Mazda MX-5 RF (2017 year). Instruction - part 13

 

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Mazda MX-5 RF (2017 year). Instruction - part 13

 

 

4–58

When Driving

Transmission

*Some models.

  Manually  shifting  down

    You can shift gears down by operating 
the selector lever or the steering shift 
switches

*

 .

  M6 

ĺ M5 ĺ M4 ĺ M3 ĺ M2ĺ 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 

¿ ngers.

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 tyre speed could 
cause the tyres to skid. This could 
lead to loss of vehicle control and an 
accident.

 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 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. 

/:A



4–59

When Driving

Transmission

  Second  gear 

¿ xed 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 

¿ xed mode. The gear is 

¿ xed 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 

¿ xed 

mode, the mode will be cancelled.

/:A



4–60

When Driving

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 

À ashes 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 

¿ xed 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 

¿ xed mode, the gear remains in 

second.

/:A



4–61

When Driving

Transmission

*Some models.

 Direct  Mode 

*

            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 
range.
  While in direct mode, the D and M 
indication illuminate and the gear position 
in use is illuminated.
  Direct mode is cancelled (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.

Gear position indication

Direct mode indication

 NOTE

 Shifting up and down while in direct 
mode may not be possible depending on 
the vehicle speed. In addition, because 
direct mode is cancelled (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.

 Driving  Tips

 WARNING

 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 dif

¿ cult to control the 

vehicle which could result in an 
accident.

  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.

/:A



4–62

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.

/:A



4–63

When Driving

Switches and Controls

      Lighting  Control

 Headlights

            Turn the headlight switch to turn the headlights, other exterior lights and instrument panel 
illumination on or off.
  When the headlight switch is turned to the  

  or     position, the lights-on indicator light in 

the instrument cluster turns on.
(With auto-light control)
  When the headlight switch is turned to the  

  position, the lights-on indicator light in the 

instrument cluster turns on/off in conjunction with the automatic on/off operation of the 
headlights.

 NOTE

 

  To prevent discharging the battery, do not leave the lights on while the engine is off 

unless safety requires them. 

 

  Headlights do not blind drivers approaching in the opposite direction no matter 

what side of the road you must drive your vehicle (left-hand or right-hand traf

¿ c). 

Therefore, it is not necessary to adjust the optical axis of the headlights when 
switching temporarily to driving on the opposite side of the road (left-hand or right-
hand traf

¿ c). 

/:A



4–64

When Driving

Switches and Controls

Without auto-light control

 Switch  Position 

 Ignition  Position 

  ON  

 ACC  or 

 OFF  

  ON  

 ACC  or 

 OFF  

  ON  

 ACC  or 

 OFF  

 Headlights 

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 On 

 Off 

 Running  lights 

 On 

*1

  

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Tail  lights
  Position  lights
  Number  plate  lights
  Instrument  panel  illumination 

 On 

*2

  

 Off 

 On 

 On 

 On 

 On 

*3

     *1   It  turns  on  while  driving  the  vehicle.
   *2   When the running lights are turned on, the position lights, tail lights, and number plate lights turn on. The 

instrument panel illumination does not turn on.

   *3   If the driver's door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.

/:A



4–65

When Driving

Switches and Controls

With auto-light control

 Switch  Position 

 Ignition  Position 

  ON  

 ACC 

or   OFF  

  ON  

 ACC 

or   OFF  

  ON  

 ACC 

or   OFF  

  ON  

 ACC 

or   OFF  

 Headlights  

Off  

Off  

Auto 

*1

  

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 On 

 Off 

 Running  lights 

 On 

*2

  

 Off 

 Auto 

*1

  

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Off 

 Tail  lights
  Position  lights
  Number  plate  lights
  Instrument  panel  illumination 

 On 

*3

  

 Off 

 Auto 

*1

 On 

*4

 /

Off 

*5

 On 

 On 

 On 

 On 

*6

     *1   The headlight and other light settings switch automatically depending on the surrounding brightness detected by 

the sensor.

   *2   It turns on while driving the vehicle.
   *3   When the running lights are turned on, the position lights, tail lights, and number plate lights turn on. The 

instrument panel illumination does not turn on.

