Mazda 2: Automatic Transaxle Controls

Mazda2 Owners Manual

Various Lockouts:

Indicates that you must depress
the brake pedal and hold in the lock-release button to shift (The ignition must be switched ON).

Indicates the selector lever can
be shifted freely into any position.

Indicates that you must hold in
the lock-release button to shift.

NOTE

The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transaxle that gives the driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it to the transaxle to shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transaxle functions as a traditional automatic, you should also be aware that you can inadvertently shift into manual shift mode and an inappropriate gear may be retained as the vehicle speed increases. If you notice the engine speed going higher or hear the engine racing, confi rm you have not accidentally slipped into manual shift mode (page 4-50 ).

Shift Position Indication

The selector position is
indicated when the ignition is switched ON.

NOTE

If one of the following actions is performed, the selector position is displayed for 5 minutes even if the ignition switch is in a position other than ON.

• The ignition is switched OFF.
• The driver's door is opened.

Gear position indication

In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift position indication illuminates and the numeral for the selected gear is displayed.

Warning Light

The warning light turns on when the system has a malfunction.

Refer to Warning Lights on page 4-38 .

Transaxle Ranges

• The shift position indicator light in the instrument cluster illuminates. Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-37 .
• The selector lever must be in P or N to operate the starter.

P (Park)

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

WARNING

Always set the selector lever to P and set the parking brake: Only setting the selector 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.

CAUTION

• 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.

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 3-50 ).

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.

WARNING

If the engine is running faster than idle, do not shift from N or P into a driving gear: 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.

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

CAUTION

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

NOTE

Apply the parking brake or depress the brake pedal before moving the selector lever from N to prevent the vehicle from moving unexpectedly

D (Drive)

D is the normal driving position. From a stop, the transaxle will automatically shift through a 6-gearsequence.

M (Manual)

M is the manual shift mode position. Gears can be shifted up or down by operating the selector lever. Refer to Manual Shift Mode on page 4-50 .

Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)

Active Adaptive Shift (AAS) automatically controls the transaxle shift points to best suit the road conditions and driver input. This improves driving feel. The transaxle may switch to AAS mode when driving up and down slopes, cornering, driving at high elevations, or depressing the accelerator pedal quickly while the selector lever is in the D position. Depending on the road and driving conditions/vehicle operations, gear shifting could be delayed or not occur, however, this does not indicate a problem because the AAS mode will maintain the optimum gear position.

Shift-Lock System

The shift-lock system prevents shifting out of P unless the brake pedal is depressed.

To shift from P:

1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever.

NOTE

• When the ignition is switched to ACC or the ignition is switched off, the selector lever cannot be shifted from P.
• The ignition cannot be switched to OFF if the selector lever is not in P.

Shift-Lock Override

If the selector lever will not move from P using the proper shift procedure, continue to hold down the brake pedal.

Type A

1. Remove the shift-lock override cover using a cloth-wrapped fl at head screwdriver.
2. Insert a screwdriver and push it down.

3. Press and hold the lock-release button.
4. Move the selector lever
5. Take the vehicle to an expert repairer, we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer to have the system checked.

Type B

1. Press the lock-release button with the button pressed.

2. Move the selector lever.
3. Take the vehicle to an expert repairer, we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer to have the system checked.

Manual Shift Mode

The manual shift mode gives you the feel of driving a manual transaxle vehicle by allowing you to operate the selector lever manually. This allows you to control engine rpm and torque to the drive wheels much like a manual transaxle when more control is desired.

To change to manual shift mode, shift the lever from D to M.

NOTE

Changing to manual shift mode while driving will not damage the transaxle.

To return to automatic shift mode, shift the lever from M to D.

NOTE

• If you change to manual shift mode when the vehicle is stopped, the gear will shift to M1.
• If you change to manual shift mode without depressing the accelerator pedal when driving in D range, 5th gear/6th gear, the gear will shift to M4/M5.

Indicators

Manual shift mode indication

In manual shift mode, the “M” of the shift position indication in the instrument panel illuminates.

Gear position indication

The numeral for the selected gear illuminates.

Type A

Type B

Type C

Type D

NOTE

• If the gears cannot be shifted down when driving at higher speeds, the gear position indication will fl ash twice to signal that the gears cannot be shifted down (to protect the transaxle).
• If the automatic transaxle fl uid (ATF) temperature becomes too high, there is the possibility that the transaxle will switch to automatic shift mode, cancelling manual shift mode and turning off the gear position indication illumination.

  This is a normal function to protect the AT. After the ATF temperature has decreased, the gear position indication illumination turns back on and driving in manual shift mode is restored.

