2002 MAZDA MODEL TRIBUTE tow

WARNING: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 25 cm (10
inches) between an occupant's chest and the driver air bag
module.
WARNING: Never place your arm over the air bag module as a
deploying air bag can result in serious arm fractures or other
injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the air bag:
²Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
²Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
WARNING: Do not put anything on or over the air bag module
including hands or feet. Placing objects on or over the air bag
inflation area may cause those objects to be propelled by the
air bag into your face and torso causing serious injury.
WARNING: Do not attempt to service, repair, or modify the Air
Bag Supplemental Restraint Systems or its fuses. See your
authorized Mazda dealership.
WARNING: Modifications to the front end of the vehicle,
including frame, bumper, front end body structure, tow hooks,
B-pillar surrounding parts, and snow plows may effect the
performance of the air bag sensors increasing the risk of injury.
Do not modify the front end of the vehicle.
WARNING: Additional equipment may effect the performance
of the air bag sensors increasing the risk of injury. Consult your
authorized Mazda dealership before installation of additional
equipment.
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110

²Those with a high back.
If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequately supports your
child's head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.
Both can be used in any vehicle in a seating position equipped with
lap/shoulder belts if your child is over 40 lbs.
The shoulder belt should cross the chest, resting snugly on the center of
the shoulder. The lap belt should rest low and snug across the hips,
never up high across the stomach.
If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition.
The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child's
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is best to use a booster
seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat- the safest place for children
to ride.
WARNING: Follow all instructions provided by the
manufacturer of the booster seat.
WARNING: Never put the shoulder belt under a child's arm or
behind the back because it eliminates the protection for the
upper part of the body and may increase the risk of injury or
death in a collision.
WARNING: Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a
child. They can slide around and increase the likelihood of
injury or death in a collision.
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121

5. To put the retractor in the
automatic locking mode, grasp
the shoulder portion of the belt
and pull downward until all of
the belt is extracted and a click
is heard.
6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate
it is in the automatic locking mode.
7. Pull the lap belt portion across
the child seat toward the buckle
and pull up on the shoulder belt
while pushing down with your
knee on the child seat.
8. Allow the safety belt to retract
to remove any slack in the belt.
9. Before placing the child in the
seat, forcibly tilt the seat
forward and back to make sure
the seat is securely held in
place. To check this, grab the
seat at the belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and forward and back. There
should be no more than one
inch of movement for proper installation.
10. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is
in the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more
belt out). If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat
steps two through nine.
Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
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125

3. Locate the correct anchor for
the selected seating position.
NOTE:There are three tether
anchors located on the headliner at
the rear of the vehicle.
WARNING: If the tether strap
is clipped incorrectly, the child
safety seat may not be
retained properly in the event
of a collision. If the safety seat
is not anchored properly, the
risk of a child being injured in
a collision greatly increases.
4. Clip the tether strap to the
anchor as shown.
The arrow in the above graphic
points toward the front of the
vehicle.
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.
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127

DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Do not drive quickly through standing water, especially if the
depth is unknown. Traction or brake capability may be limited
and if the ignition system gets wet, your engine may stall. Water
may also enter your engine's air intake and severely damage your
engine.
If driving through deep or standing water is unavoidable, proceed very
slowly. Never drive through water that is higher than the bottom of the
hubs (for trucks) or the bottom of the wheel rims (for cars).
Once through the water, always try the brakes. Wet brakes do not stop
the vehicle as effectively as dry brakes. Drying can be improved by
moving your vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake
pedal.
Driving through deep water where the transmission vent tube is
submerged may allow water into the transmission and cause
internal transmission damage. Have the fluid checked and, if
water is found, replace the fluid.
VEHICLE LOADING
Before loading a vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms:
²Base Curb Weight:Weight of the vehicle including any standard
equipment, fluids, lubricants, etc. It does not include occupants or
aftermarket equipment.
²Payload:Combined maximum allowable weight of cargo, occupants
and optional equipment. The payload equals the gross vehicle weight
rating minus base curb weight.
²GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight):Base curb weight plus payload
weight. The GVW is not a limit or a specification.
²GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating):Maximum permissible total
weight of the base vehicle, occupants, optional equipment and cargo.
The GVWR is specific to each vehicle and is listed on the Safety
Certification Label on the driver's door pillar.
²GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating):Carrying capacity for each axle
system. The GAWR is specific to each vehicle and is listed on the
Safety Certification Label on the driver's door pillar.
²GCW (Gross Combined Weight):The combined weight of the
towing vehicle (including occupants and cargo) and the loaded trailer.
²GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating):Maximum permissible
combined weight of towing vehicle (including occupants and cargo)
and the loaded trailer.
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157

