Mazda 3 2011 Owner's Manual

Information Provided by:

A Word to Mazda Owners

Information Provided by:

Thank you for choosing a Mazda. We at Mazda design and build vehicles with complete customer satisfaction in mind.

To help ensure enjoyable and trouble-free operation of your Mazda, read this manual carefully and follow its recommendations.

An Authorized Mazda Dealer knows your vehicle best. So when maintenance or service is necessary, that's the place to go.

Our nationwide network of Mazda professionals is dedicated to providing you with the best possible service.

We assure you that all of us at Mazda have an ongoing interest in your motoring pleasure and in your full satisfaction with your Mazda product.

Mazda Motor Corporation

HIROSHIMA, JAPAN

Important Notes About This Manual

Keep this manual in the glove box as a handy reference for the safe and enjoyable use of your Mazda. Should you resell the vehicle, leave this manual with it for the next owner.

All specifications and descriptions are accurate at the time of printing. Because improvement is a constant goal at Mazda, we reserve the right to make changes in specifications at any time without notice and without obligation.

Event Data Recorder

This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder. In the event of a crash, this device records data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time. These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur and lead to the designing of safer vehicles.

Air Conditioning and the Environment

Your Mazda's genuine air conditioner is filled with HFC134a (R134a), a refrigerant that has been found not to damage the earth's ozone layer. If the air conditioner does not operate properly, consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.

Perchlorate

Certain components of this vehicle such as [air bag modules, seat belt pretensioners, lithium batteries, ...] may contain Perchlorate Material– Special handling may apply for service or vehicle end of life disposal. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.

Please be aware that this manual applies to all models, equipment and options. As a result, you may find some explanations for equipment not installed on your vehicle.

Printed in Japan Sep. 2010(Print2)

How to Use This Manual

Information Provided by:

We want to help you get the most driving pleasure from your vehicle. Your owner's manual, when read from cover to cover, can do that in many ways.

Illustrations complement the words of the manual to best explain how to enjoy your Mazda. By reading your manual, you can find out about the features, important safety information, and driving under various road conditions.

The symbol below in this manual means “Do not do this” or “Do not let this happen”.

Index: A good place to start is the Index, an alphabetical listing of all information in your manual.

NOTE

A NOTE provides information and sometimes suggests how to make better use of your vehicle.

The symbol below, located on some parts of the vehicle, indicates that this manual contains information related to the part. Please refer to the manual for a detailed explanation.

You'll find several WARNINGs, CAUTIONs, and NOTEs in the manual.

WARNING

A WARNING indicates a situation in which serious injury or death could result if the warning is ignored.

CAUTION

A CAUTION indicates a situation in which bodily injury or damage to your vehicle, or both, could result if the caution is ignored.

Information Provided by:

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.

Essential Safety Equipment

Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint systems and SRS air bags.

Knowing Your Mazda

Explanation of basic operations and controls; opening/closing and adjustment of various parts.

Before Driving Your Mazda

Important information about driving your Mazda.

Driving Your Mazda

Explanation of instruments and controls.

Interior Comfort

Use of various features for drive comfort, including air-conditioning and audio system.

In Case of an Emergency

Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.

Maintenance and Care

How to keep your Mazda in top condition.

Customer Information

Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.

Specifications

Technical information about your Mazda.

Index

Information Provided by:

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.

Interior Overview .......................................................................... 1-2

Interior Equipment (View A) .................................................... 1-2

Interior Equipment (View B) .................................................... 1-3

Interior Equipment (View C) .................................................... 1-4

Exterior Overview ......................................................................... 1-5

Front (4 Door) ........................................................................... 1-5

Rear (4 Door) ............................................................................ 1-6

Front (5 Door) ........................................................................... 1-7

Rear (5 Door) ............................................................................ 1-8

1-1

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Information Provided by:

Interior Overview

Interior Equipment (View A)

Door-lock knob .................................................................................................. page 3-34

Power door lock switch ..................................................................................... page 3-34

DSC OFF switch ............................................................................................... page 5-27

Turn and lane-change signals ............................................................................ page 5-64

Lighting control ................................................................................................. page 5-59

Dashboard illumination knob ............................................................................ page 5-40

Instrument cluster .............................................................................................. page 5-36

