2004 MAZDA MODEL MPV ECU

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Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
Seat Belt Systems
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during accidents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and all passengers always wear seat belts.
All of the outboard seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/shoulder belts out of the
way when not in use.
The driver’s seat belt has no provisions for child-restraint systems and has only an
emergency locking mode. The driver may wear it comfortably, and it will lock during a
collision.
However, the front passenger’s seat and all rear outboard lap/shoulder belt retractors
operate in two modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic
locking mode. While we recommend you put all children in the rear seats, if you must use
the front passenger seat for a child, slide the front passenger seat as far back as possible and
make sure the child-restraint system is secured properly.
The third-row center seat positions have a lap belt with manual adjustment.
Seat Belt Precautions
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
seat belt 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 cause serious injury or death. Don’t wear twisted seat belts.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H

Unfastening the Seat Belts
Depress the button on the buckle.
To secure the outboard-rear seat belts
when not in use, insert the belts in their
seat belt retainers.

Shoulder Belt Adjuster*
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt if
the seat belt touches your neck, or if it
crosses your arm instead of your shoulder.
To raise the shoulder belt adjuster, push
the adjuster up. To lower the shoulder belt
adjuster, push the button and slide it
down. Make sure the adjuster is locked.
NOTE
If a belt does not fully retract, inspect it
for kinks and twists. If it is still not
retracting properly, have it inspected at
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Retainer
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of
the Seat Belt:
Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
Always make sure the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is positioned
across your shoulder and near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
Sholder belt
adjuster
WARNING
*Some models.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
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.
Statistics confirm that the rear seats are the best place for all children up to 12 years of age,
and more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER
be used on the front seat with the air
bag system activated. The front passenger’s seat is also the least preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, your
vehicle is equipped with the front passenger seat weight sensors as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. This system deactivates the front passenger front and side
air bags and also the front passenger seat belt pretensioner system when the total seated
weight on the front passenger seat is less than approximately 30 kg (66 lb).
When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, the system shuts off the front
passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system, so make sure the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
Even if the front passenger air bag is shut off, Mazda strongly recommends that children be
properly restrained and child-restraint systems of all kinds are properly secured on the rear
seats which are the best place for children.
For more details, refer to "Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-63)".
Child Restraint Precautions
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
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 for LATCH
child-restraint systems.
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. Even though you may feel
assured that the front passenger air bag will not deploy based on the fact that the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates, NEVER use a rear-facing
child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that could deploy even in a
moderate collision.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
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 2-53).
WARNING
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
1. If the seat in which you install a child-
restraint system has a seat slide
function, 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. Adjust
the angle of the seat belt buckle so that
the belt is not loose. Clicking from the
retractor will be heard during retraction
if the system is in the automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat this step.
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.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
5. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, hook and
tighten the tether strap by following the
manufacturer’s instructions.

Third-Row Center Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
In the third-row seat, tether equipped
child-restraint systems belong only in the
center seat where there is a tether anchor
available.
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system.
1. Secure the child-restraint system with a
lap belt. Adjust for a snug fit by pulling
on the loose end of the belt webbing.
Anchor bracket
location
Anchor
bracket Tether strap Tether strap position
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether or tether anchor 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:
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
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S06-EA-03H
2. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, peel back the
carpeting in the rear luggage
compartment to expose the anchor
bracket (above the marking).
3. Hook the tether strap by following the
child-restraint system manufacturer’s
instructions.

Third-Row Outboard Seats
Child-Restraint System
Installation
The third-row outboard seats cannot
accommodate LATCH-type child-
restraint systems or tethers, therefore
these systems must be installed on the
other seat positions such as the second-
row or third-row center seat. If this not
possible, LATCH-type child-restraint
systems or tethers should be installed
using seat belts depending on whether the
child-restraint manufacturer allows their
use without LATCH attachments and
tether anchors.
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system.
Marking Anchor bracket
location
Tether
strap
Anchor
bracketTether strap position
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether or tether anchor 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.
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
Depending on the type of child-
restraint system, it may not employ
seat belts which are in automatic
locking mode.
WARNING
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