
2 –28 Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags 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.
NOTE
If it becomes necessary to have the components or wiring system for the supplementary
restraint system modified to accommodate a person with certain medical conditions in
accordance with a certified physician, contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer, refer to
“Customer Assistance (U.S.A.)” (page 8-2 ).
When 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.
Should 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.
Vehicles with a passenger air bag have a warning label attached as shown in the
following.
(Except Mexico)
This warning label is displayed in compliance with regulations.
(Mexico)
This warning label reminds you not to put a rear-facing child-restraint system on the
passenger seat at any time.
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2 –34 Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
SRS Air Bag Deployment CriteriaThis chart indicates the applicable SRS equipment that will dep loy 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 *2
A rear collision
Seat belt
pretensioner X *1
(both sides) X *1
(impact side only)
No air bag and seat belt
pretensioner will be
activated in a rear collision.Driver air
bag X
Passenger
air bag X *1
Side air bag X *1
(impact side only)
X : The SRS air bag equipment is designed to deploy in a collision.
*1 (Passenger Occupant Classification System)
The passenger front and side air bags and the seat belt pretensioner are designed to deploy when the passenger
occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on th e passenger's seat.
*2 In a side collision, the seat belt pretensioners and the side air bags deploy (only on the side in which the
collision occurs).
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 –35 Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Limitations to SRS Air BagIn severe collisions such as those described previously in "SRS Air Bag Deployment
Criteria", the applicable SRS air bag equipment will deploy. However, in some accidents,
the equipment may not deploy depending on the type of collision and its severity.
Limitations to front/near front collision detection:
The following illustrations are examples of front/near front collisions that may not be
detected as severe enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment. Impacts in volving trees or poles Frontal offset impact to the vehicle
Rear-ending or running under a truck's tail gate
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3 –23 Before Driving
Fuel and Emission Emission Control SystemThis vehicle is equipped with an emission control system (the c atalytic converter is
part of this system) that enables the vehicle to comply with existing exhaust emissions
requirements.
WARNING Never park over or near anything flammable:
Parking over or near anything flammable, such as dry grass, is dangerous. Even with the
engine turned off, the exhaust system remains very hot after normal use and could ignite
anything flammable. A resulting fire could cause serious injury or death.
CAUTION Ignoring the following precautions could cause lead to accumulate on the catalyst inside
the converter or cause the converter to get very hot. Either condition will damage the
converter and cause poor performance.
USE ONLY UNLEADED FUEL.
Do not drive your Mazda with any sign of engine malfunction.
Do not coast with the ignition switched off.
Do not descend steep grades in gear with the ignition switched off.
Do not operate the engine at high idle for more than 2 minutes.
Do not tamper with the emission control system. All inspections and adjustments
must be made by a qualified technician.
Do not push-start or pull-start your vehicle.
NOTE
Under U.S. federal law, any modification to the original-equipment emission control
system before the first sale and registration of a vehicle is subject to penalties. In some
states, such modification made on a used vehicle is also subject to penalties.
While the engine is off, the sound of a valve opening and closing can be heard at the rear
of the vehicle, however this does not indicate an abnormality. The vehicle has a self-
checking device and it operates while the engine is off.
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3 –28 Before Driving
Mirrors
MirrorsBefore driving, adjust the inside and
outside mirrors.
Outside Mirrors
WARNINGBe sure to look over your shoulder
before changing lanes:
Changing lanes without taking
into account the actual distance of
the vehicle in the convex mirror is
dangerous. You could have a serious
accident. What you see in the convex
mirror is closer than it appears.
Mirror type
Flat type (driver's side)
Flat surface mirror.
Convex type (passenger side)
The mirror has single curvature on its
surface.
Power mirror adjustment
The ignition must be switched to ACC or
ON position.
To adjust:
1. Rotate the mirror switch to the left or
right
to choose the left or right side
mirror. 2. Press the mirror switch in the
appropriate direction. Center position
Mirror switch
After adjusting the mirror, lock the
control by rotating the switch in the center
position.
Folding mirror
WARNING Always return the outside mirrors to
the driving position before you start
driving:
Driving with the outside mirrors folded
in is dangerous. Your rear view will
be restricted, and you could have an
accident.
Manually fold the outside mirror rearward
until it is flush with the vehicle.
