Manual owners How do you like the pedals?

[Silentnoise713]

Manual owners How do you like the pedals?

Perhaps it’s just me but I find it quite awkward to heel-toe in a Mazda 5. The brake pedal is quite high even when fully depressed to blip the throttle. Their proximity is excellent but I can’t seem to reach and end up hitting the console.

Is the Mz5 throttle by wire? I seem to experience a slight delay in throttle response. I may need to adjust/clean the TB (haven’t done any maintenance since recent ownership).

And what is the deal with going cheap on the dead pedal. Mazda could have at least used some kind of durable rubber cover instead of leaving bare carpet. My shoes are not always the cleanest and I hate to think it only takes one incident of carrying/rubbing crap on the dead pedal.

Anyone here have aftermarket pedals? Pics would be great.

 

[Robotazky]

First, I have an ATX, not MTX. My foot barely fits on the accelerator between the brake pedal and the divider in the middle. I have a habit of pushing against the divider and then down to make sure I'm off the brake pedal. I can't even imagine trying to drive a manual in that car with my giant feet. My F150 and my Civic Si are both MTX by the way.

 

[Premacy5]

I feel the same way that the brake pedal are a bit too high but got used to it after a few months. I haven't found a way to adjust the brake pedal height yet.

As for the dead pedal I do not have problem since I have WeatherTech Digital Fit floor liner that cover most of it anyway. WeatherTech warn against using the floor liner on MT equipped cars but it fit perfectly fine on my car.

 

[flcruising]

What's dead pedal?

 

[Silentnoise713]

The fourth pedal, aka foot rest for the left foot.

Example:
http://eagleday.stores.yahoo.net/alu...--porsche.html

 

[DKaz]

It takes a bit of practice. I wonder if raising the accelerator pedal with aftermarket pedals would work? I just do edge of my foot-toe. lol.

Yes our 5s our DBW. I know someone who got a Pivot 3-Drive Controller to improve the throttle response on his 09 Corolla S. They don't have a model for Mazda 3/5/6 yet but it is coming very soon apparently. It's easy to install and provides three modes, Normal, Sport, and Eco. $300, but may be worth it. He loves it.

http://www.pivotracing.com/

 

[Silentnoise713]

It takes a bit of practice. I wonder if raising the accelerator pedal with aftermarket pedals would work? I just do edge of my foot-toe. lol.

Yes our 5s our DBW. I know someone who got a Pivot 3-Drive Controller to improve the throttle response on his 09 Corolla S. They don't have a model for Mazda 3/5/6 yet but it is coming very soon apparently. It's easy to install and provides three modes, Normal, Sport, and Eco. $300, but may be worth it. He loves it.
http://www.pivotracing.com/

Do you have aftermarket pedals on yours? I think it would help immensely to have a pedal kit but raise the gas pedal just a bit (~1/4"). Aftermarket pedals allow some clearance for you to inset 'something' inbetween to raise it a little before tightening. BUT, considering how close the proximity of the brake and gas pedals are already, I'm afraid a non-tired and true aftermarket set will place them even closer. Aftermarket pedals tend to run big as you can only put something bigger ontop of something smaller)!... Can you say unintended acceleration! Also, anyone else’s’ right foot hit the center console (this also gets in the way)? Is the side panel one piece or can the lower section be removed -I think you know where I'm getting at


Never heard of Pivot but I like what I just saw/read! This is worth $300 if it performs as advertised –throttle control. Do you know how it is installed or where it connects too? The product description is not very helpful… I don’t want to give up my ODB2 port, but I don’t think it uses that.

EASY INSTALLATION Easy installation using car model specific coupling harness. (Stable operation with 12V battery.)

 

[DKaz]

I don't have pedals, but I may get some soon as the rubber is starting to wear. A local supplier I know sells two types, OE fit ones and mount over ones.

Entire kit:

You basically remove the direct connection between the pedal and the firewall and connect the controller in. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes, it's just a matter of where to mount the unit and where to mount the wired remote controller/display.

 

[Silentnoise713]

I looked up on the Pivot 3 a bit more (Fit forum) and it seems 1) you have to buy a separate adapter for full plug-n-plug and 2) it uses the ODB2 port but I think only for power (?), which you have the option to tap into any +12V source. Is this correct? If so, there's the tapping route or ODB2 splitter for <$20 on Amazon. I forward to this being available for our car.

 

[flcruising]

This is basically what I was thinking of here - http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...ics-How-about-an-adjustable-PWM-delay-circuit, but then I wanted something to adjust the cruise control only.

I wonder how this thing actually works? It seems to me that it gives the car more (or less) throttle than you are asking for with your foot?

 

[Heat]

What do you mean by "heel-toe"?

And I have no issues shifting in my '09 Mazda5 though it would be nice if there was a better place to rest the left foot. Also, as I recall, there is something different about the brake pedal on the Mazda5 with manual transmission vs. one with automatic transmission. It's narrower, or spaced differently - either way it's not as close to the gas pedal (when compared to a Mazda5 with automatic transmission).

 

[chitownpete]

The pedals are very close together. I use the left half of my right foot to hit the brakes and the right half of my right foot to blip the throttle. I can heel and toe without using my heel. I do have size 12 feet btw. This car has the best pedal placement for sporty driving I've ever had. It does suck with snow boots on however.

 

[Silentnoise713]

http://eagleday.stores.yahoo.net/aluminum-pedal-set--4-piece--porsche.html
This would be perfect (adjustable throttle) -if it was available!


Flcruising – You summed it up exactly as I understand it. Just a small piece of the computer assisted driving experience of the future. Now they have to make something similar for traction control and ABS and lump them into one device you have the basis for a bona fide electronic driver assist that is no different than what you get with premium cars with different driving modes –minus the AT/CVT adjusted shift points and damper changes found on luxury cars.


Heat – Heel-toe is a shifting technique which is essentially rev-matching a downshift while braking. Useful for emergency maneuvers/braking, keeps the car smooth and in the power band, and makes driving a bit more enjoyable http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuoZeuSgEj4.

Brake pedals are always smaller in a manual car b/c you need space for the extra clutch pedal -so you shrink the brake pedal. This smaller brake pedal's proximity to the gas pedal will be slightly different also.


Chitownpete – So you roll your foot? Maybe I just have to get use to the car but the factory setup does not help.

 

[steronz]

I heel-toe completely differently in the 5 than I do in my Integra, and it's because the gas pedal is so low. My foot remains much more vertical and I kind of roll it sideways, whereas in the Honda it's much more of a toe-on-the-brake, heel-on-the-gas thing. I have to recalibrate when I get in either car, but it works fine. Better than having the pedals too far apart.

 

[DKaz]

I did a bit of driving and now know how I do a "heel toe"... it's left toes brake, right toes gas. Easiest way to do it.

 

[Silentnoise713]

...it's left toes brake, right toes gas.

Your SN + this comment makes me think of a grinning gorilla with ambidextrous toes teaching us how it's done.