   *4   While the lights are turned on, they will remain on even if the ignition is switched to a position other than  ON .
   

If the driver’s door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.

   *5   When the ignition is switched to a position other than  ON , the lights will not turn on even if the light switch is 

switched to

 .

   *6   If the driver’s door is opened or 30 s have elapsed with the lights turned on, the lights turn off.

/:A



4–66

When Driving

Switches and Controls

  Auto-light  control

    When the headlight switch is in the  

  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 instrument panel illumination on or off (see chart above).

 CAUTION

 

  Do not shade the light sensor by adhering a sticker or a label on the windscreen. 

Otherwise the light sensor will not operate correctly. 



 

  The light sensor also works as a rain sensor for the auto-wiper control. Keep hands and 

scrapers clear of the windscreen when the wiper lever is in the

  position and the 

ignition is switched ON as 

¿ ngers could be pinched or the wipers and wiper blades 

damaged when the wipers activate automatically. If you are going to clean the 
windscreen, 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. 

/:A



4–67

When Driving

Switches and Controls

 NOTE

 

  The headlights, other exterior lights and instrument panel illumination may not turn 

off immediately even if the surrounding area becomes well-lit because the light sensor 
determines that it is night time if the surrounding area is continuously dark for several 
minutes such as inside long tunnels, traf

¿ c jams inside tunnels, or in indoor parking 

lots.



  In this case, the lights turn off if the light switch is turned to the  

   position. 

 

  When the headlight switch is in the  

  position and the ignition is switched to ACC 

or the ignition is switched off, the headlights, other exterior lights and instrument panel 
illumination will turn off. 

 

  The instrument panel illumination can be adjusted by rotating the knob in the 

instrument cluster. Also, the antidazzle mode can be changed by rotating the knob until 
a beep sound is heard. To adjust the brightness of the instrument panel illumination: 
Refer to Instrument Panel Illumination on page 4-28 . 

 

  The sensitivity of the AUTO lights may be changed by an Authorised Mazda Repairer. 

Refer to Personalisation Features on page 9-10 . 

/:A



4–68

When Driving

Switches and Controls

 Headlight High-Low Beam

            The  headlights  switch  between  high  and 
low beams by moving the lever forward or 
backward.

High beam

Low beam

  When the headlight high-beams are on, 
the headlight high-beam indicator light is 
turned on.

 Flashing the Headlights

            Can  be  used  when  the  ignition  is  switched 
ON.
  To 

À ash the headlights, pull the lever fully 

towards you (the headlight switch does not 
need to be on).

OFF

Headlight 
flashing

  The headlight high-beam indicator light 
in the instrument cluster illuminates 
simultaneously. The lever will return to the 
normal position when released.

 Coming Home Light

              The  coming  home  light  turns  on  the 
headlights (low beams) when the lever is 
operated.

  To turn on the lights

    When the lever is pulled with the ignition 
switched to ACC or OFF, the low beam 
headlights turn on.
  The headlights turn off after a certain 
period of time has elapsed after the doors 
are closed.

/:A



4–69

When Driving

Switches and Controls

 NOTE

 

  The time until the headlights turn off 

after all of the doors are closed can 
be changed. 



  Refer to Personalisation Features on 

page 9-10 . 

 

  If no operations are done for 3 

minutes after the lever is pulled, the 
headlights turn off. 

 

  The headlights turn off if the lever is 

pulled again while the headlights are 
illuminated.

 Leaving Home Light

              The  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, Position lights, Tail lights, 
Number plate 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 
button

 NOTE

 

  Operation of the leaving home light 

can be turned on or off. 



  Refer to Personalisation Features on 

page   9-10 . 

 

  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. 

/:A



4–70

When Driving

Switches and Controls

*Some models.

 Headlight  Levelling

            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.

 Running  Lights

            Some  countries  require  moving  vehicles  to 
have their lights on (running lights) during 
the daytime.

  The running lights turn on automatically 
when the vehicle starts moving.

  They turn off when the parking brake is 
operated or the selector lever is shifted 
to the P position (automatic transmission 
vehicle).

 NOTE

(Except countries prohibited by law)
 The running lights can be deactivated. 
 Refer to Personalisation Features on 
page 9-10 . 

