2011 MAZDA MODEL MAZDASPEED 3 Owners Manual (in English)

Black plate (65,1)
qCurtain Air Bagsí
The curtain air bags are mounted in the front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge
along both sides.
When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than moderate force, the
curtain air bag inflates quickly and helps to reduce injury mainly to the rear outboard
passenger's head caused by directly hitting interior parts such as a door or window.
For more details about air bag deployment, refer to“SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria”
(page 2-53).
In a side impact:
Greater than moderate impact to one side of the vehicle will cause the curtain air bag on
that side only to inflate.
The side and curtain air bags will deploy only on the side the
vehicle receives the force of the impact.
qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Light
If the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system is working properly, the warning light
illuminates when the ignition is switched ON or after the engine is cranked. The warning
light turns off after a specified period of time.
A system malfunction is indicated if the warning light constantly flashes, constantly
illuminates or does not illuminate at all when the ignition is switched ON. If any of these
occur, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. The system may not work
in an accident.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-51íSome models. Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page65
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (66,1)
WARNING
Never tamper with the air bag/pretensioner systems and always have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer perform all servicing and repairs:
Self-servicing or tampering with the systems is dangerous. An air bag/pretensioner
could accidentally activate or become disabled causing serious injury or death.
qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Beep
If a malfunction is detected in the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner systems and the
warning light, a warning beep sound will be heard for about 5 seconds every minute.
The air bag and seat belt pretensioner system warning beep sound will continue to be heard
for approximately 35 minutes.
Have your vehicle inspected at an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning
beep sounding:
Driving the vehicle with the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning beep
sounding is dangerous. In a collision, the air bags and the front seat belt
pretensioner system will not deploy and this could result in death or serious injury.
Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the vehicle inspected as soon as
possible.
2-52
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page66
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (67,1)
SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria
This chart indicates the applicable SRS equipment that will deploy depending on the type
of collision.
(The illustrations are the representative cases of collisions.)
SRS
equipmentTypes of collision
A severe frontal/near frontal collision A severe side collision A rear collision
Front seat
belt
pretensionerX*1(both sides)
No air bag and front seat
belt pretensioner will be
activated in a rear collision. Driver air
bagX
Front
passenger air
bagX
*1
Side air
bagíX*1(impact side only)
Curtain air
bag
íX (impact side only)
X: The SRS air bag equipment is designed to deploy in a collision.
*1:(With Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
The front passenger front and side air bags and the seat belt pretensioner are designed
to deploy depending on the condition of the total seated weight on the front passenger
seat.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-53íSome models. Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page67
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (68,1)
Limitations to SRS Air Bag
In severe collisions such as those described previously in“SRS Air Bag Deployment
Criteria”, the applicable SRS air bag equipment will deploy. However, in some accidents,
the equipment may not deploy depending on the type of collision and its severity.
Limitations to front/near front collision detection:
The following illustrations are examples of front/near front collisions that may not be
detected as severe enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment.
Impacts involving trees or polesFrontal offset impact to the vehicle
Rear-ending or running under a truck's tail gate
Limitations to side collision detection:
The following illustrations are examples of side collisions that may not be detected as
severe enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment.
Side impacts involving trees or polesSide impacts with two-wheeled vehicles
2-54
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page68
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (69,1)
Roll-over
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-55
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page69
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (70,1)
Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification Systemí
First, please read“Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions”(page 2-43)
carefully.
qDriver 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 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 2-51).
qFront Passenger Seat Weight Sensors
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger seat weight sensors as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. These sensors are located under both of the front passenger
seat rails. These sensors determine the total seated weight on the front passenger seat and
monitor the seat belt buckle for 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 front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
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 the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.Refer to the following table for the front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illumination conditions.
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.
2-56
Essential Safety Equipment
íSome models.
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page70
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (71,1)
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.
If the front passenger weight sensors are normal, the indicator light illuminates when the
ignition is switched ON. The light turns off after a few seconds.
The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates or is off under the following conditions:
Condition detected by the
front passenger occupant
classification systemFront passenger air bag
deactivation indicator lightFront passenger front and
side air bagsFront passenger seat
belt pretensioner
system
Empty (Not occupied)
*1Off Deactivated Deactivated
Child or child-restraint
system
*2On Deactivated Deactivated
Adult
*3Off Ready Ready
*1 : If the front passenger seat belt is buckled, the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates,
however this does not indicate a malfunction.
*2 : If a larger child sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might detect the child as being an adult depending
on the child's physique.
*3 : If a smaller adult sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might detect the person as being a child
depending on the person's physique.
The curtain air bag is ready for inflating despite the chart above.
If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when the
ignition is switched ON and does not illuminate as indicated in the above chart, do not
allow a child to sit in the front passenger seat and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible. The system may not work properly in an accident.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-57
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page71
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F

Black plate (72,1)
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 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 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 their feet.
ØLuggage 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.
ØThe 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.
ØAny accessories which might decrease the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner systems will
deactivate if the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
2-58
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BM5-EA-10F_Edition2 Page72
Monday, July 26 2010 1:52 PM
Form No.8BM5-EA-10F