Page 38 of 340

qUnfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the buckle.
qUnfastening the Lap Portion of
the Seat Belt
Insert a small object such as a key in the
anchor buckle (B) slot.
(B)
(A)
CAUTION
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
To encourage rear seat passengers to
wear their seat belts, we suggest leaving
the rear center lap position of the belt
fastened at all times except when
folding the rear seat forward.
q 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.
NOTE
After returning the rear-left seatback to
its upright position, fasten the lap
portion of the belt.
qStowing the Rear Center Position
Seat Belt (Sport Wagon)
When folding the rear left seatback, stow
the rear center position seat belt using the
following procedure.
To stow the seat belt, retract the belt, put
tongues (A) and (C) together and insert
them into the ceiling recess.
(A)
(C)
Ceiling recess
2-24
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Page 39 of 340

To pull out the seat belt, slide tongue (A)
with your finger while moving it
downward, and slowly pull out the seat
belt from the ceiling recess.
CAUTION
When stowing the seat belt, make sure
the belt is locked securely into the
ceiling recess. If the seat belt is not
locked securely, it could fall down
suddenly and cause injury.
Seat Belt Extender
If your seat belt is not long enough, even
when fully extended, a seat belt extender
may be available to you at no charge from
your Authorized Mazda Dealer.
This extender will be only for you and for
the particular vehicle and seat. Even if it
plugs into other seat belts, it may not hold
in the critical moment of a crash.
When ordering an extender, only order
one that provides the necessary additional
length to fasten the seat belt properly.
Please contact your Authorized Mazda
Dealer for more information.
WARNING
Unnecessary Use of an Extender:
Using a seat belt extender when not
necessary is dangerous. The seat belt
will be too long and not fit properly. In
an accident, the seat belt will not
provide adequate protection and you
could be seriously injured. Only use
the extender when it is required to
fasten the seat belt properly.
Using an Improper Extender:
Using a seat belt extender that is for
another person or a different vehicle
or seat is dangerous. The seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and
the user could be seriously injured in
an accident. Only use the extender
provided for you and for the particular
vehicle and seat. NEVER use the
extender in a different vehicle or seat.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
2-25
Page 113 of 340

4Before Driving Your Mazda
Important information about driving your Mazda.
Fuel and Engine Exhaust Precautions ........................................ 4-2Fuel Requirements .................................................................... 4-2
Emission Control System .......................................................... 4-3
Engine Exhaust (Carbon Monoxide) ......................................... 4-5
Before Starting the Engine ........................................................... 4-6 Before Getting In ...................................................................... 4-6
After Getting In ......................................................................... 4-6
Driving Tips ................................................................................... 4-7 Break-In Period ......................................................................... 4-7
Money-Saving Suggestions ...................................................... 4-7
Hazardous Driving .................................................................... 4-8
Rocking the Vehicle .................................................................. 4-8
Winter Driving .......................................................................... 4-9
Driving In Flooded Area ......................................................... 4-10
Overloading ............................................................................ 4-10
Towing .......................................................................................... 4-11 Trailer Towing ......................................................................... 4-11
4-1
Page 123 of 340
Trailer Towing
Never tow a trailer with your Mazda.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Towing
4-11
Page 229 of 340

7In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.
Parking in an Emergency ............................................................. 7-2Parking in an Emergency .......................................................... 7-2
Flat Tire ......................................................................................... 7-3 Spare Tire and Tool Storage ...................................................... 7-3
Changing a Flat Tire ................................................................. 7-8
Overheating ................................................................................. 7-14 Overheating ............................................................................. 7-14
Emergency Starting .................................................................... 7-16 Starting a Flooded Engine ....................................................... 7-16
Jump-Starting .......................................................................... 7-17
Push-Starting ........................................................................... 7-19
Emergency Towing ..................................................................... 7-20 Towing Description ................................................................. 7-20
Recreational Towing ............................................................... 7-21
7-1
Page 247 of 340
lConnect the other end to a solid,
stationary, exposed metallic point
(for example, the strut mounting
bolt) away from the discharged
battery (4).
Connect cables in
numerical order and
disconnect in reverse
order.
Discharged
batteryJumper cables
Booster battery
4. Start the engine of the booster vehicleand run it a few minutes. Then start the
engine of the other vehicle.
5. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in the reverse order described in
Step 3.
Push-Starting
WARNING
Towing a Vehicle to Start It:
Towing a vehicle to start it is
dangerous. The vehicle being towed
could surge forward when its engine
starts, causing the two vehicles to
collide. The occupants could be
injured. Never tow a vehicle to start it.
You can't start a vehicle with an automatic
transaxle by pushing it.
CAUTION
You shouldn't push-start a vehicle that
has a manual transaxle. It can damage
the emission control system.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Starting
7-19
Page 248 of 340
Towing Description
We recommend that towing be done only
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer or a
commercial tow-truck service.
Proper lifting and towing are necessary to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Government and local laws must be
followed.
A towed vehicle usually should have its
front wheels off the ground. If excessive
damage or other conditions prevent this,
use wheel dollies.
Wheel dollies
When towing with the rear wheels on the
ground, release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Don't tow the vehicle pointed backward
with driving wheels on the ground. This
may cause internal damage to the
transaxle.
CAUTION
Don't tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage your vehicle. Use
wheel-lift or flatbed equipment.
7-20
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
Page 249 of 340
CAUTION
Do not use the hooks under the rear
bumper for towing and tying down, as
they cannot hold the load and it will
damage the bumper.
Hooks
Recreational Towing
An example of“recreational towing ”is
towing your vehicle behind a motorhome.
The transaxle is not designed for towing
this vehicle on all 4 wheels.
When doing recreational towing refer to
“ Towing Description ”(page 7-20) and
carefully follow the instructions.
In Case of an Emergency
Emergency Towing
7-21