2009 MAZDA MODEL RX 8 warning

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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 seat. 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.
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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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WARNING
Use the tether and tether anchor only
for a child-restraint system:Using the tether or tether anchor to
secure anything but a child-restraint
system is dangerous. This could
weaken or damage the tether or
tether anchor and result in injury.
Always attach the tether strap to the
correct tether anchor position: Attaching the tether strap to the
incorrect tether anchor position is
dangerous. In a collision, the tether
strap could come off and loosen the
child-restraint system. If the child-
restraint system moves it could result
in death or injury to the child.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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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. Even if the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as possible. 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 seat 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Supplemental Restraint System Components
The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems:lThe air bag system with inflators and air bags.lThe electrical system with crash sensors and diagnostic module.
The air bags are mounted in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hublThe front passenger dashboardlThe outboard sides of the front seatbackslThe front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides
The air bags are out of sight until activated.
Driver/Front passenger dual stage inflators and air bags
Crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Front seat belt pretensioners (page 2-19)
Front air bag sensor
Side crash sensors
Air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light (page 2-53)
Side and curtain inflators and air bags
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-44)
Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-44)
Front passenger seat weight sensor control module
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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 2-53).
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SRS Air Bags
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Front passenger seat weight sensors
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger seat weight sensors as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. (page 2-32). These sensors are located under both of the
front passenger seat rails. These sensors determine the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat. The SAS unit is designed to prevent the front passenger front and side air
bags and seat belt pretensioner system from deploying if the total seated weight is less than
approximately 30 kg (66 lb).
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the seat belt
pretensioner system when:
lThere is no passenger in the front passenger seat. (The front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not illuminate.)
lThe total seated weight on the front passenger seat is less than approximately 30 kg (66
lb). (The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.)
This system shuts off the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner
system, so make sure the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
according to the following table.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes and the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates if the sensors have a possible
malfunction. If this happens, the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system will not deploy.
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light illuminates to remind you that the front passenger front and side air
bags and seat belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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WARNING
Do not decrease the total seated weight on the front passenger seat:When an adult or large child sits on the front passenger seat, decreasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated weight of
approximately 42 kg (93 lb) required for air bag deployment is dangerous. The front
passenger seat weight sensors will detect the reduced total seated weight condition
and the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system
will not deploy during an accident. The front passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air bag, which could result in serious injury.
Decreasing the total seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated
weight of approximately 42 kg (93 lb) could result in an air bag not deploying under
the following conditions, for example:
ØA rear passenger pushes up on the front passenger seat with the feet.
Ø Luggage or other items placed under the front passenger seat or between the
front passenger seat and driver seat that push up the front passenger seat
bottom.
Ø The front passenger seat occupant sits in a manner that does not place the entire
weight of the occupant on the seat such as by sitting too close to the door,
grasping the assist grip or the rim of the moonroof and sitting with the seatback
reclined too far.
Ø Any accessories which might decrease the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
Ø Tension in the upward direction is placed on the seat belt slide bar such as by
pulling up on the seat belt.
The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner systems will
deactivate if the total seated weight on the front passenger seat is close to 30 kg (66
lb) and they will reactivate before the weight exceeds 42 kg (93 lb).
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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lSide impacts involving trees or poles
can cause severe cosmetic damage but
may not have enough impact force to
activate the side and curtain air bags.
lVehicle roll-over may not provide
enough side force to deploy the side
and curtain air bags.
lSide impacts with two-wheeled
vehicles may not provide enough force
to deploy the side and curtain air bags.
Non-activation of side and curtain air
bag
The side and curtain air bags will not
normally inflate in the following cases:
lCollision from the rear.
lCollision from the front, but it may
deploy the front air bags.
qConstant Monitoring
The following components of the air bag
systems are monitored by a diagnostic
system:
lSAS unitlFront air bag sensorlAir bag moduleslSide crash sensorslAir bag/Front seat belt pretensioner
system warning light
lFront seat belt pretensionerslFront passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light
lRelated wiringlDriver seat slide position sensorlFront passenger seat weight sensorslDriver and front passenger seat belt
buckle switches
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SRS Air Bags
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