
2–44
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
To prevent false detection by the air bag sensor system, heed the following:
Do not use tires or wheels other than those specified for your Mazda:
Use of any tire or wheel other than those specified for your Mazda (page 9-8) 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.
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 driver's door frame. Do not exceed
these ratings.
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 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, and that
the front passenger occupant classification system and the seats retain an undamaged
air bag connection.
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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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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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2–53
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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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Limitations to side collision detection:
The following illustrations are examples of side collisions that may not\
be detected as severe
enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment.
Side impacts involving trees or poles Side impacts with two-wheeled v
ehicles
Roll-over (Without Driver and Front P assenger Occupant Classif ication System)
(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
Limitations to roll-over detection:
The following illustration is an example of an accident that may not be \
detected as a roll-
over accident. Therefore, the front seat belt pretensioners and curtain air bags may no\
t
deploy.
Pitch end over end
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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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2–57
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
If the front passenger occupant classification sensor is normal, the indicator light turns
on when the ignition is switched ON. The light turns off after a few seconds. Then, the
indicator light turns on or is off under the following conditions:
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light on/off condition chart
Condition detected by the front passenger occupant classification system Front passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light Front passenger front
and side air bags Front passenger seat
belt pretensioner system
Empty (Not occupied) OnDeactivated Deactivated
A child less than 1 year old is
seated in a child-restraint system On
Deactivated Deactivated
Child
*1On or off Deactivated or ready Deactivated or ready
Adult*2Off Ready Ready
*1 The occupant classification sensor may not detect a child seated on the seat, in a child-restraint system, or a
junior seat depending on the child's physical size and seated posture.
*2 If a smaller adult sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might d\
etect the person as being a child depending
on the person's physique.
The curtain air bag is ready for inflating regardless of what the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light on/off condition chart indicates.
If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not tur\
n on when the ignition
is switched ON and does not turn on as indicated in the front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light on/off condition chart, do not allow an occupant to sit in the front passenge\
r
seat and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. The system may not work
properly in an accident.
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