Mazda 2009 MX-5 Miata, Owner'S Manual

Page: 168 / 444

Black plate (168,1)
NOTE
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.
Shifting
You can shift gears up and down by
operating the shift lever or the steering
shift switches.
NOTE
l
If the steering shift switches on both sides
(left and right) are operated simultaneously,
the gear will shift once.
l
The gear will not shift if:
l
The steering shift switch and the shift
lever are operated simultaneously.
l
The UP switch and DOWN switch are
operated simultaneously.
Manually Shifting up
(M1
→
M2
→
M3
→
M4
→
M5
→
M6)
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the shift
lever back (
) once.
To shift up to a higher gear with the
steering shift switches, tap either of the
UP switches toward you once with your
fingers.
UP switches
WARNING
Keep your hands on the steering wheel
rim when using fingers or thumbs 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
l
When driving slowly, the gears may not
shift up depending on vehicle speed.
l
In manual shift mode, gears do not shift up
automatically. Do not run the engine with
the tachometer needle in the RED ZONE. If
the tachometer needle enters the RED
ZONE, you may feel engine-braking
because the fuel delivery will be stopped to
protect the engine. However, this does not
indicate an abnormality.
l
When depressing the accelerator fully, the
transmission will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed (Except
M2
→
M1).
5-16
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8Z78-EA-08K_Edition1 Page168
Thursday, October 23 2008 1:53 PM
Form No.8Z78-EA-08K