Mazda 6 Manual page 179

Manually Shifting down
(M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2 → M1)
To shift down to a lower gear, move the
selector lever forward ( ) once.
To shift down to a lower gear with the
steering shift switches, pull the DOWN
switch ( ) toward you once with your
fingers.
DOWN switch (-)
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 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.
NOTE
When driving at high speeds, the gear may
l
not shift down.
During deceleration, the gear may
l
automatically shift down depending on
vehicle speed.
When depressing the accelerator fully, the
l
transaxle will shift to a lower gear,
depending on vehicle speed.
Second gear fixed mode
When the selector lever is moved back
( ) while the vehicle speed is about 10
km/h (6 mph) or less, the transaxle 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 (
forward ( ) while in the second gear
fixed mode, the mode will be canceled.
When Driving
Transaxle
) or
4-55