2018 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK child restraint

Table of Contents
Pictorial Index
Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.1
Essential Safety Equipment
Important information about safet y equipment, including seats, seat belt
system, child-restraint systems and SRS air bags.2
Before Driving
Use of various featur es, including keys, doors, mirrors and windows.3
When Driving
Information concerning s afe driving and stopping.4
Interior Features
Use of various features for ride comfort, including air-conditi oning and
audio system.5
Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Maz da in top condition.6
If Trouble Arises
Helpful information on what to do if a problem arises with the vehicle.7
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on
equipment.8
Specifications
Technical informati on about your Mazda.9
Index10
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2Essential Safety Equipment
Important information about safety equipment, including seats, seat
belt system, child-restraint systems and SRS air bags.
Seats.................................................... 2-2 Seat Precautions............................2-2
Front Seat......................................2-5
Rear Seat.......................................2-7
Head Restraints...........................2-10
Seat Belt Systems...... ....................... 2-12
Seat Belt Precautions.................. 2-12
Seat Belt......................................2-15
Seat Belt Warning Systems.........2-16
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and
Load Limiting Systems...............2-16
Seat Belt Extender...................... 2-18
Child-Restraint................................ 2-20 Child-Restraint Precautions........ 2-20
Child-Restraint System
Installation.................................. 2-25
Child-Restraint System Suitability
for Various Seat Positions
Table........................................... 2-27
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems....................................... 2-31
SRS Air Bags....................................2-44
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) Precautions.......................2-44
Supplemental Restraint System
Components................................ 2-51
How the SRS Air Bags Work..... 2-53
SRS Air Bag Deployment
Criteria........................................ 2-58
Limitations to SRS Air Bag........2-59
Front Passenger Occupant
Classification System
*................2-61
Constant Monitoring...................2-65
*Some models.2-1
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Seat Precautions
WA R N I N G
Make sure the adjustable components of a seat are locked in place:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that are not securely locked are dangerous. In a sudden stop
or collision, the seat or seatback could move, causing injury. Make sure the adjustable
components of the seat are locked in place by attempting to slide the seat forward and
backward and rocking the seatback.
Never allow children to adjust a seat:
Allowing children to adjust a seat is dangerous as it could result in serious injury if a child's
hands or feet become caught in the seat.
Do not drive with the seatback unlocked:
All of the seatbacks play an important role in your protection in a vehicle. Leaving the
seatback unlocked is dangerous as it can a llow passengers to be ejected or thrown around
and baggage to strike occupants in a sudden stop or collision, resulting in severe injury. After
adjusting the seatback at any time, even when there are no other passengers, rock the
seatback to make sure it is locked in place.
Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is stopped:
Adjusting the driver's seat while the vehicle is moving is dangerous. The driver could lose
control of the vehicle and have an accident.
Do not modify or replace the front seats:
Modifying or replacing the front seats such as replacing the upholstery or loosening any bolts
is dangerous. The front seats contain air ba g components essential to the supplemental
restraint system. Such modifications could damage the supplemental restraint system and
result in serious injury. Consul t an Authorized Mazda Dealer if there is any need to remove or
reinstall the front seats.
Do not drive with damaged front seats:
Driving with damaged front seats, such as seat cushions torn or damaged down to the
urethane, is dangerous. A collision, even one not strong enough to inflate the air bags, could
damage the front seats which contain essential air bag components. If there was a
subsequent collision, an air bag may not deploy which could lead to injuries. Always have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect the front seats, front seat belt pretensioners and air bags
after a collision.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-2
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Do not drive with either front seats reclined:
Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is moving is dangerous because you do not get
the full protection from seat be lts. During sudden braking or a collision, you can slide under
the lap belt and suffer serious internal injuri es. For maximum protection, sit well back and
upright.
Do not place an object such as a cushion between the seatback and your back:
Putting an object such as a cushion betwee n the seatback and your back is dangerous
because you will be unable to maintain a safe driving posture and the seat belt cannot
function at its full capacity in a collision, wh ich could result in a serious accident, injury or
death.
Do not place objects under the seat:
The object could get stuck and cause the seat to not be fixed securely, and result in an
accident.
Do not stack cargo higher than the seatbacks:
Stacking luggage or other cargo higher than the seatbacks is dangerous. During sudden
braking or a collision, objects can fly around and become projectiles that may hit and injure
passengers.
Make sure luggage and cargo is secured before driving:
Not securing cargo while driving is dangerous as it could move or be crushed during sudden
braking or a collision and cause injury.
Never allow a passenger to sit or stand on the folded seatback while the vehicle is moving:
Driving with a passenger on the folded seatback is dangerous. Allowing a child to sit up on
the folded seatback while the vehicle is moving is particularly dangerous. In a sudden stop or
even a minor collision, a child not in a proper seat or child-restraint system and seat belt could
be thrown forward, back or even out of the vehi cle resulting in serious injuries or death. The
child in the baggage area could be thrown into other occupants and cause serious injury.
Never give the car keys to children and do not allow them to play in the vehicle (4–Door):
Playing with the folding rear seats is dangerous. Once the seatbacks are back up, a child in the
trunk would not be able to get out the way they had entered. If you have small children, keep
the seatbacks locked.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
2-3
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Seat Belt Precautions
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during accidents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and all passengers always wear seat belts.