Wiper and washer lever ..................................................................................... page 5-65

Lock release lever .............................................................................................. page 3-64

Outside mirror switch ........................................................................................ page 3-64

Power window switches .................................................................................... page 3-44

Power window lock switch ................................................................................ page 3-46

1-2

The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Interior Overview

Information Provided by:

Interior Equipment (View B)

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Audio control switches ...................................................................................... page 6-56

SRS air bags ...................................................................................................... page 2-43

Multi information display .................................................................................. page 6-98

Navigation system (if equipp ed) .......................................... Refer to the separate manual

Audio system ..................................................................................................... page 6-17

Information display ............................................................................................ page 6-96

Hazard warning flasher switch .......................................................................... page 5-71

Climate control system ........................................... ............................................. page 6-2

Parking brake ....................................................................................................... page 5-7

Accessory socket ............................................................................................. page 6-113

MT shift lever ..................................................................................................... page 5-11

AT shift lever ...................................................................................................... page 5-13

Push button start ................................................................................................ page 3-12

Cruise control switches ...................................................................................... page 5-21

Hood release handle .......................................................................................... page 3-49

1-3The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Information Provided by:

Interior Overview

Interior Equipment (View C)

Seat belts ............................................................................................................ page 2-14

SRS air bag ........................................................................................................ page 2-43

Remote fuel-filler lid release ............................................................................. page 3-48

Trunk release lever ........................................................ ..................................... page 3-41

Bottle holder .................................................................................................... page 6-109

Vanity mirror ...................................................................................................... page 6-94

Overhead lights .................................................................................................. page 6-95

Rearview mirror .............................. ................................................................... page 3-65

Sunvisor ............................................................................................................. page 6-94

Seat warmer switches ........................................................................................ page 2-12

Cup holders ...................................................................................................... page 6-108

Front seats ............................................................................................................ page 2-2

Center console ................................................................................................. page 6-110

Rear seat .............................................................................................................. page 2-7

1-4

The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Front (4 Door)

Information Provided by:

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Exterior Overview

Hood .................................................................................................................. page 3-49

Windshield wiper blades .................................................................................... page 8-27

Moonroof ........................................................................................................... page 3-50

Child safety locks .............................................................................................. page 3-37

Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-35

Door lock ........................................................................................................... page 3-33

Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-42

1-5The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Information Provided by:

Exterior Overview

Rear (4 Door)

Trunk lid ............................................................................................................ page 3-41

Outside mirror .................................................................................................... page 3-64

Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-35

Fuel-filler lid ...................................................................................................... page 3-47

Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-42

1-6

The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Front (5 Door)

Information Provided by:

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Exterior Overview

Hood .................................................................................................................. page 3-49

Windshield wiper blades .................................................................................... page 8-27

Moonroof ........................................................................................................... page 3-50

Door lock ........................................................................................................... page 3-33

Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-35

Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-42

1-7The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Information Provided by:

Exterior Overview

Rear (5 Door)

Rear wiper blade ................................................................................................ page 8-29

Liftgate .............................................................................................................. page 3-38

Antenna ............................................................................................................. page 6-16

Fuel-filler lid ...................................................................................................... page 3-47

Child safety lock ................................................................................................ page 3-37

Outside mirror .................................................................................................... page 3-64

Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-35

Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-42

1-8

The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle

Information Provided by:

Essential Safety Equipment

Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint systems and SRS air bags.

Seats ............................................................................................... 2-2

Front Seats (Manually Operated Seats) ..................................... 2-2

Front Seats (Electrically Operated Seats) .................................. 2-4

Rear Seat ................................................................................... 2-7

Head Restraints ........................................................ ............... 2-10

Seat Warmer

Seat Belt Systems ........................................................................ 2-14

Seat Belt Precautions .............................................................. 2-14

Seat Belt .................................................................................. 2-18

Front Seat Belt Pretensione r and Load Limiting Systems ....... 2-20

Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-23

Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep ................................................ 2-24

Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-26

Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-26

Child-Restraint System Installation Position .......................... 2-30

Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-31

LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-38

......................................................................... 2-12

SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-43

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions ................ 2-43

Supplemental Restraint System Components ......................... 2-48

How the SRS Air Bags Work .................................................. 2-49

SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria .......................................... 2-53

Limitations to SRS Air Bag .................................................... 2-54

Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification

System

Monitoring and Maintenance .................................................. 2-61

.................................................................................. 2-56

Some models.

