²A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your authorized Mazda dealership immediately.
WARNING: Unless serviced, the system may not function
properly in the event of a collision.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles (including
safety belt pretensioners)
For disposal of air bags or air bag equipped vehicles, see your authorized
Mazda dealership or qualified technician. Air bags MUST BE disposed of
by qualified personnel.
Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch
WARNING: An air bag
ON/OFF switch has been
installed in this vehicle. Before
driving,alwayslook at the
face of the switch to be sure
the switch is in the proper
position in accordance with
these instructions and
warnings. Failure to put the
switch in a proper position can
increase the risk of serious
injury or death in a collision.
ON
OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
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130
Turning the passenger air bag off
1. Insert the ignition key, turn the
switch to OFF position and hold
in OFF position while removing
the key.
2. When the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position the
OFF light illuminates briefly,
momentarily shuts off and then
turns back on. This indicates
that the passenger air bag is
deactivated.
WARNING: If the OFF light fails to illuminate when the
passenger air bag switch is in the OFF position and the ignition
switch is in ON, have the passenger air bag switch serviced at
you authorized Mazda dealership.
WARNING: In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the
switch, always remove the ignition key from the passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch.
Turning the passenger air bag back on
The passenger air bag remains OFF until you turn it back ON.
1. Insert the ignition key and turn
the switch to ON.
2. The OFF light will briefly
illuminate when the ignition is
turned to ON. This indicates
that the passenger air bag is
operational.
ON
OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON
OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
Seating and Safety Restraints
131
WARNING: If the light is illuminated when the passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch is in the ON position and the ignition switch
is ON, have the passenger air bag ON/OFF switch serviced at
your authorized Mazda dealership immediately.
The passenger side air bag should always be ON (the air bag OFF light
shouldnotbe illuminated) unless the passenger is a person who meets
the requirements stated either in Category 1, 2 or 3 of the
NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation criteria which follows.
WARNING: The safety belts for the driver and right front
passenger seating positions have been specifically designed to
function together with the air bags in certain types of crashes.
When you turn OFF your air bag, you not only lose the
protection of the air bag, you also may reduce the effectiveness
of your safety belt system, which was designed to work with the
air bag. If you are not a person who meets the requirements
stated in the NHTSA/Transport Canada deactivation criteria
turning OFF the air bag can increase the risk of serious injury
or death in a collision.
WARNING: Always use safety belts and child restraints
properly. If a child in a rear facing infant seat must be
transported in front, the passenger air bagmustbe turned OFF.
This is because the back of the infant seat is too close to the
inflating air bag and the risk of a fatal injury to the infant when
the air bag inflates is substantial.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers are much safer with an air
bag than without. To do their job and reduce the risk of life threatening
injuries, air bags must open with great force, and this force can pose a
potentially deadly risk in some situations, particularly when a front seat
occupant is not properly buckled up. The most effective way to reduce
the risk of unnecessary air bag injuries without reducing the overall
safety of the vehicle is to make sure all occupants are properly
restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front seat. This provides the
protection of safety belts and permits the air bags to provide the
additional protection they were designed to provide. If you choose to
deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant risk reducing
benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the effectiveness of the
Seating and Safety Restraints
132
If starting a vehicle with a manual
transmission:
²Make sure the parking brake is
set.
²Push the clutch pedal to the
floor.
3. Turn the key to 4 (ON) without
turning the key to 5 (START).
Note:If there is difficulty in turning
the key, firmly rotate the steering
wheel left and right until the key
turns freely. This condition may
occur when:
²front wheels are turned
²front wheel is against the curb
²steering wheel is turned when getting in or out of the vehicle
Make sure the corresponding lights illuminate or illuminate briefly. If a
light fails to illuminate, have the vehicle serviced.
²Note:If the driver's safety belt is fastened, the
light may not
illuminate.
1
2
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ABS!
BRAKE
CHECK
ENGINE
CHECK
FUEL
CAP
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PRN D 2 1THEFT
SPEED
CONT
4WD
HIGH
4WD
LOW
O/D
OFFL
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10MPH 205060
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90
km/h
0 0 0
10 100
1
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0 0 0 0 0 0406080100
120
140
160
180
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DOOR
AJAR
CHECK
GAGE
Driving
149
system to respond quickly. Use of an engine block heater is strongly
recommended if you live in a region where temperatures reach -23É C
(-10É F) or below.
For best results, plug the heater in at least three hours before starting
the vehicle. Using the heater for longer than three hours will not harm
the engine, so the heater can be plugged in the night before starting the
vehicle.
WARNING: To prevent electrical shock, do not use your heater
with ungrounded electrical systems or two-pronged (cheater)
adapters.
