2004 Mazda RX-8 Owners Manual - MyMazda

J60E_8R65-EA-03C_Edition2.book Page 9 Saturday, April 26, 2003 1:48 PMDriving Your MazdaStarting and DrivingWARNINGSudden Engine-Braking:Shifting down while driving on wet,snowy, or frozen roads, or whiledriving at high speeds causes suddenengine braking, which is dangerous.The sudden change in tire speedcould cause the tires to skid. Thiscould lead to loss of vehicle controland an accident. Do not use suddenengine braking on slippery roadsurfaces or at high speeds.CAUTION• Keep your foot off the clutch pedalexcept when shifting gears. Also,don’t use the clutch to hold thevehicle on an upgrade. Riding theclutch will cause needless clutchwear and damage.• Make sure the vehicle comes to acomplete stop before shifting to R.Shifting to R while the vehicle isstill moving may damage thetransmission.▼ Recommendations for ShiftingUpshiftingFor normal acceleration, we recommendthese shift points.1 to 2 23 km/h (14 mph)2 to 3 35 km/h (22 mph)3 to 4 47 km/h (29 mph)4 to 5 58 km/h (36 mph)5 to 6 74 km/h (46 mph)For cruising1 to 2 23 km/h (14 mph)2 to 3 34 km/h (21 mph)3 to 4 45 km/h (28 mph)4 to 5 56 km/h (35 mph)5 to 6 68 km/h (42 mph)DownshiftingWhen you must slow down in heavytraffic or on a steep upgrade , downshiftbefore the engine starts to overwork. Thisreduces the chance of stalling and givesbetter acceleration when you need morespeed.On a steep downgrade , downshiftinghelps maintain safe speed and prolongsbrake life.NOTEIf shifting to R is difficult, shift intoneutral, release the clutch pedal, andtry again.5-9Form No. 8R65-EA-03C