Heated Steering Wheel*
The grips on the left and right of the
steering wheel can be warmed up.
Heating areaHeated steering
wheel switch
The ignition must be switched ON.
Press the switch to turn on the heated
steering wheel. The heated steering wheel
operates for about 30
minutes and then
turns off automatically.
The indicator light illuminates when the
heater is operating.
To turn off the heated steering wheel
before the 30 minutes has elapsed, press
the switch again.
CAUTION
The following types of persons should be
careful not to touch the steering wheel.
Otherwise, it could cause a
low-temperature burn.
Infants, small children, elderly people,
and physically challenged people
People with delicate skin
People who are excessively fatigued
People who are intoxicated
People who have taken sleep-inducing
medicine such as sleeping pills or cold
medicine
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Warmer/Seat Ventilation/Heated Steering Wheel
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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 i n the following locations:
The steering wheel hub (driver air bag)
The front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)
The outboard sides of the fron t seatbacks (side air bags)
The front and rear window pillar s, 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 belts 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 injuri es during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as rear impact.
Reduce the possibility of inju ries 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 injuries to lower body and legs durin g an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
Hold the driver in a position whic h allows better control of the vehicle.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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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 particularly dangerous even though
you may feel assured that a front passenger air bag will not deploy based on the fact that the
front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates. The child-restraint system
can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved viol ently backward resulting in serious injury or
death to the child.
Do not sit too close to the driver and front passenger air bags:
Sitting too close to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing hands or feet on
them is extremely dangerous. The driver and front passenger air bags inflate with great force
and speed. Serious injuries could occur if someon e is too close. The driver should always hold
onto only the rim of the steering wheel. The front seat passenger should keep both feet on the
floor. Front seat occupants should adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit
upright against the seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
Sit in the center of the seat and wear seat belts properly:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them, or sleeping up against
the door or hanging out the windows is extrem ely dangerous. The side and curtain air bags
inflate with great force and speed directly expanding
along the door on the side the car is hit.
Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning against a
window, or if rear seat occupants grab the side s of the front seatbacks. Give the side and
curtain air bags room to work by sitting in th e center of the seat while the vehicle is moving
with seat belts worn properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where air bags deploy:
Attaching objects to the air bags or placing so mething in the area where the air bags deploy
is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere with air bag inflation and injure the
occupants. Furthermore, the bag could be damaged causing gases to release. Always keep
the deployment area of the air bag modules free of any obstructions.
For example, you should not do any of the following as it may interfere with air bag
deployment.
Do not put a covering on or lean anything against areas such as the dashboard and lower
portion of the instrument panel that blocks the passenger front air bag and knee air bags.
Do not use seat covers on the front seats and re ar seats equipped with in-seat side air bags.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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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 unrepaired is dangerous. Each front door has a
side crash sensor as a component of the supplemental 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 may not operate normally which could result in
serious injury to occupants.
Do not modify the supplemental restraint system:
Modifying the components or wiri ng 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.
Do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats:
Placing luggage or other objects under th e 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 essential 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 preten sioner system components must be replaced
after any collision which caused them to deploy 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 dama ged 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
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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 or a roll-over accident is
detected. The pretensioners operate differently depending on wh at types of air bags are
equipped. For more det ails about seat belt pretensioner operati on, refer to the SRS Air Bag
Deployment Criteria (page 2-81).
▼ 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 2-81).
(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
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Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a few
precautions in the first 1,000 km (600
miles) may add to the performance,
economy, and life of the vehicle.
Do not race the engine.
Do not maintain one constant speed,
either slow or fast, for a long period of
time.
Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or
high engine rpm for extended periods of
time.
Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
Avoid full-throttle starts.
Do not tow a trailer.
Saving Fuel and Protection of the Environment
How you operate your Mazda determines
how far it will travel on a tank of fuel. Use
these suggestions to help save fuel and
reduce CO
2.
Avoid long warm-ups. Once the engine
runs smoothly, begin driving.