(Except Mexico)
All of the seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/sh oulder belts out of the way when
not in use.
The driver's seat belt has no provisions for child-restraint sy stems and has only an
emergency locking mode. The driver may wear it comfortably, and it will lock during a
collision.
However, the front passenger's seat and all rear lap/shoulder b elt retractors operate in two
modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.
While we recommend you put all chi ldren in the rear seats, if you must use the front
passenger seat for a child, slide the front passenger seat as f ar back as possible and make
sure any child-restraint sy stem is secured properly.

(Mexico)
All the seats have lap/shoulder belts. These belts have retract ors with inertia locks that keep
them out of the way when not in use. The locks allow the belts to remain comfortable on
users, but they will lock in position during a collision.
WA R N I N G
Always wear your seat belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained:
Not wearing a seat belt is extremely dangerou s. During a collision, occupants not wearing
seat belts could hit someone or things inside th e vehicle or even be thrown out of the vehicle.
They could be seriously injured or even killed . In the same collision, occupants wearing seat
belts would be much safer.
Do not wear twisted seat belts:
Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt is not available to
absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt, which could cause
serious injury or death. So, if your seat belt is twisted, you must straighten the seat belt to
remove any twists and to allow the full width of the belt to be used.
Never use one seat belt on more than one person at a time:
Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used in this
way cannot spread the impact forces properly and the two passengers could be crushed
together and seriously injured or even killed. Never use one belt for more than one person at a
time and always operate the vehicle with each occupant properly restrained.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
2-12
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▼Pregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should always wea
r seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific
recommendations.
The lap belt should be worn SNUGLY AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE OVER THE HIPS.
The shoulder belt should be worn across your shoulder properly, but never across the
stomach area.
Persons with serious medical conditions also should wear seat b elts. Check with your doctor
for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditi ons.
▼Emergency Locking Mode
When the seat belt is fastened, it will always be in the emergency locking mode.
In the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on
the occupant and the
retractor will lock in pos ition during a collision.
If the belt is locked and cannot be pulled out, retract the bel t once, and then try pulling it out
slowly. If this fails, pull the belt strongly one time and loos en, then pull it out again slowly.
(Seat Belt with Autom atic Locking Mode)
When the seat belt is fastened, it will always be in the emergency locking mode until it is
switched to automatic locking mode by pulling it all the way ou t to its full length. If the belt
feels tight and hinders comforta ble movement while the vehicle is stopped or in motion, it
may be in the automatic locking mode because the belt has been pulled too far out. To return
the belt to the more comfortable emergency locking mode, wait u ntil the vehicle has stopped
in a safe, level area, retract t he belt fully to convert it back to emergency locking mode and
then extend it around you again.
▼ Automatic Locking Mode*
Always use the automatic locking mode to keep the child-restrai
nt system from shifting to
an unsafe position in the event of an accident. To enable seat belt automatic locking mode,
pull it all the way out and connect it as instructed on the chi ld-restraint system. It will retract
down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See t he section on child restraint
(page 2-20).
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
2-14*Some models.
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Do not use an improper extender:
Using a seat belt extender that is for
another person or a different vehicle or seat
is dangerous. The seat belt will not provide
adequate protection and the user could be
seriously injured in an accident. Only use
the extender provided for you and for the
particular vehicle and seat. NEVER use the
extender in a different vehicle or seat. If you
sell your Mazda, do not leave your seat belt
extender in the vehicle. It could be used
accidentally by the new owner of the
vehicle. After removing the seat belt
extender, discard it. Never use the seat belt
extender in any other vehicle you may own
in the future.
Do not use an extender that is too long:
Using an extender that is too long is
dangerous. The seat belt will not fit
properly. In an accident, the seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and you
could be seriously injured. Do not use the
extender or choose one shorter in length if
the distance between the extender's buckle
and the center of the user's body is less
than 15 cm (6 in).Do not leave a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle:
Leaving a seat belt extender connected to
the buckle without using the seat belt is
dangerous. When the seat belt extender is
connected to the driver's seat belt buckle
(or front passenger's seat belt buckle), the
SRS driver's (or front passenger's) air bag
system will determine that the driver (or
front passenger) is wearing the seat belt
even if the driver (or front passenger) is not
wearing it. This condition could cause the
driver's (or front passenger's) air bag to not
activate correctly and result in death or
serious injury in the event of collision.
Always wear the seat belt with the seat belt
extender.
Do not use the seat belt extender when
installing a child-restraint system on the
front or rear passenger seat:
Using a seat belt extender to fasten a
child-restraint system on any seat is
dangerous. Always follow the
child-restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions and never use a
seat belt extender.
NOTE
When not in use, remove the seat belt
extender and store it in the vehicle. If the
seat belt extender is left connected, the
seat belt extender might get damaged as it
will not retract with the rest of the seat belt
and can easily fall out of the door when
not in use and be damaged. In addition,
the seat belt warning light will not
illuminate and function properly.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
2-19
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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 specific requ irements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.

Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the a ppropriate 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-r estraint 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 confirm 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 le ast preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.

(With Front Passenger Occupa nt Classification System)
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the fr ont passenger air bag, the
front passenger occupant classification sensor works 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 passenge r 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 sy stem, 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-rest raint 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 occupant classification sensor" (page 2-61).

Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
2-20
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