manual transmission MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA RF 2022 User Guide

NOTE
A natural driving posture can be
realized by lightly gripping the shift
lever from the side without having to
rest your elbow on the center console
box.

If shifting to R is difficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
▼Gear Shift Indicator (GSI)
The GSI supports you to obtain optimum
fuel economy and sm
ooth driving. It
displays the selected gear position in the
instrument cluster as well as notifies the
driver to change to the most suitable gear
position corresponding to the actual
driving condition.

Selected gear position Suitable gear position
Indication Condition
Numeral The selected gear position is dis
‐
played.
and numeral Shift up or down
to the indicated
gear position is recommended.
CAUTION
Do not rely solely on the shift-up/
shift-down recommendations by
indications. The actual driving situation
might require shift operations different
from indication. To avoid the risk of
accidents, the road and traffic conditions
have to be judged correctly by the driver
before shifting.
NOTE
The GSI turns off when the following
operations are performed.
The vehicle is stopped.
The vehicle is put in neutral.
The vehicle is driven in reverse.
The clutch is not fully engaged when
accelerating from a stop.
The clutch pedal remains depressed for
2 seconds or longer while driving.
▼ Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, Mazda
recommends these shift points:
Gear
Vehicle speed
1 to 2 23 km/h (14 mph)
2 to 3 39 km/h (24 mph)
3 to 4 53 km/h (33 mph)
4 to 5 61 km/h (38 mph)
5 to 6 77 km/h (48 mph)
When Driving
Manual Transmission Operation
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For cruising, Mazda recommends these
shift points:
GearVehicle speed
1 to 2 11 km/h (7 mph)
2 to 3 31 km/h (19 mph)
3 to 4 42 km/h (26 mph)
4 to 5 55 km/h (34 mph)
5 to 6 66 km/h (41 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift
before the engine sta rts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steep downgrade , downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
When Driving
Manual Transmission Operation
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Automatic Transmission Controls
Lock-release button
Indicates the selector lever can be shifted freely into any position.
Indicates that you must hold in the lock-release button to shift. Indicates that you must depress the brake pedal and hold in the lock-release
button to shift (The ignition must be switched ON).
Various Lockouts:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not includ
ed in the traditional automatic transmission
that gives the driver the option of selecti ng each gear instead of leaving it to the
transmission to shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transmission functions as
a traditional automatic, you should also be aware that you can inadvertently shift into
manual shift mode and an inappropriate gear may be retained as the vehicle speed
increases. If you notice the engine speed going higher or hear the engine racing, confirm
you have not accidentally slipped into manual shift mode (page 4-38).
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transmission are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.
WARNING
If the engine is running faster than idle, do
not shift from N or P into a driving gear:
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.
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle:
Shifting into N while driving is dangerous.
Engine braking cannot be applied when
decelerating which could lead to an
accident or serious injury.
CAUTION
Do not shift into N when driving the
vehicle. Doing so can cause transmission
damage.
NOTE
Apply the parking brake or depress the
brake pedal before moving the selector
lever from N position to prevent the
vehicle from moving unexpectedly.
D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transmission will automatically
shift through a 6-gear sequence.
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
operating the selector lever. Refer to
Manual Shift Mode on page 4-38.
▼ Shift Position Indication
The selector position is indicated when the
ignition is switched ON.
Gear position indication
In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift
position indication illuminates and the
numeral for the selected gear is displayed.
▼Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive
Shift (AAS)
automatically controls the transmission
shift points to best suit the road conditions
and driver input. This improves driving
feel. The transmission may switch to AAS
mode when driving up and down slopes,
cornering, driving at high elevations, or
depressing the accelerator pedal quickly
while the selector lever is in the D
position. Depending on the road and
driving conditions/ve hicle operations, gear
shifting could be delayed or not occur,
however, this does not indicate a problem
because the AAS mode will maintain the
optimum gear position.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel
of driving a manual transmission vehicle
by allowing you to operate the selector
lever manually. This allows you to control
engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels
much like a manual transmission when
more control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.

NOTE
Changing to manual shift mode while
driving will not damage the transmission.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the
lever from M to D.
NOTE
If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the gear
will shift to M1.
If you change to manual shift mode
without depressing the accelerator pedal
when driving in D range, 5th gear/6th
gear, the gear will shift to M4/M5.
▼ Indicators
Manual shift mo
de 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 indication
Gear position indication
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 transmission).
▼ 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.

When Driving
Automatic Transmission
4-38*Some models.
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Using steering shift switch*
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switch es, pull the UP switch
(
) toward you once with your
fingers.

UP switch (+/OFF)
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.

When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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▼Shift Gear (Shifting) Speed Limit
For each gear position while in the manual mode, the speed limit is set as follows: When the
selector lever is operated within the range
of the speed limit, the gear is shifted.

Shift up
The gear does not shift up while the vehicle speed is lower than the speed limit.
Shift down
The gear does not shift down while the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit.
If the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit and the gear does not shift down, the gear
position indication flashes 2 times to notify th e driver that the gear cannot be shifted.
Kickdown
When the accelerator pedal is depressed fully while driving, the gear shifts down.
However, the gears do not kickdown while the DSC is turned off.
NOTE
The gear also shifts down using kickdown while in the second gear fixed mode.
Auto-shift down
The gear shifts down automatically depending on the vehicle speed during deceleration.
NOTE
If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fixed mode, the gear remains in
second.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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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
position.
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 indication
Direct mode indication
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.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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Driving Tips
WA R N I N G
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 transmission 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 occasion ally to prevent them
from overheating.
When Driving
Automatic Transmission
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▼Daytime Running Lights
Some countries require moving vehicles to
have their lights on (daytime running
lights) during the daytime.

The daytime running lights turn on
automatically when the vehicle starts
moving.
They turn off when the parking brake is
operated or the selector lever is shifted to
the P position (automatic transmission
vehicle).
NOTE
(Except Canada
)
The daytime running lights can be
deactivated.
Refer to the Settings section in the Mazda
Connect Owner's Manual.
Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The ignition must be switched ON to use
the turn and lane-change signals.
▼Turn Signals
Move the signal lever down (for a left
turn) or up (for a right turn) to the stop
position. The signal will self-cancel after
the turn is completed.

If the indicator light
continues to flash
after a turn, manually return the lever to its
original position.
Right turn
Left turn
Right lane change
Left lane change OFF
The turn signal indicators in the
instrument cluster flash according to the
operation of the turn signal lever to show
which signal is working.

When Driving
Switches and Controls
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