Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
brake handle fully upward. Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal, then pull the
handle up and press the button. Lower the
handle to the release position while
holding in the button.





Brake System Warning Light
This warning has the following functions:
Parking brake warning
The light comes on when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition switch
in the START or ON position. It goes off
when the parking brake is fully released.
Driving with Wet Brakes: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. Dry the brakes by driving
very slowly and applying the brakes
lightly until brake performance is
normal.
Driving with the parking brake on will
cause excessive wear of the brake
linings or pads.
WARNING
CAUTION
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5-6
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Low brake fluid level warning
If the light stays on after the parking brake
is fully released, you may have a brake
problem.
Drive to the side of the road and park off
the right-of-way.
You may notice that the pedal is harder to
push or that it may go closer to the floor.
In either case, it will take longer to stop
the vehicle.
1. With the engine stopped, check the brake fluid level immediately and add
fluid as required (page 8-15).
2. After adding fluid, check the light again.
If the warning light remains on, or if the
brakes do not operate properly, do not
drive the vehicle. Have it towed to an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Even if the light goes off, have your brake
system inspected as soon as possible.





Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
The ABS control unit continuously
monitors the speed of each wheel. If one
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 when the ABS operates. Don ’t
pump the brakes, continue to press down
on the brake pedal.
Brake Warning Light:Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous. It
indicates that your brakes may not
work at all or that they could
completely fail at any time. If this
light remains on, have the brakes
inspected immediately. Don ’t drive
with this light on, and contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the
brakes inspected as soon as possible.
WARNING
ABS:The ABS cannot compensate for
unsafe and reckless driving, excessive
speed, tailgating (following another
vehicle too closely), and hydroplaning
(reduced tire friction and road
contact because of water on the road
surface). You can still have an
accident. So don ’t rely on ABS as a
substitute for safe driving.
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 tires will build up a wedge
of surface layer when the wheels skid.
WARNING
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5-8
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Manual Transaxle Shift Pattern
The shift pattern of the transaxle is
conventional, as shown.
Press the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
A safety feature prevents accidental
shifting from 5 to reverse. The shift lever
must be put in neutral before being shifted
to reverse.
Manual Transaxle
Operation
• Keep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
don ’t use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. This will
avoid needless clutch wear and
damage.
• Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to
reverse.
Shifting to reverse while the vehicle
is still moving may damage the
transaxle.
Neutral position
CAUTION
NOTE
If shifting to reverse is difficult, shift
into neutral, release the clutch pedal,
and try again.
J94S.book Page 8 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM

5-9
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Various Lockouts:





Transaxle Ranges
The shift lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete stop
before shifting to or from R, except as
explained under Rocking the Vehicle
(page 4-8).
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.
Automatic Transaxle
Controls
Indicates that you must depress
the brake pedal and hold in the
lock-release button to shift (The
ignition switch must be in the
ACC or ON position).
Indicates the shift lever can be
shifted freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in
the lock-release button to shift.
Lock-release button
To prevent unsafe
shifting
Overdrive button
For gear selection with either
a three-speed or four-speed
transaxle
Shift pattern indicator
Shows shift lever
position
Holding the Vehicle with P:Setting the shift 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. To hold the
vehicle, set the shift lever to P AND
set the parking brake.
•Shifting into P 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.
WARNING
CAUTION
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5-10
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear sequence.
2 (Second)
The 2 position is helpful when driving in
heavy, slow-moving traffic and climbing
hills, for engine braking assist when going
down hills, or for starting on slick
surfaces and other situations where gentle
acceleration may be necessary.
Do not exceed the following speeds in the
2 position.
1 (Low)
Use the 1 position for maximum power in
hard-pulling situations, or for climbing
and descending very steep grades.
Do not exceed the following speeds in the
1 position.





Shift-Lock System
For your safety, the automatic transaxle
has a shift-lock, which 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. Push and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the shift lever.
Shifting from N or P: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. If the engine is
running faster than idle, don ’t shift
from N or P into a driving gear.
2.0-liter engine 116 km/h (72 mph)
2.5-liter engine 104 km/h (65 mph)
2.0-liter engine 63 km/h (39 mph)
2.5-liter engine 60 km/h (38 mph)
WARNING
NOTE
• When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle
cannot be shifted from P.
• To be sure the vehicle is in park, the
ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in P.
J94S.book Page 10 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM

5-11
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Overdrive
Overdrive operation
In D, the transaxle automatically shifts to
overdrive, which improves fuel economy
and reduces noise.
To allow engine braking when going
down a steep grade, make sure the
overdrive button is in the off position.
And for a smoother ride with less shifting,
don ’t use it when:
• Going up a steep grade.
• Driving in stop-and-go traffic.
• Pulling heavy loads.
To turn off the overdrive, push the
button.
The transaxle will then shift through a
three-gear sequence in D.
Shift patterns without overdrive: To turn it on, push the button again.
Shift patterns with overdrive:
O/D OFF indicator light
This light comes on when the overdrive
has been turned off.
D
1st, 2nd, 3rd
2 Without Traction
Control System
2nd
With Traction
Control System 1st, 2nd
11st
Overdrive button
D 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
2 Without Traction
Control System
2nd
With Traction
Control System 1st, 2nd
11st
If the overdrive-off indicator light
flashes, the transaxle has an electrical
problem. Continuing to drive your
Mazda in this condition could cause
damage to your transaxle. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
CAUTION
J94S.book Page 11 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM

5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Driving Tips
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.
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 1, depending on the load
weight and grade steepness.
3. Release all brakes while gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift to 2
or 1, depending on load weight and grade
steepness. Descend slowly, using the
brakes only occasionally to prevent them
from overheating. 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 rigid during normal
driving, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Power Steering
Never hold the steering wheel to the
extreme left or right for more than five
seconds with the engine running.
This could damage the power steering
system.
CAUTION
J94S.book Page 12 Saturday, June 23, 2001 1:04 PM