2011 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA PRHT child restraint

Black plate (5,1)
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page5
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F
Table of Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.1
Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.2
Knowing Your Mazda
Explanation of basic operations and controls; opening/closing and adjustment
of various parts.3
Before Driving Your Mazda
Important information about driving your Mazda.4
Driving Your Mazda
Explanation of instruments and controls.5
Interior Comfort
Use of various features for drive comfort, including air-conditioning and audio
system.6
In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.7
Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Mazda in top condition.8
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.9
Specifications
Technical information about your Mazda.10
Index11

Black plate (13,1)
2Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.
Seats ............................................................................................... 2-2Seats .......................................................................................... 2-2
Non-Adjustable Head Restraints ............................................... 2-4
Seat Warmer
í........................................................................... 2-5
Seat Belt Systems .......................................................................... 2-7 Seat Belt Precautions ................................................................ 2-7
Seat Belt .................................................................................. 2-11
Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ................ 2-13
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-15
Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep ................................................ 2-16
Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-18 Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-18
Child-Restraint System Installation Position .......................... 2-23
Installing a Child-Restraint System ......................................... 2-24
LATCH Child-Restraint System ............................................. 2-27
SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-30 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions ................ 2-30
Supplemental Restraint System Components ......................... 2-35
How the SRS Air Bags Work .................................................. 2-36
SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria .......................................... 2-40
Limitations to SRS Air Bag .................................................... 2-41
Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch .................................. 2-43
Driver and Passenger Occupant Classification System ........... 2-47
Monitoring and Maintenance .................................................. 2-51
2-1íSome models.
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page13
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F

Black plate (19,1)
Seat Belt Precautions
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during accidents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and passenger always wear seat belts.
All of the seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/shoulder belts out of the way
when not in use.
The driver's seat belt has no provisions for child-restraint systems and has only an
emergency locking mode. The driver may wear it comfortably, and it will lock during a
collision.
However, the passenger's seat lap/shoulder belt retractors operate in two modes: emergency
locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.
Your vehicle is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for securing the LATCH child-
restraint system in the passenger seat but there is no child-restraint tether available. As
there is no rear seat on this vehicle, the preferred location for children, following the
manufacturer's instructions on the LATCH child restraint-system and this owner's manual is
important (page 2-27).
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
2-7
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page19
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F

Black plate (22,1)
qAutomatic Locking Mode
To enable seat belt automatic locking mode, pull it all the way out and connect it as
instructed on the child-restraint system. It will retract down to the child-restraint system
and stay locked on it. If the LATCH lower anchors are not used alone for LATCH style
junior seats and infant carriers without tethers, always use the automatic locking mode to
keep the child-restraint system from shifting to an unsafe position in the event of an
accident. See the section on child restraint (page 2-18).
2-10
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page22
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F

Black plate (28,1)
Do not leave a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle:Leaving a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle without
using the seat belt is dangerous.
When the seat belt extender is
connected to the driver's seat belt
buckle (or passenger) seat, the SRS
driver's (or passenger's) air bag
system will determine that the driver
(or passenger) is wearing the seat
belt even if the driver (or passenger)
is not wearing it. This condition could
cause the driver's (or passenger's) air
bag to not activate correctly and
result in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Always wear the
seat belt with the seat belt extender.
Do not use the seat belt extender when
installing a child-restraint system on
the passenger seat: Using a seat belt extender to fasten a
child-restraint system on any seat is
dangerous. Always follow the child-
restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions and never
use a seat belt extender.
NOTE
When not in use, remove the seat belt extender
and store it in the vehicle. If the seat belt
extender is left connected, the seat belt
extender might get damaged as it will not
retract with the rest of the seat belt and can
easily fall out of the door when not in use and
be damaged. In addition, the seat belt warning
light will not illuminate and function properly.
Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep
The seat belt warning light illuminates
and a beep sound will be heard if the
driver's seat belt is not fastened when the
ignition is switched ON.
Conditions of operation
Condition Result
The driver's seat belt is not
fastened when the ignition is
switched ON. The warning light
flashes and a beep
sound will be heard
for about 6 seconds.
The driver's seat belt is
fastened while the warning
light and the beep sound are
activated. The warning light
turns off and the beep
sound stops.
The driver's seat belt is
fastened before the ignition
is switched ON. The warning light will
not illuminate and the
beep sound will not be
heard.
q
Belt Minder
NOTE
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
deactivate or restore the belt minder. Though
the belt minder can be deactivated, doing so
will defeat the purpose of the system to warn
the driver and the front passenger in the event
that their seat belts are not fastened. For the
safety of the driver and front passenger, Mazda
recommends not deactivating the belt minder.
2-16
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page28
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F

