2004 MAZDA MODEL B-SERIES Owners Manual (in English)

WARNING: Never place a rearward facing child safety restraint
in front of an activated airbag. Airbags have been known to kill
or injure children in front facing child safety restraints.
Whenever placing a child safety seat in a front seating position
(including center if equipped), turn off the passenger side air
bag switch after being certain the child is properly restrained.
If using a forward facing child safety restraint in the front
outboard seat, slide the seat all the way back, and turn off the
passenger air bag. If using a rear facing child safety seat in the
front outboard seating position, make sure the passenger airbag
is turned off and slide the passenger seat all the way forward
until the safety seat rests on the dashboard. SeePassenger air
bag on/off switch in this chapter.
WARNING: Do not install a
child seat in a center facing
jump seat.
WARNING: An air bag can kill
or injure a child in a child
seat. Child seats should never
be placed in the front seats,
unless passenger air bag
switch is turned off. See
Passenger air bag on/off
switch in this chapter.
WARNING: Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in
the front seats unless the passenger airbag switch is turned off.
WARNING: Booster seats must be installed only in seating
positions equipped with a combination lap/shoulder belt.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
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How does the air bag supplemental restraint system work?
The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration.
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Air bags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near-frontal collisions, not rollover,
side-impact, or rear-impacts.
The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After air bag
deployment, it is normal to notice a
smoke-like, powdery residue or
smell the burnt propellant. This may
consist of cornstarch, talcum
powder (to lubricate the bag) or
sodium compounds (e.g., baking
soda) that result from the
combustion process that inflates the
air bag. Small amounts of sodium
hydroxide may be present which
may irritate the skin and eyes, but
none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help
reduce serious injuries, it may also
cause minor abrasions, swelling or temporary hearing loss. Because air
bags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of
death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or
internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly
restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of air bag
deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly
restrained as far away from the air bag module as possible while
maintaining vehicle control.
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WARNING: Several air bag system components get hot after
inflation. Do not touch them after inflation or you may be
burned.
WARNING: If the air bag has deployed, the air bag will not
function again and must be replaced immediately. If the air bag
is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
The SRS consists of:
• driver and passenger air bag modules (which include the inflators and
air bags),
• passenger air bag deactivation switch and restraint control module
(RCM)
• a readiness light and tone,
• and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
The RCM (restraints control module) monitors its own internal circuits
and the supplemental air bag electrical system wiring (including the
passenger air bag deactivation switch, the system wiring, the air bag
system readiness light, the air bag back up power and the air bag
ignitors).
Determining if the system is operational
The SRS uses readiness lights in the instrument cluster and the
passenger air bag deactivate switch or a tone to indicate the condition of
the system. Refer to the Air bag readinesssection in the
Instrumentation chapter orPassenger air bag deactivate switch
section in this chapter. Routine maintenance of the air bag is not
required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
• The readiness lights will either
flash or stay lit.
• The readiness lights will not
illuminate immediately after
ignition is turned on.
• A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and/or light are repaired.
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If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the SRS serviced
at your authorized Mazda dealership immediately.WARNING: Unless serviced, the system may not function
properly in the event of a collision.
Disposal of air bags and air bag equipped vehicles
(including safety belt pretensioners)
For disposal of safety belt pretensioners, air bags, or air bag equipped
vehicles, see your authorized Mazda dealership or qualified technician.
Air bags MUST BE disposed of by qualified personnel.
Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch WARNING: An airbag ON/OFF
switch has been installed in
this vehicle. Before driving,
always look at the face of the
switch to be sure the switch is
in the proper position in
accordance with these
instructions and warnings.
Failure to put the switch in a
proper position can increase
the risk of serious injury or
death in a collision.
Turning the passenger air bag off 1. Ignition OFF.
2. Insert the ignition key, turn the switch to OFF position and hold
in OFF position while removing
the key.
3. When the ignition switch is turned to the ON position the
OFF light illuminates briefly,
momentarily shuts off and then
turns back on. This indicates that the passenger air bag is
ON OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
ON OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
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deactivated. Do not use a second key to turn off the passenger
airbag, as the lock position might be changed without your knowing.
WARNING: You must turn the passenger air bag Off if you have
a rear facing child seat in the front seat of the pickup (the
center lapbelt on front split seats or the center facing rear
seats do not accommodate child seats). Statistics show that
children under 12 are more likely to suffer minor injuries in the
front passenger seats than adults. If you must have a child in
the front passenger seat, place the largest child in the front
seat, make sure that the child is belted, the vehicle seat is all
the way back, and the passenger airbag is turned OFF. The front
seat center lap belt and the center facing rear seats do not
accommodate child seats; therefore, you may not be able to put
a larger child in the front passenger seat if a child seat is
involved.
WARNING: If the OFF light fails to illuminate when the
passenger air bag switch is in the OFF position and the ignition
switch is in the ON position, have the passenger air bag switch
serviced at your authorized Mazda dealership.
