Driving Your Mazda; Do Not Abuse the Clutch:; Do not abuse the clutch. Continued- Page 151

Driving Your Mazda

5-15

Press the clutch pedal all the way down
while shifting; then release it slowly.

NOTE

Make sure the vehicle is stopped
before shifting to R (Reverse). Wait
at least 3 seconds before shifting into
R (Reverse) to prevent a ‘‘grinding’’
noise. Do not release the clutch.

CAUTION

Keep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
don’t use the clutch to hold the vehicle
on an upgrade. This will avoid need-
less clutch wear and damage.

With the 5-speed transmission you can
engage R (Reverse) only by moving the
gearshift from the left of 3 (Third) and
4 (Fourth) gears before you shift into
R (Reverse). This is a special lockout
feature that protects you from acciden-
tally shifting into R (Reverse) when you
downshift from Overdrive (

f

D

) gear.

WARNING

Do Not Abuse the Clutch:
Do not abuse the clutch. Continued
use of a damaged or worn clutch,
prolonged clutch slippage or down-
shifting at excessive speeds can
result in an explosion of the engine,
transmission or clutch components,
resulting in potential serious per-
sonal injury.