Avoid fast starts.
Drive at lower speeds.
Anticipate when to apply the brakes
(avoid sudden braking).
Follow the maintenance schedule (page
6-4) and have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer perform inspections and
servicing.
Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
Slow down on rough roads.
Keep the tires properly inflated.
Do not carry unnecessary weight.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving.
Keep the wheels in correct alignment.
Keep windows closed at high speeds.
Slow down when driving in crosswinds
and headwinds.
WA R N I N G
Never stop the engine when going down a
hill:
Stopping the engine when going down a
hill is dangerous. This causes the loss of
power steering and power brake control,
and may cause damage to the drivetrain.
Any loss of steering or braking control
could cause an accident.
Before Driving
Driving Tips
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Before driving
Have your cooling and braking system checked by an Authorized M azda Dealer.
Before starting out, inspect the operation of all vehicle and t railer lights and all
vehicle-to-trailer connections. Stop and re-inspect all lights and connections after driving
a short distance.
Driving
Your Mazda will handle differentl y with a trailer in tow, so practice turning, backing, and
stopping in a traffic-free area.
Take time to get accustomed to the extra weight and length.
Allow more room between your vehicle and the one in front becau se braking distance
increases with a trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, a llow at least one vehicle
and trailer length between your M azda and the vehicle ahead.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
Avoid sudden braking. It may cause loss of control and result i n jackknifing, especially so
on wet or slippery roads.
Shift the selector lever to the D position when towing a trailer in hilly terrain or when
heavily loaded.
The D position will allow operating the vehicle without frequen t shifting.
Lane changes and turning
Avoid quick lane changes, sudden turns, and tight turns. Slow d own before turning to avoid
the need of sudden braking.
A turning trailer will make a tighter arc than the tow vehicle. Compensate with turns that are
larger than normal.
Passing
Plan well ahead to pass other v ehicles, and provide plenty of r oom before changing lanes.
Crosswinds from passing vehicles, especially larger ones, and t he effects of rough roads will
affect handling.
If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and reduce sp eed immediately, but
gradually.
Steer straight ahead. If no extr eme correction of steering or b raking is made, the
combination of less speed and firm steering will result in stab ility.
Backing up
Backing a vehicle with a traile r requires practice and patience . Back slowly, and have a
helper outside at the rear of th e trailer to reduce the risk of an accident.
Before Driving
To w i n g
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To turn the trailer, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it in the
direction you want the trailer to go. Make only slight movements to prevent sharp or
prolonged turning.
Ascending a hill
Shift into a lower gear to reduce the possibility of overloadin g or overheating the engine, or
both.
Descending a hill
Shift into a lower gear and use engine compression as a braking effect.
WA R N I N G
Always use lower gears to reduce speed:
Holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently is dangerous as it could cause the
brakes to overheat and lose power, resulting in loss of control and a serious accident. Use
lower gears to help reduce speed . Pull off the road and allow brakes to cool down whenever
braking performance feels reduced.
Overheated engine
The extra weight of the trailer may strain the engine on hot da ys and on long or steep
upgrades.
If the temperature gauge indicates overheating, turn off the ai r conditioner, drive safely to
the side of the road, park off t he right-of-way and wait for en gine to cool. Refer to
Overheating on page 7-23.
Parking
Always make sure the tires of the trailer and the tow vehicle a re blocked while parked.
Apply the parking brake firmly and put the transaxle in P.
Avoid parking on an incline, but if you must, follow these instructions:
1. Depress and hold down the brake pedal.
2. Have a helper put wheel blocks against the downhill side of a ll vehicle and trailer tires.
3. Then release the brake pedal slowly until the blocks bear the load.
If the grade is downhill, turn the steering wheel so that the front of the front tires face
the curb.
If it is uphill, face the rear of the front tires against the curb.
4. Firmly apply th e parking brake.
5. Shift the transaxle into P, and stop the engine.
Before Driving
To w i n g
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