WARNING:Depending on where you secure a child restraint,
and depending on the child restraint design, you may block
access to certain seat belt buckle assemblies and/or LATCH lower
anchors, rendering those features potentially unusable. To avoid risk of
injury, occupants should only use seating positions where they are able
to be properly restrained.
WARNING: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.
Use of inboard lower anchors from the outboard seating positions
(center seating use)
The lower anchors at the center of the second row rear seat are spaced
400 mm (16 inches) apart. The standardized spacing for LATCH lower
anchors is 280 mm (11 inches) center to center. A child seat with rigid
LATCH attachments cannot be installed at the center seating position.
LATCH compatible child seats (with attachments on belt webbing) can
only be used at this seating position provided that the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions permit use with the anchor spacing stated.
Do not attach a child seat to any lower anchor if an adjacent child seat is
attached to that anchor.
WARNING:The standardized spacing for LATCH lower anchors
is 280 mm (11 inches) center to center. Do not use LATCH
lower anchors for the center seating position unless the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions permit and specify using anchors spaced at
least as far apart as those of this vehicle.
Each time you use the safety seat, check that the seat is properly
attached to the lower anchors and tether anchor, if applicable. Tug the
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child seat from side to side and forward and back where it is secured to
the vehicle. The seat should move less than one inch when you do this
for a proper installation.
If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a crash greatly increases.
Combining seat belt and LATCH lower anchors for attaching child
safety seats
When used in combination, either the seat belt or the LATCH lower
anchors may be attached first, provided a proper installation is achieved.
Attach the tether strap afterward, if included with the child seat. Refer
toRecommendations for attaching child safety restraints for children
in this chapter.
Attaching child safety seats with tether straps
Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
extends from the back of the child safety seat and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older safety seats. Contact the manufacturer of your
child seat for information about ordering a tether strap, or to obtain a
longer tether strap if the tether strap on your safety seat does not reach
the appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle.
The rear seating positions of your vehicle are equipped with built-in
tether strap anchors located behind the seats on the roof panel in the
cargo area.
The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
Attach the tether strap only to the
appropriate tether anchor as shown.
The tether strap may not work
properly if attached somewhere
other than the correct tether
anchor.
Once the child safety seat has been
installed, using either the seat belt
or the lower anchors of the LATCH system, you can attach the top tether
strap.
If you install a child seat with rigid LATCH attachments, and have
attached the top tether strap to the proper top tether anchor, do not
tighten the tether strap enough to lift the child seat off the vehicle seat
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If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision greatly increases.
If your child restraint system is equipped with a tether strap, and the
child restraint manufacturer recommends its use, Mazda also
recommends its use.
Child booster seats
The belt-positioning booster (booster seat) is used to improve the fit of
the vehicle seat belt. Children outgrow a typical child seat (e.g.,
convertible or toddler seat) when they weigh about 40 lb (18 kg) and are
around four (4) years of age. Consult your child safety seat owner
manual for the weight, height, and age limits specific to your child safety
seat. Keep your child in the child safety seat if it properly fits the child,
remains appropriate for their weight, height and age AND if properly
secured to the vehicle.
Although the lap/shoulder belt will provide some protection, children
who have outgrown a typical child seat are still too small for lap/shoulder
belts to fit properly, and wearing an improperly fitted vehicle seat belt
could increase the risk of serious injury in a crash. To improve the fit of
both the lap and shoulder belt on children who have outgrown child
safety seats, Mazda Motor Corporation recommends use of a
belt-positioning booster.
Booster seats position a child so that vehicle lap/shoulder seat belts fit
better. They lift the child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips
and the knees bend comfortably at the edge of the cushion, while
minimizing slouching. Booster seats may also make the shoulder belt fit
better and more comfortably. Try to keep the belt near the middle of the
shoulder and across the center of the chest. Moving the child closer (a
few centimeters or inches) to the center of the vehicle, but remaining in
the same seating position, may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.
When children should use booster seats
Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the
toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they reach a
height of at least 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall (around age eight to
age twelve and between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) or upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your child restraint manufacturer).
Many state and provincial laws require that children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).
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Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions when seated without a booster seat:
•Can the child sit all the way back
against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat cushion?
•Can the child sit without
slouching?
•Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
•Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
•Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
Types of booster seats
There are generally two types of belt-positioning booster seats: backless
and high back. Always use booster seats in conjunction with the vehicle
lap/shoulder belt.
