2003 MAZDA MODEL 6 AIR BAGS

Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.
Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, SRS air bags and
child-restraint systems.
Knowing Your Mazda
Explanation of basic operations and controls; opening/closing and adjustment
of various parts.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Important information about driving your Mazda.
Driving Your Mazda
Explanation of instruments and controls.
Interior Comfort
Use of various features for drive comfort, including climate control and audio
system.
In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.
Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Mazda in top condition.
Customer Information
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.
Specifications
Technical information about your Mazda.
Index
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 5 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

1-3
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Interior Overview
Vanity mirror Rearview mirror
Seat beltsInterior light
Sunvisors
Front seats
Side air bags
Rear seat
Map light
Curtain air bags(page 6-43)
(page 2-10) (page 2-33)
(page 6-43)
(page 2-33) (page 2-7)(page 2-2) (page 6-43) (page 3-26) (page 6-45)
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 3 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

2-1
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
2Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, SRS air bags and
child-restraint systems.
Seats
................................................................................................ 2-2
Front Seats ................................................................................. 2-2
Rear Seat .................................................................................... 2-7
Seat Belt Systems
......................................................................... 2-10
Seat Belt Precautions ............................................................... 2-10
3-Point Type Seat Belt ............................................................. 2-13
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ...... 2-15
Rear Center Position Seat Belt ................................................ 2-17
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-19
Seat Belt Warning Light .......................................................... 2-20
Child Restraint
............................................................................ 2-21
Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-21
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-24
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-29
SRS Air Bags
............................................................................... 2-33
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-33
Air Bag System Description .................................................... 2-38
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 1 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

2-11
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Not Wearing Seat Belts:Not wearing a seat belt is extremely dangerous. During a collision, occupants not
wearing seat belts could hit someone or things inside the vehicle or even be thrown
out of the vehicle. They could be seriously injured or even killed. In the same
collision, occupants wearing seat belts would be much safer. Always wear your seat
belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained.
Seat Belt Damaged During an Accident:
Using a damaged seat belt is dangerous. An accident could damage the belt webbing
of the seat belt in use. A damaged seat belt cannot provide adequate protection in a
collision. Whether a front seat was occupied or not, if the front air bags deployed the
pretensioners also deployed and both front seat belts must be replaced. Have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt systems in use during an accident
before they are used again.
Twisted Seat Belts:
Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt isn’t
available to absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt,
which could break them or cause other serious injury or death. Don’t wear twisted
seat belts.
One Belt, One Passenger:
Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used
in this way can’t spread the impact forces properly and the two passengers could be
crushed together and seriously injured or even killed. Never use one belt for more
than one person at a time.
Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them
clean.
WARNING
CAUTION
Ring
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 11 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

2-15
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
For optimum protection, the driver and
front passenger seat belts are equipped
with pretensioner and load limiting
systems.
In moderate or greater frontal or near-
frontal accidents, the front air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously. The pretensioners take up
slack in the front seat belts as the air bags
are expanding. The load limiting system
releases belt webbing in a controlled
manner to reduce belt force on the
occupant’s chest.
Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner and Load
Limiting Systems
Incorrect Positioning of the Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belts:Incorrect positioning of the driver
and passenger seat belts is dangerous.
Without proper positioning, the
pretensioner and load limiting
systems cannot provide adequate
protection in an accident and this
could result in serious injury. Wear
seat belts only as recommended in
this owner’s manual.
Expended Seat Belt Pretensioners:
Use of front seat belts with the
pretensioner system expended is
dangerous.
The seat belt pretensioners will only
function once. After they are
expended, they will not work again
and must be replaced immediately,
even if there was no front seat
occupant seated at the time.
If the seat belt pretensioners are not
replaced, the risk of injury in a
collision will increase.
Always have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer inspect and replace the seat
belt pretensioners after a collision.
WARNING
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 15 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

2-16
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Modification or Testing of the Pretensioner System:Modifying the components or wiring
of the pretensioner system, including
the use of electronic testing devices is
dangerous. You could accidentally
activate it or make it inoperable which
would prevent it from activating in an
accident. The occupants could be
seriously injured. Never modify the
components or wiring, or use
electronic testing devices on the
pretensioner system.
Pretensioner System Disposal:
Improper disposal of the pretensioner
system or a vehicle with non-
deactivated pretensioners is
dangerous. Unless all safety
procedures are followed, injury could
result. Ask an Authorized Mazda
Dealer how to safely dispose of the
pretensioner system or how to scrap a
pretensioner-equipped vehicle.
WARNINGNOTE
•
The pretensioner system will only
activate in a moderate or greater
frontal or near-frontal collision. It
will not activate in most rollovers,
side or rear impacts.
•
Some smoke (non-toxic gas) will be
released when the air bags and
pretensioners deploy. This does not
indicate a fire. This gas normally
has no effect on occupants,
however, those with sensitive skin
may experience light skin irritation.
If residue from the deployment of
the air bags or the front pretensioner
system gets on the skin or in the
eyes, wash it off as soon as possible.
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 16 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

2-21
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Child Restraint
Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use
them.
You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.
Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age
and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should sit in the rear and use seat belts,
both lap and shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer to
the center of the vehicle in the outboard seats, and towards the buckle on the right if the
child is seated in the center seat.
Statistics confirm that the rear seat is the best place for all children up to 12 years of age-
the more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER
be used in the front seat because it
would be too close to the air bag. The front passenger’s seat is also the least preferred seat
for other child-restraint systems.
Child Restraint Precautions
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 21 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM

2-23
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
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.
One Belt, One Passenger:
Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used
in this way can’t spread the impact forces properly and the two passengers could be
crushed together and seriously injured or even killed. Never use one belt for more
than one person at a time.
Operating the Remote Handle Levers While a Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System is
in the Rear Seat:Operating the remote handle levers while a rear-facing child-restraint system is in the
rear seat is dangerous. It could cause injury to a child seated in the child-restraint
system when the seatback suddenly flips forward. Always remove the child-restraint
system from the rear seat before operating the remote handle levers for the rear seat.
A seat belt or child-restraint system can become very hot in a closed vehicle during
warm weather. To avoid burning yourself or a child, check them before you or your child
touches them.
NOTE
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially
designed LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seat. When using these anchors to
secure a child-restraint system, refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint Systems" (page 2-29).
WARNING
CAUTION
shuseizumi_J56J_8R29_EA_02I.book Page 23 Wednesday, October 16, 2002 9:51 AM