2-1

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

Front Seats (Manually Operated Seats)

WARNING

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 bag components essential to the supplemental restraint system. Such modifications could damage the supplemental restraint system and result in serious injur y. Consult 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 is dangerous. A collision, even on e 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.

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 su re the adjustable components of the seat are locked in place by attempting to slide the seat forward and backward and rocking the seatback.

Adjust the drive r'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.

CAUTION

Be careful not to place your hands and fingers around moving parts of the front seat when adjusting the seat positions to prevent injury.

qSeat Slide

To move a seat forward or backward, raise the lever and slide the seat to the desired position and release the lever.

2-2

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

Make sure the lever returns to its original position and the seat is locked in place by attempting to push it forward and backward.

qSeat Recline

WARNING

Do not drive with either front seat reclined:

Sitting in a reclined position while the vehicle is moving is dangerous because you do not get the full protection from seat belts. Du ring sudden braking or a collision, you can slide under the lap belt and suffer serious internal injuries. For maximum protection, sit well back and upright.

Always sit in the passenger seat properly with the seatback upright and feet on the floor (With Driver and Front Passenger Occupant Classification System):

Your front passenger seat has weight sensors, sitting in the front passenger seat improperly out of position or with the seatback reclined too far while the vehicle is moving is dangerous as it can take off weight from the seat bottom and affect the weight determination of the front passenger sensing system. As a result the front passenger will not have the supplementary protection of the air bag and seat belt pretensioner, which could result in serious injury. Always sit upright against the seatback with your feet on the floor.

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 allow 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.

To change the seatback angle, lean forward slightly while raising the lever. Then lean back to the desired position and release the lever.

Make sure the lever returns to its original position and the seatback is locked in place by attempting to push it forward and backward.

2-3

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

CAUTION

When returning a rear-reclined seatback to its uprigh t position, make sure you hold onto the seatback with your other hand while operating the lever. If the seatback is not supported, it will flip forward suddenly and could cause injury.

Height Adjustment (Driver's Seat)

To adjust the seat height, move the lever up or down.

Down

Front Seats (Electrically Operated Seats)

The power operated seat is available only on the driver's seat. The front passenger seat is manually operated. Refer to Front Seats (Manually Operated Seats) (page 2-2) for adjustment instructions.

2-4

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

WARNING

Do not modify or replace the front seats:

Do not drive with damaged front seats:

CAUTION

Ø The seat-bottom power

adjustment is operated by moto rs. Avoid extended operation because excessive use can damage the motors.

Ø To prevent the battery from

running down, avoid using the power adjustment when the engine is stopped. The adjuster uses a large amount of electrical power.

Ø Do not use the switch to make

more than on e adjustment at a time.

Ø Be careful not to place your hands

and fingers around moving parts of the front seat when adjusting the seat positions to prevent injury.

qSeat Slide

To slide the seat, move the slide lifter switch on the outside of the seat to the front or back and hold it. Release the switch at the desired position.

Adjust the drive r'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.

2-5

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

qSeat Recline

WARNING

Do not drive with either front seat reclined:

To change the seatback angle, press the front or rear side of the reclining switch. Release the switch at the desired position.

qHeight Adjustment

To adjust the seat height, move the switch up or down.

2-6

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

Rear Seat

WARNING

Do not stack cargo higher than the seatbacks or place articles on the rear package tray or on the luggage compartment cover:

Stacking luggage or other cargo higher than the seatbacks, and placing articles on the rear package tray or on the luggage compartment cover 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.

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 allow passengers to be ejected or thrown around and baggage to strike occupants in a sudden stop or collision, resulting in severe injury. After returning the seatback at any time, even when there are no other passengers, rock the seatback to make sure it is locked in place.

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 ch ild not in a proper seat or child-restraint system and seat belt could be thrown forward, back or even out of the vehicle 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. The folding rear seatbacks cannot be folded down from inside the trunk. 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.

