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Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Most new forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
goes over the back of the seat and hooks to an anchoring point. Tether
straps are available as an accessory for many older safety seats. Contact
the manufacturer of your child seat for information about ordering a
tether strap.
The tether anchors in your vehicle are located on the back of the front
seat cushion.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
²Bucket seats
²60/40 seats
WARNING: Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate
tether anchor as shown. The tether strap may not work
properly if attached somewhere other than the correct tether
anchor.
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WARNING: This anchor information applies to child safety
seats equipped with tether straps. For child safety seats
equipped with LATCH anchors, refer toAttaching safety seats
with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children)
attachments for child seat anchorsin this chapter.
1. Position the child safety seat on the front seat cushion.
2. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.
3. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.
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The tether anchor is located on the
rear lower portion of the passenger
seat.
4. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor.
WARNING: If the tether strap
is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be
retained properly in the event
of a collision.
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Center seating location 60/40 seats with folding armrest
When installing a child safety seat in the center position, route the tether
strap over the center arm rest and clip it to the center anchor.
See next page for center seating location of vinyl 60/40 seat.
WARNING: If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be retained properly in the event of a
collision.
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Center seating location 60/40 vinyl seats
When installing a child safety seat in the center position on a 60/40 vinyl
seat, route the tether strap through the guiding sleeve and clip it to the
center anchor.
WARNING: If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be retained properly in the event of a
collision.
5. Refer to theInstalling child safety seats in combination lap and
shoulder belt seating positionssection of this chapter for further
instructions to secure the child safety seat.
6. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the
manufacturer's instructions.
WARNING: If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk
of a child being injured in a collision greatly increases.
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Attaching safety seats with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children) attachments for child seat anchors
Some child safety seats have two rigid or webbing mounted attachments
that connect to two anchors at certain seating positions in your vehicle.
This type of child seat eliminates the need to use seat belts to attach the
child seat. For forward-facing child seats, the tether strap must also be
attached to the proper tether anchor. SeeAttaching safety seats with
tether strapsin this chapter.
Your vehicle may be equipped with LATCH anchors for child seat
installation at the seating positions with gray locator buttons.
²Bucket seats
²60/40 seats
represents LATCH anchors.
represents tether strap anchors.
To improve child seat protection, use the tether anchor when using the
LATCH to install a child safety seat. SeeAttaching child safety seats
with tether straps in this section.
WARNING: Never attach two LATCH child safety seats to the
same anchor. In a crash, one anchor may not be strong enough
to hold two child safety seat attachments and may break,
causing serious injury or death.
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WARNING: Do not put the LATCH type seat in the center seat
position Ð it only has one possible anchor point and the seat
will not be properly attached.
WARNING: If there are two LATCH seats to install Ð you can
only mount one LATCH seat in this vehicle with the LATCH
anchor bars. You need to mount the second seat with the center
seat belt using the normal lap belt method.
WARNING: Do not attach two seats to one LATCH anchor bar.
Connectors on the LATCH child seat
and the child seat instructions may
use the symbol shown here. Your
vehicle seat will have plain gray
buttons, instead of this symbol, to indicate the location of the LATCH
lower anchors.
The lower anchors for child seat
installation are located at the rear
section of the front passenger seat
between the cushion and seat back.
The LATCH anchors are below the
gray locator buttons on the seat
back. Two plastic LATCH guides
may be purchased from your local
Mazda dealer (part number
1F60±57±751). They snap onto the
latch lower anchor in the vehicle to
help attach a child seat with rigid
latch attachments. It will hold the
seat foam away and expose the
anchor making attachment of the
child seat easier.
Make sure you attach the proper
child safety seat tether after
securing the LATCH.
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WARNING: If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be retained properly in the event of a
collision.
Follow the child seat manufacturer's instructions to properly install a
child seat with LATCH attachments.
WARNING: Attach LATCH lower attachments of the child seat
only to the anchors shown.
If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, do not tighten
the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off the vehicle seat cushion
when the child is seated in it. Keep the tether strap just snug without
lifting the front of the child seat. Keeping the child seat just touching the
vehicle seat gives the best protection in a severe crash.
Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor. Try to tilt the child
seat from side to side. Also try to tug the seat forward. Check to see if
the anchors hold the seat in place.
WARNING: If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk
of a child being injured in a crash greatly increases.
WARNING: If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be retained properly in the event of a
collision.
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