Black plate (25,1)
CAUTION
Before folding the seatbacks with the
remote handle levers, make sure there is
no cup in a rear cup holder. Folding the
seatbacks with the remote handle levers
while a cup is in the cup holder could
soil or damage the seat bottom and
seatback.
CAUTION
Be careful of the following when using
the remote handle levers:
lOn a downward slope, the seatback
could flip forward faster than on a
flat area.
lOn an upward slope, the seatback
may not fold down. When the
seatbacks cannot be folded down
with levers, pull the rear seatback
forward from inside the vehicle.
1. Unfasten the lap portion of the center-
rear seat belt (page 2-23).
CAUTION
Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding left-rear seatback.
Leaving the lap portion of the belt
fastened could cause damage to the seat
belt, buckle and seatback.2. After checking that the rear seats are
clear, open the trunk and pull the
remote handle levers on the left and
right side of the trunk.
To return the seatbacks to the uprightposition
1. Lift the seatbacks upright.
2. Pull on the top of the seatbacks from
inside the vehicle to make sure they are
locked.
3. Fasten the center-rear lap/shoulder belt
and check that all seat belts are routed
properly for passenger use (page 2-23).
WARNING
Always make sure the seat belts arefully pulled out from under theseatbacks:
A seat belt caught under a seatback
after the seatback is returned to its
upright position is dangerous. In a
collision or sudden stop, the seat belt
cannot provide adequate protection.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-11
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (74,1)
lRear-ending or running under a truck's
tail gate may not provide the stopping
force necessary for air bag deployment.
Non-activation of front air bags
Front air bags will not normally inflate in
the following cases:
lCollision from the rear.
lImpact to the side, but it may deploy
the side and curtain air bags.
lVehicle roll-over, may deploy the side
and curtain air bags but not the front air
bags.
Side and curtain air bag activation
The severity of impact above the designed
threshold level to one side of the vehicle
(driver or passenger side areas) will cause
the side and curtain air bags on that side
to inflate, but it will not normally deploy
the front air bags.
Limitations to side and curtain air bagactivation
Depending on the severity of impact, the
side and curtain air bags may not inflate in
the following cases:
lFrontal offset impact may not provide
enough side impact to deploy the side
and curtain air bags.
lSide impacts involving trees or poles
can cause severe cosmetic damage but
may not have enough impact force to
activate the side and curtain air bags.
2-60
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda6_8W89-EA-06K_Edition1 Page74
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (127,1)
Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a few
precautions in the first 1,000 km (600
miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of your Mazda.
lDon't race the engine.
lDon't maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
lDon't drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for extended periods
of time.
lAvoid unnecessary hard stops.
lAvoid full-throttle starts.
Money-Saving Suggestions
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save money on
fuel and repairs.
lAvoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
lAvoid fast starts.
lKeep the engine tuned. Follow the
maintenance schedule (page 8-3) and
have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform inspections and servicing.
lUse the air conditioner only when
necessary.
lSlow down on rough roads.
lKeep the tires properly inflated.
lDon't carry unnecessary weight.
lDon't rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
lKeep the wheels in correct alignment.
lKeep windows closed at high speeds.
lSlow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
WARNING
Never stop the engine when goingdown a hill:
Stopping the engine when going down
a hill is dangerous. This causes the
loss of power steering and power
brake control, and may cause damage
to the drivetrain. Any loss of steering
or braking control could cause an
accident.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
4-7
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (247,1)
qSpare Tire
Your Mazda has a temporary spare tire.
The temporary spare is lighter and smaller
than a conventional tire, and is designed
only for emergency use and should be
used only for VERY short periods.
Temporary spares should NEVER be used
for long drives or extended periods.
WARNING
Do not install the temporary spare tireon the front wheels (driving wheels):
Driving with the temporary spare tire
on one of the front driving wheels is
dangerous. Handling will be affected.
You could lose control of the vehicle,
especially on ice or snow bound roads,
and have an accident. Move a regular
tire to the front wheel and install the
temporary spare tire to the rear.
CAUTION
lWhen using the temporary spare tire,
driving stability may decrease
compared to when using only the
conventional tire. Drive carefully.
lTo avoid damage to the temporary
spare or to the vehicle, observe the
following precautions:
lDon't exceed 80 km/h (50 mph).lAvoid driving over obstacles.
Also, don't drive through an
automatic car wash. This tire's
diameter is smaller than a
conventional tire, so the ground
clearance is reduced about 35 mm
(1.4 in).
lDo not use tire chains on any type
of tire, including the spare tire.
lDon't use your temporary spare
on any other vehicle, it has been
designed only for your Mazda.
lUse only one temporary spare tire
on your vehicle at the same time.