 Rear Fog Light 

*

            The  rear  fog  light  can  be  used  when  the 
ignition is switched ON.
  The rear fog light helps your vehicle to be 
seen.
  The headlights must be turned on to turn 
on the rear fog light.

  To turn the rear fog light on, rotate the fog 
light switch to the

  position (the fog 

light switch returns to its original position 
automatically).

Fog light switch

  The rear fog light indicator light in the 
instrument cluster illuminates while the 
rear fog light is on.

  To turn the rear fog light off, do any of the 
following:

 

 Rotate the fog light switch to the  

position again (the fog light switch 
returns to its original position 
automatically).

 

 Turn the headlight switch to the  

position.

  The rear fog light indicator light in the 
instrument cluster goes off when the rear 
fog light is turned off.

/:A



4–71

When Driving

Switches and Controls

 NOTE

(With auto-light control)

 When the headlight switch is in the  
position and the headlights, exterior 
lights and instrument panel illuminated, 
the rear fog light turns on when the rear 
fog light switch is turned on. 

 Turn and Lane-change 
Signals

    The ignition must be switched ON to use 
the turn and lane-change signals.

 Direction  Indicators

            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 

À ash 

after a turn, manually return the lever to its 
original position.

Right turn

Left turn

Right lane change

Left lane change

OFF

  The direction indicators in the instrument 
cluster

À ash according to the operation of 

the direction indicator lever to show which 
signal is working.

/:A



4–72

When Driving

Switches and Controls

 NOTE

 

  If an indicator light stays on without 

À ashing or if it À ashes abnormally, 
one of the direction indicator bulbs 
may be burned out. 

 

  A personalised function is available 

to change the turn indicator sound 
volume. (page 9-10 ) 

 Lane-change  Signals

            Move  the  lever  halfway  toward  the 
direction of the lane change—until the 
indicator

À ashes— and hold it there. It will 

return to the off position when released.

 Three-

À ash Turn Signal

            After  releasing  the  direction  indicator 
lever, the direction indicator 

À ashes three 

times. The operation can be cancelled by 
moving the lever in the direction opposite 
to which it was operated.

 NOTE

 The  three-

À ash turn signal function can 

be switched to operable/inoperable using 
the personalisation function. 
 Refer to Personalisation Features on 
page 9-10 . 

 Windscreen  Wipers  and 
Washer

    The ignition must be switched ON to use 
the wipers.

 WARNING

 Use only windscreen washer 

À uid or 

plain water in the reservoir: 
 Using radiator antifreeze as washer 
À uid is dangerous. If sprayed on the 
windscreen, it will dirty the windscreen, 
affect your visibility, and could result in 
an accident. 

 Only use windscreen washer 

À uid 

mixed with anti-freeze protection in 
freezing weather conditions: 
 Using windscreen washer 

À uid without 

anti-freeze protection in freezing 
weather conditions is dangerous as it 
could freeze on the windscreen and 
block your vision which could cause 
an accident. In addition, make sure 
the windscreen is suf

¿ ciently warmed 

using the defroster before spraying the 
washer

À uid. 

/:A



4–73

When Driving

Switches and Controls

 NOTE

 If the windscreen wipers are operated 
under cold weather conditions or 
during snowfall, they could stop due to 
accumulated snow on the windscreen. 
If the windscreen wipers stop due to 
accumulated snow on the windscreen, 
park the vehicle in a safe place, turn the 
wiper switch off, and then remove the 
accumulated snow. If the wiper switch 
is turned to another position other than 
OFF, the wipers will operate. If the 
wipers do not operate even though the 
wiper switch is turned to a position other 
than OFF, consult an expert repairer, 
we recommend an Authorised Mazda 
Repairer as soon as possible. 

 Windscreen  Wipers

            Turn  the  wipers  on  by  pressing  the  lever 
up or down.

  With  intermittent  wiper

 Switch  Position 

 Wiper  operation 

 No.   Type  A   Type  B 

 Operation while pulling 
up lever 

 Stop 

 Intermittent 

 Low  speed 

 High  speed 

  Variable-speed  intermittent  wipers

    Set the lever to the intermittent position 
and choose the interval timing by rotating 
the ring.

INT ring

/:A



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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