Black plate (47,1)
5. Make sure the front passenger air bagdeactivation indicator light illuminates
after installing a child-restraint system
on the front passenger seat.
Refer to Front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light on page
2-46.WARNING
Do not seat a child in a child-restraint
system on the front passenger seat if
the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not
illuminated:
While it is always better to install any
child-restraint system on the rear
seat, it is imperative that a child-
restraint system ONLYbe used on the
front passenger seat if the
deactivation indicator light
illuminates when the child is seated
in the child-restraint system (page
2-46). Seating a child in a child-
restraint system installed on the front
passenger seat with the front
passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light not illuminated is
dangerous. If this indicator light does
not illuminate even when the total
seated weight is less than
approximately 30 kg (66 lb), this
means that the front passenger front
and side air bags, and seat belt
pretensioner are ready for
deployment. If an accident were to
deploy an air bag, a child in a child-
restraint system sitting in the front
passenger seat could be seriously
injured or killed. If the indicator light
does not illuminate after seating a
child in a child-restraint system on
the front passenger seat, seat a child
in a child-restraint system on the rear
seat and consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Form No.8X53-EA-07I
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LATCH Child-Restraint Systems
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems in the rear seats. Both anchors must be used, otherwise the
seat will bounce around and put the child in danger. Most LATCH child-restraint systems
must also be used in conjunction with a tether to be effective. If they have a tether you
must use it to better assure your child's safety.
WARNING
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the use of the child-restraint system:An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make
sure the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-
restraint system manufacturer's instructions.
Never attach two child-restraint systems to the same LATCH lower anchor: Attaching two child-restraint systems to the same LATCH lower anchor is dangerous.
In a collision, one anchor may not be strong enough to hold two child-restraint
system attachments, and it may break, causing serious injury or death. If you use the
seat position for another child-restraint system when an outboard LATCH position is
occupied, use the center seat belts instead, and the tether if tether-equipped.
Make sure the child-restraint system is properly secured: An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Follow
the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions on belt routing to secure the
seat just as you would with a child in it so that nobody is tempted to put a child in
an improperly secured seat later on. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or
fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors for LATCH
child-restraint systems.
Make sure there are no seat belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH child-
restraint system: Not following the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions when installing
the child-restraint system is dangerous. If seat belts or a foreign object prevent the
child-restraint system from being securely attached to the LATCH lower anchors and
the child-restraint system is installed improperly, the child-restraint system could
move in a sudden stop or collision causing serious injury or death to the child or
other occupants. When installing the child-restraint system, make sure there are no
seat belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH lower anchors. Always follow
the child-restraint system manufacturer's instructions.
2-36
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Form No.8X53-EA-07I
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Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 6 air bags.Please
verify which kinds of air bags are equipped on your vehicle by locating the “SRS
AIRBAG ”location indicators. These indicators are visible in the area where the air bags
are installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hub (driver air bag)lThe front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)lThe outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags)í
lThe front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags)í
These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered; if
you have side and curtain air bags, the side and curtain air bags are not likely to deploy on
both sides in the same accident because a vehicle is not often hit from both sides. The side
and curtain air bags and the frontal air bag system will not normally deploy during the
same type of accident unless a combination of frontal and side impacts occur.
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection
only in the front seats in certain situations and the rear outside passenger positions only in
same-side collisions, so seat belts are always important in the following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
lKeep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.lReduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
lReduce the possibility of injuries in frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough
to activate the air bags.
lReduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.lReduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
lHold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
Children should be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every state
and province. In certain states and provinces, laws vary on the size a child must be to use a
child-restraint system (page 2-26).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-39íSome models.
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Form No.8X53-EA-07I
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WARNING
Seat belts must be worn in air bag equipped vehicles:Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous.
Alone, air bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can be
expected to inflate only in the first collision with frontal, near frontal or side forces
that are at least moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.
Children should not ride in the front passenger seat: Placing a child, 12 years or under, in the front seat is dangerous. The child could be
hit by a deploying air bag and be seriously injured or even killed. A sleeping child is
more likely to lean against the door and be hit by the side air bag in a moderate,
right-side collision. Whenever possible, always secure a child 12 years and under on
the rear seats with an appropriate child-restraint system for the child's age and size.
Never use a rear-facing child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that
could deploy: Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous even
though you may feel assured that a front passenger air bag will not deploy based on
the fact that the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
The child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child.
Do not sit too close to the driver and front passenger air bags:Sitting too close to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing hands
or feet on them is extremely dangerous. The driver and front passenger air bags
inflate with great force and speed. Serious injuries could occur if someone is too
close. The driver should always hold onto only the rim of the steering wheel. The
front seat passenger should keep both feet on the floor. Front seat occupants should
adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the
seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
2-40
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Form No.8X53-EA-07I
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Sit in the center of the seat and wear seat belts properly:Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely
dangerous. The side air bags inflate with great force and speed directly out of the
outboard side of the front seat and expand along the front door on the side the car is
hit. Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning
against a window, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks.
Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the windows in the vehicle
could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. Give the side and curtain air bags room to work by sitting
in the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and front passenger air
bags deploy: Attaching an object to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing
something in front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere
with air bag inflation and injure the occupants.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys: Attaching objects to a front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the
seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side
air bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or backpacks with side straps on the front
seats. Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag modules
in your front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a curtain air bag deploys: Attaching objects to the areas where the curtain air bag deploys such as on the
windshield glass, side door glass, front and rear window pillars, and along the roof
edge and assist grips is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the
curtain air bag, which inflates from the front and rear window pillars and along the
roof edge, impeding the added protection of the curtain air bag system or redirecting
the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open
spewing exhaust.
Do not place hangers or any other objects on the assist grips. When hanging clothes,
hang them on the coat hook directly. Always keep the curtain air bag modules free
to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated: Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated is dangerous. Immediately after inflation, they are very hot. You could
get burned.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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qFront Air Bag System Components
(8)
(5)
(7)
(6)
(5) (4)(3)(2)
(1)
(9) (10)
(1) Front dual stage inflators and air bags
(2) Front air bag sensor
(3) Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-46)
(4) Crash sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
(5) Front seat belt pretensioner and load limiting systems (page 2-20)
(6) Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-46)
(7) Front passenger seat weight sensor control module
(8) Driver and front passenger seat belt buckle switches (page 2-46)
(9) Driver seat slide position sensor (page 2-46)
(10) Front seats
2-44
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SRS Air Bags
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qSide and Curtain Air Bag System Components
(1)
(3)
(4) (2)
(5)
(2)
(4)
(1) Air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light (page 2-54)
(2) Side and curtain inflators and air bags
(3) Front seats
(4) Side crash sensor
(5) Crash sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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How the Air Bags Work
qHow the Front Air Bags Work
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, an
electrical current is sent to the inflators.
Gases are produced to inflate the front air bags and after the inflation, the front air bags
quickly deflate.
The front air bags will function only once. After that, the front air bags will not work
again and must be replaced.
Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can replace the system components.
The front, dual stage air bags control air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity the front air bags deploy with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, they deploy with more energy. Deployment of the front air bags may
differ between the driver and the front passenger depending on the driver seat position,
front passenger weight and front seat belt usage, all of which provide data from each sensor
to the air bag system.
The front air bags will deploy only
in a frontal or frontal offset impact.
Driver 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 SAS unit 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).
2-46
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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