2012 MAZDA MODEL 3 4-DOOR Owners Manual

Black plate (57,1)
3. Secure the child-restraint system usingBOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions. Pull on the
child-restraint to be sure both anchors
are engaged.
4. If your child-restraint system came equipped with a tether, that means it is
very important to properly secure the
tether for child safety. Please carefully
follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions when
installing tethers.
Anchor bracket location (4 Door)
Anchor bracket
Tether strap position (4 Door)
Anchor bracket
Tether strap
Anchor bracket position (5 Door)
Tether strap position (5 Door)
Tether
strap
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
2-43
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page57
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (58,1)
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 6 air bags.Please
verify the air bags equipped on your vehicle by locating the “SRS AIRBAG ”location
indicators. These indicators are visible in the area where the air bags are installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hub (driver air bag)lThe front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)lThe outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags)í
lThe front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags)í
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection
in certain situations, so seat belts are always important in the following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
lKeep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.lReduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
lReduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal, side collisions that are not
severe enough to activate the air bags.
lReduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.lReduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
lHold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
2-44
Essential Safety Equipment
íSome models.
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page58
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (59,1)
If your vehicle is also equipped with a driver and front passenger occupant
classification system, refer to the Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification
System (page 2-57) for details.
If your vehicle is equipped with a driver and front passenger occupant classification
system, the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates for a specified
time after the ignition is switched ON.
Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every
state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint
system (page 2-26).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
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 accident, such as frontal, near frontal, side
collisions 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 collision to the front-passenger
side of the vehicle. 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-45
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page59
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (60,1)
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.
Sit in the center of the seat and wear seat belts properly: Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them, or sleeping
up against the door or hanging out the windows is extremely dangerous. The side
and curtain air bags inflate with great force and speed directly expanding along the
door on the side the car is hit. Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too
close to the door or leaning against a window, or if rear seat occupants grab the
sides of the front seatbacks. Give the side and curtain air bags room to work by
sitting in the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn
properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and front passenger air
bags deploy: Attaching an object to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing
something in front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere
with air bag inflation and injure the occupants.
2-46
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page60
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (61,1)
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys:Attaching objects to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the
seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side
air bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or backpacks with side straps on the front
seats. Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag modules
in your front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a curtain air bag deploys: Attaching objects to the areas where the curtain air bag activates such as on the
windshield glass, side door glass, front and rear window pillars and along the roof
edge and assist grips is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the
curtain air bag, which inflates from the front and rear window pillars and along the
roof edge, impeding the added protection of the curtain air bag system or redirecting
the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open
releasing the gas.
Do not place hangers or any other objects on the assist grips. When hanging clothes,
hang them on the coat hook directly. Always keep the curtain air bag modules free
to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats: Placing luggage or other objects under the front seats is dangerous. The components
essential to the supplemental restraint system could be damaged, and in the event of
a side collision, the appropriate air bags may not deploy, which could result in death
or serious injury. To prevent damage to the components essential to the
supplemental restraint system, do not place luggage or other objects under the front
seats.
Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated: Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated is dangerous. Immediately after inflation, they are very hot. You could
get burned.
Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle: Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar,
bull bar, push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The
air bag crash sensor system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate
unexpectedly, or it could prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident.
Front occupants could be seriously injured.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-47
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page61
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (62,1)
Do not modify the suspension:Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the
suspension is modified, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious
injuries.
Do not modify a front door or leave any damage unrepaired. Always have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect a damaged front door: Modifying a front door or leaving any damage unrepaired is dangerous. Each front
door has a side crash sensor as a component of the supplemental restraint system. If
holes are drilled in a front door, a door speaker is left removed, or a damaged door is
left unrepaired, the sensor could be adversely affected causing it to not detect the
pressure of an impact correctly during a side collision. If a sensor does not detect a
side impact correctly, the side and curtain air bags and the front seat belt
pretensioner may not operate normally which could result in serious injury to
occupants.
Do not modify the supplemental restraint system: Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is
dangerous. You could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Do not make
any modifications to the supplemental restraint system. This includes installing trim,
badges, or anything else over the air bag modules. It also includes installing extra
electrical equipment on or near system components or wiring. An Authorized Mazda
Dealer can provide the special care needed in the removal and installation of front
seats. It is important to protect the air bag wiring and connections to assure that the
bags do not accidentally deploy, the driver seat slide position sensor and front
passenger seat weight sensors are not damaged and that the seats retain an
undamaged air bag connection.
NOTE
lWhen an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be released.
Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may cause light skin injuries
on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
lShould you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems and that
familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is important.
lOn some models, a highly-visible label is displayed which warns against the use of rear-facing
child-restraint systems on the front passenger seat.
2-48
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page62
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (63,1)
Supplemental Restraint System Components
Driver/Front passenger inflators and air bags
Crash sensor, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Front seat belt pretensioner and load limiting systems (page 2-20)
Front air bag sensor
Side crash sensorsí
Air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light (page 2-53)
Side and curtain inflators and air bagsí
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-57)
Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-57)
Front passenger seat weight sensor control module
Driver and front passenger seat belt buckle switches (page 2-61)
Driver seat slide position sensor (page 2-57)
NOTE
-are equipped only on models with the driver and front passenger occupant classification
system.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-49íSome models.
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page63
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F

Black plate (64,1)
How the SRS Air Bags Work
Your Mazda is equipped with the following types of SRS air bags. SRS air bags are
designed to work together with the seat belts to help to reduce injuries during an accident.
The SRS air bags are designed to provide further protection for passengers in addition to
the seat belt functions. Be sure to wear seat belts properly.
qFront Seat Belt Pretensioners
The front seat belt pretensioners are designed to deploy in moderate or severe frontal, near
frontal collisions.
(With Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In addition, during a side collision, the pretensioner operates on the side in which the
collision occurs.
qDriver Air Bag
The driver's air bag is mounted in the steering wheel.
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, the
driver's air bag inflates quickly helping to reduce injury mainly to the driver's head or chest
caused by directly hitting the steering wheel.
For more details about air bag deployment, refer to “SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria ”
(page 2-54).
(With Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
The driver's dual-stage air bag controls air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity the driver's air bag deploys with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, it deploys with more energy.
2-50
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Mazda3_8BY6-EA-11F_Edition3 Page64
Thursday, March 1 2012 10:16 AM
Form No.8BY6-EA-11F