Mazda CX-9 Owners Manual: i-ACTIV AWD

i-ACTIV AWD Operation

AWD provides excellent drivability on snow-covered and ice-packed roads, sand and mud, as well as on steep slopes and other slippery surfaces.

A system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.

WARNING

Never spin a wheel that is off the ground: Spinning a wheel that is off the ground as a result of the vehicle being stuck or in a ditch is dangerous. The drive assembly could be seriously damaged which could lead to an accident or could even lead to overheating, oil leakage, and a fire.

AWD Driving

WARNING

Avoid sharp turns, excessive speed and abrupt maneuvers when driving this vehicle: Sharp turns, excessive speed and abrupt maneuvering of this vehicle is dangerous as it could result in the increased risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle roll-over, personal injury or death.

Vehicles with a higher center of gravity such as utility and AWD vehicles handle differently than vehicles with a lower center of gravity.

Utility and AWD vehicles are not designed for cornering at high speeds any more than low profile sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road conditions. In addition, utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.

Drive carefully when the vehicle is loaded by lowering vehicle speed and applying the brakes earlier: Abrupt maneuvering and sudden braking when driving a loaded vehicle is dangerous as the driving behavior of a vehicle with a high center of gravity is different when it is loaded compared to when it is not, and could result in the loss of vehicle control and an accident.

Tires and Tire Chains

The condition of the tires plays a large role in the performance of the vehicle.

Moreover, to prevent adverse effects to the drive assembly, please note the following:

Tires

• When replacing tires, always replace all front and rear tires at the same time.
• All tires must be of the same size, manufacture, brand and tread pattern.

  Pay particular attention when equipping snow or other types of winter tires.

• Do not mix tread-worn tires with normal tires.
• Inspect tire inflation pressures at the specified periods adjust to the specified pressures.

NOTE Check the tire inflation pressure label attached to driver's door frame for the correct tire inflation pressure.

• Make sure to equip the vehicle with genuine wheels of the specified size, on all wheels. With AWD, the system is calibrated for all 4 wheels being of the same dimensions.

Tire chains

• Install tire chains to the front tires.
• Do not use tire chains on the rear wheels.
• Do not drive the vehicle faster than 30 km/h (19 mph) with the tire chains installed.
• Do not drive the vehicle with tire chains on road conditions other than snow or ice.

Towing

If the vehicle requires towing, have it towed with all 4 wheels completely off the ground.

Power Steering

• Power steering is only operable when the engine is running. If the engine is off or if the power steering system is inoperable, you can still steer, but it requires more physical effort.

  If the steering feels stiffer than usual during normal driving or the steering vibrates, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

• The warning indication/warning light notifies the driver of system abnormalities and operation conditions.

  In addition, the buzzer may also activate depending on the system abnormality or operation condition.

CAUTION Never hold the steering wheel to the extreme left or right for more than 5 seconds with the engine running. This could damage the power steering system.