Gear Shift Indicator *

The gear shift indicator supports you to obtain optimum fuel economy and smooth driving. It displays the selected gear position in the instrument cluster as well as notifi es the driver to change to the most suitable gear position corresponding to the actual driving condition.

Indication	Condition
Numeral	The selected gear position is displayed.
and numeral	Shift up or down to the indicated gear position is recommended.

CAUTION

Do not rely solely on the shift-up/ shift-down recommendations by indications. The actual driving situation might require shift operations different from indication. To avoid the risk of accidents, the road and traffi c conditions have to be judged correctly by the driver before shifting.

NOTE

The gear shift indicator turns off when the following operations are performed.

• The vehicle is stopped.
• Manual shift mode is cancelled.

Manually shifting up

You can shift gears up by operating the shift lever or the steering shift switches * .

M1→M2 →M3→  M4 → M5 → M6

Using selector lever

To shift up to a higher gear, tap the shift lever back once.

Using steering shift switch *

To shift up to a higher gear with the steering shift switches, pull the UP switch ( ) toward you once with your
fi ngers.

WARNING

Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim when using fi ngers on the steering shift switches: Putting your hands inside the rim of the steering wheel when using the steering shift switches is dangerous. If the driver's air bag were to deploy in a collision, your hands could be impacted causing injury.

NOTE

• When driving slowly, the gears may not shift up.
• In manual shift mode, do not run the engine with the tachometer needle in the RED ZONE. When the engine rpm is high, a gear may shift up automatically to protect the engine.
• When depressing the accelerator fully, the transaxle will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed.
• The steering shift switch can be used temporarily even if the selector lever is in the D position while driving. In addition, it returns to automatic shift mode when the UP switch ( )
  is pulled rearward for a suffi cient amount of time.

Manually shifting down

You can shift gears down by operating the shift lever or the steering shift switches * .

M6 →M5 →  M4→ M3 →M2→M1

Using selector lever

To shift down to a lower gear, tap the selector lever forward once.

Using steering shift switch *

To shift down to a lower gear with the steering shift switches, pull the DOWN switch toward you once with your fi ngers.

WARNING

Do not use engine braking on slippery road surfaces or at high speeds: Shifting down while driving on wet, snowy, or frozen roads, or while driving at high speeds causes sudden engine braking, which is dangerous. The sudden change in tyre speed could cause the tyres to skid. This could lead to loss of vehicle control and an accident.

Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim when using fi ngers on the steering shift switches: Putting your hands inside the rim of the steering wheel when using the steering shift switches is dangerous. If the driver's air bag were to deploy in a collision, your hands could be impacted causing injury.

NOTE

• When driving at high speeds, the gear may not shift down.
• During deceleration, the gear may automatically shift down depending on vehicle speed
• When depressing the accelerator fully, the transaxle will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed.

Second gear fi xed mode

When the selector lever is moved back while the vehicle speed is about 10 km/h (6.2 mph) or less, the transaxle is set in the second gear fi xed mode. The gear is fi xed in second while in this mode for easier acceleration from a stop and driving on slippery roads such as snow-covered roads.

If the selector lever is moved back or forward while in the second gear fi xed mode, the mode will be cancelled.

Shift gear (shifting) speed limit

For each gear position while in the manual mode, the speed limit is set as follows: When the selector lever is operated within the range of the speed limit, the gear is shifted.

Shift up

The gear does not shift up while the vehicle speed is lower than the speed limit.

Shift down

The gear does not shift down while the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit.

If the vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit and the gear does not shift down, the gear position indication fl ashes 2 times to notify the driver that the gear cannot be shifted.

Kickdown

When the accelerator pedal is depressed fully while driving, the gear shifts down.

NOTE

The gear also shifts down using kickdown while in the second gear fi xed mode.

Auto-shift down

The gear shifts down automatically depending on the vehicle speed during deceleration.

NOTE

If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fi xed mode, the gear remains in second.

Direct Mode *

Direct mode can be used for temporarily switching gears by operating the steering shift switch while the vehicle is being driven with the selector lever in the D range.

While in direct mode, the D and M indication illuminate and the gear position in use is illuminated.

Direct mode is cancelled (released) under the following conditions.

• The UP switch ( ) is pulled
  rearward for a certain amount of time or longer.
•  The vehicle is driven for a certain amount of time or longer (time differs depending on the driving conditions while operating).
• The vehicle is stopped or moving at a slow speed.

Type A

Type B

Type C

Type D

NOTE

Shifting up and down while in direct mode may not be possible depending on the vehicle speed. In addition, because direct mode is cancelled (released) depending on the rate of acceleration or if the accelerator is fully depressed, use of the manual shift mode is recommended if you need to drive the vehicle in a particular gear for long periods.

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 diffi cult 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.