Black plate (156,1)
CAUTION
Ø
Keep your foot off the clutch pedal
except when shifting gears. Also,
do not use the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Riding the
clutch will cause needless clutch
wear and damage.
Ø
Do not apply any excessive lateral
force to the gear lever when
changing from 5th to 4th gear.
This could lead to the accidental
selection of 2nd gear, which can
result in damage to the
transmission.
Ø
Make sure the vehicle comes to a
complete stop before shifting to R.
Shifting to R while the vehicle is
still moving may damage the
transmission.
NOTE
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
q
Recommendations for Shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration, we recommend
these shift points.
Gear
5-speed
transmission
6-speed
transmission
1 to 2
24 km/h (15 mph) 23 km/h (14 mph)
2 to 3
42 km/h (26 mph) 37 km/h (23 mph)
3 to 4
55 km/h (34 mph) 50 km/h (31 mph)
4 to 5
66 km/h (41 mph) 56 km/h (35 mph)
5 to 6
―
66 km/h (41 mph)
For cruising
Gear
5-speed
transmission
6-speed
transmission
1 to 2
15 km/h (9 mph)
18 km/h (11 mph)
2 to 3
29 km/h (18 mph) 32 km/h (20 mph)
3 to 4
47 km/h (29 mph) 44 km/h (27 mph)
4 to 5
61 km/h (38 mph) 56 km/h (35 mph)
5 to 6
―
68 km/h (42 mph)
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or on a steep
upgrade
, downshift
before the engine starts to overwork. This
reduces the chance of stalling and gives
better acceleration when you need more
speed.
On a steep
downgrade
, downshifting
helps maintain safe speed and prolongs
brake life.
5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
MX-5_8EN7-EA-14E_Edition3 Page156
Friday, September 5 2014 3:19 PM
Form No.8EN7-EA-14E