2008 MAZDA MODEL B-SERIES Owners Manual (in English)

Driver’s seat position sensor
The driver’s seat position sensor allows your Personal Safety System™ to
tailor the deployment level of the driver dual-stage airbag based on seat
position. The system is designed to help protect smaller drivers sitting
close to the driver airbag by providing a lower airbag output level.
Front passenger sensing system
For airbags to do their job they must inflate with great force, and this
force can pose a potentially deadly risk to occupants that are very close
to the airbag when it begins to inflate. For some occupants, like infants
in rear-facing child seats, this occurs because they are initially sitting
very close to the airbag. For other occupants, this occurs when the
occupant is not properly restrained by seat belts or child safety seats and
they move forward during pre-crash braking. The most effective way to
reduce the risk of unnecessary injuries is to make sure all occupants are
properly restrained. Accident statistics suggest that children are much
safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the
front.
WARNING: Air bags can kill or injure a child in a child seat.
NEVER place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active air
bag. If you must use a forward-facing child seat in the front
seat, move the seat all the way back.
WARNING: Always transport children 12 years old and under
in the back seat and always properly use appropriate child
restraints.
The front passenger sensing system can automatically turn off the
passenger front airbag when a rear facing child seat, a forward-facing
child restraint, or a booster seat is detected. Even with this technology,
parents areSTRONGLYencouraged to always properly restrain children
in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the airbag when the passenger
seat is empty to prevent unnecessary replacement of the airbag(s) after
a collision.
When the front passenger seat is occupied and the sensing system has
turned off the passenger’s frontal airbag, the “pass airbag off” indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal
airbag is off. SeeFront passenger sensing systemin theAirbag
supplemental restraint system (SRS)section of this chapter.
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Front seat belt usage sensors
The front seat belt usage sensors detect whether or not the driver and
front outboard passenger seat belts are fastened. This information allows
your Personal Safety System™ to tailor the airbag deployment and seat
belt pretensioner activation depending upon seat belt usage. Refer to
Seat belt usage sensorslater in this chapter.
Front outboard seat belt pretensioners
The seat belt pretensioners at the front outboard seating positions are
designed to tighten the seat belts firmly against the occupant’s body
during frontal collisions. This helps increase the effectiveness of the seat
belts. In frontal collisions, the seat belt pretensioners can be activated
alone or, if the collision is of sufficient severity, together with the front
airbags.
Front outboard seat belt energy management retractors
The front seat belt energy management retractors allow webbing to be
pulled out of the retractor in a gradual and controlled manner in
response to the occupant’s forward momentum. This helps reduce the
risk of force-related injuries to the occupant’s chest by limiting the load
on the occupant. Refer toEnergy management retractorssection in
this chapter.
Determining if the Personal Safety System™ is operational
The Personal Safety System™ uses a warning light in the instrument
cluster or a back-up tone to indicate the condition of the system. Refer
to theWarning lights and chimessection in theInstrument Cluster
chapter. Routine maintenance of the Personal Safety System™ is not
required.
The Restraints Control Module (RCM) monitors its own internal circuits
and the circuits for the airbag supplemental restraints, crash sensor(s),
seat belt pretensioners, front seat belt buckle sensors, front passenger
sensing system, and the driver seat position sensor. In addition, the RCM
also monitors the restraints warning light in the instrument cluster. A
difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following.
•The warning light will either flash or stay lit.
•The warning light will not illuminate immediately after ignition is
turned on.
•A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat
periodically until the problem and warning light are repaired.
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If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the Personal
Safety System™ serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless
serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a
collision.
Safety restraints precautions
WARNING: Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of injury, make sure children sit
where they can be properly restrained.
WARNING: Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the
child from injury in a collision.
WARNING: Never adjust the driver’s seat or seatback when the
vehicles is moving. Adjusting the driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving is dangerous. The driver could lose control of the
vehicle and have an accident. Adjust the driver’s seat only when
the vehicle is stopped.
WARNING: It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people riding in
these areas are more likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do
not allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle that is not
equipped with seats and seat belts. Be sure everyone in your
vehicle is in a seat and using a seat belt properly.
WARNING: In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat
belt.
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WARNING: Each seating position in your vehicle has a specific
seat belt assembly which is made up of one buckle and one
tongue that are designed to be used as a pair. 1) Use the
shoulder belt on the outside shoulder only. Never wear the
shoulder belt under the arm. 2) Never swing the seat belt
around your neck over the inside shoulder. 3) Never use a
single belt for more than one person.
WARNING: On Cab Plus 4 vehicles, do not open the rear door
when the rear seat belt is still buckled.
Combination lap and shoulder belts
1. Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle (the buckle
closest to the direction the
tongue is coming from) until
you hear a snap and feel it
latch. Make sure the tongue is
securely fastened in the buckle.
2. To unfasten, push the release
button and remove the tongue
from the buckle.
Adjusting the center and rear center facing jump seat lap belts
The lap belt does not adjust automatically.