Guarding against exhaust fumes
Although odorless and colorless, carbon monoxide is present in exhaust
fumes. Take precautions to avoid its dangerous effects.
WARNING: If you ever smell exhaust fumes of any kind inside
your vehicle, have your authorized Mazda dealer inspect and fix
your vehicle immediately. Do not drive if you smell exhaust
fumes. These fumes are harmful and result in accident or death.
Have the exhaust and body ventilation systems checked whenever:
²the vehicle is raised for service.
²the sound of the exhaust system changes.
²the vehicle has been damaged in a collision.
WARNING: Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids contained in
vehicles and certain products of component wear contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Important ventilating information
If the engine is idling while the vehicle is stopped in an open area for
long periods of time, open the windows at least 2.5 cm (one inch).
Driving
151
Adjust the heating or air conditioning (if equipped) to bring in fresh air.
Note:Improve vehicle ventilation by
keeping all air inlet vents clear of
snow, leaves and other debris.
BRAKES
Your service brakes are self-adjusting. Refer to the service maintenance
section for scheduled maintenance.
Occasional brake noise is normal and often does not indicate a
performance concern with the vehicle's brake system. In normal
operation, automotive brake systems may emit occasional or intermittent
squeal or groan noises when the brakes are applied. Such noises are
usually heard during the first few brake applications in the morning;
however, they may be heard at any time while braking and can be
aggravated by environmental conditions such as cold, heat, moisture,
road dust, salt or mud. If a ªmetal-to-metal,º ªcontinuous grindingº or
ªcontinuous squealº sound is present while braking, the brake linings
may be worn-out and should be inspected by an authorized Mazda
dealership.
Four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS)
This vehicle is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a noise
from the hydraulic pump motor and pulsation in the pedal may be
observed during ABS braking events. Pedal pulsation coupled with noise
while braking under panic conditions or on loose gravel, bumps, wet or
snowy roads is normal and indicates proper functioning of the vehicle's
anti-lock brake system.
NOTE:The ABS performs a self-check after you start the engine and
begin to drive away.
A brief mechanical noise may be heard during this test. This is normal. If
a malfunction is found, the ABS warning light will come on. If the vehicle
has continuous vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking,
the vehicle should be inspected by an authorized Mazda dealership.
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152
The ABS operates by detecting the
onset of wheel lockup during brake
applications and compensates for
this tendency. The wheels are
prevented from locking even when
the brakes are firmly applied. The
accompanying illustration depicts
the advantage of an ABS equipped
vehicle (on bottom) to a non-ABS
equipped vehicle (on top) during hard braking with loss of front braking
traction.
WARNING: The Anti-Lock system does not decrease the time
necessary to apply the brakes or always reduce stopping
distance. Always leave enough room between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to stop.
Using four wheel ABS
²In an emergency or when maximum efficiency from the ABS is
required, apply continuous force on the brake. The ABS will be
activated immediately, thus allowing you to retain full steering control
of your vehicle and, providing there is sufficient space, will enable you
to avoid obstacles and bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.
WARNING: The Anti-Lock system does not decrease the time
necessary to apply the brakes or always reduce stopping
distance. Always leave enough room between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to stop.
NOTE:We recommend that you familiarize yourself with this braking
technique. However, avoid taking any unnecessary risks.
ABS warning lamp
ABS
TheABSwarning lamp in the instrument cluster momentarily illuminates
when the ignition is turned to the ON position. If the light does not
illuminate momentarily at start up, remains on or continues to flash, the
ABS needs to be serviced.
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153
With the ABS light on, the anti-lock
brake system is disabled and normal
braking is still effective unless the
brake warning light also remains
illuminated with parking brake
released. (If your brake warning lamp illuminates, have your vehicle
serviced immediately by an authorized Mazda dealership.)
Parking brake
Apply the parking brake whenever
the vehicle is parked. To set the
parking brake, press the parking
brake pedal down until the pedal
stops.
The BRAKE warning lamp in the
instrument cluster illuminates and
remains illuminated (when the
ignition is turned ON) until the
parking brake is released.
WARNING: Always set the parking brake fully and make sure
that the gearshift is securely latched in P (Park) (automatic
transmission) or in 1 (First) (manual transmission).
NOTE:The parking brake is not recommended to stop a moving vehicle.
However, if the normal brakes fail, the parking brake can be used to stop
your vehicle in an emergency. Since the parking brake applies only the
rear brakes, the vehicle's stopping distance will increase greatly and the
handling of your vehicle will be adversely affected.
!
BRAKE
BRAKE
RELEASE
!
BRAKE
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154