Black plate (50,1)
WARNING
Do not allow a child to lean over or
against the side window of a vehicle
with side and curtain air bags:
It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean
over or against the side window, the
area of the front passenger seat, the
front and rear window pillars and the
roof edge along both sides from which
the side and curtain air bags deploy,
even if a child-restraint system is used.
If the vehicle is equipped with side and
curtain air bags, the impact of
inflation could cause serious injury or
death to the child. Furthermore,
leaning over or against the front door
could block the side and curtain air
bags and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. With the
front air bag and the additional side
air bag that comes out of the front
seat, the rear seat is always a better
location for children. Do not allow a
child to lean over or against the side
window, even if the child is seated in a
child-restraint system.
qFront Passenger's Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
1. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the manufacturer's instructions on
the child-restraint system for belt
routing instructions.
3. To get the retractor into the automatic
locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor.
4. Push the child-restraint system firmly
into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat the previous
step and also this one.
2-38
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page50
Monday, March 13 2006 5:5 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (60,1)
WARNING
Do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats:
Placing luggage or other objects under the front seats is dangerous. The side and
curtain air bag wiring could be damaged, and in the event of a side collision, the side
and curtain air bags may not deploy, which could result in death or serious injury. To
prevent damage to the side and curtain air bag wiring, do not place luggage or other
objects under the front seats.
Do not touch the internal components of the air bag modules after the bags have
inflated:
Hot air bag inflators are dangerous. Immediately after inflation, the inflators in the
steering wheel, dashboard, seatbacks, or the front and rear window pillars and along
the roof edge are very hot. You could get burned.
Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar, bull
bar, push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air
bag crash sensor system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate
unexpectedly, or it could prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident. Front
occupants could be seriously injured.
Do not modify the suspension:
Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the
suspension is modified, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision or
roll-over accident resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the
possibility of serious injuries.
Do not use tires or wheels other than those specified for your Mazda:
Use of any tire or wheel other than those specified for your Mazda (page 10-6) is
dangerous. Use of such wheels will prevent the vehicle's accident detections system
from accurately detecting a collision or roll-over accident resulting in incorrect or
unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious injuries.
Do not overload your vehicle:
Overloading your vehicle is dangerous as is could prevent the air bag crash sensor
system from accurately detecting a collision or roll-over accident resulting in incorrect
or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious injuries. The gross
axle weight rating (GAWR) and the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for your
vehicle are on the Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Label on the driver's door frame. Do
not exceed these ratings.
2-48
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page60
Monday, March 13 2006 5:5 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (141,1)
Before Getting In
lBe sure the windows, outside mirrors,
and outside lights are clean.
lInspect inflation pressures and
condition of tires.
lLook under the vehicle for any sign of
a leak.
lIf you plan to back up, make sure
nothing is in your way.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid,
washer fluid, and other fluid levels
should be inspected. See Maintenance,
Section 8.
After Getting In
lAre all doors closed and locked?
lIs the seat adjusted properly?
lAre the inside and outside mirrors
adjusted?
lIs everyone's seat belt fastened?
lCheck all gauges.
lCheck all warning lights when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position.
lRelease the parking brake and make
sure the brake warning light goes off.
Always be thoroughly familiar with your
Mazda.
Before Driving Your Mazda
Before Starting the Engine
4-5
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page141
Monday, March 13 2006 5:6 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (142,1)
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.
lDon't tow a trailer.
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 going
down 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.
4-6
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page142
Monday, March 13 2006 5:6 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (144,1)
Rocking the Vehicle
WARNING
Do not spin the wheels at more than
56 km/h (35 mph), and do not allow
anyone to stand behind a wheel when
pushing the vehicle:
When the vehicle is stuck, spinning
the wheels at high speed is dangerous.
The spinning tire could overheat and
explode. This could cause serious
injuries.
CAUTION
Too much rocking may cause engine
overheating, transaxle failure, and tire
damage.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand or mud, depress the
accelerator slightly and slowly move the
shift lever from D to R.
Winter Driving
lCarry emergency gear, including tire
chains, window scraper, flares, a small
shovel, jumper cables, and a small bag
of sand or salt.
Ask an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
perform the following precautions:
lHave the proper ratio of antifreeze in
the radiator.
Refer to Engine Coolant on page 8-14.
lInspect the battery and its cables. Cold
reduces battery capacity.
lInspect the ignition system for damage
and loose connections.
lUse washer fluid made with
antifreeze―but don't use engine
coolant antifreeze for washer fluid
(page 8-20).
lDon't use the parking brake in freezing
weather as the parking brake may
freeze. Instead, shift to P and block the
rear wheels.
qSnow Tires
Use snow tires on all four wheels
Don't go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Inflate
snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2, 4.3 psi)
more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver's door frame), but
never more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires.
