2004 Mazda MAZDA3 Owner's Manual - Page 129

Driving Your Mazda Starting and Driving Shifting Manually Shifting up (M1→M2→M3→M4) To shift up to a higher gear, tap the shift lever back ( ) once. Manually Shifting down (M4→M3→M2→M1) To shift down to a lower gear, tap the shift lever forward ( ) once. NOTE 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. • When driving slowly, the gears may not shift up depending on vehicle speed. • In manual shift mode, gears do not shift up automatically. Don't run the engine with the tachometer needle in the RED ZONE. If the tachometer needle enters the RED ZONE, you may feel enginebraking because the fuel delivery will be stopped to protect the engine. However, this does not indicate an abnormality. • When depressing the accelerator fully, the transaxle will shift to a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed. 5-14