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2–45
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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 operate a vehicle with damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system
components: Expended or damaged air bag/seat belt pretensioner system components must be
replaced after any collision which caused them to deploy or damage them. Only a trained
Authorized Mazda Dealer can fully evaluate these systems to see that they will work in
any subsequent accident. Driving with an expended or damaged air bag or pretensioner
unit will not afford you the necessary protection in the event of any subsequent accident
which could result in serious injury or death.
Do not remove interior air bag parts: Removing any components such as the front seats, front dashboard, the steering wheel
or parts on the front and rear window pillars and along the roof edge, containing air bag
parts or sensors is dangerous. These parts contain essential air bag components. The air
bag could accidentally activate and cause serious injuries. Always have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer remove these parts.
Properly dispose of the air bag system: Improper disposal of an air bag or a vehicle with live air bags in it can be extremely
dangerous. Unless all safety procedures are followed, injury could result. Have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer safely dispose of the air bag system or scrap an air bag
equipped vehicle.
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Page 60 of 578
2–48
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
*Some models.
Driver/Front passenger inflators and air bags
Roll-over sensor*, crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Seat belt pretensioners (page 2-19)
Front air bag sensors
Side crash sensors
Air bag/seat belt pretensioner system warning light (page 4-33)
Side and curtain inflators and air bags
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light* (page 2-56)
Front passenger occupant classification sensor* (page 2-56)
Front passenger occupant classification module*
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2–49
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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.
Front Seat Belt Pretensioners
The front seat belt pretensioners are designed to deploy in moderate or \
severe frontal, near
frontal collisions.
In addition, the pretensioners operate when a side collision (only on t\
he side in which the
collision occurs) or a roll-over accident is detected. The pretensioners operate differently
depending on what types of air bags are equipped. For more details about seat belt
pretensioner operation, refer to the SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria (page 2-53).
Driver 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 moder\
ate 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 2-53).
(With 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.
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2–50
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Front Passenger Air Bag
The front passenger air bag is mounted in the front passenger dashboard.\
The inflation mechanism for the front passenger air bag is the same as the driver's air bag.
For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-53).
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In addition, the front passenger air bag is designed to only deploy when\
the front passenger
occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat. For
details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification system (page 2-56).
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2–51
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Side Air Bags
The side air bags are mounted in the outboard sides of the front seatbac\
ks.
When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than mode\
rate force, the
system inflates the side air bag only on the side in which the vehicle was hit. The side
air bag inflates quickly to reduce injury to the driver or front passenger's chest 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).
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In addition, the front passenger side bag is designed to only deploy whe\
n the front passenger
occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat. For
details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification system (page 2-56).
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2–52
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Curtain Air Bags
The curtain air bags are mounted in the front and rear window pillars, a\
nd the roof edge
along both sides.
When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than mode\
rate 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 doo\
r 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.
Only one side curtain air bag will deploy on the side of the vehicle that receives the force of an
impact.
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In a roll-over:
In response to a vehicle roll-over, both curtain air bags inflate.
Both curtain air bags will deploy after the roll-over accident is detected.
Warning Light/Beep
A system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-32.
Refer to Warning Sound is Activated on page 7-36.
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2–53
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
*Some models.
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
equipment Types of collision
A severe frontal/near frontal collision A severe side
collision
*2A roll-over/near roll-over*3A rear collision
Front
seat belt
pretensioner X*1 (both sides)
X*1 (impact side
only) X*1 (both sides)
No air bag and
front seat belt
pretensioner will be
activated in a rear
collision.
Driver air
bag X
Front
passenger air bag X
*1
Side air bag*X*1 (impact side
only)
Curtain air bag
*X (impact side only) X (both sides)
X: The SRS air bag equipment is designed to deploy in a collision.
*1 (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
The front passenger front and side air bags and the seat belt pretension\
er are designed to deploy when the front
passenger occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat.
*2 (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In a side collision, the seat belt pretensioners and the side/curtain ai\
r bags deploy (only on the side in which the
collision occurs).
*3 (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In a roll-over accident, the seat belt pretensioners and the curtain air\
bags deploy.
NOTE
In a frontal offset collision, the equipped air bags and pretensioners may all deploy
depending on the direction, angle, and rate of impact.
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2–56
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
*Some models.
Front Passenger Occupant Classification System*
First, please read "Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions" (page 2-40)
carefully.
Front Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classification sensor as a part
of the supplemental restraint system. This sensor is equipped in the front passenger's seat
cushion. This sensor measures the electrostatic capacity of the front passenger's\
seat. The
SAS unit is designed to prevent the front passenger front and side air b\
ags and seat belt
pretensioner system from deploying if the front passenger air bag deacti\
vation indicator
light turns on.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passen\
ger air bag,
the system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and a\
lso the seat belt
pretensioner system when the front passenger air bag deactivation indica\
tor light turns
on. 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 turns on
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 p\
ossible malfunction.
If this happens, the front passenger front and side air bags and seat be\
lt pretensioner system
will not deploy.
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light turns on to remind you that the front passenger fro\
nt and side air bags
and seat belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
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