Mazda 2009 MX-5 Miata, Owner'S Manual

Page: 169 / 444

Black plate (169,1)
Manually Shifting down
(M6
→
M5
→
M4
→
M3
→
M2
→
M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the shift
lever forward (
) once.
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, press either of the
DOWN switches away from you once
with your thumb.
DOWN switches
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 tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. This
could lead to loss of vehicle control
and an accident.
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 at high speeds, the gear may
not shift down depending on vehicle speed.
l
During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed.
l
When depressing the accelerator fully, the
transmission will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed (Except
M2
→
M1).
Second gear fixed mode
When the shift lever is tapped back ( )
while the vehicle is stopped, the
transmission is set in the second gear
fixed mode. The gear is fixed in second
while in this mode for easier starting and
driving on slippery roads. If the shift lever
is tapped back (
) or forward ( ) while
in the second gear fixed mode, the mode
will be canceled.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-17
MX-5_8Z78-EA-08K_Edition1 Page169
Thursday, October 23 2008 1:53 PM
Form No.8Z78-EA-08K