MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2021 Owners Manual

Rocking the Vehicle
WA R N I N G
Do not spin the wheels at more than 56
km/h (35 mph), and do not allow anyone
to stand behind a wheel when pushing the
vehicle:
When the vehicle is stuck, spinning the
wheels at high speed is dangerous. The
spinning tire could overheat and explode.
This could cause serious injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transmission failure, and tire
damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand or mud, depress the accelerator
slightly and slowly move the shift lever/
selector lever from 1 (D) to R position.
Winter Driving
Carry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag of
sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to check
the following:
Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in the
radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 6-22.
Inspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
Use an engine oil appropriate for the
lowest ambient temperatures that the
vehicle will be driven in (page 6-20).
Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
Use washer fluid made with
antifreeze―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid (page
6-24).
NOTE
Do not use the parking brake in freezing
weather as it may freeze. Instead, shift
to P with an automatic transmission and
to 1 or R with a manual transmission.
Block the rear wheels.
Remove snow before driving. Snow left
on the windshield is dangerous as it
could obstruct vision.
Do not open or close the soft top when
the temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) or less.
The material of the soft top could be
damaged by freezing.
Do not apply excessive force to a
window scraper when removing ice or
frozen snow on the mirror glass and
windshield.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Never use warm or hot water for
removing snow or ice from windows and
mirrors as it could result in the glass
cracking.
Drive slowly. Braking performance can
be adversely affected if snow or ice
adheres to the brake components. If this
situation occurs, drive the vehicle
slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal
and lightly applying the brakes several
times until the brake performance
returns to normal.
▼Snow Tires
Use snow tires on all 4 wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with sno
w tires. Inflate snow
tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2, 4.3 psi) more
than recommended on the tire pressure
label (driver's door frame), but never more
than the maximum c old-tire pressure
shown on the tires.

The vehicle is originally equipped with
summer tires designed for optimum
traction on wet and dry roads. If your
vehicle is to be used on snow and ice
covered roads, Mazda recommends that
you replace the tires originally equipped
on your vehicle with snow tires during the
winter months.
WARNING
Use only the same size and type tires (snow,
radial, or non-radial) on all 4 wheels:
Using tires different in size or type is
dangerous. Your vehi cle's handling could
be greatly affected and result in an
accident.
CAUTION
Check local regulations before using
studded tires.
NOTE
The tire pressure monitoring system may
not function correctly when using tires
with steel wire reinforcement in the
sidewalls (page 4-116).
▼ Tire Chains
Check local regulati
ons before using tire
chains.
CAUTION
 Chains may affect handling.
 Do not go faster than 50 km/h (30 mph)
or the chain manufacturer's
recommended limit, whichever is lower.
 Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes,
and sharp turns.
 Avoid locked-wheel braking.
 Do not use chains on roads that are free
of snow or ice. The tires and chains could
be damaged.
 Chains may scratch or chip aluminum
wheels.
NOTE
The tire pressure monitoring system may
not function correctly when using tire
chains.
Install the chains on the rear tires only.
Do not use chains on the front tires.
Please consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Installing the chains
1. Secure the chains on the rear tires astightly as possible.
Always follo w the chain
manufacturer's instructions.
2. Retighten the chains after driving 1/2―1 km (1/4―1/2 mile).
Driving In Flooded Area
WA R N I N G
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 the vehicle on flooded roads
as it could cause short circuiting of
electrical/electronic parts, or engine
damage or stalling from water absorption.
If the vehicle has been immersed in water,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Overloading
WARNING
Be careful not to overload your vehicle:
The gross axle weight rating (GAWR) and
the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of
the vehicle are on the Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard Label on the driver's door frame.
Exceeding these ratings can cause an
accident or vehicle damage. You can
estimate the weight of the load by
weighing the items (or people) before
putting them in the vehicle.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Driving on Uneven Road
Your vehicle's suspension and underbody can be damaged if driven on rough/uneven roads
or over speed bumps at excessive speeds. Use care and reduce sp eed when traveling on
rough/uneven roads or over speed bumps.

Use care not to damage the vehicle's underbody, bumpers or muff ler(s) when driving under
the following conditions:
Ascending or descending a slope with a sharp transition angle
Ascending or descending a driveway or trailer ramp with a sharp transition angle

This vehicle is equipped with low profile tires allowing class-leading performance and
handling. As a result, the sidewa ll of the tires are very thin and the tires and wheels can be
damaged if driven through potholes or on rough/uneven roads at excessive speeds. Use care
and reduce speed when traveling on rough/uneven roads or throug h potholes.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Trailer Towing
Your Mazda is not designed for towing.
Never tow a trailer with your Mazda.
Recreational Towing
An example of "recreational towing" is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transmission is not designed for
towing this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
"Towing Description " (page 7-30) and
"Tiedown Hooks" (page 7-31) and
carefully follow the instructions.
Before Driving
To w i n g
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MEMO
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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
Instrument Cluster and Display ............
........................................................... 4-12 Meters and Gauges..................... 4-12
Multi-information Display and INFO
Switch
*....................................... 4-19
Warning/Indicator Lights............4-27
Manual Transmission
Operation......................................... 4-32 Manual Transmission Shift
Pattern......................................... 4-32
Automatic Transmission................. 4-35 Automatic Transmission
Controls...................................... 4-35
Shift-Lock System...................... 4-36
Transmission Ranges.................. 4-36
Manual Shift Mode..................... 4-38
Direct Mode
*.............................. 4-43
Driving Tips................................4-44
Switches and Controls..................... 4-45 Lighting Control......................... 4-45
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals........................................ 4-51
Windshield Wipers and
Washer........................................ 4-52
Rear Window Defogg er.............. 4-56
Horn............................................ 4-57
Hazard Warning Flasher............. 4-58
HomeLink Wireless Control
System
*.......................................4-58
Brake................................................ 4-62 Brake System.............................. 4-62
Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
*.........4-65
ABS/TCS/DSC................................. 4-66 Antilock Brake System
(ABS)..........................................4-66
Traction Control System
(TCS).......................................... 4-67
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)..........................................4-68
Drive Selection................................. 4-70 Drive Selection
*..........................4-70
Power Steering................................. 4-72 Power Steering............................4-72
i-ACTIVSENSE............................... 4-73 i-ACTIVSENSE
*........................4-73
Adaptive Front Lighting System
(AFS)
*........................................ 4-75
High Beam Control System
(HBC)
*........................................4-76
Lane Departure Warning System
(LDWS)
*.................................... 4-79
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
*.........
.................................................... 4-85
*Some models.4-1
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Traffic Sign Recognition System
(TSR)
*........................................ 4-90
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
*.....
.................................................... 4-96
Smart City Brake Support
(SCBS)
*...................................... 4-99
Forward Sensing Camera (FSC)
*......
.................................................. 4-103
Radar Sensors (Rear)
*.............. 4-107
Cruise Control............................... 4-109
Cruise Control
*.........................4-109
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System............................................. 4-114 Tire Pressure Monitoring
System...................................... 4-114
Rear View Monitor........................ 4-118 Rear View Monitor
*..................4-118
4-2*Some models.
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MEMO
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