lock MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA RF 2020 Workshop Manual

To raise the convertible top from
inside the vehicle, use the
convertible top's handles.

Convertible top's handles
5. Sitting in a seat, grasp the convertibletop's handles, and press the convertible
top against the windshield.
Make sure the strik er engages with the
anchor, move the top latch slowly, and
then push the top latch upward until a
latch sound is heard.

Convertible top's handles
Striker
Anchor
CAUTION

Driving with the convertible top not fully
locked could damage the convertible
top.
If the red indicator is visible on the lock
release button, the convertible top is not
locked. After locking the convertible top,
verify that the red indicator is not visible.

Locked position
Unlocked position Red indicator
 Do not spray water directly near the
seam of the window and convertible top
when flushing away dirt on the soft top
with water. Otherwise, water may enter
the vehicle.
Refer to Convertible Top Maintenance on
page 6-62.
NOTE
The convertible top may be constricted
if it is left retracted for a long period.
Therefore, if the top has become
constricted, it may be difficult to hook
the top latch striker to the anchor.
Make sure the convertible top is
securely locked by pushing up on it. If it
still sounds loose (rattles) after being
locked by the top latch, have it inspected
at an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Before Driving
Convertible Top (Soft Top)
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Convertible Top (Hardtop)
The retractable hardtop opens/closes electrically by operating switches in the vehicle. When
opening/closing the roof and window glass operate together. The front roof is stored in the
storage area under rear roof.
To help prevent burglary or vandalism and to ensure that the pa ssenger compartment stays
dry, close the roof and both windows securely and lock both doo rs when leaving the vehicle.
Front roof
Rear roofMiddle roof
▼Convertible Top Precautions
WA R N I N G
Always
confirm that there are no people around the vehicle before operating the roof:
If the roof were to operate unexpectedly, it coul d result in an accident and serious injury from
someone getting caught in the mechanism.
Sit in the seat with the seat belt correctly fastened when the vehicle is moving:
Standing in the vehicle, or sitting on the rear roof or center console when the vehicle is
moving is a dangerous way to ride. During a sudden maneuver or collision you could be
seriously injured or even killed.
Always keep your hands and fingers away from the fastening mechanisms when moving the
roof:
It is dangerous to place your hands or fingers near the fastening mechanisms. Your hands or
fingers could be caught and injured by the mechanism.
Before Driving
Convertible Top (Hardtop)
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CAUTION
When getting in or out of the vehicle with the roof open, be careful not to hit your head or
body on the corner of the windshie ld glass. It may cause an injury.
 Do not drive with the roof partially opened ; this could damage the roof or cause an
unexpected accident.
 Children should not be allowed to play with the retractable hardtop switch.
 Do not place objects or cargo around the rear roof, rear glass, or the front roof storage area.
Even small objects may interfere and cause damage.
 Remove leaves that accumulate on and around the roof. If the leaves are not removed, they
may block the water drainage outlets.
 Before opening the roof, make sure the rear window defogger switch (Defroster) is turned
off. Otherwise the heat generated from the defogger could damage the roof and the
internal material.
 When opening/closing the roof, verify that ther e is no obstruction above the roof (about 1.6
m (5 ft 2 in) from the ground) so as not to damage the roof or the obstruction.
 When opening/closing the roof, do not apply any load to the front roof or the rear roof. The
opening/closing mechanism of the roof may be damaged.
 Do not spray water directly near the seam of the window and roof when washing off dirt on
the roof with water. Otherwise, water may enter the cabin.
Refer to Convertible Top (Retractable Hardtop) Maintenance on page 6-64.
 Open/close the roof with the vehicle parked on a hard, level ground in a safe place where
the vehicle does not obstruct traffic. If the r oof is opened/closed on a slope or bump, the
opening/closing mechanism of the roof may be damaged.
 Do not drive through an automatic car wash as it may damage the roof.
 Do not open or close the roof forcefully when the ambient temperature is low and the roof
or the surrounding area is frozen as it could damage the roof.
 Opening the roof while it is wet can also cause water to drip into the passenger
compartment.
 Do not open or close the roof in a strong wind as it could damage the roof.
Before Driving
Convertible Top (Hardtop)
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▼Power Window Interlocking
Operation
When opening/closing the roof, the power
windows lower automatically for
improved operability.
NOTE
If the vehicle battery is disconnected for
vehicle maintenance or other reasons, the
power windows will not lower
automatically. If the power windows do
not lower, reset the power window
automatic open/close function.
Refer to Auto-opening on page 3-35.
Before Driving
Convertible Top (Hardtop)
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Theft-Deterrent System*
If the theft-deterrent system detects an
inappropriate entry in to the vehicle, which
could result in the veh icle or its contents
being stolen, the alarm alerts the
surrounding area of an abnormality by
sounding the horn and flashing the hazard
warning lights.

