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Power door lock switch ..................................................................................... page 3-30
Outside mirror switch ........................................................................................ page 3-53
Dashboard illumination ..................................................................................... page 5-37
DSC OFF switch ............................................................................................... page 5-23
Lighting control/Turn signals ............................................................................ page 5-54
Audio control switch ......................................................................................... page 6-34
Instrument cluster .............................................................................................. page 5-32
Air bags ............................................................................................................. page 2-30
Wiper and washer lever ..................................................................................... page 5-57
Cruise control switches ...................................................................................... page 5-19
Information display ............................................................................................ page 6-41
Hazard warning flasher switch .......................................................................... page 5-61
Audio system ..................................................................................................... page 6-10
Glove box .......................................................................................................... page 6-46
Center console ................................................................................................... page 6-47
Cup holder ......................................................................................................... page 6-45
Parking brake ....................................................................................................... page 5-5
MT shift lever ...................................................................................................... page 5-9
AT shift lever (Sport AT) ................................................................................... page 5-11
Lighter ............................................................................................................... page 6-43
Ashtray ............................................................................................................... page 6-44
Climate control system ........................................................................................ page 6-2
Ignition switch ..................................................................................................... page 5-2
Tilt wheel release lever ...................................................................................... page 3-53
Coin box ............................................................................................................ page 6-46
Hood release handle .......................................................................................... page 3-42
Trunk release button .......................................................................................... page 3-34
Power window lock switch ................................................................................ page 3-39
Power window switches .................................................................................... page 3-38
Interior light ....................................................................................................... page 6-38
Sunvisor ............................................................................................................. page 6-38
Rearview mirror ................................................................................................. page 3-54
Vanity mirror ...................................................................................................... page 6-38
Front seats ............................................................................................................ page 2-2
Rear seat .............................................................................................................. page 2-8
Seat belt ............................................................................................................... page 2-9
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Dashboard and Interior Overview
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The equipment and installation position varies by model.
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Your Vehicle at a Glance
Exterior Overview
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Trunk lid ............................................................................................................ page 3-33
Rear window defroster ....................................................................................... page 5-59
Antenna ............................................................................................................. page 6-10
Power windows ................................................................................................. page 3-37
Outside mirror .................................................................................................... page 3-53
Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-27
Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-32
Hood .................................................................................................................. page 3-42
Windshield wiper blades .................................................................................... page 8-22
Moonroof ........................................................................................................... page 3-43
Fuel-filler lid ...................................................................................................... page 3-40
Doors and keys .................................................................................................. page 3-29
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Exterior Overview
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2Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.
Seats ............................................................................................... 2-2
Front Seats (Manually Operated Seats) ..................................... 2-2
Front Seats (Electrically Operated Seats) .................................. 2-5
Rear Seat ................................................................................... 2-8
Seat Belt Systems .......................................................................... 2-9
Seat Belt Precautions ................................................................ 2-9
Location of Seat Belt ............................................................... 2-12
Seat Belts ................................................................................ 2-13
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ....... 2-14
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-16
Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep ................................................ 2-17
Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-19
Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-19
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-23
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-28
SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-30
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-30
Supplemental Restraint System Components ......................... 2-34
How the Air Bags Work .......................................................... 2-37
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Front Seats (Manually
Operated Seats)
WARNING
Do not modify or replace the front
seats:
Modifying or replacing the front seats
such as replacing the upholstery or
loosening any bolts is dangerous. The
front seats contain air bag
components essential to the
supplemental restraint system. Such
modifications could damage the
supplemental restraint system and
result in serious injury. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer if there is
any need to remove or reinstall the
front seats.
Do not drive with damaged front seats:
Driving with damaged front seats is
dangerous. A collision, even one not
strong enough to inflate the air bags,
could damage the front seats which
contain essential air bag components.
If there was a subsequent collision, an
air bag may not deploy which could
lead to injuries. Always have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect the
front seats, front seat belt
pretensioners and air bags after a
collision.
WARNING
Make sure the adjustable components
of a seat are locked in place:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that
are not securely locked are dangerous.
In a sudden stop or collision, the seat
or seatback could move, causing
injury. Make sure the adjustable
components of the seat are locked in
place by attempting to slide the seat
forward and backward and rocking
the seatback.
qSeat Slide
WARNING
Adjust the driver seat only when the
vehicle is stopped:
Adjusting the driver's seat while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous. The
driver could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident.
To move a seat forward or backward, raise
the lever and slide the seat to the desired
position and release the lever.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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Make sure the lever returns to its original
position and the seat is locked in place by
attempting to push it forward and
backward.
qSeat Recline
WARNING
Do not drive with the seats reclined:
Sitting in a reclined position while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous
because you don't get the full
protection from seat belts. During
sudden braking or a collision, you can
slide under the lap belt and suffer
serious internal injuries. For
maximum protection, sit well back and
upright.
Always sit in a passenger seat properly
with the seatback upright and feet on
the floor:
If your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat weight sensors, sitting
in the front passenger seat improperly
out of position or with the seatback
reclined too far while the vehicle is
moving is dangerous as it can take off
weight from the seat bottom and affect
the weight determination of the front
passenger sensing system. As a result
the front passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air
bag and seat belt pretensioner, which
could cause result in serious injury.
Always sit upright against your
seatback, with your feet on the floor.
WARNING
Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
The seatback plays an important role
in your protection in a vehicle.
Leaving the seatback unlocked is
dangerous as it can allow passengers
to be ejected or thrown around and
baggage to strike occupants in a
sudden stop or collision, resulting in
severe injury. After adjusting the
seatback at any time, even when there
are no other passengers, rock the
seatback to make sure it is locked in
place.
To change the seatback angle, lean
forward slightly while raising the lever.
Then lean back to the desired position and
release the lever.
Make sure the lever returns to its original
position and the seatback is locked in
place by attempting to push it forward and
backward.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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CAUTION
When returning a rear-reclined seatback
to its upright position, make sure you
hold onto the seatback with your other
hand while operating the lever. If the
seatback is not supported, it will flip
forward suddenly and could cause
injury.
qHeight Adjustment (Driver's Seat)
By moving the seat lever up or down, the
seat bottom height can be adjusted.
Up
Down
qFolding the Passenger's Seat
WARNING
Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
The seatback plays an important role
in your protection in a vehicle.
Leaving the seatback unlocked is
dangerous as it can allow passengers
to be ejected or thrown around and
baggage to strike occupants in a
sudden stop or collision, resulting in
severe injury. After adjusting the
seatback at any time, even when there
are no other passengers, rock the
seatback to make sure it is locked in
place.
To fold the seatback, pull the lever and
lower the seatback forward.
To return it to the upright position, lift the
seatback and push it into place. Rock the
seatback to make sure it is locked.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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