Driving Your Mazda; Transaxle Ranges; Starting and Driving- Page 125

5-11

Driving Your Mazda

Starting and Driving

Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

▼

Transaxle Ranges

The shift lever must be in P or N to 
operate the starter.

P (Park)

P locks the transaxle and prevents the 
front wheels from rotating.

R (Reverse)

In position R, the vehicle moves only 
backward. You must be at a complete stop 
before shifting to or from R, except under 
rare circumstances as explained in 
Rocking the Vehicle (page 4-9).

N (Neutral)

In N, the wheels and transaxle are not 
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even 
on the slightest incline unless the parking 
brake or brakes are on.

D (Drive)

D is the normal driving position. From a 
stop, the transaxle will automatically shift 
through a 4-gear sequence.

Holding the Vehicle with P:
Only setting the shift lever to the P 
position without using the parking 
brake to hold the vehicle is 
dangerous. If P fails to hold, the 
vehicle could move and cause an 
accident. To hold the vehicle, set the 
shift lever to P AND set the parking 
brake.

•

Shifting into P, N or R while the 
vehicle is moving can damage your 
transaxle.

•

Shifting into a driving gear or 
reverse when the engine is running 
faster than idle can damage the 
transaxle.

WARNING

CAUTION

Shifting from N or P:
It

’

s dangerous to shift from N or P 

into a driving gear when the engine is 
running faster than idle. If this is 
done, the vehicle could move 
suddenly, causing an accident or 
serious injury. If the engine is 
running faster than idle, don

’

t shift 

from N or P into a driving gear.

Shifting into N while Driving:
Shifting into N while driving is 
dangerous. Engine braking cannot be 
applied when decelerating which 
could lead to an accident or serious 
injury. Do not shift into N when 
driving the vehicle.

Do not shift into N when driving the 
vehicle. Doing so can cause transaxle 
damage.

WARNING

CAUTION

J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition3.book  Page 11  Monday, February 9, 2004  8:41 PM

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