2018 MAZDA MODEL MX-5 Owners Manual (in English)

▼Passenger Air Bag
The passenger air bag is mounted in the passenger dashboard.
The inflation mechanism for the passenger air bag is the same as the driver's air bag.
For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Ba
g Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-37).
(With Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In addition, the passenger air bag is designed to only deploy w hen the passenger occupant
classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the passen ger's seat. For details, refer to
the passenger occupant classification system (page 2-40).
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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▼Side Air Bags
The side air bags are mounted in the outboard sides of the seat
backs.
When the air bag crash sensors detect a side 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 injury to the driv er or passenger's head and chest caused by
directly hitting interior pa rts such as a door or window.
For more details about air bag de ployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria"
(page 2-37).
(With Passenger Occupant Classification System)
In addition, the passenger side bag is designed to only deploy when the passenger occupant
classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the passen ger's seat. For details, refer to
the passenger occupant classification system (page 2-40).

▼ Warning Light/Beep
A system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a
warning.
Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights on page 4-26.
Refer to Warning Sound is Activated on page 7-49.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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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 collision A severe side collision
*2A rear collision
Seat belt
pretensioner X*1 (both sides)
X*1 (impact side only)
No air bag and seat belt
pretensioner will be activat- ed 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 collis ion.*1(Passenger Occupant Classification System)
The passenger front and side air b ags and the seat belt pretensioner are designed to deploy when the passenger
occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on t he 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).
NOTEIn a frontal offset collision, the equipped air bags and pretensioners may all deploy depending on the direction,
angle, and rate of impact.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Limitations to SRS Air Bag
In severe collisions such as those described previously in "SRS Air Bag Deployment
Criteria", the applicable SRS air bag equipment will deploy. Ho wever, 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 e xamples of front/near front collisions that may not be
detected as severe enough to deploy the SRS air bag equipment.

Impacts involving trees or poles Frontal offset impact to the vehicle

Rear-ending or running under a truck's tail gate
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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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 vehicles

Roll-over
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Passenger Occupant Classification System*
First, please read "Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precaut ions" (page 2-26) carefully.
▼Passenger Occupant Classification Sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a p
assenger occupant classification sensor as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. This sensor is equipped in the p assenger's seat cushion. This
sensor measures the electrostatic capacity of the passenger's s eat. The SAS unit is designed
to prevent the passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system from
deploying if the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light turns on.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the pa ssenger air bag, the system
deactivates the passenger front and side air bags and also the seat belt pretensioner system
when the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light turns o n. Refer to the following table
for the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illumina tion conditions.

This system shuts off the passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system,
so make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light turns on according to the
following table.

The air bag/seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes and the passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminates if the sensors have a possible malfunction. If this
happens, the passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pr etensioner system will not
deploy.
Passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light turns on to remind you that the passenger front and side air bags and seat
belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
If the passenger occupant classi fication sensor is normal, the indicator light turns on when
the ignition is switched ON. The light t urns off after a few seconds. Then, the indicator light
turns on or is off under the following conditions:
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Passenger air bag deactivation indicator light on/off condition chart
Condition detected by the pas-
senger occupant classification system Passenger air bag de-
activation indicator light Passenger front and
side air bags Passenger seat belt
pretensioner system
Empty (Not occupied) On Deactivated Deactivated
A child is seated in a child-re-
straint system
*1On Deactivated Deactivated
Adult
*2Off Ready Ready
*1 The occupant classification sensor may not detect a child seat ed on the seat, in a child-restraint system, or a
junior seat depending on the ch ild's physical size and seated posture.
*2 If a smaller adult sits on the passenger seat, the sensors might detect the person as being a child depending on
the person's physique.
If the passenger air bag deactivat ion indicator light does not turn on when the ignition is
switched ON and does not turn on as indicated in the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light on/off condition chart, do not allow an occupan t to sit in the passenger seat
and consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. The system may not work
properly in an accident.
WA R N I N G
Do not allow an occupant in the passenger's seat to sit with a posture which makes it difficult
for the passenger occupant classification sensor to detect the occupant correctly:
Sitting in the passenger's seat with a posture which makes it difficult for the passenger
occupant classification sensor to detect the occupant correctly is dangerous. If the passenger
occupant classification sensor cannot detect the occupant sitting on the passenger's seat
correctly, the passenger front and side air ba gs and pretensioner system may not operate
(non-deploy) or they may operate (deploy) a ccidentally. The passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air bags or th e accidental operation (deployment) of the air
bags could result in serious injury or death.
Under the following conditions, the passenger occu pant classification sensor cannot detect a
passenger sitting on the passenger's seat co rrectly and the deployment/non-deployment of
the air bags cannot be controlled as indicated in the passenger air bag deactivation indicator
light on/off condition chart. For example:
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SRS Air Bags
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A passenger is seated as shown in the following
figure:
Luggage or other items placed under the passenger seat or between the passenger seat and
driver seat that push up the passenger seat bottom.
 An object, such as a seat cushion, is put on the passenger's seat or between the passenger's
back and the seatback.
 A seat cover is put on the passenger's seat.
 Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint system.
 The seat is washed.
 Liquids are spilled on the seat.
 The passenger seat is moved backward, pushin g into luggage or other items placed behind
it.
 Luggage or other items are placed between the passenger seat and driver seat.
 An electric device is put on the passenger's seat.
 An additional electrical device , such as a seat warmer is installed to the surface of the
passenger seat.
The passenger front and side air bags and seat be lt pretensioner systems will deactivate if the
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light turns on.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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