Get Transaxle -> Automatic Transaxle Controls Guide for Mazda Cx-5 SUV First Generation (2013-2016)

When Driving

Transaxle

Automatic Transaxle Controls

Lock-release button

Various Lockouts:

Indicates that you must depress the brake pedal and hold in the lock-release

button to shift (The ignition must be switched ON).

Indicates the selector lever can be shifted freely into any position.

Indicates that you must hold in the lock-release button to shift.

NOTE

The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transaxle giving the

driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it to the transaxle to shift gears. Even if

you intend to use the automatic transaxle 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 4-52).

4-49

When Driving

Transaxle

R (Reverse)

qWarning Light

In position R, the vehicle moves only

backward. You must be at a complete stop

before shifting to or from R, except under

rare circumstances as explained in

A system malfunction or operation

conditions are indicated by a warning.

Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page

4-20.

Rocking the Vehicle (page 3-44).

qTransaxle Ranges

N (Neutral)

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In N, the wheels and transaxle are not

locked. The vehicle will roll freely even

on the slightest incline unless the parking

brake or brakes are on.

The shift position indicator light in the

instrument cluster illuminates.

Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on

page 4-20.

The selector lever must be in P or N to

operate the starter.

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WARNING

If the engine is running faster than idle,

do not shift from N or P into a driving

gear:

P (Park)

P locks the transaxle and prevents the

front wheels from rotating.

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.

WARNING

Always set the selector lever to P and

set the parking brake:

Only setting the selector lever to the

P position without using the parking

brake to hold the vehicle is

dangerous. If P fails to hold, the

vehicle could move and cause an

accident.

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

Ø Shifting into P, N or R while the

vehicle is moving can damage

your transaxle.

Ø Shifting into a driving gear or

reverse when the engine is running

faster than idle can damage the

transaxle.

CAUTION

Do not shift into N when driving the

vehicle. Doing so can cause transaxle

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.

4-50

When Driving

Transaxle

D (Drive)

NOTE

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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.

D is the normal driving position. From a

stop, the transaxle will automatically shift

through a 6-gear sequence.

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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

4-52.

qShift-Lock Override

If the selector lever will not move from P

using the proper shift procedure, continue

to hold down the pedal.

1. Remove the shift-lock override cover

using a cloth-wrapped flat head

screwdriver.

qActive Adaptive Shift (AAS)

Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)

automatically controls the transaxle shift

points to best suit the road conditions and

driver input. This improves driving feel.

The transaxle 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.

2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.

Cover

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.

3. Press and hold the lock-release button.

4. Move the selector lever.

qShift-Lock System

Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda

Dealer to have the system checked.

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.

4-51

When Driving

Transaxle

Gear position indicator

qManual Shift Mode

The numeral for the selected gear

illuminates.

This mode gives you the feel of driving a

manual transaxle vehicle by operating the

selector lever and allows you to control

engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels

much like a manual transaxle when more

control is desired.

To change to manual shift mode, shift the

lever from D to M.

Manual shift mode indicator

Gear position indicator

NOTE

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If the gears cannot be shifted down when

driving at higher speeds, the gear position

indicator will flash twice to signal that the

gears cannot be shifted down (to protect the

transaxle).

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If the automatic transaxle fluid (ATF)

temperature becomes too high, there is the

possibility that the transaxle will switch to

automatic shift mode, canceling manual

shift mode and turning off the gear position

indicator illumination. This is a normal

function to protect the AT. After the ATF

temperature has decreased, the gear

position indicator illumination turns back

on and driving in manual shift mode is

restored.

NOTE

Changing to manual shift mode while driving

will not damage the transaxle.

To return to automatic shift mode, shift

the lever from M to D.

NOTE

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If you change to manual shift mode when

the vehicle is stopped, the gear will shift to

M1.

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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 indicator

In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift

position indicator in the instrument panel

illuminates.

4-52

When Driving

Transaxle

Shifting

Manually Shifting down

(M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2 → M1)

To shift down to a lower gear, move the

selector lever forward ( ) once.

Manually Shifting up

(M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6)

To shift up to a higher gear, move the

selector lever back ( ) once.

WARNING

NOTE

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.

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When driving slowly, the gears may not

shift up.

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In manual shift mode, do not run the engine

with the tachometer needle in the RED

ZONE. When the engine rpm is high, a gear

may shift up automatically to protect the

engine.

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When depressing the accelerator fully, the

transaxle will shift to a lower gear,

depending on vehicle speed (Except M2 →

M1).

NOTE

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When driving at high speeds, the gear may

not shift down.

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During deceleration, the gear may

automatically shift down depending on

vehicle speed.

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When depressing the accelerator fully, the

transaxle will shift to a lower gear,

depending on vehicle speed (Except M2 →

M1).

4-53

When Driving

Transaxle

Second gear fixed mode

When the selector lever is moved back

(

) while the vehicle speed is about 10

km/h (6 mph) or less, the transaxle is set

in the second gear fixed mode. The gear is

fixed in second while in this mode for

easier acceleration from a stop and driving

on slippery roads such as snow-covered

roads.

If the selector lever is moved back ( ) or

forward ( ) while in the second gear

fixed mode, the mode will be canceled.

4-54

When Driving

Transaxle

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 the driver that the gear cannot be shifted.

Kickdown

When the accelerator pedal is depressed fully while driving, the gear shifts down.

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.

4-55

When Driving

Transaxle

Recommendations for shifting (U.S.A. and Canada)

Upshifting

For normal acceleration and cruising, we recommend these shift points.

Gear

Vehicle speed^*1

M1 to M2

M2 to M3

M3 to M4

M4 to M5

M5 to M6

24 km/h (15 mph)

40 km/h (25 mph)

65 km/h (40 mph)

73 km/h (45 mph)

81 km/h (50 mph)

^*1: Always observe local speed limit regulations.

Downshifting

When you must slow down in heavy traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before the

engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more speed.

On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolongs brake life.

NOTE

qDriving Tips

The accelerator pedal feels heavy as it is being

depressed, but then lightens as it is fully

depressed. 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.

WARNING

Do not allow the vehicle to move in

reverse on an up-slope while the

selector lever is in a forward gear

position, or move forward on a down-

slope while the selector lever is in the

reverse position:

Otherwise, the engine will 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.

Climbing steep grades from a stop

To climb a steep grade from a stopped

position:

1. Depress the brake pedal.

Passing

2. Shift to D or M1, depending on the

load weight and grade steepness.

For extra power when passing another

vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress

the accelerator fully. The transaxle will

shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle

speed.

3. Release the brake pedal while

gradually accelerating.

4-56

When Driving

Transaxle

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.

4-57

Transaxle -> Automatic Transaxle Controls for Your Mazda Cx-5 SUV First Generation (2013-2016)

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