2005 Mazda RX-8 Owner's Manual - Page 110

RX-8_8T69-EA-04G_Edition1 Page110 Wednesday, June 9 2004 2:11 PM Black plate (110,1) Driving Your Mazda Starting and Driving Manually shifting down (M4→M3→M2→M1) To shift down to a lower gear with the shift lever, tap the shift lever forward (-) once. WARNING Sudden Engine-Braking: 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. Do not use sudden engine braking on slippery road surfaces or at high speeds. NOTE l To shift down to a lower gear with the steering shift switches, press either of the DOWN switches away from you once with your thumb. DOWN switches When driving at high speeds, the gear may not shift down depending on vehicle speed. During deceleration, the gear may automatically shift down depending on vehicle speed. When depressing the accelerator fully, the transmission will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed. l l 5-14 Form No.8T69-EA-04G