2004 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 child restraint

Table of Contents
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Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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 and Reporting Safety Defects
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.
Specifications
Technical information about your Mazda.
Index
Navigation System
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Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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
........................................................................... 2-8
Seat Belt Precautions ................................................................. 2-8
3-Point Type Seat Belt ............................................................. 2-11
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ...... 2-12
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-14
Seat Belt Warning Light .......................................................... 2-15
Seat Belt Warning Beep ........................................................... 2-16
Child Restraint
............................................................................ 2-17
Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-17
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-20
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-25
SRS Air Bags
............................................................................... 2-27
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-27
Air Bag System Description .................................................... 2-32
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Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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 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 lap/shoulder belt retractors operate in two
modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.
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
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.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C

Pregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should wear seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific recommendations.
The lap belt should be worn SNUGLY AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE OVER THE HIPS.
The shoulder belt should be worn across your shoulder properly, but never across the
stomach area.
Persons with serious medical conditions also should wear seat belts. Check with your
doctor for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditions.

Emergency Locking Mode
If the belt has fully retracted, it will always be in the emergency locking mode until you
move it into automatic locking mode by pulling the belt all the way out to its full length. In
the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on the occupant and the
retractor will lock in position during a collision.
If the belt feels tight and hinders comfortable movement while the vehicle is stopped or in
motion, you may be in the automatic locking mode because you have pulled the belt too far
out. To return to the more comfortable emergency locking mode, wait until you can stop
the vehicle in a safe area, retract the belt fully to convert it back to emergency locking
mode and then again extend it around you.

Automatic Locking Mode
Always use the automatic locking mode to keep the child-restraint system from shifting to
an unsafe position in the event of an accident. To get the seat belt into the automatic
locking mode, pull it all the way out and connect it as instructed on the child-restraint
system. It will retract down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See the
section on child restraint (page 2-17).
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Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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 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
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.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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.
Front Passenger’s Seat Position:
If your vehicle is equipped with a passenger air bag, a front-facing child-restraint
system should only be put on the front seat when it is unavoidable. Always move the
seat as far back as possible, because the force of a deploying air bag could cause
serious injury or death to the child.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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.
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 2-25).
WARNING
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R65-EA-03C
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 two positions on the
rear seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-25).

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 2-25).
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 Tether-Equipped Rear
Seats:
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.
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