2008 MAZDA MODEL TRIBUTE airbag off

These are some of the symbols you may see on your vehicle. Vehicle Symbol Glossary
Safety Alert
See Owner’s Manual
Protecting the
EnvironmentFasten Seat Belt
Airbag - FrontAirbag - Side
Passenger Airbag OffChild Seat Lower
Anchor
Child Seat Tether
AnchorBrake System
Anti-Lock Brake SystemParking Brake System
Brake Fluid -
Non-Petroleum BasedParking Aid System
Stability Control SystemMaster Lighting Switch
Hazard Warning FlasherFog Lamps-Front
Fuse CompartmentFuel Pump Reset
Windshield Wash/WipeWindshield
Defrost/Demist
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Introduction
8

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.
The control is located on the outboard side of the seat cushion.
Move the front of the control up or
down to raise or lower the front
portion of the seat cushion.
Move the rear of the control up or
down to raise or lower the rear
portion of the seat cushion.
Move the control in the directions
shown to move the seat forward,
backward, up or down.
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
75

To install the rear cushion 1. Insert rod ends into floor mounting points and push the
cushion to the inboard side of
the vehicle.
2. Make sure that the hinges are locked into place.
SAFETY RESTRAINTS
Personal Safety System 
The Personal Safety System provides an improved overall level of
frontal crash protection to front seat occupants and is designed to help
further reduce the risk of airbag-related injuries. The system is able to
analyze different occupant conditions and crash severity before activating
the appropriate safety devices to help better protect a range of
occupants in a variety of frontal crash situations.
Your vehicle’s Personal Safety System consists of:
• Driver and passenger dual-stage airbag supplemental restraints.
• Front seat belts with pretensioners (front row only), load limiter
(front row only), and seat belt usage sensors (front row only).
• Front passenger sensing system
• “Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp
• Front crash severity sensor.
• Restraints Control Module (RCM) with impact and safing sensors.
• Restraint system warning light and back-up tone.
• The electrical wiring for the airbags, crash sensor(s), seat belt
pretensioners, front seat belt usage sensors, driver seat position
sensor, front passenger sensing system, and indicator lights.
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
81

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. The system is designed to help protect small
(child size) occupants from airbag deployments when they are
improperly seated or restrained in the front passenger seat contrary to
proper child-seating or restraint usage recommendations. Even with this
technology, parents are STRONGLYencouraged to always properly
restrain children in the rear seat. The sensor also turns off the passenger
front airbag and passenger seat-mounted side airbag (if equipped) when
the passenger seat is empty.
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. See Front passenger sensing system in the airbags section
of this chapter.
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
Safety restraints section in this chapter.
2008 Tribute(j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
83

Reasons given... Consider...

Belts are uncomfortable
Seat belts are designed to enhance
comfort. If you are uncomfortable -
try different positions for the seat belt
upper anchorage and seatback which
should be as upright as possible; this
can improve comfort.

I was in a hurry
Prime time for an accident. Seat
Belt Warning Chime reminds us to
take a few seconds to buckle up.

Seat belts don’t work
Seat belts, when used properly,
reduce risk of death to front seat
occupants by 45% in cars, and by
60% in light trucks.

Traffic is light
Nearly 1 of 2 deaths occur in
single-vehicle crashes, many when
no other vehicles are around.

Belts wrinkle my clothes
Possibly, but a serious crash can do
much more than wrinkle your clothes,
particularly if you are unbelted.

The people I’m with don’t
wear belts
Set the example, teen deaths occur
4 times more often in vehicles with
TWO or MORE people. Children and
younger brothers/sisters imitate
behavior they see.

I have an airbag
Airbags offer greater protection when
used with seat belts. Frontal airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear and
side crashes or rollovers.

I’d rather be thrown clear
Not a good idea. Peoplewho are
ejected are 40 times more likely
to DIE. Seat belts help prevent
ejection, WE CAN’T
PICK OUR
CRASH
.
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
94

•Side curtain airbag system. Refer to Side curtain airbag systemlater
in this chapter.
• Front passenger sensing system. Refer to Front passenger sensing
system. later in this chapter.
• “Passenger airbag off” or “pass airbag off” indicator lamp. Refer to
Front passenger sensing system. later in this chapter.
• Seat belt pretensioners
The diagnostic module monitors its own internal circuits and the
supplemental airbag electrical system wiring (including the impact
sensors), the system wiring, the airbag system readiness light, the airbag
back up power and the airbag ignitors.
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.
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
101

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 disabled. The indicator lamp is
located in the center stack of the instrument panel just above the air
vents.
Note : The indicator lamp will illuminate for a short period of time when
the ignition is turned to the ON position to confirm it is functional.
When the front passenger seat is not occupied (empty seat) or in the
event that the front passenger frontal airbag is enabled (may inflate), the
indicator lamp will be unlit.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not
inflate) the front passenger’s frontal airbag when a rear facing infant
seat, a forward-facing child restraint, or a booster seat is detected.
• When the front passenger sensing system disables (will not inflate)
the front passenger frontal airbag, the indicator lamp will illuminate
and stay lit to remind you that the front passenger frontal airbag is
disabled.
• If the child restraint has been installed and the indicator lamp is not
lit, then turn the vehicle off, remove the child restraint from the
vehicle and reinstall the restraint following the child restraint
manufacturer’s instructions.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to enable (may inflate)
the front passenger’s frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting properly in the front passenger seat.
• When the front passenger sensing system enables the front passenger
frontal airbag (may inflate), the indicator will be unlit and stay unlit.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger’s seat, but the

passenger airbag off
or
pass airbag off
indicator lamp is lit, it is
possible that the person isn’t sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
• Turn the vehicle off and ask the person to place the seatback in the
full upright position.
• Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person’s legs comfortably extended.
• Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for
about two minutes. This will allow the system to detect that person
and enable the passenger’s frontal airbag.
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
102

•If the indicator lamp remains lit even after this, the person should be
advised to ride in the rear seat, and the system should be taken
promptly to an authorized Mazda dealer for repair before that seat is
occupied again.
Occupant Pass Airbag Off
Indicator Lamp Passenger 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.
2008 Tribute (j14)
Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt)
USA (fus)
Seating and Safety Restraints
103