2003 MAZDA MODEL 6 mode

2-27
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Front Passenger’s Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
1. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the instructions on the child-
restraint system for belt routing
instructions.
3. To get the retractor into the automatic
locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor.
4. Push the child-restraint system firmly
into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat this step.Children and Seating Position with Side and Curtain Air Bags:Allowing anyone to lean over or
against the front or rear doors is
dangerous. If the vehicle is equipped
with side and curtain air bags, the
impact of inflation could cause
serious injury or death to the person.
Children are more likely to sleep in
the vehicle; when they do, they are
more at risk in the front passenger’s
seat that have a side air bag because
they may slump over into the path of
the air bags.Furthermore, leaning
over or against the doors could block
the side and curtain air bags and
eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection.With the
front air bag and the additional side
air bag that comes out of the front
seat, the rear seat is always a better
location for children who are prone to
sleeping. Do not allow a child to lean
over or against the doors, even if the
child is seated in a child-restraint
system.
WARNING
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2-28
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
NOTE
•
Inspect this function before each
use of the child-restraint system.
You should not be able to pull the
shoulder belt out of the retractor
while the system is in the automatic
locking mode. When you remove
the child-restraint system, be sure
the belt fully retracts to return the
system to emergency locking mode
before occupants use the seat belts.
•
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instruction carefully.
Depending on the type of child-
restraint system, it may not employ
seat belts which are in automatic
locking mode.
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2-34
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Small children should be protected by a child-restraint system. In certain regions, larger
children must use a child-restraint system (page 2-21).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner’s Manual as well as the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instructions.
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 in collisions with frontal, near frontal or side forces that are at
least moderate. 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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2-39
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
*3The front, dual stage air bags control air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity the front air bags deploy with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, they deploy with more energy.
Deployment of the front air bags may differ between the driver and the front passenger
depending on the driver’s seat position and front seat belt usage, which allow for further
controlling of the system.

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.
The side air bag will deploy only on the side
the vehicle receives the force of the impact.
The curtain air bag will deploy only on the side
the vehicle receives the force of the impact.
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2-40
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

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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2-42
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Non-activation of front air bags
Front air bags will not normally inflate in the following cases:
Side* and curtain* air bag activation (*If equipped.)
Greater than moderate impact to one side of the vehicle (driver or passenger side areas) will
cause the side and curtain air bags to inflate, but it will not normally deploy the front air
bags.
Collision from the rear.
Impact to the side, but it may deploy the
side*
and curtain*
air bags.Vehicle roll-over, may deploy the side*
and
curtain*
air bags but not the front air bags.
*
If equipped.
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5-11
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Transaxle Ranges
The shift lever must be in P or N to
operate the starter.
P (Park)
P locks the transaxle and prevents the
front wheels from rotating.
R (Reverse)
In position R, the vehicle moves only
backward. You must be at a complete stop
before shifting to or from R, except as
explained under Rocking the Vehicle
(page 4-7).
N (Neutral)
In N, the wheels and transaxle are not
locked. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or brakes are on.D (Drive)
D is the normal driving position. From a
stop, the transaxle will automatically shift
through a 4-gear/5-gear
* sequence.*3.0-liter engine model
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
tapping the shift lever back or forward
from this position.
Holding the Vehicle with P:Setting the shift lever to the P position
without using the parking brake to
hold the vehicle is dangerous. If P
fails to hold, the vehicle could move
and cause an accident. To hold the
vehicle, set the shift lever to P AND
set the parking brake.
•
Shifting into P, N or R while the
vehicle is moving can damage your
transaxle.
•
Shifting into a driving gear or
reverse when the engine is running
faster than idle can damage the
transaxle.
WARNING
CAUTION
Shifting from N or P:It’s dangerous to shift from N or P
into a driving gear when the engine is
running faster than idle. If this is
done, the vehicle could move
suddenly, causing an accident or
serious injury. If the engine is
running faster than idle, don’t shift
from N or P into a driving gear.
Shifting into N while Driving:
Shifting into N while driving is
dangerous. Engine braking cannot be
applied when decelerating which
could lead to an accident or serious
injury. Do not shift into N when
driving the vehicle.
WARNING
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5-12
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I

Shift-Lock System
The shift-lock system prevents shifting
out of P unless the brake pedal is
depressed.

To shift from P:
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Move the shift lever.

Manual Shift Mode
This mode gives you the feel of driving a
manual transaxle vehicle by tapping the
shift lever forward and back while in this
mode.
To change to manual shift mode, shift the
lever from D to M.To return to automatic shift mode, shift
the lever from M to D.

Indicators
Shift position indicator
In manual shift mode, the "M" of the shift
position indicator in the instrument panel
illuminates.
Gear position indicator
In manual shift mode, the numeral for the
selected gear illuminates below the shift
position indicator.
NOTE
•
When the ignition switch is in the
LOCK position, the transaxle
cannot be shifted from P.
•
To be sure the vehicle is in park,
the ignition key cannot be
removed unless the shift lever is in
P.
NOTE
•
If you change to manual shift mode
when the vehicle is stopped, the
gear will shift to M1.
•
If you tap the shift lever back when
the vehicle is stopped and the gear
is at M1, the gear will shift to M2.
M2 is helpful for starting on
slippery surfaces.
Shift position
indicator
Gear position
indicator
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