When Driving; Do not let the vehicle move in a ; direction opposite to the direction - Page 167

4–39

When Driving

Transaxle

 Driving Tips

WARNING

Do not let the vehicle move in a 

direction opposite to the direction 

selected by the selector lever:

Do not let the vehicle move backward 

with the selector lever in a forward 

position, or do not let the vehicle 

move forward with the selector lever 

in the reverse position. Otherwise, the 

engine may stop, causing the loss of 

the power brake and power steering 

functions, and make it difficult to 

control the vehicle which could result 

in an accident.

Passing

For extra power when passing another 

vehicle or climbing steep grades, depress 

the accelerator fully. The transaxle will 

shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle 

speed.

NOTE

(Some models)

The accelerator pedal may initially feel 

heavy as it is being depressed, then feel 

lighter as it is depressed further. This 

change in pedal force aids the engine 

control system in determining how much 

the accelerator pedal has been depressed 

for performing kickdown, and functions to 

control whether or not kickdown should be 

performed.

Climbing steep grades from a stop

To climb a steep grade from a stopped 

position:
1.  Depress the brake pedal.

2.  Shift to D or M1, depending on the 

load weight and grade steepness.

3.  Release the brake pedal while gradually 

accelerating.

Descending steep grades

When descending a steep grade, shift to 

lower gears, depending on load weight and 

grade steepness. Descend slowly, using the 

brakes only occasionally to prevent them 

from overheating.

Mazda3_8FA4-EA-15G_Edition1.indb   39

2015/05/11   14:00:48