automatic transmission MAZDA MX5 MIATA 2017 User Guide

4 –10 When Driving
Start/Stop Engine
Turning the Engine Off WARNINGDo not stop the engine while the vehicle
is moving:
Stopping the engine while the vehicle
is moving for any reason other than in
an emergency is dangerous. Stopping
the engine while the vehicle is moving
will result in reduced braking ability
due to the loss of power braking, which
could cause an accident and serious
injury.
1. Stop the vehicle completely.
2. (Manual transmission)
Shift into neutral and set the parking
brake.
(Automatic transmission)
Shift the selector lever to the P position
and set the parking brake.
3. Press the push button start to turn off
the engine. The ignition position is off.
CAUTION When leaving the vehicle, make sure
the push button start is off. NOTE 
The cooling fan in the engine
compartment could turn on for a few
minutes after the ignition is switched
from ON to OFF, whether or not the
A/C is on or off, to cool the engine
compartment quickly. 
When the push button start is pressed
from ON to ACC or OFF, the KEY
indicator light (green) may flash for
approximately 30 seconds indicating
that the remaining battery power of the
key is low.
Replace with a new battery before the
key becomes unusable.
Refer to Key Battery Replacement on
page 6-38 . 
(Automatic transmission)
If the engine is turned off while the
selector lever is in a position other than
P, the ignition switches to ACC.
Emergency Engine Stop Continuously pressing the push button
start or quickly pressing it any number of
times while the engine is running or the
vehicle is being driven will turn the engine
off immediately. The ignition switches to
ACC.
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4 –27 When Driving
Instrument Cluster and Display
*Some models.Signal Warning Lights Page
Electric Vacuum Pump Warning Light *1
7-36
ABS Warning Light *1
Electronic Brake Force
Distribution System
Warning
7-33
ABS warning
7-36
Check Engine Light *1
7-36*
Automatic Transmission Warning Indication/Warning Light *1
7-36
Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light *1
7-36*
Tire Pressure Monitoring System Warning Light *1
Flashing
7-36
Illuminate
7-41
(Red) *
KEY Warning Indication/Warning Light *1
Malfunction
7-36
Except malfunction
7-41
(Amber) *
KEY Warning Indication 7-36*
Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) Warning Indication/
Warning Light *1
Illuminated
7-36
Flashing
4-83
(Amber) *
High Beam Control System (HBC) Warning Indication/
Warning Light *1
7-36*
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) Warning Indication 7-36*
Retractable Fastback Warning Indication 7-36
LED Headlight Warning Light *1
7-36
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4 –34 When Driving
Transmission
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). V arious Lockouts:
NOTE
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transmission
that gives the driver the option of selecting 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 4-37 ).
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4 –36 When Driving
Transmission
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 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 4-37 .
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/vehicle 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. Shift-Lock System The shift-lock system prevents shifting out
of P unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift from P:
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
NOTE 
When the ignition is switched to ACC or
the ignition is switched off, the selector
lever cannot be shifted from P. 
The ignition cannot be switched to OFF
if the selector lever is not in P.
Shift-Lock Override If the selector lever will not move from P
using the proper shift procedure, continue
to hold down the brake pedal.
1. Remove the shift-lock override cover
using a cloth-wrapped flat head
screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.

C ove r
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.
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4 –37 When Driving
TransmissionTake the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda
Dealer to have the system checked.
Manual Shift ModeThe 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 mode 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).
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4 –38 When Driving
Transmission
*Some models.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.
Using steering shift switch *
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, 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.
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4 –39 When Driving
Transmission
*Some models.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.
Using steering shift switch *
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch
toward you once with your
fingers. DOWN switch (-) WARNING Do not use 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.
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 at high speeds, the gear
may not shift down. 
During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed. 
When depressing the accelerator fully,
the transmission will shift to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle speed.
However, the gears do not kickdown
while the DSC is turned off.
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4 –41 When Driving
TransmissionShift gear (shifting) speed limit
For each gear position while in the manual mode, the speed limi t 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 the driver that th e 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 ge ar 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 mo de, the gear remains in
second.
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4 –44 When Driving
Transmission 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 occasionally to prevent them
from overheating.
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4 –49 When Driving
Switches and Controls Leaving Home LightThe leaving home light turns on the lights
when the transmitter unlock button is
pressed while away from the vehicle.
The following lights turn on when the
leaving home light is operated.
Low beams, Parking lights, Taillights,
License lights.
To turn on the lights
When the ignition switch and the headlight
switch are in the following conditions,
the headlights will illuminate when the
transmitter unlock button is pressed and
the vehicle receives the transmitter signal.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed (30 seconds). 
Ignition switch: off 
Headlight switch: or Lock button
Unlock
b
utton NOTE 
Operation of the leaving home light can
be turned on or off.
Refer to Personalization Features on
page 9-9 . 
When the transmitter lock button is
pressed and the vehicle receives the
transmitter signal, the headlights turn
off. 
When the headlight switch is in a
position other than or , the
headlights turn off.
Headlight Leveling 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.
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 shift lever is shifted to
the P position (automatic transmission
vehicle).
NOTE
(Except Canada)
The daytime running lights can be
deactivated.
Refer to Personalization Features on page
9-9 .
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