2-7

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

Always leave your car locked and keep the car keys safely away from children:

Leaving your car unlocked or the keys in reach of children is dangerous. Children who find their way into the trunk through an unlocked rear seatback or an open trunk can become accidentally locked in the trunk. This could result in death or brain damage from heat prostration, particularly in the summer. Always lock the doors and the trunk, and as an added measure, keep the rear seatbacks locked, whether you have children in your home or not.

Do not leave the key in your vehicle with children and keep them in a place where your child ren will not find or play with them:

Leaving children in a vehicle with the key is danger ous. This could result in someone being badly injured or even killed. Children may find these new kinds of keys to be an interesting toy to play with and could cause the power windows or other controls to operate, or even make the vehicle move.

NOTE

When returning a rear seat to its original position, also replace the seat belt to its normal position. Verify that the seat belt pulls out and retracts.

qSplit-Folding Rear Seatback

To fold the seatbacks

CAUTION

When operating the rear seatback knob, make sure you support the seatback with your hand. If the seatback is not supported with your hand, it will flip forward suddenly and could cause injury to the finger that pushes the rear seatback knob down.

1. Support the seatback with your hand.

2. Push the rear seatback knob down.

To return the seatbacks to the upright position

1. Lift the seatbacks upright.

2. Pull on the top of the seatbacks from inside the vehicle to make sure they are locked.

2-8

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

WARNING

Always make sure the seat belts are fully pulled out from under the seatbacks:

A seat belt caught under a seatback after the seatback is returned to its upright position is dangerous. In a collision or sudden stop, the seat belt cannot provide adequate protection.

When returning the seatback to the upright position, make sure there is no red indication:

A rear seatback not fully returned and locked in the upright position is dangerous. Sudden stops or maneuvering could cause a seatback to flip forward suddenly resulting in injury. If the red indicator is visible on the back of the rear seatback knob, the seatback is not locked in the upright position.

Locked position

qArmrest

The rear armr est in the center of the rear seatback can be used (no occupant in the center seat) or placed upright.

Unlocked position

Red indicator

Some models.

2-9

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

Head Restraints

Your vehicle is equipped with head restraints on all outboard seats. The head restraints are intended to help protect you and the passengers from neck injury.

WARNING

Always drive with the head restraints installed when seats are being used and make sure they are properly adjusted:

Driving with the head restraints adjusted too low or removed is dangerous. With no support behind your head, your neck could be seriously injured in a collision.

Height adjustment

To raise a head restraint, pull it up to the desired position. To lower the head restraint, press the stopcatch release, then push the head restraint down. Adjust the head restraint so that the top is even with the top of the passenger's ears, never the passenger's neck to prevent injury.

NOTE

(5 Door)

The rear outboard head restraints are nonadjustable.

Front outboard seat

Rear outboard seat

Removal/Installation (4 Door)

To remove the head restraint, pull it up while pressing the stop-catch . To install the head restraint, press the uprights into the holes while pressing the stop-catch.

2-10

WARNING

Always drive with the head restraints set up when seats are being used and make sure they are properly set up:

Driving with the head restraints not set up is dangerous. With no support behind your head, your neck could be seriously injured in a collision.

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

Folding down/up (5 Door)

The rear seats are equipped with foldable head restraints.

To fold the head restraint, pull the strap and fold the head restraint downward. To return the head restraint to its upright position, lift it upward.

WARNING

Always drive with the head restraints in their upright positions when the rear seats are occupied, and make sure they are securely locked in place:

Driving with the head restraints folded down is dangerous. With no support behind your head, your neck could be seriously injured in a collision.

qActive Head Restraints

The front seats are equipped with active head restraints. In a rear-end collision, the active head restraints use the force applied by the occupant on the seatback to instantaneously move the head restraints in the forward direction, reducing excessive rearward tilting of the head and reducing the load on the neck. The active head restraints are also highly effective at reducing whip-lash injuries which commonly occur in rear-end collisions at low to mid-range vehicle speeds.

WARNING

Ø Always adjust the head restraints

properly as specified in this section. Failure to do so can reduce the effectiveness of the active head restraint.

Ø Do not attach any accessories such

as a TV screen to a front seatback and/or a front head restraint. Also do not place heavy items or thick items, or both in the seatback pocket. Doing so could reduce the effectiveness of the active head restraint in a rear-end collision.

Some models.