4-8
Before Driving Your Mazda
Driving Tips
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page144
Monday, March 13 2006 5:6 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (152,1)
WARNING
Always make sure the trailer hitch is securely attached before departure:
An unsecured trailer hitch is dangerous as it causes greater trailer sway from
crosswinds, rough roads or other causes, resulting in loss of control and a serious
accident.
Examine all trailer-hitch mounting bolts regularly and tighten any that are loose. If
the hitch is removed, seal any open mounting holes to prevent exhaust, dust, water,
dirt and other foreign elements from filtering in, possibly endangering personal safety
and damaging your vehicle.
Do not install a hitch that stiffens the bumper as it will reduce the bumper's
performance.
Make sure there are no exhaust gas leaks into the passenger compartment if any
mounting bolts are connected to the body:
Modifying your vehicle exhaust system is dangerous. Exhaust gas entering the vehicle
could cause loss of consciousness or even death.
When mounting the trailer hitch, make no modifications to the vehicle exhaust system.
CAUTION
lMake all hitch adjustments with actual loads. Don't load and unload vehicle while
adjusting hitch. This action will change the vehicle height.
lDon't use an axle-mounted hitch. This may damage the axle and related parts.
qTires
When towing a trailer, make sure all tires are inflated to the recommended cold-tire
pressure, as indicated on the tire pressure chart on the driver's door frame. Trailer tire size,
load rating, and inflation pressures should conform to tire manufacturer specifications.
WARNING
Never use the temporary spare tire when towing:
Using the temporary spare tire on your vehicle when towing a trailer is dangerous as it
could result in tire failure, loss of control, and injury to vehicle occupants.
4-16
Before Driving Your Mazda
Towing
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page152
Monday, March 13 2006 5:6 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (173,1)
qAWD Warning Light
This warning light stays on for a few
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the ON position.
Thereafter, the warning light will
illuminate or flash under the following
conditions:
lIlluminates when there is an
abnormality with the AWD system.
lFlashes when the differential oil
temperature is abnormally high.
lFlashes when there are continually
large differences between front and rear
wheel rotation, such as when trying to
pull away from an icy surface.
If the AWD warning light illuminates:
If the AWD warning light illuminates,
contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
If the AWD warning light flashes:
Park the vehicle in a safe place. After a
few moments; if the warning light stops
flashing, you can resume driving. If the
light does not stop flashing, contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
WARNING
Never spin a wheel that is off the
ground:
Spinning a wheel that is off the
ground as a result of the vehicle being
stuck or in a ditch is dangerous. The
drive assembly could be seriously
damaged which could lead to an
accident or could even lead to
overheating, oil leakage, and a fire.
qTires and Tire Chains
The condition of the tires plays a large
role in the performance of the vehicle.
Moreover, to prevent adverse effects to
the drive assembly, please note the
following:
Tires
lWhen replacing tires, always replace
all front and rear tires at the same time.
lAll tires must be of the same size,
manufacture, brand and tread pattern.
Pay particular attention when
equipping snow or other types of
winter tires.
lDo not mix tread-worn tires with
normal tires.
lInspect tire inflation pressures at the
specified periods and adjust to the
specified pressures.
NOTE
Check the tire inflation pressure label
attached to driver's door frame for the
correct tire inflation pressure.
Driving Your Mazda
Starting and Driving
5-17
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page173
Monday, March 13 2006 5:6 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B
Black plate (182,1)
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System
í
The tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) monitors the pressure for each
tire.
If tire pressure is too low in one or more
tires, the system will inform the driver via
the warning light in the instrument panel
and by the warning beep sound.
The tire pressure sensors installed on each
wheel send tire pressure data by radio
signal to the receiver unit in the vehicle.
Tire pressure sensors
NOTE
When the ambient temperature is low
due to seasonal changes, tire
temperatures are also lower. If the tire
temperature lowers, the air pressure
lowers as well, and the TPMS warning
light illuminates more frequently.
Inspect the tire pressure dailybefore
driving, and check the tire pressures
monthly with a tire pressure gauge.
When checking the tire pressures, use
of a digital tire pressure gauge is
recommended.TPMS does not alleviate your need to
check the pressure and condition of all
four tires before you drive each day.
CAUTION
lEach tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
that illuminates a low tire pressure
telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping
ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
5-26
Driving Your Mazda
íSome models.
Starting and Driving
CX-7_8V28-EA-06B_Edition2 Page182
Monday, March 13 2006 5:6 PM
Form No.8V28-EA-06B