2003 MAZDA MODEL PROTÉGÉ ECU

2-2
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Seats

Seat Slide
To move a seat forward or backward, raise
the lever and slide the seat to the desired
position and release the lever.
Make sure the lever returns to its original
position and the seat is locked in place by
attempting to push it forward and
backward. Front Seats
Securing the Seats:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that
are not securely locked are
dangerous. In a sudden stop or
collision, the seat or seatback could
move, causing injury. Make sure the
adjustable components of the seat are
locked in place by attempting to slide
the seat forward and backward and
rocking the seatback.
Driver’s Seat Adjustment:
Adjusting the driver’s seat while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous. The
driver could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident. Adjust the
driver’s seat only when the vehicle is
stopped.
WARNING
WARNING
Lever
J39L_EA.book Page 2 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-5
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Rear Seat
Stacking Cargo:
Stacking luggage or other cargo
higher than the seatbacks, and
putting things on the rear package
tray or on the luggage compartment
cover is dangerous. During sudden
braking or a collision, objects can
become projectiles that may hit and
injure passengers. Don’t stack things
higher than the seatbacks or put
things on the rear package tray or on
the luggage compartment cover.
Securing Seats:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that
are not securely locked are
dangerous. In a sudden stop or
collision, the seat or seatback could
move, causing injury. Make sure the
adjustable components of the seat are
locked in place by attempting to slide
the seat forward and backward and
rocking the seatback.
Unlocked Seatback:
A seatback plays an important role in
your protection in a vehicle. Leaving
the seatback unlocked is dangerous as
it can allow passengers to be ejected
or thrown around and baggage to
strike occupants in a sudden stop or
collision, resulting in severe injury.
After adjusting the seatback at any
time, even when there are no other
passengers, rock the seatback to make
sure it is locked in place.
WARNING
Passenger on the Folded Seatback:
Driving with a passenger on the
folded seatback is dangerous.
Allowing a child to sit up on the
folded seatback while the vehicle is
moving is particularly dangerous. In
a sudden stop or even a minor
collision, a child not in a proper seat
or child-restraint system and seat belt
could be thrown forward, back or
even out of the car resulting in
serious injuries or death. The child or
other objects in the baggage area
could be thrown into other occupants
and cause serious injury. Never allow
a passenger to sit or stand on the
folded seatback while the vehicle is
moving.
Children and the Folding Rear Seats:
Playing with the folding rear seats is
dangerous. Once the seats are back
up, a child in the trunk would not be
able to get out the way they had
entered. If you have small children,
keep the seatbacks locked (sedan). Do
not give the car keys to children and
do not allow them to play in the
vehicle.
NOTE
When returning a rear seat to its
original position, also replace the seat
belt to its normal position. Verify that
the seat belt pulls and retracts.
WARNING
J39L_EA.book Page 5 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-6
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Split-Folding Rear Seatback
To provide more space in the luggage
compartment.
1. Unfasten the lap portion of the rear-
center seat belt (page 2-19).
2. Pull the lock release up and fold the
seatback forward.
To return the seatback to its original
position, reverse the procedure.

Rear Seatback Lock (Sedan)
To lock or unlock a seatback, move the
lever.

Folding the Rear Seats Flat
(Hatchback)
The seatbacks can be folded after setting
up the seat bottoms.
1. Unfasten the lap portion of the rear-
center seat belt (page 2-19). Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause damage
to the seat belt, buckle and seatback.
CAUTION
Lock release
NOTE
The seatback locks are part of the
trunk security system (page 3-11).
Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause damage
to the seat belt, buckle and seatback.
Lock
Unlock
CAUTION
J39L_EA.book Page 6 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-19
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G

Unfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the buckle.

Unfastening the Lap Portion of
the Seat Belt
Insert a small object in the anchor buckle
(B) slot, such as a key.

Fastening the Lap Portion of the
Seat Belt
Grasp tongue (A) and insert it into the
anchor buckle (B) until you hear a click. It
is now secure for passenger use.
Positioning the Lap Portion of the
Seat Belt:
The lap portion of the seat belt worn
too high is dangerous. In a collision,
this would concentrate the impact
force directly on the abdominal area,
causing serious injury. Wear the lap
portion of the belt snugly and as low
as possible.
WARNING
Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause damage
to the seat belt, buckle and seatback.
NOTE
After returning the rear-left seatback to
its upright position, fasten the lap
portion of the belt.
Sedan
Hatchback (A)
(B)
(A)
(B)
CAUTION
J39L_EA.book Page 19 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-23
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Proper Size of Child-Restraint System:
For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be
properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and
size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.
Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions and Always Keep the Child-Restraint System
Buckled Down:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure
the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint
system manufacturer’s instructions. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or
fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors.
Holding a Child While the Vehicle is Moving:
Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a sudden
stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag forces
that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be slammed
into the adult, injuring the adult. Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint
system.
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.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
J39L_EA.book Page 23 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-24
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Children and Seating Position with Side Air Bag:
Allowing anyone to lean over or against the front door is dangerous. If the vehicle is
equipped with side air bags, the impact of an inflating side air bag 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 has a side air bag
because they may slump over into the path of the seatback-mounted air bag.
Furthermore, leaning over or against the doors could block the side air bag 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. If a child can’t be seated in the rear,
do not allow the child to lean over or against the front door, 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.
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 seats. When using these anchors to
secure a child-restraint system, refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint Systems" (page 2-31).
WARNING
CAUTION
J39L_EA.book Page 24 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-25
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seat. The front
passenger’s seat is clearly the worst
choice for any child under 12, and with
rear-facing child-restraint systems it is
clearly unsafe due to air bags.
Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
installed on the seats that take tethers to
be effective. In your Mazda, tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in the three positions on
the rear seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-31).

Rear Seat Child-Restraint
System Installation
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system, unless you are
attaching a LATCH-equipped child-
restraint system to the rear LATCH lower
anchors. Refer to "LATCH Child-
Restraint Systems" (page 2-31).
1. 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.
2. 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.
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems
Work Only on Rear Seat:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger’s seat defeats the safety
design of the system and will result in
an increased chance of serious injury
if the child-restraint system goes
forward without benefit of being
tethered.
Place tether equipped child-restraint
systems where there are tether
anchors.
WARNING
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
If you are not sure whether you have a
LATCH system or tether, check in the
child-restraint system manufacturer’s
instructions and follow them
accordingly. Depending on the type of
child-restraint system, it may not
employ seat belts which are in
automatic locking mode.
J39L_EA.book Page 25 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM

2-27
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8Q94-EA-02G
Anchor
bracket Hatchback
(Outboard position)
Hatchback
(Center position)
For rear center seat
Anchor
bracket Hatchback
(Center position)
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether to secure anything
but a child-restraint system is
dangerous. This could weaken or
damage the tether or tether anchor
and result in injury. Use the tether
and tether anchor only for a child-
restraint system.
Incorrect Positioning of the Tether
Strap (Hatchback):
Positioning the tether strap on top of
the head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision, the head restraint could
bend or break. This will cause the
strap to loosen. The child-restraint
system could move and injure the
child or someone else. Always
position the tether strap between the
head restraint and the seatback.
WARNING
J39L_EA.book Page 27 Saturday, June 8, 2002 5:35 PM