2005 MAZDA MODEL TRIBUTE light

Determining if the Personal Safety System is operational
The Personal Safety System uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lightsection in theInstrument clusterchapter. Routine
maintenance of the Personal Safety System is not required.
The Restraints control module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the air bag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
safety belt pretensioners, front safety belt buckle sensors, driver seat
position sensor, and passenger occupant classification sensor. In addition,
the RCM also monitors the restraints warning light in the instrument
cluster. A malfunction with the system is indicated by one or more of the
following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light 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 warning light are repaired.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System serviced by your authorized Mazda dealership
immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in
the event of a collision.
Safety restraints precautions
WARNING: Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
WARNING: Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision.
WARNING: All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an
air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
81

Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the safety
belt. Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on
the label. Also, use the safety belt extension only if the safety belt is too
short for you when fully extended.
NOTE:Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
Safety belt warning light and indicator chime
The safety belt warning light illuminates in the instrument cluster and a
chime sounds to remind the occupants to fasten their safety belts.
Conditions of operation
If... Then...
The driver’s safety belt is not
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light
illuminates 1-2 minutes and the
warning chime sounds 4-8 seconds.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled while the indicator
light is illuminated and the
warning chime is sounding...The safety belt warning light and
warning chime turn off.
The driver’s safety belt is
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position...The safety belt warning light and
indicator chime remain off.
BeltMinder
The BeltMinder feature is a supplemental warning to the safety belt
warning function. This feature provides additional reminders by
intermittently sounding a chime and illuminating the safety belt warning
lamp in the instrument cluster when the driver’s and front passenger’s
safety belt is unbuckled.
The BeltMinder feature uses information from the passenger occupant
classification sensor to determine if a front seat passenger is present and
therefore potentially in need of a warning. To avoid activating the
BeltMinder feature for objects placed in the front passenger seat,
warnings will only be given to large front seat occupants as determined
by the passenger occupant classification sensor.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
88

Both the driver’s and passenger’s safety belt usages are monitored and
either may activate the BeltMinder feature. The warnings are the same
for the driver and the front passenger. If the BeltMinder warnings have
expired (warnings for approximately 5 minutes) for one occupant (driver
or front passenger), the other occupant can still activate the BeltMinder
feature.
If... Then...
The driver’s and front
passenger’s safety belts are
buckled before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position or less than 1-2
minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned
ON...The BeltMinder feature will not
activate.
The driver’s or front
passenger’s safety belt is not
buckled when the vehicle has
reached at least 5 km/h (3
mph) and 1-2 minutes have
elapsed since the ignition
switch has been turned to
ON...The BeltMinder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for 6 seconds every 30
seconds, repeating for approximately
5 minutes or until the safety belts are
buckled.
The driver’s or front
passenger’s safety belt becomes
unbuckled for approximately 1
minute while the vehicle is
traveling at least 5 km/h (3
mph) and more than 1-2
minutes have elapsed since the
ignition switch has been turned
to ON...The BeltMinder feature is activated -
the safety belt warning light
illuminates and the warning chime
sounds for 6 seconds every 30
seconds, repeating for approximately
5 minutes or until the safety belts are
buckled.
The following are reasons most often given for not wearing safety belts:
(All statistics based on U.S. data)
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
89

Reasons given... Consider...
Crashes are rare events36,700 crashes occur every day.
The more we drive, the more we are
exposed torareevents, even for
good drivers.1 in 4 of us will be
seriously injured in a crash during
our lifetime.
I’m not going far3of4fatal crashes occur within25
miles of home.
Belts are uncomfortableSafety belts are designed to enhance
comfort. If you are uncomfortable -
try different positions for the safety
belt upper anchorage and seatback
which should be as upright as
possible; this can improve comfort.
I was in a hurryPrime time for an accident.Safety
Belt Warning Chime reminds us to
take a few seconds to buckle up.
Seat belts don’t workSafety belts,when used properly,
reduce risk of deathto front seat
occupants by45% in cars,and by
60% in light trucks.
Traffic is lightNearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes,many when
no other vehicles are around.
Belts wrinkle my clothesPossibly, but a serious crash can do
much more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.
The people I’m with don’t
wear beltsSet the example, teen deaths occur 4
times more often in vehicles with
TWO or MORE people. Children and
younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
90

WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, do not
deactivate/activate the Belt Minder feature while driving the
vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the RUN (or ON) position. (DO NOT
START THE ENGINE)
2. Wait until the safety belt warning light turns off. (Approximately 1
minute)
•Step 3 must be completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt
warning light turns off.
3. For the seating position being disabled, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt 9 times, ending in the unbuckled state. (Step 3 must be
completed within 50 seconds after the safety belt warning light turns
off.)
•After step 3, the restraint system warning light (airbag light) will be
turned on for three seconds.
4. Within 10 seconds of the light turning on, buckle then unbuckle the
safety belt.
•This will disable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it is
currently enabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning light
will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds.
•This will enable the BeltMinder feature for that seating position if it is
currently disabled. As confirmation, the restraint system warning light
will flash 4 times per second for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with
the light off, then followed by the restraint system warning light
flashing 4 times per second for 3 seconds again.
•After receiving confirmation, the deactivation/activation procedure is
complete.
Safety belt maintenance
Inspect the safety belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
92

Important supplemental restraint system (SRS) precautions
The supplemental restraint system
is designed to work with the safety
belt to help protect the driver and
right front passenger from certain
upper body injuries.
WARNING: Air bags DO NOT
inflate slowly or gently and the
risk of injury from a deploying
air bag is greatest close to the
trim covering the air bag
module.
WARNING: All occupants of the vehicle, including the driver,
should always properly wear their safety belts, even when an
air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is provided.
WARNING: Always transport children 12 years old and under
in the back seat and always properly use appropriate child
restraint systems.
WARNING: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches
(25 cm) between an occupant’s chest and the driver air bag
module.
WARNING: The driver should always hold onto only the rim of
the steering wheel. Never place your arm over the air bag
module as a deploying air bag can result in serious arm
fractures or other injuries.
Steps you can take to properly position yourself away from the air bag:
•Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
•Recline the seat slightly (one or two degrees) from the upright
position.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
94

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.
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 and safety belt pretensioners have
deployed, the air bag and safety belt pretensioners will not
function again and must be replaced immediately. If the air bag
and safety belt pretensioners are 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),
•one or more impact and safing sensors,
•a readiness light and tone
•diagnostic module
•and the electrical wiring which connects the components.
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the
supplemental air bag electrical system wiring (including the impact
sensors), the system wiring, the air bag system readiness light, the air
bag back up power and the air bag ignitors.
Front passenger sensing system
The front passenger sensing system will turn off the front passenger’s
frontal air bag under certain conditions. The front passenger
seat-mounted side air bag (if equipped) will be deactivated if the sensor
detects an empty seat; otherwise, the seat-mounted side air bag will be
enabled. The front passenger sensing system works with sensors that are
part of the front passenger’s seat and safety belt. The sensors are
designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated occupant and
determine if the front passenger’s frontal air bag should be enabled (may
inflate) or not.
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
97

The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208
and is designed to turn off the front passenger’s frontal air bag if:
•The front passenger seat is unoccupied,
•The system determines that a small child is present in a rear-facing
child seat that is properly installed according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
•The system determines that a small child is present in a
forward-facing child restraint that is properly installed according to
the manufacturer’s instructions.
•The system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat.
•A front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of
time,
•A smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown child restraints or
a small adult, occupies the front passenger seat.
WARNING: Even with the front passenger sensing system,
children 12 and under should be properly restrained in the back
seat.
When the front passenger seat is
occupied and the sensing system
has turned off the passenger’s
frontal air bag, thepassenger airbag
offorpass airbag offindicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that
the front passenger frontal air bag is
off. The indicator light will be unlit
when:
•the front passenger seat is not occupied (empty seat),
•or in the event that the front passenger frontal air bag has been
enabled (may inflate).
The indicator light is located in the center stack of the instrument panel
just below the radio.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front
passenger’s frontal air bag when a rear facing infant seat, a
forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected. If the child
restraint has been installed and the indicator is not lit - all the more
important to put the child in the rear seat - if you insist on putting the
REVIEW COPY
2005 Mazda Tribute(j14), Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)(own2002),
Market:USA_English(fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
98