WARNING: In order to avoid inadvertent activation of the
switch, always remove the ignition key from the passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch.
Turning the passenger air bag back on
The passenger air bag remains OFF until you turn it back ON. 1. Insert the ignition key and turn the switch to ON.
2. The OFF light will briefly illuminate when the ignition is
turned to ON. This indicates
that the passenger air bag is
operational.
ON OFF
OFF
PASSENGER AIRBAG
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WARNING: If the light is illuminated when the passenger air
bag ON/OFF switch is in the ON position and the ignition switch
is ON, have the passenger air bag ON/OFF switch serviced at
your authorized Mazda dealership immediately.
The passenger side air bag should always be ON (the air bag OFF light
should notbe illuminated) except for certain vulnerable persons. See
guidance on following pages.
WARNING: The safety belts for the driver and right front
passenger seating positions have been specifically designed to
function together with the air bags in certain types of crashes.
When you turn OFF your air bag, you not only lose the
protection of the air bag, you also may reduce the effectiveness
of your safety belt system, which was designed to work with the
air bag. Most vehicles with full back seats do not have cut-off
switches, but NHTSA and Transport Canada will allow a cut-off
switch to be installed on request for a certain category of
persons who must ride up front and there is a concern about
riding there. Please see the guidance below.
WARNING: Always use safety belts and child restraints
properly. If a child in a rear facing infant seat must be
transported in front, the passenger air bag mustbe turned OFF.
This is because the back of the infant seat is too close to the
inflating air bag and the risk of a fatal injury to the infant when
the air bag inflates is substantial.
The vast majority of drivers and passengers over the age of 12 years are
much safer with an air bag than without. To do their job and reduce the
risk of life threatening injuries, air bags must open with great force, and
this force can pose a potentially deadly risk in some situations,
particularly when a front seat occupant is not properly buckled up. The
most effective way to reduce the risk of unnecessary air bag injuries
without reducing the overall safety of the vehicle is to make sure all
occupants are properly restrained in the vehicle, especially in the front
seat. This provides the protection of safety belts and permits the air bags
to provide the additional protection they were designed to provide. If
you choose to deactivate your air bag, you are losing the very significant
risk reducing benefits of the air bag and you are also reducing the
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effectiveness of the safety belts, because safety belts in modern vehicles
are designed to work as a safety system with the air bags.
Read all air bag Warning labels in the vehicle as well as the other
important air bag instructions and Warnings in this Owner’s Guide.
NHTSA gives permission to install airbag cut-off switches in the
following terms: 1. Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat;
• the vehicle has a rear seat too small to accommodate a rear-facing
infant seat; or
• the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front so that
the driver can constantly monitor the child ’s condition.
2. Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must ride in the front seat
because:
• the vehicle has no rear seat;
• although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear seat(s) whenever
possible, children ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the front
because no space is available in the rear seat(s) of the vehicle; or
• the child has a medical condition which, according to the child ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can constantly monitor the child ’s condition.
3. Medical condition. A passenger has a medical condition which,
according to his or her physician:
• causes the passenger air bag to pose a special risk for the passenger;
and
• makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag in a crash
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
allowing the passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
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WARNING: This vehicle has special energy management safety
belts for the driver and right front passenger. These particular
belts are specifically designed to work with air bags to help
reduce the risk of injury in a collision. The energy management
safety belt is designed to give or release additional belt
webbing in some accidents to reduce concentration of force on
an occupant’s chest and reduce the risk of certain bone
fractures and injuries to underlying organs. In a crash, if the air
bag is turned OFF, this energy management safety belt might
permit the person wearing the belt to move forward enough to
incur a serious or fatal injury. The more severe the crash, and
the heavier the occupant, the greater the risk is. Be sure the air
bag is turned ON for any person who does not qualify under the
NHTSA deactivation criteria.
Transport Canada gives permission to install airbag cut-off
switches in the following terms: 1. Infant: An infant (less than 1 year old) must ride in the front seat
because:
• my vehicle has no rear seat;
• the rear seat in my vehicle cannot accommodate a rear-facing infant
seat; or
• the infant has a medical condition which, according to the infant ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the infant’ s condition.
2. Child age 12 or under: A child age 12 or under must ride in the
front seat because:
• my vehicle has no rear seat;
• although children age 12 and under ride in the rear seat whenever
possible, children age 12 and under have no option but to sometimes
ride in the front seat because rear seat space is insufficient; or
• the child has a medical condition that, according to the child ’s
physician, makes it necessary for the child to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can monitor the child’ s condition.
3. Medical condition: A passenger has a medical condition that,
according to his or her physician:
• poses a special risk for the passenger if the air bag deploys; and
• makes the potential harm from the passenger air bag deployment
greater than the potential harm from turning OFF the air bag and
experiencing a crash without the protection offered by the air bag
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