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How the SRS Air Bags Work
Your Mazda is equipped with the following types of SRS air bags. SRS air bags are
designed to work together with the seat belts to help to reduce injuries during an accident.
The SRS air bags are designed to provide further protection for passengers in addition to
the seat belt functions. Be sure to wear seat belts properly.
qFront Seat Belt Pretensioners
The front seat belt pretensioners are designed to deploy in moderate or severe frontal, near
frontal collisions or roll-over accidents.
qDriver Air Bag
The driver air bag is mounted in the steering wheels.
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, the
driver's air bag inflates quickly helping to reduce injury mainly to the driver's head or chest
caused by directly hitting the steering wheel.
The driver, dual stage air bag controls air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity the driver air bag deploys with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, it deploys with more energy.
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SRS Air Bags
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qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light
If the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system is normal, the warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position or after the engine is cranked. For a
specified period of time it goes out.
A system malfunction is indicated when the warning light constantly flashes, constantly
illuminates or doesn't illuminate at all when the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position. If any of these occur, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
The system may not work in an accident.
WARNING
Never tamper with the air bag/pretensioner systems and always have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer perform all servicing and repairs:
Self-servicing or tampering with the systems is dangerous. An air bag/pretensioner
could accidentally activate or become disabled causing serious injury or death.
qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Beep
If a malfunction is detected in both the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system and the
warning light, a warning beep sound will be heard for about 1 minute. After that, the one-
minute beep will be repeated every 30 minutes.
Have your vehicle inspected at an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning
beep sounding:
Driving the vehicle with the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning beep
sounding is dangerous. In a collision, the air bags and the front seat belt pretensioner
system will not deploy and this could result in death or serious injury.
Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the vehicle inspected as soon as possible.
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SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria
This chart indicates the applicable SRS equipment that will deploy depending on the type of collision.
(The illustrations are the representative case of collisions.)
SRS
equipmentTypes of collision
A severe frontal/near frontal
collisionA severe side
collisionA roll-over/near
roll-overA rear collision
Front seat
belt
pretensionerX*(both sides) X*(both sides)
No air bag and front
seat belt
pretensioner will be
activated in a rear
collision. Driver air
bagX
Front
passenger air
bagX
*
Side air bagX*(impact side only)
Curtain air
bagX (impact side only) X (both sides)
X: The SRS air bag equipment is designed to deploy in a collision.
*: The front passenger front and side air bags and the seat belt pretensioner are designed to deploy depending on
the condition of the total seated weight on the front passenger seat.
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Limitations to roll-over detection:
The following illustrations are examples of accidents that may not be detected as a roll-
over accident. Therefore, the front seat belt pretensioners and curtain air bags may not
deploy.
Pitch end over end
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Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification System
First, please read“Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions”(page 2-45)
carefully.
qDriver Seat Slide Position Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a driver seat slide position sensor as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. The sensor is located under the driver seat. The sensor
determines whether the driver seat is fore or aft of a reference position and sends the seat
position to the diagnostic module (SAS unit). The sensor is also designed to control the
deployment of the driver air bag depending on how close the driver seat is to the steering
wheel.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes if the sensor has a
possible malfunction (page 2-54)(Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning
Light).
qFront Passenger Seat Weight Sensors
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger seat weight sensors as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. These sensors are located under both of the front passenger
seat rails. These sensors determine the total seated weight on the front passenger seat. The
sensors are also designed to prevent the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system from deploying if the total seated weight is less than approximately 30
kg (66 lb).
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the seat belt
pretensioner system when:
lThere is no passenger in the front passenger seat. (The front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not illuminate.)
lThe total seated weight on the front passenger seat is less than approximately 30 kg (66
lb). (The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.)
This system shuts off the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner
system, so make sure the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
according to the following table.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes and the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates if the sensors have a possible
malfunction. If this happens, the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system will not deploy.
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Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light illuminates to remind you that the front passenger front and side air
bags and seat belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
If the front passenger weight sensors are normal, the indicator light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position. For a specified of time it goes out.
The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates or is off under the following conditions:
Total seated weight on the
front passenger seatFront passenger air bag
deactivation indicator lightFront passenger front and
side air bagsFront passenger seat
belt pretensioner
system
Empty (Not occupied)
*OFF Deactivated Deactivated
Less than approx. 30 kg
(66 lb)ON Deactivated Deactivated
Approx. 42 kg (93 lb) or
moreOFF Ready Ready
* If the front passenger seat belt is buckled, the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates,
however this does not indicate a malfunction.
Curtain air bag is ready for inflating despite the chart above.
If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position and does not illuminate as indicated in the
above chart, do not allow a child to sit in the front passenger seat and consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. The system may not work properly in an
accident.
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WARNING
Do not decrease the total seated weight on the front passenger seat:
When an adult or large child sits on the front passenger seat, decreasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated weight of
approximately 42 kg (93 lb) required for air bag deployment is dangerous. The front
passenger seat weight sensors will detect the reduced total seated weight condition and
the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system will not
deploy during an accident. The front passenger will not have the supplementary
protection of the air bag, which could result in serious injury. Decreasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated weight of
approximately 42 kg (93 lb) could result in an air bag not deploying under the
following conditions, for example:
lA rear passenger pushes up on the front passenger seat with the feet.lLuggage or other items placed under the front passenger seat or between the front
passenger seat and driver seat that push up the front passenger seat bottom.
lThe front passenger seat occupant sits in a manner that does not place the entire
weight of the occupant on the seat such as by sitting too close to the door, grasping
the assist grip or the rim of the moonroof and sitting with the seatback reclined too
far.
lAny accessories which might decrease the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner systems will
deactivate if the total seated weight on the front passenger seat is close to 30 kg (66 lb)
and they will reactivate before the weight exceeds 42 kg (93 lb).
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WARNING
Do not increase the total seated weight on the front passenger seat:
When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, increasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated weight of
approximately 30 kg (66 lb) is dangerous. The front passenger seat weight sensors will
detect the increased total seated weight, which could result in the unexpected
deployment of the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner
system in an accident and may cause serious injury. Increasing the total seated weight
on the front passenger seat beyond the total seated weight of approximately 30 kg (66
lb) could result in the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system deployment in an accident under the following conditions, for
example:
lLuggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
lA rear passenger or luggage push or pull down on the front passenger seatback.lA rear passenger steps on the front passenger seat rails with the feet.lLuggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.lThe seat is washed.lLiquids are spilled on the seat.lThe front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
lThe front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.lLuggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.lAny accessories which might increase the total seated weight on the front passenger
seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner systems will
deactivate if the total seated weight on the front passenger seat is close to 30 kg (66 lb)
and they will reactivate before the weight exceeds 42 kg (93 lb).
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