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qFolding the Seat (Passenger's seat
only)
WARNING
Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
The seatback plays an important role
in your protection in a vehicle.
Leaving the seatback unlocked is
dangerous as it can allow passengers
to be ejected or thrown around and
baggage to strike occupants in a
sudden stop or collision, resulting in
severe injury. After adjusting the
seatback at any time, even when
there are no other passengers, rock
the seatback to make sure it is locked
in place.
Never lower a front seatback while an
occupant is seated in the seat, even if
the vehicle is stopped: Lowering a front seatback while an
occupant is seated in the seat is
dangerous because the seatback
folds down suddenly when operated
which could cause an injury.
Never lower a front seatback while the
vehicle is moving: Lowering a front seatback while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous
because the seatback folds down
suddenly when operated which could
result in an accident or injury.
CAUTION
ØWhen operating the seatback,
support the seatback firmly with
one hand while it folds down.
When lowering the seatback, be
careful not to pinch or injure your
hand or fingers.
Ø Do not step on the lever as it could
damage it.
Because your vehicle has free-style doors
(page 3-30), the rear door cannot be
opened while the front door is closed. To
exit the rear seating area, fold the front
seatback forward using the following
procedure and open the front door first.
NOTE
The seatback folding feature is not equipped
on the manually operated driver's seat. The
feature is only available on the power seat.
Seatback folding
(Standard)
Pull the lever upward to fold the seatback
forward.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-5
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(Recaro manufactured bucket seats)í
Pull the lever upward to fold the seatback
forward.
To return the seatback to its on-road
position
To return the seatback to its on-road
position, press the seatback rearward until
is locks in place.
After returning the seatback to its on-road
position, make sure it is secured by
attempting to lightly move it forward and
back.
Driver's Seat (Electrically
Operated Seat)
The power operated seat is available only
on the driver's seat. The front passenger
seat is manually operated.
Refer to Front Seats (Manually Operated
Seats) (page 2-2) for adjustment
instructions.
WARNING
Do not modify or replace the front
seats:Modifying or replacing the front seats
such as replacing the upholstery or
loosening any bolts is dangerous. The
front seats contain air bag
components essential to the
supplemental restraint system. Such
modifications could damage the
supplemental restraint system and
result in serious injury. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer if there is
any need to remove or reinstall the
front seats.
Do not drive with damaged front seats: Driving with damaged front seats is
dangerous. A collision, even one not
strong enough to inflate the air bags,
could damage the front seats which
contain essential air bag
components. If there was a
subsequent collision, an air bag may
not deploy which could lead to
injuries. Always have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer inspect the front seats,
front seat belt pretensioners and air
bags after a collision.
2-6
Essential Safety Equipment
íSome models.
Seats
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CAUTION
ØThe seat-bottom power
adjustment is operated by motors.
Avoid extended operation because
excessive use can damage the
motors.
Ø To prevent the battery from
running down, avoid using the
power adjustment when the
engine is stopped. The adjuster
uses a large amount of electrical
power.
Ø Don't use the switch to make more
than one adjustment at a time.
qSeat Slide
To slide the seat, move the slide lifter
switch on the outside of the seat to the
front or back and hold it. Release the
switch at the desired position.
NOTE
The seat can be slid rearward by continuously
pressing the switch. In addition, the seatback
also lowers rearward.
Refer to Folding the Seat on page 2-10.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-7
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qSeat Recline
WARNING
Do not drive with the seats reclined:
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 injuries. For
maximum protection, sit well back
and upright.
Always sit in a front passenger seat
properly with the seatback upright and
feet on the floor: If your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat weight sensors,
sitting in the front passenger seat
improperly out of position or with the
seatback reclined too far while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous as it
can take off weight from the seat
bottom and affect the weight
determination of the front passenger
sensing system. As a result the front
passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air
bag and seat belt pretensioner, which
could cause result in serious injury.
Always sit upright against your
seatback, with your feet on the floor. Change the seatback angle by pressing the
front or rear side of the reclining switch.
Release the switch at the desired position.
q
Height Adjustment
The seat height can be adjusted by
moving the switch up or down.
2-8
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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qSeat Position Memory
One-touch seat position programming and
a call up function are available on the
driver's seat.
CAUTION
When calling up the seat position, do
not place your hands or fingers
around the seat bottom. The seat
moves to the desired position
automatically, and if your hands or
fingers are placed around the seat
bottom, it could cause injury.
