2014 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK sensor

2–16
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Seat Belt Warning Systems
If it detects that the driver's seat belt is
unfastened, the warning light or beep
alerts the driver.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-21 .
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner
and Load Limiting Systems
For optimum protection, the driver and
front passenger seat belts are equipped
with pretensioner and load limiting
systems. For both these systems to work
properly you must wear the seat belt
properly.
Pretensioners:
When a collision is detected, the
pretensioners deploy simultaneously with
the air bags.
For vehicles with the front passenger
occupant classifi cation system, the
pretensioners deploy simultaneously
with the air bags when a roll-over is also
detected.
For deployment details, refer to the SRS
Air Bag Deployment Criteria (page 2-53 ).
The front seat belt retractors remove slack
quickly as the air bags are expanding.
Any time the air bags and seat belt
pretensioners have fi red they must be
replaced.
A system malfunction or operation
conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page
4-21 .
Refer to Air Bag/Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner System Warning Beep on
page 7-36 .
(With Front Passenger Occupant
Classifi cation System)
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the front passenger, like the front and side
passenger air bag, is designed to only
deploy in accordance with the total seated
weight on the front passenger seat.
For details, refer to the front passenger
seat weight sensors (page 2-56 ).
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2–22
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
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 specifi c 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 sit in the rear and 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 in the outboard seats, and towards the buckle on the right if the
child is seated on the center seat.
Statistics confi rm that the rear seat is the best place for all children up to 12 years of age,
and more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER be used on the front seat with the air
bag system activated. The front passenger's seat is also the least preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation System)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
front passenger seat weight sensors work as a part of the supplemental restraint system. This
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the front passenger
seat belt pretensioner system when the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, the 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.
Even if the front passenger air bag is shut off, Mazda strongly recommends that children be
properly restrained and child-restraint systems of all kinds are properly secured on the rear
seats which are the best place for children.
For more details, refer to "Front passenger seat weight sensors" (page 2-56 ).
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2–25
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is dangerous
under certain conditions (With Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation System) :
Your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors. Even with the front
passenger seat weight sensors, if you must use the front passenger seat to seat a child,
using a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat under the following conditions
increases the danger of the front passenger air bag deploying and could result in serious
injury or death to the child.
 


¾ The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when
seating a child in the child-restraint system.
 


¾ Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
 


¾ A rear passenger or luggage pushing or pulling down on the front passenger
seatback.
 


¾ A rear passenger puts their feet on the front seat rails.



¾ Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.



¾ Heavy items are placed in the seatback map pocket.



¾ The seat is washed.



¾ Liquids are spilled on the seat.



¾ The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
 


¾ The front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.



¾ Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.



¾ Any accessories, which might increase the total seated weight on the front passenger
seat, are attached to the front passenger seat.
The designated positions with seat belts on the rear seats are the safest places for
children. Always use seat belts and child restraints.

Do not allow a child or anyone to lean over or against the side window of a vehicle with
side and curtain air bags:
It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean over or against the side window, the area of the
front passenger seat, the front and rear window pillars and the roof edge along both
sides from which the side and curtain air bags deploy, even if a child-restraint system
is used. The impact of infl ation from a side or curtain air bag could cause serious injury
or death to an out of position child. Furthermore, leaning over or against the front door
could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of supplemental
protection. With the front air bag and the additional side air bag that comes out of the
front seat, the rear seat is always a better location for children. Take special care not to
allow a child to lean over or against the side window, even if the child is seated in a child-
restraint system.