Black plate (30,1)
Child Restraint Precautions
Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use
them.
You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.
Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age
and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should use seat belts, both lap and
shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer to the center of
the vehicle.
A rear-facing child-restraint system shouldNEVERbe used on the passenger seat with the
air bag system activated.
If a small child or infant in the passenger seat ―particularly a child secured in a rear-
facing child-restraint system ―it is critically important that you consciously deactivate the
passenger air bag and not simply rely on the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
being turned on at all times. In a collision, the force of an air bag slamming the child-
restraint system rearwards could result in death to the child even if the child is properly
belted. Be alert to the operation of the indicator light and BE SURE THE PASSENGER
AIR BAG IS ALWAYS DEACTIVATED AS INDICATED BY PASSENGER AIR BAG
DEACTIVATION INDICATOR LIGHT.
Passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
2-18
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page30
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F

Black plate (31,1)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by the deployment of the passenger air bag, there
are two methods to deactivate the passenger air bag for a child's safety as follows―
however the surest way to avoid the passenger air bag not deploying is to use the key and
turn off the passenger air bag and not rely on the passenger seat weight sensors, which will
also detect other loads or objects on and around the passenger seat;
Passenger air bag deactivation switch
This switch should be used to deactivate the passenger front and side air bags and also the
passenger seat belt pretensioner system if installing a child-restraint system on the
passenger seat.
Make sure the passenger air bag deactivation switch is in the ON position except when a
child-restraint system is installed on the passenger seat.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch on page 2-43.
Passenger seat weight sensors
These sensors deactivate the passenger front and side air bags and also the passenger seat
belt pretensioner system when the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
When an infant or small child is seated on the passenger seat, the system shuts off the
passenger air bag, so make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
Refer to Passenger seat weight sensors on page 2-47.
LATCH Child-Restraint System
We have installed lower LATCH anchor points for LATCH style junior seats and infant
carriers that work without tethers only. Any other child-restraint system that has an upper
tether cannot be used in this vehicle because there is no tether anchor. A child-restraint
system with a tether cannot be properly mounted in this vehicle unless the child restraint
manufacturer provides instructions on mounting the child-restraint system with only seat
belts in automatic locking mode. Even then, without a tether, the child-restraint system may
move forward more easily in seat belts, further degrading the safety provided if you were to
put the child restraint in a tether anchor equipped rear seat of another vehicle. The seat and
head restraint is designed for maximum adult space utilization in this vehicle. Do not try to
secure the tether to something else in the vehicle, as too much slack will result and the
serious risk of injury or death to the child. Use the seat belts to properly secure the non-
tethered child-restraint systems other than the LATCH junior seats and non-tethered infant
carriers. Turn off the passenger air bag deactivation switch. To expose and use the lower
LATCH anchor points, which are affixed to the body and not the seat, slide the seat all the
way rearward which is the optimal vehicle seat position for all children in this two seat car.
WARNING
Use the correct size child-restraint system: For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be
properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and
size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
2-19
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page31
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F

Black plate (32,1)
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and always keep the child-restraint system
buckled down: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 any child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-
restraint system manufacturer's instructions. 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.
Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint system: Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a
sudden stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or
other occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag
forces that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be
slammed into an adult, causing injury to both child and adult.
Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is illuminated
when using a rear-facing child-restraint system: Seating a child in a rear-facing child-restraint system that is installed on the
passenger seat with the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light not
illuminated is extremely dangerous. In an accident, an air bag could inflate and
cause serious injuries or even death to the child seated in the rear-facing child-
restraint system. Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator
light is illuminated using the key to turn the passenger air bag off.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch on page 2-43.
Refer to Passenger seat weight sensors on page 2-47.
2-20
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
MX-5_8BR3-EA-10F_Edition3 Page32
Wednesday, March 2 2011 5:25 PM
Form No.8BR3-EA-10F