headlights MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2011 Owners Manual (in English)

Black plate (126,1)
NOTE
For the manual day/night mirror, perform the
adjustment with the day/night lever in the day
position.
Reducing glare from headlights
Manual day/night mirror
Push the day/night lever forward for day
driving. Pull it back to reduce glare of
headlights from cars at the rear.
Night DayDay/Night lever
Auto-dimming mirror
The auto-dimming mirror automatically
reduces glare of headlights from cars at
the rear when the ignition is switched ON.Press the OFF button (
) to cancel the
automatic dimming function. The
indicator light will turn off.
To reactivate the automatic dimming
function, press the ON button (
). The
indicator light will illuminate.
Indicator lightOFF button
ON button
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Knowing Your Mazda
Steering Wheel and Mirrors
RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page126
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (196,1)
The light stops flashing when the ignition
is switched ON with the correct ignition
key.
At this time, the immobilizer system is
disarmed and the light illuminates for
about 3 seconds and then turns off.
If the engine does not start with the
correct ignition key, and the security
indicator light keeps illuminating or
flashing, the system may have a
malfunction. Consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer.
qHeadlight High-Beam Indicator
Light
This light indicates one of two things:lThe high-beam headlights are on.lThe turn signal lever is in the flash-to-
pass position.
qShift Position Indicator Light
(Automatic Transmission)
This indicates the selected shift position
when the ignition is switched ON.
Gear position indicator
Gear position indicator
The gear position indicator displays the
gear in use while in either manual shift or
direct mode.
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Driving Your Mazda
Warning/Indicator Lights and Beep Sounds
RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page196
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (201,1)
Lighting Control
qHeadlights
Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
NOTE
To prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while the engine is off unless safety
requires them.
Without AUTO position
Switch Position
Headlights Off Off On
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illuminationOff On On
With AUTO position
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
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RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page201
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (202,1)
Switch Position
Headlights Off
AutoOff On
Taillights
Parking lights
License lights
Side-marker lights
Dashboard illuminationOff On On
AUTO (Auto-light control)
When the headlight switch is in the AUTO position and the ignition is switched ON, the
light sensor senses the surrounding lightness or darkness and automatically turns the
headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination on or off (see chart above).
CAUTION
ØDo not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windshield.
Otherwise the light sensor will not operate correctly.
Light sensor
ØThe light sensor also works as a rain sensor for the auto-wiper control. Keep
hands and scrapers clear of the windshield when the wiper lever is in the AUTO
position and the ignition is switched ON as fingers could be pinched or the wipers
and wiper blades damaged when the wipers activate automatically. If you are
going to clean the windshield, be sure the wipers are turned off completely―this
is particularly important when clearing ice and snow―when it is particularly
tempting to leave the engine running.
NOTE
lThe headlights, other exterior lights and dashboard illumination may not turn off immediately
even if the surrounding area becomes well-lit because the light sensor determines that it is
nighttime if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several minutes such as inside long
tunnels, traffic jams inside tunnels, or in indoor parking lots.
In this case, the light turns off if the light switch is turned to the OFF position.
lThe sensitivity of the AUTO lights may be changed by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page202
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (203,1)
Xenon fusion headlight bulbsí
The low-beam bulbs of the headlights have xenon fusion bulbs that produce a bright white
beam over a wide area.
WARNING
Do not replace the xenon fusion bulbs yourself
Replacing the xenon fusion bulbs yourself is dangerous. Because the xenon fusion
bulbs require high voltage, you could receive an electric shock if the bulbs are
handled incorrectly. Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer when the replacement is
necessary.
NOTE
If the headlights flicker, or the brightness weakens, the bulb-life may be depleted and a replacement is
necessary. Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
qLights-On Reminderí
If lights are on and the key is removed
from the ignition switch, a continuous
beep sound will be heard when the
driver's door is opened.
NOTE
When the advanced keyless function is used
and the start knob is in the ACC position, the
Start Knob Not in Lock Warning Beep (page
3-17) overrides the lights-on reminder.
qHeadlight High-Low Beam
Press the lever forward to turn on the high
beams.
Pull the lever back to its original position
for the low beams.
High beam
Low beam
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (204,1)
qFlashing the Headlights
To flash the headlights, pull the lever fully
towards you (the headlight switch does
not need to be on). The lever will return to
the normal position when released.
OFF
Flashing
qHeadlight Levelingí
The number of passengers and weight of
cargo in the luggage compartment change
the angle of the headlights.
The angle of the headlights will be
automatically adjusted when turning on
the headlights.
Headlight auto-leveling malfunction
indicator light
This indicator light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition is switched
ON.
Thereafter, the indicator light will
illuminate when the headlight auto-
leveling system has a malfunction.If the indicator light illuminates, contact
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
qDaytime Running Lights (Canada)
In Canada, vehicles must be driven with
the headlights on during daytime
operation.
