2018 MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK sensor

(With Front Passenger Occupant
Classification System)
In addition, the pretensioner system for the
front passenger, like the front and side
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 sensor (page 2-
61).

Load limiter:
The load limiting system releases belt
webbing in a controlled manner to reduce
belt force on the occupant's chest. While
the most severe load on a seat belt occurs
in frontal collisions, the load limiter has an
automatic mechanical function and can
activate in any accident mode with
sufficient occupant movement.
Even if the pretensioners have not fired,
the load limiting function must be checked
by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
WA R N I N G
Wear seat belts only as recommended in
this owner's manual:
Incorrect positioning of the driver and front
passenger seat belts is dangerous. Without
proper positioning, the pretensioner and
load limiting systems cannot provide
adequate protection in an accident and
this could result in serious injury. For more
details about wearing seat belts, refer to
"Fastening the seat belts" (page 2-15).
Have your seat belts changed immediately
if the pretensioner or load limiter has been
expended:
Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
immediately inspect the seat belt
pretensioners and air bags after any
collision. Like the air bags, the seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters will only
function once and must be replaced after
any collision that caused them to deploy. A
seat belt with an expended pretensioner or
load limiter is still better than wearing no
seat belt at all; however, if the seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters are not
replaced, the risk of injury in a collision will
increase.
Do not modify the components or wiring,
or use electronic testing devices on the
pretensioner system:
Modifying the components or wiring of the
pretensioner system, including the use of
electronic testing devices is dangerous. You
could accidentally activate it or make it
inoperable which would prevent it from
activating in an accident. The occupants or
repairers could be seriously injured.
Properly dispose of the pretensioner
system:
Improper disposal of the pretensioner
system or a vehicle with non-deactivated
pretensioners is dangerous. Unless all
safety procedures are followed, injury could
result. Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
safely dispose of the pretensioner system or
scrap a pretensioner system equipped
vehicle.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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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
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Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is dangerous under
certain conditions (With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System):
Your vehicle is equipped with front passenger occupant classification sensor. Even with the
front passenger occupant classification sensor, if you must use the front passenger seat to
seat a child, using a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat under the following
conditions increases the danger of the front passenger air bag deploying and could result in
serious injury or death to the child.
 The front passenger air bag deactivation indicato r light does not illuminate when seating a
child in the child-restraint system.
 Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint system.
 A rear passenger or luggage pushing or pulling down on the front passenger seatback.
 Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.
 The seat is washed.
 Liquids are spilled on the seat.
 The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items placed
behind it.
 The front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.
 Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.
 An electric device is put on the front passenger's seat.
 An additional electrical device, such as a seat warmer is installed to the surface of the front
passenger seat.
The designated positions with seat belts on th e rear seats are the safest places for children.
Always use seat belts and child restraints.
Do not allow a child or anyone to lean over or against the side window of a vehicle with side
and curtain air bags:
It is dangerous to allow anyone to lean over or against the side window, the area of the front
passenger seat, the front and rear window pillars and the roof edge along both sides from
which the side and curtain air bags deploy, even if a child-restraint system is used. The impact
of inflation from a side or curtain air bag could cause serious injury or death to an out of
position child. Furthermore, leaning over or ag ainst the front door could block the side and
curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of supplemental protection. With the front air
bag and the additional side air bag that comes ou t of the front seat, the rear seat is always a
better location for children. Take special care no t to allow a child to lean over or against the
side window, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
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Installing Child-RestraintSystems
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seat . The front passenger's
seat is clearly the worst choice for any
child under 12, and with rear-facing
child-restraint systems it is clearly unsafe
due to air bags.

NOTE
Even if your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger occupant classification sensor
(page 2-61), which automatically
deactivates the front passenger air bag, a
rear seat is the safest place for a child of
any age or size.

Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
installed on the seats that take tethers to be
effective. In your Mazda, tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in the three positions on
the rear seat.

Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "Using LATCH Lower Anchor"
(page 2-40).
WA R N I N G
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems Work
Only on Tether-Equipped Rear Seats:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger's seat defeats the safety design
of the system and will result in an increased
chance of serious injury if the
child-restraint system goes forward
without benefit of being tethered.
Place tether equipped child-restraint
systems where there are tether anchors.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
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▼If You Must Use the Front Seat for
Children
If you cannot put all children in the rear
seat, at least put the
smallest children in
the rear and be sure the largest child up
front uses the shoulder belt over the
shoulder.
NEVER put a rear-facing child-restraint
system on the front passenger seat whether
your vehicle is equipped with an occupant
classification sensor or not.
This seat is also not set up for tethered
child-restraint system s, put them in one of
the rear seat positions set up with tether
anchors.
Likewise the LATCH child-restraint
system cannot be secured in the front
passenger's seat and should be used in the
rear seat.
Do not allow anyone to sleep against the
side window since your vehicle has side
and curtain air bags, it could cause serious
injuries to an out of position occupant. As
children more often sleep in cars, it is
better to put them in the rear seat. If
installing the child-re straint system on the
front seat is unavoidable, follow these
instructions when using a front-facing
child-restraint sy stem in the front
passenger's seat.
NOTE
To check if your front seats have side air
bags:
Mazda vehicles equipped with side air
bag will have a "SRS AIRBAG" tag on
the outboard shoulder of the front seats.
To check if your vehicle has curtain air
bags:
Mazda vehicles equipped with curtain
air bag will have an "SRS AIRBAG"
marking on the window pillars along the
roof edge.
WA R N I N G
Always move the front passenger seat as
far back as possible if installing a
front-facing child-restraint system on it is
unavoidable:
As your vehicle has front air bags and
doubly so because your vehicle has side air
bags, a front-facing child-restraint system
should be put on th e front passenger seat
only when it is unavoidable.
Even if the front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminates,
always move the seat as far back as
possible, because the force of a deploying
air bag could cause serious injury or death
to the child.
Never use a rear-facing child-restraint
system in the front seat with an air bag
that could deploy:
Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the
front seat are part icularly dangerous.
Even in a moderate collision, the
child-restraint system can be hit by a
deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or
death to the child. Even though you may
feel assured that the front passenger air
bag will not deploy based on the fact that
the front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates, you should not
use a rear-facing child-restraint system in
the front seat.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child-Restraint
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Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include different types of air bags.
Please verify the different types of air bags which are equippe d on your vehicle by
locating the “SRS AIRBAG” location indicators. These indicators are visible in the area
where the air bags are installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:

The steering wheel h ub (driver air bag)
The front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)
The outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags)*
The front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags)*

Vehicles with the Front Passenger Occupant Classification Syste m have a sensor which
detects an impending roll-over accident.

The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to prov ide supplemental protection
in certain situations so seat bel ts are always important in the following ways:

Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate p rotection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
Keep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.
Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is n ot designed for air bag
inflation, such as rear impact.
Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal, near frontal or side collisions or roll-over
accidents that are not severe enough to activate the air bags.
Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.
Reduce the possibility of injurie s to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
Hold the driver in a position wh ich allows better control of the vehicle.

Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys:
Attaching objects to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the seat in
any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side air bag, which
inflates from the outboard side of the front seat s, impeding the added protection of the side
air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag
could be cut open releasing the gas.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or backpacks with side straps on the front seats. Never
use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag modules in your front seats free
to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a curtain air bag deploys:
Attaching objects to the areas where the curtai n air bag activates such as on the windshield
glass, side door glass, front and rear window pi llars and along the roof edge and assist grips is
dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the curtain air bag, which
inflates
from the front and rear window pillars an d along the roof edge, impeding the added
protection of the curtain air bag system or redi recting the air bag in a way that is dangerous.
Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas.
Do not place hangers or any other objects on the assist grips. When hanging clothes, hang
them on the coat hook directly. Always keep th e curtain air bag modules free to deploy in the
event of a side collision or roll-over accident.
Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags have
inflated:
Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags have
inflated is dangerous. Immediat ely after inflation, they are very hot. You could get burned.
Never install any front- end equipment to your vehicle:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar, bull bar,
push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air bag crash
sensor system could be affected. This could cause air bags to
inflate unexpectedly, or it could
prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident. Front occupants could be seriously
injured.
Do not modify the suspension:
Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the suspension is
modified, the vehicle will be unable to accura tely detect a collision or roll-over accident
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag depl oyment and the possibility of serious injuries.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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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 9-10) is
dangerous. Use of such wheels will prevent th e 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 possibili ty 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 beca use the vehicle has not been designed to do
so. Driving the vehicle off-road could prev ent 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 un repaired is dangerous. Each front door has a
side crash sensor as a component of the suppleme ntal 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 ma y 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 inst alling 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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