2-11

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

NOTE

The active head restraints operate in a rear-end collision. The head restraints return to their original position after the collision.

The method for adjusting the active head restraints is the same as non-active head restraint.

Seat Warmer

The driver and front passenger seats can be warmed by rotating the applicable seat warmer dial while the ignition is switched ON. The seat temperature increases as the number on the dial increases. When the seat warmers are not in use, rotate the seat warmer dials to 0.

2-12

Some models.

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seats

WARNING

Ø Be careful when using the seat

warmer. The heat from the seat warmer may be too hot for some people, as indicated below, and could cause a low-temperature burn.

Infants, small babies, elderly people, and physically challenged people

People with delicate skin

People who are excessively fatigued

People who are intoxicated

People who have taken sleepinducing medicine such as sleeping pills or cold medicine

Ø Do not use the seat warmer with

anything having high moistureretention ability such as a blanket or cushion on the seat. The seat may be heated excessively and cause a low-temperature burn.

Ø Do not use the seat warmer even

when taking a short nap in the vehicle. The seat may be heated excessively and cause a lowtemperature burn.

Ø Do not place heavy objects with

sharp projections on the seat, or insert needles or pins into it. This could cause the seat to become excessively heated and result in injury from a minor burn.

NOTE

Use the seat warmer when the engine is running, and do not continue to use it for a long period of time.

CAUTION

Do not use organic solvents to clean the seat. It may damage the seat surface and the heater.

2-13

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seat Belt Systems

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.

All of the seat belt retractors are designed to keep the lap/shoulder belts out of the way when not in use.

The driver's seat belt has no provisions for child-restraint systems 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 belt retractors operate in two modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode. While we recommend you put all children in the rear seats, if you must use the front passenger seat for a child, slide the front passenger seat as far back as possible and make sure any child-restraint system is secured properly.

2-14

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seat Belt Systems

WARNING

Always wear your seat belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained:

Not wearing a seat belt is extremely dangerous. During a collision, occupants not wearing seat belts could hit someone or things inside the vehicle or even be thrown out of the vehicle. They could be seriously injured or even killed. In th e 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 widt h 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 on e person at a time and always operate the vehicle with each occupant properly restrained.

Do not operate a vehicle with a damaged seat belt:

Using a damaged seat belt is dangerous. An accident could damage the belt webbing of the seat belt in use. A damaged seat belt cannot provide adequate protection in a collision. Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt systems in use during an accident before they are used again.

Have your seat belts changed immediately if the pretensioner or load limiter has been expended:

Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately inspect the front seat belt pretensioners and air bags after any collision. Like the air bags, the front 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 front seat belt pretensioners and load limiters are not replaced, the risk of injury in a collision will increase.

2-15

Essential Safety Equipment

Information Provided by:

Seat Belt Systems

CAUTION

Belt retraction may become diffic ult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them clean. For more details about cleaning the seat belts, refer to “Cleaning the Lap/Shoulder Belt Webbing” (page 8-67).

qPregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions

Pregnant women should always wear seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific recommendations. The lap belt should be worn SNUGLYAND 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 condit ions also should wear seat belts. Check with your doctor for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditions.

qEmergency Locking Mode

In the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on the occupant and the retractor will lock in position during a collision. 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 out to its full length. If the belt feels tight and hinders comfortable 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 until the vehicle has stopped in a safe, level area, retract the belt fully to convert it back to emergency locking mode and then extend it around you again. If the belt is locked and cannot be pulled out, retract the belt once, and then try pulling it out slowly. If this fails, pull the belt strongly one time and loosen, then pull it out again slowly.

2-16

+ 478 hidden pages

Mazda 3 2011 Owner's Manual

A Word to Mazda Owners

How to Use This Manual

Table of Contents

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Interior Overview

Interior Equipment (View A)

Interior Equipment (View B)

Interior Equipment (View C)

Front (4 Door)

Exterior Overview

Rear (4 Door)

Front (5 Door)

Rear (5 Door)

Essential Safety Equipment

Seats

Front Seats (Manually Operated Seats)

Front Seats (Electrically Operated Seats)

Rear Seat

Head Restraints

Seat Warmer

Seat Belt Systems

Seat Belt Precautions