MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2009 Owners Manual (in English)

Black plate (141,1)
Automatic transmission
To turn the key from the ACC to the
LOCK position, the shift lever must be in
the P position.
Shift lever
engaged in P
(park)
WARNING
Remove the key only when the vehicle
is parked:Removing the key from the ignition
switch while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. Removing the key allows
the steering wheel to lock. You will
lose steering control and a serious
accident could occur. (For vehicles
equipped with the advanced key, the
steering wheel locks when the starter
knob is turned to the LOCK position.)
Before leaving the driver's seat, always
put the key or start knob to LOCK
position, set the parking brake and
make sure the shift lever is in P with an
automatic transmission or in 1 or R
with a manual transmission: Intentionally placing the key or start
knob into LOCK position is much
more important where you will not
be removing the key to leave the
vehicle and because leaving it in
other positions will disable some of
the vehicle security systems and run
the battery down.
Leaving the driver's seat without
putting the ignition switch in LOCK
position, setting the parking brake
and the shift lever is in P with an
automatic transmission or in 1 or R
with a manual transmission is
dangerous. Unexpected vehicle
movement could occur. This could
cause an accident.
NOTE
If turning the key is difficult, jiggle the steering
wheel from side to side.
Leaving the key or start knob in any position
but LOCK position also disables some of the
security features and may run the battery
down.
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Black plate (142,1)
ACC (Accessory)
The steering wheel unlocks and some
electrical accessories will operate.
ON
This is the normal running position after
the engine is started. The warning lights
(except brakes) should be inspected
before the engine is started (page 5-40).
NOTE
(Gasoline engine models)
When the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, the sound of the fuel pump motor
operating near the fuel tank can be heard. This
does not indicate an abnormality.
NOTE
(With headlight auto-leveling)
When the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, the sound of the headlight leveling
motors operating at the front of the engine
compartment can be heard. This does not
indicate an abnormality.
START
The engine is started in this position. It
will crank until you release the key; then
it returns to the ON position. The brake
warning light can be checked after the
engine is started (page 5-40).
qIgnition Key Reminder
If the ignition switch is in the LOCK or
ACC position with the key inserted, a
continuous beep sound will be heard
when the driver's door is opened.
Starting the Engine
NOTE
Engine-starting is controlled by the spark
ignition system.
This system meets all Canadian Interference-
Causing Equipment Standard requirements
regulating the impulse electrical field strength
of radio noise.
1. Occupants should fasten their seat
belts.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the brake pedal.
4. (Manual transmission)
Depress the clutch pedal all the way
and shift into neutral.
Keep the clutch pedal depressed while
cranking the engine.
(Automatic transmission)
Put the vehicle in park (P). If you must
restart the engine while the vehicle is
moving, shift into neutral (N).
NOTE
(Manual transmission)
The starter will not operate if the clutch pedal
is not depressed all the way.
(Automatic transmission)
The starter will not operate if the shift lever is
not in P or N.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the START
position and hold (up to 10 seconds at
a time) until the engine starts.
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Black plate (143,1)
CAUTION
Do not 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.
6. After starting the engine, let it idle for about 15 seconds. Then perform the
shift operation.
NOTE
lIn extremely cold weather (below 0°C
(32°F)) or after the vehicle has not been
driven in several days, let the engine warm
up without operating the accelerator.
lWhether the engine is cold or warm, it
should be started without use of the
accelerator.
lThe display of the variable red zone in the
tachometer changes according to the
temperature of the engine coolant. To
protect the engine, when the engine coolant
temperature is low, the engine does not run
at high speeds. The fuel supply will be cut
at an rpm lower than the red zone.
Refer to Tachometer on page 5-37.
lIf the engine does not start the first time,
refer to Starting a Flooded Engine under
Emergency Starting. If the engine still does
not start, have your vehicle inspected by an
Authorized Mazda Dealer (page 7-18).
Brake System
q 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.
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WARNING
Do not coast with the engine stalled or
turned off, find a safe place to stop:Coasting with the engine 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.
Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep hills: 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.
Dry brakes that have become wet by
driving very slowly and applying the
brakes lightly until brake performance
is 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.
qParking Brake
WARNING
Before leaving the driver's seat, always
put the key or start knob to LOCK
position, set the parking brake and
make sure the shift lever is in P with an
automatic transmission or in 1 or R
with a manual transmission:
Intentionally placing the key or start
knob into LOCK position is much
more important where you will not
be removing the key to leave the
vehicle and because leaving it in
other positions will disable some of
the vehicle security systems and run
the battery down.
