Adjusting the front power seat (if equipped)WARNING: Never adjust the driver’s seat or seatback when the
vehicle is moving. You could move out of position to control the
vehicle. Then a serious accident could occur. Sudden braking or
a collision could cause serious injury. Adjust the seat only when
the vehicle is stopped.
WARNING: Do not pile cargo higher than the seatbacks to
reduce the risk of injuring people in a collision or sudden stop.
WARNING: Always drive and ride with your seatback upright
and the lap belt snug and low across the hips and the shoulder
belt snug across the chest.
WARNING: Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is
moving is dangerous because you don’t get the full protection
from seat belts. During sudden braking or a collision, you can
slide under the lap belt and suffer serious internal injury, or in
a rear end collision you could fly up and out of the vehicle. For
maximum protection, sit well back and upright.
WARNING: Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat
back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the passenger sensing system,
resulting in serious injury or death in a crash. Always sit
upright against your seatback, with your feet on the floor.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of possible serious injury: Do
not hang objects off seat back or stow objects in the seatback
map pocket (if equipped) when a child is in the front passenger
seat. Do not place objects underneath the front passenger seat
or between the seat and the center console (if equipped).
Check the “passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator
lamp for proper airbag status. Refer to Front passenger
sensing system section for additional details. Failure to follow
these instructions may interfere with the front passenger seat
sensing system.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
99
WARNING: If the airbag has deployed, the airbag will not
function again and must be replaced immediately. If the airbag
is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of
injury in a collision.
Front passenger sensing system
The front passenger sensing system is designed to meet the regulatory
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208
and is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger’s frontal
airbag under certain conditions.
The front passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of
the front passenger’s seat and seat belt. The sensors are designed to
detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the
front passenger’s frontal airbag should be enabled (may inflate) or
disabled (will not inflate).
The front passenger sensing system will disable (will not inflate) the
front passenger’s frontal airbag if:
• the front passenger seat is unoccupied, or has small/medium objects in
the front seat,
• the system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant
seat that is installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions,
• the system determines that a small child is present in a forward-facing
child restraint that is installed according to the manufacturer’s
instructions,
• the system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat,
• a front passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of
time,
For side airbag equipped vehicles, the front passenger sensing system
will turn off the passenger seat side airbag if:
• the seat is empty and seat belt is unbuckled.
• a child or a small person occupies the front passenger seat and the
child or small person is unbuckled.
The front passenger sensing system
uses a passenger airbag off or
pass airbag off indicator which will
illuminate and stay lit to remind you
that the front passenger frontal airbag is off. The indicator lamp is
located in the center stack of the instrument panel just above the air
vents.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
124
OccupantPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Empty seat Unlit Disabled
Small child in child
safety seat or booster Lit Disabled
Small child with seat
belt buckled or
unbuckled Lit Disabled
Adult Unlit Enabled WARNING: Even with Advanced Restraints Systems, children
12 and under should be properly restrained in the back seat.
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seat belts, it’s
very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated
occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat back, and centered on the
seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting
improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For
example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward,
leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of
injury during a crash is greatly increased. WARNING: Sitting improperly out of position or with the seat
back reclined too far can take off weight from the seat cushion
and affect the decision of the front passenger sensing system,
resulting in serious injury or death in a crash.
Always sit upright against your seatback, with your feet on the
floor.
The front passenger sensing system may detect small or medium objects
placed on the seat cushion. For most objects that are in the front
passenger seat, the passenger airbag will be disabled. Even though the
passenger airbag is disabled, the pass airbag offlamp may or may not
be illuminated according to the table below.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
126
ObjectsPass Airbag Off
Indicator LampPassenger Airbag
Small (i.e. 3 ring
binder, small purse,
bottled water) Unlit Disabled
Medium (i.e. heavy
briefcase, fully packed
luggage) Lit Disabled
Empty seat, or small
to medium object with
seat belt buckled Lit Disabled
If you think that the status of the passenger airbag off indicator lamp is
incorrect, check for the following:
• Objects lodged underneath the seat
• Objects between the seat cushion and the center console (if
equipped)
• Objects hanging off the seat back
• Objects stowed in the seatback map pocket (if equipped)
• Objects placed on the occupant’s lap
• Cargo interference with the seat
• Other passengers pushing or pulling on the seat
• Rear passenger feet and knees resting or pushing on the seat
The conditions listed above may cause the weight of a properly seated
occupant to be incorrectly interpreted by the front passenger sensing
system. The person in the front passenger seat may appear heavier or
lighter due to the conditions described in the list above.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of possible serious injury:
Do not stow heavy objects in seat back map pocket (if
equipped) or hang objects off seat back if a child is in the front
passenger seat.
Do not place objects underneath the front passenger seat or
between the seat and the center console (if equipped).
Check the “passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator
lamp for proper airbag Status.
Failure to follow these instructions may interfere with the front
passenger seat sensing system.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
127
WARNING: Never use pillows, books, or towels to boost a
child. They can slide around and increase the likelihood of
injury or death in a collision.
SAFETY SEATS FOR CHILDREN
Child and infant or child safety seats
Use a safety seat that is recommended for the size and weight of the
child. Carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions with the
safety seat you put in your vehicle. If you do not install and use the
safety seat properly, the child may be injured in a sudden stop or
collision.
When installing a child safety seat:
• Review and follow the information
presented in the airbag
supplemental restraint system
(SRS) section in this chapter.
• Use the correct seat belt buckle
for that seating position (the
buckle closest to the direction the
tongue is coming from).
