2004 MAZDA MODEL 6 Owners Manual (in English)

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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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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Seating Position with Side and Curtain Air Bags:Sitting too close to the side and curtain air bag storage compartments or placing
hands on them is extremely dangerous. The side and curtain air bags inflate with
great force and speed directly out of the outboard side of the front seat, and the front
and rear window pillars along the roof edge, expanding along the front and rear
doors on the side the car is hit.
Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning
against a window, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks.
Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the windows in the vehicle
could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. Give the side and curtain air bags room to work by sitting in
the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.
Front Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching an object to a front air bag storage area or placing something in front of it
is dangerous. In an accident, the object could interfere with front air bag inflation
and injure the occupants.
Always keep the front air bag storage areas free of objects.
Side Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching things to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the
seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side
air bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open spewing exhaust.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or back pads with side straps on the front seats.
Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag storage areas in
your front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Curtain Air Bag Storage Areas:
Attaching objects to the areas where the curtain air bag activates such as on the
windshield glass, side door glass, front and rear window pillars and along the roof
edge and assist grips is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the
curtain air bag, which inflates from the front and rear window pillars and along the
roof edge, impeding the added protection of the curtain air bag system or redirecting
the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open
spewing exhaust.
Do not place hangers or any other objects on the assist grips. When hanging clothes,
hang them on the coat hook directly. Always keep the curtain air bag storage areas
free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Hot Air Bag Inflators:Hot air bag inflators are dangerous. Immediately after inflation, the inflators in the
steering wheel, dashboard, seatbacks, or the front and rear window pillars and along
the roof edge are very hot. You could get burned. Don’t touch the internal components
of the air bag storage areas after the bags have inflated.
Installation of Front-End Equipment:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar,
bull bar, push bar, etc.), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air bag crash sensor
system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate unexpectedly, or it could
prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident. Front occupants could be
seriously injured. Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle.
Suspension Adjustment:
Adjusting the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle’s height or the
suspension is changed, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious
injuries.
Modification of the Supplemental Restraint System:
Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is
dangerous. You could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Don’t make any
modifications to the supplemental restraint system. This includes installing trim,
badges, or anything else over the air bag storage areas. It also includes installing
extra electric equipment on or near system components or wiring. An Authorized
Mazda Dealer can provide the special care needed in the removal and installation of
front seats. It is important to protect the side and curtain air bag wiring and
connections to assure that the bags do not accidentally deploy and that the seats retain
an undamaged air bag connection.
To prevent damage to the side and curtain air bag wiring, don’t place luggage or other
objects under the front seats.
WARNING
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
NOTE
•
When an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be
released. Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may
cause light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
•
Should you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems
and that familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner’s Manual, is
important.
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems:
•
The air bag system with inflators and air bags.
•
The electric system with crash sensors and diagnostic module.
The air bags are mounted in the following locations: the center of the steering wheel, the
passenger-side of the dashboard, in the outboard sides of the front seatbacks and the front
and rear window pillars
*, along the roof edge*. They are out of sight until activated.
*If equipped.*1The driver’s seat slide position sensor determines whether the driver’s seat is fore or aft
of a reference position. The sensor is designed to control the deployment of the driver’s
air bag depending on how close the driver’s seat is to the steering wheel.
*2The buckle switches on the front seat belts determine whether or not the front seat belts
are securely fastened and further control the deployment of the air bags on the front
seats.
Air Bag System Description
Dual stage inflators and air bags*3
Inflators and air bags Seat belt buckle switches*2
Front air bag sensor
Side and curtain air bag
crash sensor*
Seat slide position sensor
(only for driver's seat)*1
Inflators and air bags Side and curtain air bag crash sensor* Crash sensors and
diagnostic module
(SAS unit)
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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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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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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8R29-EA-02I
Limitations to front air bag activation
Depending on the severity of impact, the front air bags may not inflate in the following
cases:
Impacts involving trees or poles cause severe
cosmetic damage but may not have enough
impact to activate the air bag.Rear-ending or running under a truck's tail
gate may not provide the stopping force
necessary for air bag deployment.
Frontal offset impact to the vehicle may not
provide the stopping force necessary for air
bag deployment.
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