Driving Your Mazda; Transaxle Ranges; Starting and Driving- Page 105

5-11

Driving Your Mazda

Starting and Driving

Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

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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 as 
explained under Rocking the Vehicle 
(page 4-7).

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/5-gear

*

 sequence.

*

3.0-liter engine model

M (Manual)

M is the manual shift mode position. 
Gears can be shifted up or down by 
tapping the shift lever back or forward 
from this position.

Holding the Vehicle with P:
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.

WARNING

J56J_8R29_EA_02I_Edition4.book  Page 11  Monday, April 21, 2003  3:44 PM