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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 de ploy, which could result in death or serious
injury. To prevent damage to the components es sential 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 pret ensioner system components must be replaced
after any collision which caused them to depl oy 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 injuri es. Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
remove these parts.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-49
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(Without Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
Driver/Front passenger inflators and air bags
Roll-over sensor*, crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Seat belt pretensioners (page 2-16)
Front air bag sensors
Side crash sensors*
Air bag/seat belt pretensioner s ystem warning light (page 4-24)
Side and curtain inflators and air bags*
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light* (page 2-61)
Front passenger occupant classification sensor* (page 2-61)
Front passenger occupant classification module*
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-52*Some models.
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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 mod
erate or severe frontal, near
frontal collisions.
In addition, the pretensioners ope rate when a side collision (only on the 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 deta ils about seat belt
pretensioner operation, refer to the SRS Air Bag Deployment Cri teria (page 2-58).
▼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 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 Ba g Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-58).
(With Front Passenger Occupa nt 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-53
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▼Front Passenger Air Bag
The front passenger air bag is mounted in the front passenger d
ashboard.
The inflation mechanism for the front passenger air bag is the same as the driver's air bag.
For more details about air bag de ployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-58).
(With Front Passenger Occupa nt Classification System)
In addition, the front passenger air bag is designed to only de ploy when the front passenger
occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on t he front passenger's seat. For
details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification s ystem (page 2-61).
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-54
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▼Side Air Bags*
The side air bags are mounted in the outboard sides of the fron
t seatbacks.
When the air bag crash sensors detect a s ide impact of greater than moderate 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 i njury 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 Ba g Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-58).
(With Front Passenger Occupa nt Classification System)
In addition, the front passenger side bag is designed to only d eploy when the front passenger
occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on t he front passenger's seat. For
details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification s ystem (page 2-61).
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
*Some models.2-55
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▼Curtain Air Bags*
The curtain air bags are mounted in the front and rear window p
illars, and the roof edge
along both sides.
When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than moderate force, the
curtain air bag inflates quickly and helps to reduce injury mai nly to the rear outboard
passenger's head caused by dir ectly hitting interior parts such as a door or window.
For more details about air bag de ployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-58).
In a side impact:
Greater than moderate impact to o ne 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 Occupa nt Classification System)
In a roll-over:
In response to a vehicle roll-ov er, both curtain air bags inflate.
Both curtain air bags will deploy after
the roll-over accident is detected.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-56*Some models.
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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 equip- ment Types of collision
A severe frontal/near frontal colli- sion A severe side colli-
sion
*4A roll-over/nearroll-over*3A rear collision
Front seat
belt preten- sioner X*1 (both sides)
X*1 (impact side
only) X*1 (both sides)
No air bag and
front seat belt pre-
tensioner will be
activated in a rear
collision.
Driver air
bag X
Front pas- senger air bag X
*1
Side air bag*X*2X*1 (impact side
only)
Curtain air bag
*X*2X (impact side on- ly) 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 pretensioner are designed to deploy when the front
passenger occupant cla ssification sensor detects a passenger si tting on the front passenger's seat.
*2(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In an angled collision, the side air bag and curtain air bag ma y deploy.
*3(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In a roll-over accident, the s eat belt pretensioners and the cu rtain air bags deploy.
*4(With Side/Curtain Air Bags)
In a side collision, the seat be lt pretensioners and the side/c urtain air bags deploy (only on the side in which the
collision occurs).
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
2-58*Some models.
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Front Passenger Occupant Classification System*
First, please read "Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions" (page 2-44) carefully.
▼Front Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger occupant classi
fication sensor as a part of
the supplemental restraint system. This sensor is equipped in t he front passenger's seat
cushion. This sensor measures th e electrostatic capacity of the front passenger's seat. The
SAS unit is designed to prevent the front passenger front and s ide air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system from deployi ng if the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator
light turns on.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the seat belt
pretensioner system when the front passenger air bag deactivati on indicator 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 ba gs 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 f lashes and the front passenger
air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates if the sensors have a possible malfunction. If
this happens, the front passenger front and side air bags and s eat belt pretensioner system
will not deploy.
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light turns on to r emind you that the front passenger front and side air bags
and seat belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
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 f ew seconds. Then, the
indicator light turns on or is off under the following conditio ns:
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
*Some models.2-61
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