Black plate (119,1)
CAUTION
l
Keep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
don't use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Riding the
clutch will cause needless clutch
wear and damage.
l
Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to R.
Shifting to R while the vehicle is still
moving may damage the transaxle.
NOTE
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back
into neutral, release the clutch pedal,
and try again.
q
Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
Gear
Vehicle speed
1 to 2
21 km/h (13 mph)
2 to 3
39 km/h (24 mph)
3 to 4
55 km/h (34 mph)
4 to 5
78 km/h (49 mph)
For cruising
Gear
Vehicle speed
1 to 2
18 km/h (11 mph)
2 to 3
29 km/h (18 mph)
3 to 4
47 km/h (29 mph)
4 to 5
68 km/h (42 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep
upgrade
, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steep
downgrade
, downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-9
Mazda3_8T66-EA-04H_Edition1 Page119
Thursday, June 24 2004 5:18 PM
Form No.8T66-EA-04H