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WARNING: The lap belts should fit snugly and as low as
possible around the hips, not around the waist. Failure to
position the lap belt correctly may cause serious injury in an
accident.
Insert the tongue into the correct
buckle (the buckle closest to the
direction the tongue is coming
from). To lengthen the belt, turn the
tongue at a right angle to the belt
and pull across your lap until it
reaches the buckle.
To tighten the belt, pull the loose
end of the belt through the tongue
until it fits snugly across the hips.
Shorten and fasten the belt
when not in use to keep the belt
away from door openings and
available after unfolding the
seats.
For the rear jump seat, shorten and
fold the belt into the seat when not
in use.
Energy Management Feature
•This vehicle has a seat belt system with an energy management
feature at the front outboard seating positions to help further reduce
the risk of injury in the event of a head-on collision.
•This energy management system has a retractor assembly that is
designed to pay out webbing in a controlled manner. This feature is
designed to help reduce the belt force acting on the occupant’s chest.
The front outboard safety restraints in the vehicle are combination lap
and shoulder belts. The front passenger outboard seat belt has two types
of locking modes described below:
Vehicle sensitive mode
This is the normal retractor mode, which allows free shoulder belt length
adjustment to your movements and locking in response to vehicle
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movement. For example, if the driver brakes suddenly or turns a corner
sharply, or the vehicle receives an impact of approximately 5 mph
(8 km/h) or more, the combination seat belts will lock to help reduce
forward movement of the driver and passengers.
Automatic locking mode (outboard front passenger seating
position only) for use with child safety seats
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-locked. The belt will
still retract to remove any slack in the shoulder belt.
The automatic locking mode is not available on the driver seat belt.
When to use the automatic locking mode
•Any timea child safety seat is installed in a passenger front seat.
Refer toSafety Restraints for ChildrenorSafety Seats for Children
later in this chapter.
How to use the automatic locking mode (Outboard front passenger
seating position only) for use with child safety seats
•Buckle the combination lap and
shoulder belt.
•Grasp the shoulder portion and
pull downward until the entire
belt is pulled out.
•Allow the belt to retract. As the belt retracts, you will hear a clicking
sound. This indicates the seat belt is now in the automatic locking
mode.
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Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
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How to disengage the automatic locking mode
Disconnect the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow it to retract
completely to disengage the automatic locking mode and activate the
vehicle sensitive (emergency) locking mode.
WARNING: After any vehicle collision, the entire seat belt
system should be checked for proper operation by an authorized
dealer. Verify that theautomatic locking retractors” in all
outboard seating positions are functioning properly.
Additionally check that theautomatic locking modefeature
for child safety seat in the passenger outboard seating position
is functioning properly.
WARNING: BELT AND RETRACTOR ASSEMBLY MUST BE
REPLACED if the seat belt assembly “automatic locking
retractor” feature or any other seat belt function is not
operating properly when checked according to the procedures in
Workshop Manual.
WARNING: Failure to replace the Belt and Retractor assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Seat belt pretensioner
Your vehicle is equipped with seat belt pretensioners at the driver and
front outboard passenger seating positions.
The seat belt pretensioner is a device which removes excess webbing
from the seat belt system. The seat belt pretensioner uses the same
crash sensor system as the front airbag supplemental restraint system
(SRS). When the seat belt pretensioner deploys, webbing from the lap
and shoulder belt is tightened. Refer to theSeat belt maintenance
section in this chapter.
WARNING: The driver and front passenger seat belt system
(including retractors, buckles and height adjusters) must be
replaced if the vehicle is involved in a collision that results in
deployment of front airbags and seat belt pretensioners.
Front seat belt height adjustment
Your vehicle has seat belt height adjustments for the driver and front
passenger. Adjust the height of the shoulder belt so the belt rests across
the middle of your shoulder.
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•Regular Cab and four–door Cab
Plus 4
To lower the shoulder belt height, push the button and slide the height
adjuster down. To raise the height of the shoulder belt, slide the height
adjuster up. Pull down on the height adjuster to make sure it is locked in
place.
WARNING: Position the seat belt height adjusters so that the
belt rests across the middle of your shoulder. Failure to adjust
the seat belt properly could reduce the effectiveness of the seat
belt and increase the risk of injury in a collision.
Seat belt extension assembly
If the seat belt is too short when fully extended, a 9 inch (23 cm) or
12 inch (31 cm) seat belt extension assembly can be added (part
numbers 611C22–A and 611C22–B respectively). Seat belt extension
assemblies can be obtained from your authorized Mazda dealership.
Use only extensions manufactured by the same supplier as the seat belt.
Manufacturer identification is located at the end of the webbing on the
label. Also, use the seat belt extension only if the seat belt is too short
for you when fully extended.
When you are not using the extensions store them in another location so
that no one will accidentally use them.
NOTE:Do not use extensions to change the fit of the shoulder belt
across the torso.
Seat belt maintenance
Inspect the seat belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.
NOTE:If unsure about the proper procedures, bring your vehicle to an
authorized Mazda dealership for inspection. Inspect the seat belts to
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