• Insert the belt tongue into the
proper buckle until you hear a
snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the
buckle.
• Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety
seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.
• Place seat back in upright position.
• Put the seat belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to Automatic
locking mode (passenger side front and outboard rear seating
positions) (if equipped) section in this chapter.
• LATCH lower anchors are recommended for use by children up to
48 lb. (22 kg) in a child restraint. Top tether anchors can be used for
children up to 60 lb. (27 kg) in a child restraint, and to provide upper
torso restraint for children up to 80 lb. (36 kg) using an upper torso
harness and a belt-positioning booster.
Mazda recommends the use of a child safety seat having a top tether
strap. Install the child safety seat in a seating position with LATCH and
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
139
Glossary of tire terminology
•Tire label: A label showing the OE (Original Equipment) tire sizes,
recommended inflation pressure and the maximum weight the vehicle
can carry.
• Tire Identification Number (TIN): A number on the sidewall of
each tire providing information about the tire brand and
manufacturing plant, tire size and date of manufacture. Also referred
to as DOT code.
• Inflation pressure: A measure of the amount of air in a tire.
• Standard load: A class of P-metric or Metric tires designed to carry a
maximum load at 35 psi [37 psi (2.5 bar) for Metric tires]. Increasing
the inflation pressure beyond this pressure will not increase the tire’s
load carrying capability.
• Extra load: A class of P-metric or Metric tires designed to carry a
heavier maximum load at 41 psi [43 psi (2.9 bar) for Metric tires].
Increasing the inflation pressure beyond this pressure will not increase
the tire’s load carrying capability.
• kPa: Kilopascal, a metric unit of air pressure.
• PSI: Pounds per square inch, a standard unit of air pressure.
• Cold inflation pressure: The tire pressure when the vehicle has
been stationary and out of direct sunlight for an hour or more and
prior to the vehicle being driven for 1 mile (1.6 km).
• Recommended inflation pressure: The cold inflation pressure found
on the Safety Compliance Certification Label or Tire Label located on
the B-Pillar or the edge of the driver’s door.
• B-pillar: The structural member at the side of the vehicle behind the
front door.
• Bead area of the tire: Area of the tire next to the rim.
• Sidewall of the tire: Area between the bead area and the tread.
• Tread area of the tire: Area of the perimeter of the tire that
contacts the road when mounted on the vehicle.
• Rim: The metal support (wheel) for a tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are seated.
INFLATING YOUR TIRES
Safe operation of your vehicle requires that your tires are properly
inflated. Remember that a tire can lose up to half of its air pressure
without appearing flat.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
151
Information on “P” type tires
P215/65R15 95H is an example of a
tire size, load index and speed
rating. The definitions of these
items are listed below. (Note that
the tire size, load index and speed
rating for your vehicle may be
different from this example.)1. P:Indicates a tire, designated
by the Tire and Rim Association
(T&RA), that may be used for
service on cars, SUVs, minivans
and light trucks.
Note: If your tire size does not
begin with a letter this may mean it
is designated by either ETRTO
(European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) or JATMA (Japan Tire
Manufacturing Association).
2. 215: Indicates the nominal width of the tire in millimeters from
sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the
wider the tire.
3. 65: Indicates the aspect ratio which gives the tire’s ratio of height to
width.
4. R: Indicates a “radial” type tire.
5. 15: Indicates the wheel or rim diameter in inches. If you change
your wheel size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the
new wheel diameter.
6. 95: Indicates the tire’s load index. It is an index that relates to how
much weight a tire can carry. You may find this information in your
Owner’s Manual. If not, contact a local tire dealer.
Note: You may not find this information on all tires because it is not
required by federal law.
7. H: Indicates the tire’s speed rating. The speed rating denotes the
speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for extended periods
of time under a standard condition of load and inflation pressure.
The tires on your vehicle may operate at different conditions for load
and inflation pressure. These speed ratings may need to be adjusted
for the difference in conditions. The ratings range from 81 mph
(130 km/h) to 186 mph (299 km/h). These ratings are listed in the
following chart.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
160
any tire is under-inflated, carefully drive the vehicle to the nearest
location where air can be added to the tires. Inflate all the tires to the
recommended inflation pressure.
SNOW TIRES AND CHAINSWARNING: Snow tires must be the same size and grade as the
tires you currently have on your vehicle.
The tires on your vehicle have all weather treads to provide traction in
rain and snow. However, in some climates, you may need to use snow
tires and cables. If you need to use cables, it is recommended that steel
wheels (of the same size and specifications) be used, as cables may chip
aluminum wheels.
Follow these guidelines when using snow tires and traction devices:
• SAE class “S” cables should ONLY be used on the front axle for
P235/70R16 tires.
• Install cables securely, verifying that the cables or chains do not touch
any wiring, brake lines or fuel lines.
• Drive cautiously. If you hear the cables rub or bang against the
vehicle, stop and retighten them. If this does not work, remove the
cables to prevent vehicle damage.
• Avoid overloading your vehicle.
• Remove the cables when they are no longer needed.
• Do not use cables on dry roads.
• Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h) with tire cables on your vehicle.
Consult your authorized dealer for information on other Mazda Motor
Corporation approved methods of traction control.
VEHICLE LOADING – WITH AND WITHOUT A TRAILER
This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or
trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating
capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will
provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading
your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining
your vehicle’s weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s
Tire Label or Safety Compliance Certification Label:
Base Curb Weight – is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of
fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or
optional equipment.
2008 Tribute Hybrid (thv)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Tires, Wheels and Loading
170