•Backless booster seats
If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield. If a vehicle seating position
has a low seat back or no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (as
measured at the tops of the ears)
above the top of the seat. In this
case, move the backless booster
to another seating position with a
higher seat back or head restraint and lap/shoulder belts, or consider
using a high back booster seat.
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•High back booster seats
If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequately supports your
child’s head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.
Children and booster seats vary in size and shape. Choose a booster that
keeps the lap belt low and snug across the hips, never up across the
stomach, and lets you adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest and
rest snugly near the center of the shoulder. The drawings below compare
the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably close to the neck
and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder. The drawings below
also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the child’s
hips.
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If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition. Do not introduce any item thicker than this under the booster
seat. Check with the booster seat manufacturer’s instructions.
The importance of shoulder belts
Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is generally best to use a
booster seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.
Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.
Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.
WARNING:Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder
belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces
the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.
Child restraint and seat belt maintenance
Inspect the seat belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.
NOTE:If unsure about the proper procedures, bring your vehicle to an
authorized Mazda dealership for inspection. Inspect the seat belts to
make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts, replacing if necessary. Check
all emergency locking retractors on all outboard seating positions as well
as the automatic locking mode for child safety seats on all seats except
the driver’s seat. All seat belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles,
front seat belt buckle assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if
equipped), shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt
guide on seatback (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket
assemblies (if equipped), LATCH child seat tether anchors and lower
anchors (if equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after
a collision. Mazda recommends that all seat belt assemblies used in
vehicles involved in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was
minor and an authorized Mazda technician finds that the belts do not
show damage and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be
replaced. Seat belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be
inspected and replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.
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WARNING:Vehicle modifications involving braking system,
aftermarket roof racks, suspension, steering system, tire
construction and/or wheel/tire size may change the handling
characteristics of the vehicle and may adversely affect the performance
of the Dynamic Stability Control system. In addition, installing any
stereo loudspeakers may interfere with and adversely affect the DSC
system. Install any aftermarket stereo loudspeaker as far as possible
from the front center console, the tunnel, and the front seats in order
to minimize the risk of interfering with the DSC sensors. Reducing the
effectiveness of the DSC system could lead to an increased risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
WARNING:Remember that even advanced technology cannot
defy the laws of physics. It’s always possible to lose control of a
vehicle due to inappropriate driver input for the conditions. Aggressive
driving on any road condition can cause you to lose control of your
vehicle increasing the risk of personal injury or property damage.
Activation of the DSC system is an indication that at least some of the
tires have exceeded their ability to grip the road; this could reduce the
operator’s ability to control the vehicle, potentially resulting in a loss of
vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death. If your DSC
system activates, SLOW DOWN.
WARNING:If a failure has been detected within the DSC
system, the stability control light will illuminate steadily. Have
the system serviced by an authorized dealer immediately. Operating
your vehicle with DSC disabled could lead to an increased risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, personal injury and death.
The DSC system automatically enables each time the engine is started.
All features of the DSC system (TCS, ESC, and RSC) are active and
monitor the vehicle from start-up. However, the system will only
intervene if the driving situation requires it.
The Dynamic Stability Control
system includes a traction control
off button on the instrument panel
below the climate control, a stability
control “OFF” light and a stability control light in the instrument cluster.
The stability control light and stability control “OFF” light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate temporarily during start-up as part of a
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Fuse/Relay
LocationFuse Amp
RatingProtective Circuits
42 10A Not used (spare)
43 10A Rear wiper logic, Heated seats
relay, Instrument cluster
44 10A Not used (spare)
45 5A Front wiper logic, Blower motor
relay
46 7.5A Occupant classification system
(OCS), Passenger airbag
deactivation indicator (PADI)
47 30A Circuit
BreakerPower windows
48 — Delayed accessory relay
Power distribution box
The power distribution box is located in the engine compartment. Refer
to theIdentifying components in the engine compartmentsection of
theMaintenance and Specificationschapter for the location. The
power distribution box contains high-current fuses that protect your
vehicle’s main electrical systems from overloads.
WARNING:Always disconnect the battery before servicing high
current fuses.
WARNING:To reduce risk of electrical shock, always replace
the cover to the Power Distribution Box before reconnecting the
battery or refilling fluid reservoirs.
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