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3 –29 Before Driving
Mirrors
*Some models.Driver's side auto-dimming door
mirror *
The movement of the auto-dimming
door mirror is interlocked with the auto-
dimming rearview mirror in the interior
to automatically reduce glare from rear
on-coming vehicles.
Refer to Rearview Mirror on page 3-29 .
NOTE
The passenger-side door mirror does not
have the auto-dimming feature.
Rearview Mirror
WARNING Do not stack cargo or objects higher
than the seatbacks:
Cargo stacked higher than the
seatbacks is dangerous. It can block
your view in the rearview mirror, which
might cause you to hit another car
when changing lanes.
Rearview mirror adjustment
Before driving, adjust the rearview mirror
to center on the scene through the rear
window.
NOTE
For the manual day/night mirror, perform
the adjustment with the day/night lever in
the day position. Reducing glare from headlights
Manual day/night mirror
Push the day/night lever forward for day
driving. Pull it back to reduce glare of
headlights from vehicles at the rear.
Day/Night le ve r
DayNight
Auto-dimming mirror
The auto-dimming mirror automatically
reduces the glare of headlights from
vehicles at the rear when the ignition is
switched ON.
Press the OFF button (
) to cancel the
auto-dimming function. The indicator light
will turn off.
To reactivate the auto-dimming function,
press the ON button (
). The indicator
light will illuminate.
Indicator light OFF button
ON button
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3 –35 Before Driving
Convertible Top (Soft Top)
CAUTION
Remove leaves or other matter that may accumulate on and around the convertible top.
If leaves or other matter block the drain filter, water may enter the vehicle. Clean the drain
filter at least once a year.
Refer to Convertible Top Maintenance on page 6-64 .
Before opening the convertible top, make sure the rear window defogger switch is turned
off. Otherwise the heat generated from the defogger could damage the convertible top and
the internal material.
Before lowering or raising the convertible top, stop in a safe place off the right-of-way and
park on a level surface.
Make sure nothing is on the convertible top or near the back window when raising or
lowering the convertible top.
Even small objects may interfere and cause damage.
Do not drive through an automatic car wash; it may damage the convertible top.
Do not raise or lower the convertible top when the temperature is below 5 °C (41 °F) ; this
will damage the convertible top material.
Do not lower the convertible top when it's wet. If the convertible top dries while folded, it
will deteriorate and mold.
Lowering the convertible top while it's wet can also cause water to drip into the passenger
compartment.
Do not raise or lower the convertible top in a strong wind as it could damage the
convertible top or cause an unexpected accident.
NOTE
The power windows go down automatically in conjunction with the convertible top
opening/closing. However, this is a function for improving the operability, and it does not
mean there is a problem. If the vehicle battery is disconnected for vehicle maintenance or
other reasons, the power windows will not go down automatically. If the power windows
do not go down, the automatic open/close mechanism for the windows must be reset.
Refer to Operating the Power Windows on page 3-31 .
The windblocker reduces the amount of wind coming into the cabin from behind when
driving with the convertible top opened.
Refer to Windblocker on page 5-140 .
When lowering the convertible top, make sure objects inside the vehicle are not blown
away by the wind.
Secure all loose objects inside before driving with the convertible top down.
To help prevent burglary or vandalism and to ensure that the passenger compartment
stays dry, close the convertible top securely and lock both doors when leaving the vehicle.
The soft top is made of high quality material and if it is not maintained correctly, the
material could harden, becomes stained, or have an uneven gloss.
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3 –36 Before Driving
Convertible Top (Soft Top) Lowering the Convertible Top
CAUTION Do not sit on the folded convertible
top. Otherwise, the convertible top
could be damaged or you may fall off
and be injured.
1. Make sure the parking brake is applied.
2. If the engine is running, turn it off.
3. Make sure there are no objects which
have been placed in the area where the
convertible top is to be retracted.
4. With the lock release button depressed
forward, pull back the top latch lever to
unlock it.
Top latchLock release button
5. Remove the striker from the anchor.
Anchor
Striker NOTE
If the power windows do not go down
automatically, fully open the windows or
open the doors.
6. Standing outside of the vehicle, hold
the convertible top along the front edge
and pull it toward the vehicle rear.
Front edge
NOTE
To lower the convertible top from inside
the vehicle, use the convertible top's
handles.
Convertible top's handles
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