To remove the spare tire
(Sedan)
1. Remove the trunk board.
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
7-5
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (248,1)
2. Turn the tire wing bolt
counterclockwise.
(5-Door)
1. For vehicles equipped with a sub-
woofer, uncouple the connector.
Connector
NOTE
Extra strength may be required to
uncouple the connector. Be sure to
squeeze the tab firmly.
If uncoupling is very difficult, remove
the wiring from the groove in the trunk
board. Then, pull the driver's side of the
trunk board up to remove the spare tire.2. Remove the trunk board.
3. For vehicles equipped with a sub-
woofer, loosen the wing bolt and
remove the woofer and spare tire.
Lock washerWing bolt
(Black)
Sub-woofer
For vehicles not equipped with a sub-
woofer, loosen the hold-down bolt and
remove the spare tire.
7-6
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
Mazda6_8W89-EA-06K_Edition1 Page248
Tuesday, November 14 2006 1:24 PM
Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (249,1)
(Sport Wagon)
1. Remove trunk board A and open trunk
board B.
Trunk board B
Trunk board A
2. For vehicles equipped with a cargo
sub-compartment, remove the cargo
sub-compartment.
3. For vehicles equipped with a sub-
woofer, loosen the wing bolt and
remove the woofer and spare tire.
Lock washerWing bolt
(Black)
Sub-woofer
For vehicles not equipped with a sub-
woofer, loosen the hold-down bolt and
remove the spare tire.
NOTE
For vehicles equipped with a sub-
woofer, put the sub-woofer on the left
side of the luggage compartment when
removing the spare tire.
To secure the spare tire
Perform the removal procedure in reverse.
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
7-7
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (255,1)
WARNING
Always securely and correctly tightenthe lug nuts:
Improperly or loosely tightened lug
nuts are dangerous. The wheel could
wobble or come off. This could result
in loss of vehicle control and cause a
serious accident.
Be sure to reinstall the same nuts youremoved or replace them with metricnuts of the same configuration:
Because the wheel studs and lug nuts
on your Mazda have metric threads,
using a non-metric nut is dangerous.
On a metric stud, it would not secure
the wheel and would damage the stud,
which could cause the wheel to slip off
and cause an accident.
5. Store the damaged tire, using the tire
hold-down bolt to hold it in place.
Without sub-woofer
Tire hold-down bolt Tire clamp
With sub-woofer
Lock washerTire hold-down
bolt (Gold)
Sub-woofer
6. Check the inflation pressure. Refer to
the specification charts on page 10-8.
7. Have the flat tire repaired or replaced
as soon as possible.
WARNING
Do not drive with any tires that haveincorrect air pressure:
Driving on tires with incorrect air
pressure is dangerous. Tires with
incorrect pressure could affect
handling and result in an accident.
When you check the regular tires' air
pressure, check the spare tire, too.
NOTE
(5-Door with sub-woofer)
When storing a damaged conventional
tire in the luggage compartment, the
sub-woofer can be stored in its original
position, however, the sub-woofer
connector on the trunk board cannot be
connected.
In Case of an Emergency
Flat Tire
7-13
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K
Black plate (357,1)
NOTE
Tires degrade over time, even when they are not being used on the road. It is
recommended that tires generally be replaced when they are 6 years or older. Heat
caused by hot climates or frequent high loading conditions can accelerate the aging
process. You should replace the spare tire when you replace the other road tires due to
the aging of the spare tire. Regarding the manufacturing week and year is indicated with
4 digit. Refer to The tire labeling on page 9-22.
qSafety Practices
The way you drive has a great deal to do with your tire mileage and safety. So cultivate
good driving habits for your own benefit.
lObserve posted speed limits
lAvoid fast starts, stops and turns
lAvoid potholes and objects on the road
lDo no run over curbs or hit the tire against the curb when parking
CAUTION
If you feel a sudden vibration or ride disturbance while driving or you suspect your tire
or vehicle has been damaged, immediately reduce your speed. Drive with caution until
you can safely pull off the road. Stop and inspect the tire for damage. If the tire is under-
inflated or damaged, deflate it, remove the tire and rim and replace it with your spare
tire. If you cannot detect a cause, have the vehicle towed to the nearest vehicle or tire
dealer to have the vehicle inspected.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Tire Information (U.S.A.)
9-33
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Form No.8W89-EA-06K