For that reason, the daytime running lights
automatically turn on when the ignition is
switched ON.
NOTE
The Daytime Running Lights turn off when the
parking brake is applied.
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Driving Your Mazda
íSome models.
Switches and Controls
RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page204
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (205,1)
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 changeOFF
Green indicators on the dashboard show
which signal is working.
Lane-change signals
Move the lever slightly toward the
direction of the change―until the
indicator flashes―and hold it there. It
will return to the off position when
released.
NOTE
If an indicator light stays on without flashing
or if it flashes abnormally, one of the turn
signal bulbs may be burned out.
Fog Lightsí
Use this switch to turn on the fog lights.
They help you to see as well as to be seen.
To turn the fog lights on, rotate the fog
light switch to the
position.
The headlight switch must be in the
position before turning on the fog lights.
Fog light switch
To turn them off, rotate the fog light
switch to the OFF position or turn the
headlight switch to the
or OFF
position.
NOTE
lThe fog lights will turn off when the
headlights are set at high beam.
l(With auto-light control)
If the fog light switch is in the ON position
and the headlight switch is in the AUTO
position, the fog lights will be turned on
when the headlights, the exterior lights and
dashboard illumination are automatically
turned on.
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
5-63íSome models. RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page205
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (209,1)
NOTElSwitching the auto-wiper lever from the
OFF to the AUTO position while driving at
a vehicle speed of 4 km/h (2 mph) or higher
(or after driving the vehicle) activates the
windshield wipers once, after which they
operate according to the rainfall amount.
lThe auto-wiper control may not operate
when the rain sensor temperature is about
_
10 °C (14 °F) or lower, or about 85 °C
(185 °F) or higher.
lIf the windshield is coated with water
repellent, the rain sensor may not be able to
sense the amount of rainfall correctly and
auto-wiper control may not operate
properly.
lIf dirt or foreign matter (Such as ice or
matter containing salt water) adheres to the
windshield above the rain sensor or if the
windshield is iced, it could cause the wipers
to move automatically. However, if the
wipers cannot remove this ice, dirt or
foreign matter, the auto-wiper control will
stop operation. In this case, set the wiper
lever to the low speed position or high
speed position for manual operation, or
remove the ice, dirt or foreign matter by
hand to restore the auto-wiper operation.
lIf the auto-wiper lever is left in the AUTO
position, the wipers could operate
automatically from the effect of strong light
sources, electromagnetic waves, or infrared
light because the rain sensor uses an
optical sensor. It is recommended that the
auto-wiper lever be switched to the OFF
position other than when driving the vehicle
under rainy conditions.
qWindshield Washer
Pull the lever toward you and hold it to
spray washer fluid.
Washer OFF
NOTE
With the wiper lever in the OFF or INT (Type
A)/AUTO (Type B) position, the wipers will
operate continuously until the lever is
released.
If the washer does not work, inspect the
fluid level (page 8-17). If it's normal,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
NOTE
(With headlight washers)
When the headlights are on, the headlight
washers operate automatically once every fifth
time the windshield washer operates.
Refer to Headlight Washer (page 5-68).
Driving Your Mazda
Switches and Controls
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RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page209
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (210,1)
Headlight Washerí
The ignition must be switched ON and the
headlights must be turned on.
The headlight washers operate
automatically once every fifth time the
windshield washer operates.
If you want to operate only the headlight
washers, pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you twice rapidly.
Washer OFF
NOTE
When you pull the windshield wiper lever
twice, the windshield washer may spray a
little.
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster clears frost,
fog, and thin ice from the rear window.
The ignition must be switched ON.
Press the switch to turn on the rear
window defroster. The rear window
defroster operates for about 15 minutes
and turns off automatically.
The indicator light illuminates during
operation.
To turn off the rear window defroster
before the 15 minutes has elapsed, press
the switch again.
Indicator light
CAUTION
Do not use sharp instruments or
window cleaners with abrasives to
clean the inside of the rear window
surface. They may damage the
defroster grid inside the window.
NOTE
This defroster is not designed for melting snow.
If there is an accumulation of snow on the rear
window, remove it before using the defroster.
5-68
Driving Your Mazda
íSome models.
Switches and Controls
RX-8_8BQ7-EA-10H_Edition1 Page210
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H

Black plate (360,1)
Light Bulbs
Overhead light/Map lights (Front)
Headlights (High beam)
Fog lights
Headlights (Low beam)Parking lights/Front turn signal lightsSide turn signal lightsCourtesy lights Vanity mirror lights Rear turn signal lightsRear side-marker lightsOverhead light (Rear)
Brake lights/Taillights
Trunk light
High-mount brake light
License plate light
Reverse lights
Some models.
8-28
Maintenance and Care
Owner Maintenance
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Form No.8BQ7-EA-10H