²Maximum Trailer Weight Rating:Maximum weight of a trailer the
vehicle is permitted to tow. The maximum trailer weight rating is
determined by subtracting the vehicle curb weight for each
engine/transmission combination, any required option weight for trailer
towing and the weight of the driver from the GCWR for the towing
vehicle.
²Maximum Trailer Weight:Maximum weight of a trailer the loaded
vehicle (including occupants and cargo) is permitted to tow. It is
determined by subtracting the weight of the loaded trailer towing
vehicle from the GCWR for the towing vehicle.
²Trailer Weight Range:Specified weight range that the trailer must
fall within that ranges from zero to the maximum trailer weight rating.
NOTE: Remember to figure in the tongue load of your loaded trailer
when figuring the total weight.
WARNING: Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on
the certification label, this could affect vehicle handling and
cause an accident.
Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities
than the originals because they may lower the vehicle's GVWR
and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than
the originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
The Safety Certification Label, found on the driver's door pillar, lists
several important vehicle weight rating limitations. Before adding any
additional equipment, refer to these limitations. If you are adding weight
to the front of your vehicle, (potentially including weight added to the
cab), the weight added should not exceed the front axle reserve capacity
(FARC). Additional frontal weight may be added to the front axle reserve
capacity provided you limit your payload in other ways (i.e. restrict the
number of occupants or amount of cargo carried).
You may add equipment throughout your vehicle if the total weight
added is equal to or less than the total axle reserve capacity (TARC)
weight. You should NEVER exceed the total axle reserve capacity.
Always ensure that the weight of occupants, cargo and equipment being
carried is within the weight limitations that have been established for
your vehicle including both gross vehicle weight and front and rear gross
axle weight rating limits.
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158

WARNING: Under no circumstance should these limitations be
exceeded. Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could
result in serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury.
Special loading instructions for owners of pickup trucks and
utility-type vehicles
WARNING: For important information regarding safe operation
of this type of vehicle, see thePreparing to drive your vehicle
section in this chapter.
WARNING: Loaded vehicles, with a higher center of gravity,
may handle differently than unloaded vehicles. Extra
precautions, such as slower speeds and increased stopping
distance, should be taken when driving a heavily loaded vehicle.
Your vehicle has the capability to haul more cargo and people than most
passenger cars. Depending upon the type and placement of the load,
hauling cargo and people may raise the center of gravity of the vehicle.
Calculating the load your vehicle can carry/tow
1. Use the appropriate maximum gross combined weight rating
(GCWR) chart (in theTrailer Towingsection) to find the maximum
GCWR for your type engine and rear axle ratio.
2. Weigh your vehicle as you customarily operate the vehicle without
cargo. To obtain correct weights, try taking your vehicle to a
shipping company or an inspection station for trucks.
3. Subtract your loaded vehicle weight from the maximum GCWR on
the following charts. This is the maximum trailer weight your vehicle
can tow and must fall below the maximum shown under maximum
trailer weight on the chart.
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159

TRAILER TOWING
Trailer towing with your vehicle may require the use of a trailer tow
option package.
Trailer towing puts additional loads on your vehicle's engine, transaxle,
axle, brakes, tires, and suspension. For your safety and to maximize
vehicle performance, be sure to use the proper equipment while towing.
Follow these guidelines to ensure safe towing procedure:
²Stay within your vehicle's load limits.
²Thoroughly prepare your vehicle for towing. Refer toPreparing to
towin this chapter.
²Use extra caution when driving while trailer towing. Refer toDriving
while you towin this chapter.
²Service your vehicle more frequently if you tow a trailer. Refer to the
ªScheduled Maintenanceº section of this manual.
²Do not tow a trailer until your vehicle has been driven at least 800 km
(500 miles).
²Refer to the instructions included with towing accessories for the
proper installation and adjustment specifications.
Do not exceed the maximum loads listed on the Certification label. For
load specification terms found on the label, refer toVehicle loadingin
this chapter. Remember to figure in the tongue load of your loaded
vehicle when figuring the total weight.
4x2
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating)/Trailer Weights
Engine Maximum GCWR
- kg (lbs.)Trailer Weight
Range - kg (lbs.)Maximum
frontal area of
trailer - m
2(ft)2
2.0L w/manual
transmission1,878 (4,140) 453 (1,000) 2.2 (24)
3.0L
w/automatic
transmission2,404 (5,300) 907 (2,000) 2.2 (24)
3.0L
w/automatic
transmission and
towing package3,103 (6,840) 1,587 (3,500) 2.8 (30)
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