The system will not function unless it's
properly armed. So when you leave the
vehicle, follow the arming procedure
correctly.
▼ Operation
System triggering conditions
The horn sounds intermittently and the
hazard warning lights flash for about 30
seconds when the system is triggered by
any one of the following:
Unlocking a door with the auxiliary key,
door lock switch, or an inside door-lock
knob.
Forcing open a door, the hood or the
trunk lid.
Opening the hood by operating the hood
release handle.
Switching the ignition ON without using
the push button start.
If the system is triggered again, the lights
and horn will activat e until the driver's
door is unlocked wit h the transmitter.
(With the advanced keyless function)
The lights and horn can also be
deactivated by pressing the request switch
on a door.
NOTE
The trunk lid does not open while the
theft-deterrent system is operating.
If the battery goes dead while the
theft-deterrent system is armed, the horn
will activate and the hazard warning
lights will flash when the battery is
charged or replaced.
▼ How to Arm the System
1. Close the windows and the convertible
top securely.
2. Switch the ignition OFF.
3. Make sure the hood, the doors, and the
trunk lid are closed.
4. Press the lock button on the transmitter
or lock the driver's door from the
outside with the auxiliary key.
The hazard warning lights will flash
once.
The following method will also arm
the theft-deterrent system:
Press the door-lock switch “
” while
any door is open and then close both of
the doors.
(With the advanced keyless function)
Press a request switch.

The security indicator light in the
instrument cluster flashes twice per
second for 20 seconds.
5. After 20 seconds, the system is fully armed.
Before Driving
Security System
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NOTE
The theft-deterrent system can also be
armed by activating the auto relock
function with both the doors, the trunk
lid and the hood closed.
Refer to Transmitter on page 3-5.
The system will disarm if one of the
following operations takes place within
20 seconds after pressing the lock
button:
Unlocking any door.
Opening any door.
Opening the hood.
Switching the ignition ON.
To rearm the system, do the arming
procedure again.
When the doors are locked by pressing
the lock button on the transmitter or
using the auxiliary key while the
theft-deterrent system is armed, the
hazard warning lights will flash once to
indicate that the system is armed.
▼ To Turn Off an Armed System
An armed system can be turned off using
any one of the following methods:
Pressing the unlock button on the
transmitter.
Starting the engine with the push button
start.
(With the advanced keyless function)
Pressing a request switch on the
doors.
The hazard warning lights will flash twice.
NOTE
When the doors are unlocked by pressing
the unlock button on the transmitter while
the theft-deterrent system is turned off, the
hazard warning lights will flash twice to
indicate that the system is turned off.
▼ To Stop the Alarm
A triggered alarm can be turned off using
any one of the following methods:
Pressing the unlock button or the trunk
button on the transmitter.
Starting the engine w
ith the push button
start.
(With the advanced keyless function)
Pressing a request switch on the
doors.
The hazard warning ligh ts will flash twice.
Before Driving
Security System
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Hazardous Driving
WA R N I N G
Be extremely careful if it is necessary to
downshift on slippery surfaces:
Downshifting into lower gear while driving
on slippery surfaces 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 on ice or in water, snow,
mud, sand, or similar hazards:
Be cautious and allow extra distance for
braking.
Avoid sudden braking and sudden
maneuvering.
Do not pump the brakes. Continue to
press down on the brake pedal.
Refer to Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 4-65.
If you get stuck, select a lower gear and
accelerate slowly. Do not spin the rear
wheels.
For more traction in starting on slippery
surfaces such as ice or packed snow, use
sand, rock salt, chains, carpeting, or
other nonslip material under the rear
wheels.
NOTE
Use snow chains only on the rear wheels.
Floor Mat
We recommend the use of Genuine
Mazda floor mats.
WA R N I N G
Make sure the floor mats are hooked on the
retention pins to prevent them from
bunching up under the foot pedals:
Using a floor mat that is not secured is
dangerous as it will interfere with the
accelerator and brake pedal operation,
which could result in an accident.
Do not install two floor mats, one on top of
the other, on the driver's side:
Installing two floor mats, one on top of the
other, on the driver's side is dangerous as
the retention pins can only keep one floor
mat from sliding forward.
Loose floor mat(s) will interfere with the
foot pedals and could result in an accident.
If using an all-weather mat for winter use
always remove the original floor mat.
When setting a floor mat, position the
floor mat so that its grommets are inserted
over the pointed end of the retention posts.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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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 6-25.
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 6-23).
Inspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
Use washer flu id made with
antifreeze―but do not use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid (page
6-27).
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 snow 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 cold-tire pressure
shown on the tires.

The vehicle is origin ally 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.
WA R N I N G
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 vehicle'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 4-118).
▼ Tire Chains
Check local regulations 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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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........................................ 4-50
Windshield Wipers and
Washer........................................ 4-51
Rear Window Defogg er.............. 4-55
Horn............................................ 4-56
Hazard Warning Flasher............. 4-57
HomeLink Wireless Control
System
*.......................................4-57
Brake................................................ 4-61 Brake System.............................. 4-61
Hill Launch Assist (HLA)
*.........4-64
ABS/TCS/DSC................................. 4-65 Antilock Brake System
(ABS)..........................................4-65
Traction Control System
(TCS).......................................... 4-66
Dynamic Stability Control
(DSC)..........................................4-67
Fuel Economy Monitor................... 4-69 Fuel Economy Monito r...............4-69
Drive Selection................................. 4-72 Drive Selection
*..........................4-72
Power Steering................................. 4-74 Power Steering............................4-74
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