Set button
Programming of the driver's seat positions
is possible using the following functions:
lProgramming buttons―and the
set button. Programmed seat positions can also be
called up using the following functions:
lProgramming buttons―.
Operation using the seat-side buttons
Programming
Seat position programming is possible
when the vehicle is parked.
1. Adjust the seat to the desired position.
For each seat position adjustment
method refer to the following pages:
Seat Slide (page 2-7)
Seat Recline (page 2-8)
Height Adjustment (page 2-8)
2. Press the desired programming button
―while pressing the set button
until a beep sound is heard.
NOTE
Vehicle maintenance or other reasons
requiring the vehicle battery to be
disconnected will result in the seat position
memory being erased.
In this case, re-program the seat positions.
Seat position call up
While the vehicle is stopped, press and
hold a programming button
―for
the desired seat position.
When the seat is in the programmed
position, a beep sound is heard.
NOTE
If any of the following occurs, the seat position
call up function cancels:
lA seat adjustment switch other than a
lumbar support switch is operated.
lThe vehicle moves or starts to move.lThe selected programming button―
or the set button is pressed again.lThe set button is operated.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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qLumbar Support Adjustment
The amount of lumbar support can be
adjusted by pressing the switch.
To increase the seat firmness, press and
hold the front part of the switch to the
desired position, then release it.
Press the rear part of the switch to
decrease firmness.
qFolding the Seat
WARNING
Never lower a front seatback while an
occupant is seated in the seat, even if
the vehicle is stopped:
Lowering a front seatback while an
occupant is seated in the seat is
dangerous because the seatback
folds down suddenly when operated
which could cause an injury.
Because your vehicle has free-style doors
(page 3-30), the rear door cannot be
opened while the front door is closed. To
exit the rear seating area, fold the front
seatback forward using the following
procedure and open the front door first.
Seatback folding
Press and hold the upper part of the
switch while the vehicle is stopped to
slide the seat forward and fold the
seatback forward.
To return the seatback to its on-road
position
Press and hold the lower part of the switch
while the vehicle is stopped to slide the
seat rearward and raise the seatback.
NOTE
The operation cancels in the following cases:lA seat adjustment switch other than a
lumbar support switch is operated.
lThe set button is operated.lAny programming button―is
pressed.
lThe vehicle moves or starts to move.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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The seat stops moving when it returns to
its original position. A beep sound is
heard at this time.
NOTE
lPressing and holding the lower part of the
switch again after the seat has returned to
its on-road position will move the seat
farther rearward.
lVehicle maintenance or other reasons
requiring the vehicle battery to be
disconnected will result in the seat position
memory being erased. As a result, the seat
will continue to slide rearward and the
seatback will lower rearward. Operate a
switch other than a lumbar support
adjustment switch to adjust the seat
position.
Rear Seat
WARNING
Make sure luggage and cargo is
secured before driving:Not securing cargo while driving is
dangerous as it could move or be
crushed during sudden braking or a
collision and cause injury.
Do not allow anyone to sit on the
center console between the rear seats: Allowing someone to sit on the rear
center console between the rear seats
is dangerous. The rear center console
is not designed for occupant seating.
During a collision, occupants not
wearing a seat belt could be thrown
from the vehicle and seriously injured
or even killed.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-11
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Seat Warmerí
The front seats are electrically heated. The
ignition must be in the ON position.
Press the switch to turn the seat warmer
on or off. When the switch is in the ON
position, the indicator light will come on.
WARNING
ØBe careful when using the seat
warmer. The heat from the seat
warmer may be too hot for some
people, as indicated below, and
could cause a low-temperature
burn.
ØInfants, small babies, elderly
people, and physically
challenged people
ØPeople with delicate skin
ØPeople who are excessively
fatigued
ØPeople who have taken sleep-
inducing medicine such as
sleeping pills or cold medicine
Ø Do not use the seat warmer with
anything having high moisture-
retention ability such as a blanket
or cushion on the seat. The seat
may be heated excessively and
cause a low-temperature burn.
Ø Do not use the seat warmer even
when taking a short nap in the
vehicle. The seat may be heated
excessively and cause a low-
temperature burn.
Ø Do not place heavy objects with
sharp projections on the seat, or
insert needles or pins into it. This
could cause the seat to become
excessively heated and result in
injury from a minor burn.
CAUTION
Do not use organic solvents such as
benzene or gasoline to clean the seat.
It may damage the seat surface and
the heater.
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Essential Safety Equipment
íSome models.
Seats
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