Mazda RX-8 Automobile User Manual


 
Black plate (150,1)
Manually Shifting down
(M6M5M4M3M2M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the shift
lever forward (
) once.
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
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 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 or thumbs 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 air bag were to deploy in a
collision, your hands could be
impacted causing injury.
NOTE
l
When driving at high speeds, the
gear may not shift down depending
on vehicle speed.
l
During deceleration, the gear may
automatically shift down depending
on vehicle speed.
l
When depressing the accelerator
fully, the transmission will shift to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed.
5-16
Driving YourMazda
Starting and Driving
RX-8_8V89-EA-06F_Edition1 Page150
Friday, May 19 2006 9:51 AM
Form No.8V89-EA-06F