2002 MAZDA MODEL 626 Owners Manual

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Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
SRS Air Bags
Read this owner’s manual carefully to verify what air bags (driver-side air bag, passenger-
side air bag, side air bags) are equipped in your vehicle.
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include 4 air bags.
They are located in:
• The steering wheel
• The passenger side dashboard
• The outboard sides of the front seatbacks
These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered; both
side air bags are not likely to deploy in the same accident because a vehicle is not often hit
from both sides. The front and side air bag systems will not normally deploy during the
same type of accident unless a combination of frontal and side impacts occur.
In a front-end or side impact, the air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to
provide only supplemental protection for the driver and front seat passenger. Seat belts
must still be worn.
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an
accident. Seat belt usage is necessary to:
• Keep the passenger away from an inflating air bag.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough
to activate the air bags.
• Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
• Reduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts.
• Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
Small children, those under 18 kg (40 lb), should be protected by a child-restraint system
(page 2-18).
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Air Bags without Seat Belts:Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous.
Alone, air bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can be
expected to inflate only during a frontal, side or near-frontal collision of at least
moderate force. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.
Child in the Front Seat:
Placing a child, 12 years or under, in the front seat is dangerous. The child could be
hit by a deploying air bag and be seriously injured or even killed. A sleeping child is
more likely to lean against the door and be hit by the side air bag in a moderate, right-
side collision. Whenever possible, always secure a child 12 years and under on the
rear seat with an appropriate child-restraint system for the child’s age and size.
Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System:
Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous.
The child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child. NEVER use a rear-facing
child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that could deploy.
Seating Position with Front Air Bags:
Sitting too close to the air bag storage compartments or placing hands or feet on them
is extremely dangerous. Front Air bags inflate with great force and speed. Serious
injuries could occur if someone is too close. The driver should always hold onto only
the rim of the steering wheel. The front seat passenger should keep both feet on the
floor. Front seat occupants should adjust their seats as far back as possible and
always sit upright against the seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Seating Position with Side Air Bags:Sitting too close to the side air bag storage compartments or placing hands on them is
extremely dangerous. A side air bag inflates with great force and speed directly out of
the outboard shoulder of the front seat and expands along the front door on the side
the car is hit.
Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning
against a window in the front seats or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the
seatbacks. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the driver’s-side
window while driving could block the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. Give the side airbags room to work by sitting in the center of
the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.
Front Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching an object to a front air bag storage area or placing something in front of it
is dangerous. In an accident, the object could interfere with front air bag inflation
and injure the occupants.
Always keep the front air bag storage areas free of objects.
Side Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching things to the seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the seat in
any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side air bag,
which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open spewing exhaust.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or back pads with side straps on the front seats.
Always keep the side air bag storage areas in your front seats free to deploy in the
event of a side collision.
Hot Air Bag Inflators:
Hot air bag inflators are dangerous. Immediately after inflation, the inflators in the
steering wheel, dashboard or the seatbacks are very hot. You could get burned. Don ’t
touch the internal components of the air bag storage areas after the bags have
inflated.
Installation of Front-End Equipment:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar,
bull bar, push bar, etc.), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air bag crash sensor
system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate unexpectedly, or it could
prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident. Front occupants could be
seriously injured. Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Suspension Adjustment:Adjusting the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle’s height or the
suspension is changed, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious
injuries.
Modification of the Supplemental Restraint System:
Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is
dangerous. You could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Don ’t make any
modifications to the supplemental restraint system. This includes installing trim,
badges, or anything else over the air bag storage areas. It also includes installing
extra electric equipment on or near system components or wiring. An Authorized
Mazda Dealer can provide the special care needed in the removal and installation of
front seats. It is important to protect the side air bag wiring and connections to assure
that the bags do not accidentally deploy and that the seats retain an undamaged air
bag connection.
Using Seat Covers:
Using a seat cover on the front seats is dangerous. In a severe side collision, the seat
covers could interfere with the side air bag inflation and serious injuries could result.
Never use seat covers on the front seats.
To prevent damage to the side air bag wiring, don ’t place luggage or other objects under
the front seats.
NOTE
• When an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be
released. Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may
cause light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
• Should you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems
and that familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner ’s Manual, is
important.
WARNING
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems:
•The air bag system with inflators and air bags.
• The electric system with crash sensors and diagnostic module.
The air bags are mounted in the following locations: the center of the steering wheel, the
passenger-side of the dashboard, and in the outboard sides of the front seatbacks. They are
out of sight until activated.





How the Air Bags Work
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal or side impact of greater than moderate force,
an electrical current is sent to the inflators.
Gases are produced to inflate the air bags and after the inflation, the air bags quickly
deflate.
The air bags will function only once. After that, the air bags will not work again and
must be replaced.
Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can replace the systems.
Air Bag System Description
Inflators and air bags
Side crash sensor
Inflator and air bag
Side crash sensor
Inflator and air bag Crash sensors and
diagnostic module
(SAS unit)
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G





Air Bag Activation/Deactivation
Front air bag activation
A greater than moderate impact will cause the front air bags to inflate in the following
cases:
Hitting a solid wall straight on at greater
than about 22 km/h (14 mph). Frontal impact within about a 30 degree
range from head-on to the vehicle.
Driving into a big hole or hitting the far
side of a hole.
Hitting a curb, pavement edge or hard
object.
Landing hard or the vehicle falling.
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Limitations to front air bag activation
Depending on the severity of impact, the front air bags may not inflate in the following
cases:
Impacts involving trees or poles cause severe
cosmetic damage but may not have enough
impact to activate the air bag.Rear-ending or running under a truck's tail
gate may not provide the stopping force
necessary for air bag deployment.
Frontal offset impact to the vehicle may not
provide the stopping force necessary for air
bag deployment.
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8Q50-EA-01G
Non-activation of front air bags
Front air bags will not normally inflate in the following cases:
Side air-bag activation
Greater than moderate impact to one side of the vehicle (driver or passenger side areas)
will cause a side air bag to inflate, but it will not normally deploy the front air bags.
Collision from the rear.
Impact to the side, but it may deploy a side
air bag.Vehicle roll-over, may deploy the side air
bag(s) but not the front air bags.
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