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2–28
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seat. The front passenger's
seat is clearly the worst choice for any
child under 12, and with rear-facing child-
restraint systems it is clearly unsafe due to
air bags.
NOTE
Even if your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-
56), which automatically deactivates the
front passenger air bag, a rear seat is the
safest place for a child of any age or size.
Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
installed on the seats that take tethers
to be effective. In your Mazda, tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in the three positions on
the rear seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "Using LATCH Lower Anchor"
(page 2-36 ).
WARNING
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems Work
Only on Tether-Equipped Rear Seats:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger's seat defeats the safety
design of the system and will result in
an increased chance of serious injury if
the child-restraint system goes forward
without benefi t of being tethered.
Place tether equipped child-restraint
systems where there are tether
anchors.
Anchor Bracket
Anchor brackets for securing child-
restraint systems are equipped in the
vehicle. Locate each anchor position using
the illustration.
To install a child-restraint system,
always follow the instruction manual
accompanying the child-restraint system.
Anchor bracket location
Use the indicated anchor bracket locations
when installing a child-restraint system
equipped with a tether.
Anchor bracketFor right
For left For center
(4-Door)
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2–33
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
If You Must Use the Front Seat for
Children
If you cannot put all children in the rear
seat, at least put the smallest children
in the rear and be sure the largest child
up front uses the shoulder belt over the
shoulder.
NEVER put a rear-facing child-restraint
system on the front passenger seat whether
your vehicle is equipped with a seat
weight sensor or not.
This seat is also not set up for tethered
child-restraint systems, put them in one of
the rear seat positions set up with tether
anchors.
Likewise the LATCH child-restraint
system cannot be secured in the front
passenger's seat and should be used in the
rear seat.
Do not allow anyone to sleep against the
side window since your vehicle has side
and curtain air bags, it could cause serious
injuries to an out of position occupant.
As children more often sleep in cars,
it is better to put them in the rear seat.
If installing the child-restraint system
on the front seat is unavoidable, follow
these instructions when using a front-
facing child-restraint system in the front
passenger's seat.
NOTE
 


y To check if your front seats have side
air bags:
  Mazda vehicles equipped with side air
bag will have a "SRS AIRBAG" tag on
the outboard shoulder of the front seats.
 


y To check if your vehicle has curtain air
bags:
  Mazda vehicles equipped with curtain
air bag will have an "SRS AIRBAG"
marking on the window pillars along
the roof edge.
WARNING
Always move the front passenger seat
as far back as possible if installing a
front-facing child-restraint system on it
is unavoidable:
As your vehicle has front air bags and
doubly so because your vehicle has
side air bags, a front-facing child-
restraint system should be put on the
front passenger seat only when it is
unavoidable.
Even if the front passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates, always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the force
of a deploying air bag could cause
serious injury or death to the child.

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 in a moderate collision, 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.
Even though you may feel assured
that the front passenger air bag will
not deploy based on the fact that the
front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates, you should
not use a rear-facing child-restraint
system in the front seat.

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*Some models.2–40
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 6 air bags. Please
verify which kinds of air bags are 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:
 


y The steering wheel hub (driver air bag)



y The front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)



y The outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags) *




y The front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags) *
Vehicles with the Front Passenger Occupant Classifi cation System have a sensor which
detects an impending roll-over accident.
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:
 


y Keep the occupant from being thrown into an infl ating air bag.



y Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
infl ation, such as rear impact.




y Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal or side collisions or roll-over
accidents that are not severe enough to activate the air bags.
 


y Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.



y Reduce 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.
 


y Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
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2–43
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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 infl ates 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 infl ates 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 or roll-over accident.

Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have infl ated:
Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags have
infl ated is dangerous. Immediately after infl ation, 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 aff ected. This could cause air bags to infl ate unexpectedly,
or it could prevent the air bags from infl ating during an accident. Front occupants could
be seriously injured.

Do not modify the suspension:
Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the suspension is
modifi ed, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision or roll-over accident
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious
injuries.

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2–44
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
To prevent false detection by the air bag sensor system, heed the following:
 


¾ Do not use tires or wheels other than those specifi ed for your Mazda:
 Use of any tire or wheel other than those specifi ed for your Mazda (page 9-10 ) is
dangerous. Use of such wheels will prevent the vehicle's accident detections system
from accurately detecting a collision or roll-over accident resulting in incorrect or
unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious injuries.
 


¾ Do not overload your vehicle:
 Overloading your vehicle is dangerous as it could prevent the air bag crash sensor
system from accurately detecting a collision or roll-over accident resulting in incorrect
or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious injuries. The gross axle
weight rating (GAWR) and the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for your vehicle are
on the Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Label on the Mazda Dealer. Do not exceed these
ratings.
 


¾ Do not drive the vehicle off -road:
 Driving your Mazda off -road is dangerous because the vehicle has not been designed
to do so. Driving the vehicle off -road could prevent the air bag crash sensor system
from accurately detecting a collision or roll-over accident 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 aff ected 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 modifi cations
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 and that
the seats retain an undamaged air bag connection.

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