Leaving the driver's seat without
putting the ignition switch in LOCK
position, setting the parking brake
and the shift lever is in P with an
automatic transmission or in 1 or R
with a manual transmission is
dangerous. Unexpected vehicle
movement could occur. This could
cause an accident.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brake on
will cause excessive wear of the brake
linings or pads.
NOTE
For parking in snow, refer to Winter Driving
(page 4-9) regarding parking brake use.
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Setting the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and then firmly
pull the parking brake lever fully upwards
with a greater amount of force than is
required so that the vehicle holds in the
stationary position.
Releasing the parking brake
Depress the brake pedal and pull the
parking brake lever upwards, then press
the release button. While holding the
button, lower the parking brake lever all
the way down to the released position.
qBrake 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 turns off
when the parking brake is fully released.
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 8-16).
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 out have your brake
system inspected as soon as possible by
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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Black plate (146,1)
NOTE
Having to add brake fluid is sometimes an
indicator of leakage. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible even if the
brake light is no longer illuminated.
WARNING
Do not drive with the brake system
warning light illuminated. Contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the
brakes inspected as soon as possible:Driving with the brake system
warning light illuminated 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
illuminated, after checking that the
parking brake is fully released, have
the brakes inspected immediately.
qAnti-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.
WARNING
Do not rely on ABS as a substitute for
safe driving:
The ABS cannot compensate for
unsafe and reckless driving, excessive
speed, tailgating (following another
vehicle too closely), driving on ice and
snow, and hydroplaning (reduced tire
friction and road contact because of
water on the road surface). You can
still have an accident.
NOTE
lBraking 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.
lThe sound of the ABS operating may be
heard when starting the engine or
immediately after starting the vehicle.
However, it does not indicate a malfunction.
q ABS Warning Light
The warning light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the ON position.
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If the ABS warning light stays on while
you're driving, the ABS control unit has
detected a system malfunction. If this
occurs, your brakes will function normally
as if the vehicle had no ABS.
Should this happen, consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
NOTE
When the engine is jump-started to charge the
battery, uneven rpm occurs and the ABS
warning light comes on. This is due to a weak
battery, not a malfunction.
Recharge the battery.
qElectronic Brake Force
Distribution System Warning
If the electronic brake force distribution
control unit determines that some
components are operating incorrectly, the
control unit may turn the brake system
warning light and the ABS warning light
on at the same time. The problem is likely
to be the electronic brake force
distribution system.
WARNING
Do not drive with both the ABS warning
light and brake warning light
illuminated. Have the vehicle towed to
an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have
the brakes inspected as soon as
possible:
Driving when the brake system
warning light and ABS warning light
are illuminated at the same time is
dangerous.
When both lights are illuminated, the
rear wheels could lock more quickly
in an emergency stop than under
normal circumstances.
qBrake Pad Wear Indicator
When the disc brake pads become worn,
the built-in wear indicators contact the
disc plates. This causes a screeching noise
to warn that the pads should be replaced.
When you hear this noise, consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
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WARNING
Do not drive with worn disc pads:Driving with worn disc pads is
dangerous. The brakes could fail and
cause a serious accident. As soon as
you hear a screeching noise consult
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Manual Transmission
Operation
lThe beep sounds to indicate engine
overrev when the tachometer needle
enters the striped zone.
lThe display of the variable red zone in
the tachometer changes according to
the temperature of the engine coolant.
To protect the engine, when the engine
coolant temperature is low, the engine
does not run at high speeds. The fuel
supply will be cut at an rpm lower than
the red zone.
Refer to Tachometer on page 5-37.
qManual Transmission Shift Pattern
Neutral position
The shift pattern of the transmission is
conventional, as shown.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.
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Black plate (149,1)
Your vehicle is equipped with a device to
prevent shifting to R (reverse) by mistake.
Push the shift lever downward and shift to
R.
WARNING
Do not use sudden 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.
Be sure to leave the shift lever in 1 or R
position and set the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle unattended: Otherwise the vehicle could move
and cause an accident.
CAUTION
ØKeep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
don't use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Riding the
clutch will cause needless clutch
wear and damage.
Ø Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to R.
Shifting to R while the vehicle is
still moving may damage the
transmission.
NOTE
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
q Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 23 km/h (14 mph)
2 to 3 35 km/h (22 mph)
3 to 4 47 km/h (29 mph)
4 to 5 58 km/h (36 mph)
5 to 6 74 km/h (46 mph)
For cruising
Gear Vehicle speed
1 to 2 23 km/h (14 mph)
2 to 3 34 km/h (21 mph)
3 to 4 45 km/h (28 mph)
4 to 5 56 km/h (35 mph)
5 to 6 68 km/h (42 mph)
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Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steepupgrade, downshift
before the engine starts 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.
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