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Automatic Transmission Controls
The Sport AT has an option that is not included in the traditional automatic transmission that gives the driver the option of selecting each gear instead of leaving it to the transmission to shift gears. Even if you intend to use the automatic transmission 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, confirm you have not accidentally slipped into manual shift mode (Search).
Shift Position Indication
The selector position is indicated when the ignition is switched ON.
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 (Search).
Transmission Ranges
-
The shift position indicator light in the instrument cluster illuminates. Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights (Search).
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The selector lever must be in P or N to operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transmission and prevents the rear wheels from rotating.
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.
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Shifting into P, N or R while the vehicle is moving can damage your transmission.
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Shifting into a driving gear or reverse when the engine is running faster than idle can damage the transmission.
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 (Search).
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transmission are not locked. The vehicle will roll freely even on the slightest incline unless the parking brake or brakes are on.
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.
Do not shift into N when driving the vehicle. Doing so can cause transaxle damage.
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 transmission will automatically shift through a 6-gear sequence.
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 (Search).
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS)
Active Adaptive Shift (AAS) automatically controls the transmission shift points to best suit the road conditions and driver input. This improves driving feel. The transmission 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:
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Depress and hold the brake pedal.
-
Start the engine.
-
Press and hold the lock-release button.
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Move the selector lever.
-
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.
-
Remove the shift-lock override cover using a cloth-wrapped flat head screwdriver.
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Insert a screwdriver and push it down.
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Press and hold the lock-release button.
-
Move the selector lever.
Take the vehicle to an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the system checked.
Manual Shift Mode
The manual shift mode gives you the feel of driving a manual transmission 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 transmission when more control is desired.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the lever from D to M.
Changing to manual shift mode while driving will not damage the transmission.
To return to automatic shift mode, shift the lever from M to D.
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If you change to manual shift mode when the vehicle is stopped, the gear will shift to M1.
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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.
-
If the gears cannot be shifted down when driving at higher speeds, the gear position indication will flash twice to signal that the gears cannot be shifted down (to protect the transmission).
Manually shifting up
You can shift gears up by operating the selector lever or the steering shift switches (Some Models).
M1 → M2 → M3 → M4 → M5 → M6
Using selector lever
To shift up to a higher gear, tap the selector lever back 
once.
Using steering shift switch (Some Models)
To shift up to a higher gear with the steering shift switches, pull the UP switch (
) toward you once with your fingers.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim when using fingers 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.
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When driving slowly, the gears may not shift up.
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Do not drive the vehicle with the tachometer needle in the RED ZONE while in manual shift mode. In addition, manual shift mode switches to automatic shift mode while the accelerator pedal is completely depressed.
This function is canceled while the DSC is turned off. However, if the vehicle is continuously driven at a high rpm, the gears may automatically shift up to protect the engine.
-
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 sufficient amount of time.
Manually shifting down
You can shift gears down by operating the selector lever or the steering shift switches (Some Models).
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 (Some Models)
To shift down to a lower gear with the steering shift switches, pull the DOWN switch toward you once with your fingers.
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 tire speed could cause the tires to skid. This could lead to loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel rim when using fingers 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.
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When driving at high speeds, the gear may not shift down.
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During deceleration, the gear may automatically shift down depending on vehicle speed.
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When depressing the accelerator fully, the transmission will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed. However, the gears do not kickdown while the DSC is turned off.
Second gear fixed mode
When the selector lever is moved back while the vehicle speed is about 10 km/h (6.2 mph) or less, the transmission is set in the second gear fixed mode. The gear is fixed 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 fixed mode, the mode will be canceled.
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 flashes 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.
However, the gears do not kickdown while the DSC is turned off.
The gear also shifts down using kickdown while in the second gear fixed mode.
Auto-shift down
The gear shifts down automatically depending on the vehicle speed during deceleration.
If the vehicle comes to a stop while in the second gear fixed mode, the gear remains in second.
Recommendations for shifting
Upshifting
For normal acceleration and cruising, Mazda recommends these shift points:
|
Gear |
Vehicle speed*1 |
|---|---|
|
M1 to M2 |
24 km/h (15 mph) |
|
M2 to M3 |
40 km/h (25 mph) |
|
M3 to M4 |
65 km/h (40 mph) |
|
M4 to M5 |
73 km/h (45 mph) |
|
M5 to M6 |
81 km/h (50 mph) |
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Always observe local speed limit regulations.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy traffic or on a steep upgrade, downshift before the engine starts to overwork. This gives better acceleration when you need more speed.
On a steep downgrade, downshifting helps maintain safe speed and prolongs brake life.
Direct Mode (Some Models)
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 canceled (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.
Shifting up and down while in direct mode may not be possible depending on the vehicle speed. In addition, because direct mode is canceled (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
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 transmission will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed.
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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.
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While the selector lever is in the M position and the DSC is turned off, manual shift mode does not switch to automatic shift mode even if the accelerator pedal is completely depressed. Operate the selector lever.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped position:
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Depress the brake pedal.
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Shift to D or M1, depending on the load weight and grade steepness.
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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.