Get When Driving -> Automatic Transmission Guide for Mazda Mx-5 SUV Fourth Generation (2016-2026)

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

Automatic Transmission 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 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 4-38).

4-35

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

Shift-Lock System

Transmission Ranges



The shift-lock system prevents shifting out

of P unless the brake pedal is depressed.

The shift position indication in the

instrument cluster illuminates.

Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on

page 4-27.

The selector lever must be in P or N

position to operate the starter.

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.

P (Park)

P locks the transmission and prevents the

rear wheels from rotating.

NOTE



When the ignition is switched to ACC or

the ignition is switched off, the selector

lever cannot be shifted from P position.

The ignition cannot be switched to OFF

WARNING



Always set the selector lever to P position

and set the parking brake:

if the selector lever is not in P position.

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.

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.

CAUTION

2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.

Shifting into P, N or R while the vehicle is

moving can damage your transmission.

Shifting into a driving gear or reverse

when the engine is running faster than

idle can damage the transmission.

Cover

R (Reverse)

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

Rocking the Vehicle (page 3-53).

3. Press and hold the lock-release button.

4. Move the selector lever.

Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda

Dealer to have the system checked.

4-36

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

N (Neutral)

M (Manual)

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.

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

▼

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.

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.

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.

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

CAUTION

Do not shift into N when driving the

vehicle. Doing so can cause transmission

damage.

NOTE

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.

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.

4-37

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

Gear position indication

Manual Shift Mode

The numeral for the selected gear

illuminates.

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.

Manual shift mode indication

To change to manual shift mode, shift the

lever from D to M.

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).

NOTE

Changing to manual shift mode while

driving will not damage the transmission.

Manually Shifting Up

▼

You can shift gears up by operating the

selector lever or the steering shift

switches .

To return to automatic shift mode, shift the

lever from M to D.

*

NOTE

M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6



If you change to manual shift mode

Using selector lever

when the vehicle is stopped, the gear

will shift to M1.

If you change to manual shift mode

To shift up to a higher gear, tap the

selector lever back once.



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.

*Some models.

4-38

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

*

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

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)

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

WARNING

Using selector lever

To shift down to a lower gear, tap the

selector lever forward once.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim

when using ꢀngers 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.

*Some models.

4-39

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

*

Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim

when using ꢀngers on the steering shift

switches:

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.

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.

DOWN switch (-)

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.

WARNING

Do not use engine braking on slippery road

surfaces or at high speeds:

Second Gear Fixed Mode

▼

When the selector lever is moved back

while the vehicle speed is about 10 km/h

(6.2 mph) or less, the transmission 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.

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.

If the selector lever is moved back or

forward while in the second gear fixed

mode, the mode will be canceled.

*Some models.

4-40

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

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.

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.

4-41

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

Recommendations for Shifting

▼

Upshifting

For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift points:

*1

Gear

Vehicle speed

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.

4-42

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

NOTE

Direct Mode^*

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.

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.

Direct mode indication

Gear position indication

*Some models.

4-43

When Driving

Automatic Transmission

Climbing steep grades from a stop

Driving Tips

To climb a steep grade from a stopped

position:

WARNING

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.

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 diꢀcult to

control the vehicle which could result in an

accident.

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.

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.

4-44

When Driving -> Automatic Transmission for Your Mazda Mx-5 SUV Fourth Generation (2016-2026)

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