Mazda 3 Hatchback 2007 Owners Manual
A Word to Mazda Owners
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.
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.
©2006 Mazda Motor Corporation
Printed in Japan Oct. 2006(Print3)
How to Use This Manual
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 informat ion 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 ignor ed.
Table of Contents
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.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.
Specifications
Technical information about your Mazda.
Index
Navigation System
9
10
11
1
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.
Dashboard and Interior Overview .............................................. 1-2
Exterior Overview ......................................................................... 1-4
1-1
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Dashboard and Interior Overview
*Refer to Navigation System at the end of the manual (if equipped).
Power window lock switch ................................................................................ page 3-20
Power window switches .................................................................................... page 3-19
Power door lock switch ..................................................................................... page 3-10
The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle.
1-2
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Dashboard and Interior Overview
Headlight leveling switch .................................................................................. page 5-53
Dashboard illumination knob ............................................................................ page 5-36
Lighting control/Turn signal .............................................................................. page 5-51
Instrument cluster .............................................................................................. page 5-32
SRS air bags ...................................................................................................... page 2-41
Cruise control switches ...................................................................................... page 5-19
Wiper and washer lever ..................................................................................... page 5-55
Hazard warning flasher switch .......................................................................... page 5-61
Information display ............................................................................................ page 6-55
Audio system ..................................................................................................... page 6-17
Glove box .............................................................. ............................................ page 6-63
Center console ................................................................................................... page 6-63
Parking brake ....................................................................................................... page 5-5
Cup holder ......................................................................................................... page 6-61
MT shift lever ...................................................................................................... page 5-9
AT shift lever (Sport AT) ................................................................................... page 5-11
Lighter ............................................................................................................... page 6-60
Rear window defroster switch ........................................................................... page 5-60
Ashtray ............................................................................................................... page 6-61
Climate control system ........................................... ............................................. page 6-2
Ignition switch ..................................................................................................... page 5-2
Steering column release lever ............................................................................ page 3-31
Audio control switches ...................................................................................... page 6-45
Remote fuel-filler lid release ............................................................................. page 3-21
Hood release handle .......................................................................................... page 3-22
Outside mirror switch ........................................................................................ page 3-31
Interior lights ..................................................................................................... page 6-52
Sunvisor ............................................................................................................. page 6-52
Rearview mirror .............................. ................................................................... page 3-32
Vanity mirror ...................................................................................................... page 6-52
Front seat ............................................................................................................. page 2-2
Seat belt ............................................................................................................. page 2-10
Rear seat .............................................................................................................. page 2-5
1-3
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Exterior Overview
4 Door
1-4
The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Exterior Overview
Trunk lid ............................................................................................................ page 3-15
Antenna ............................................................................................................. page 6-16
Rear window defroster ....................................................................................... page 5-60
Power window ................................................................................................... page 3-19
Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-36
Fuel-filler lid ...................................................................................................... page 3-21
Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-41
Hood .................................................................................................................. page 3-22
Windshield wiper blades .................................................................................... page 8-29
Moonroof ........................................................................................................... page 3-24
Child safety lock ................................................................................................ page 3-11
Door lock ............................................................................................................. page 3-9
Outside mirror .................................................................................................... page 3-31
1-5
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Exterior Overview
5 Door
1-6
The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle.
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Exterior Overview
Liftgate .............................................................................................................. page 3-12
Rear window defroster ....................................................................................... page 5-60
Rear wiper blade ................................................................................................ page 8-31
Antenna ............................................................................................................. page 6-16
Fuel-filler lid ...................................................................................................... page 3-21
Power window ................................................................................................... page 3-19
Tires ................................................................................................................... page 8-36
Light bulbs ......................................................................................................... page 8-41
Hood .................................................................................................................. page 3-22
Windshield wiper blades .................................................................................... page 8-29
Moonroof ........................................................................................................... page 3-24
Child safety lock ................................................................................................ page 3-11
Door lock ............................................................................................................. page 3-9
Outside mirror .................................................................................................... page 3-31
1-7
1-8
2
Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.
Seats ............................................................................................... 2-2
Front Seats ................................................................................ 2-2
Rear Seat ................................................................................... 2-5
Seat Belt Systems ........................................................................ 2-10
Seat Belt Precautions .............................................................. 2-10
Seat Belt (Except Center-Rear Position) ................................. 2-13
Front Seat Belt Pretensione r and Load Limiting Systems ....... 2-15
Center-Rear Position Seat Belt (3-Point Type) ....................... 2-18
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-21
Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep ................................................ 2-22
Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-24
Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-24
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-28
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-36
SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-41
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-41
Supplemental Restraint System Components ......................... 2-46
How the Air Bags Work .......................................................... 2-49
2-1
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Front 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 seriou s injury. 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 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.
WARNING
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.
qSeat Slide
WARNING
Adjust the driver seat only when the
vehicle is stopp ed:
Adjusting the driver's seat while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous. The
driver could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident.
To move a seat forward or backward, raise
the lever and slide the seat to the desired
position and release the lever.
2-2
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 the seats reclined:
Sitting in a reclined position while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous
because you don't get the full
protection from seat belts. During
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 a passenger seat properly
with the seatback upright and feet on
the floor:
If your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat 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 cause result in serious injury.
Always sit upright against your
seatback, with your feet on the floor.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
WARNING
Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
The seatback plays an important role
in your protectio n 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
Seats
CAUTION
When returning a rear-reclined seatback
to its upright position, make sure you
hold onto the seatback with your other
hand while op erating the lever. If the
seatback is not supported, it will flip
forward suddenly and could cause
injury.
q
Height Adjustment (Driver's Seat)
By moving the seat lever up or down, the
seat bottom height can be adjusted.
Up
Down
qHead Restraint
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
í
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.
qLumbar Support Adjustment
(Driver's Seat)
To adjust the lum bar support, pull the
lever forward.
2-4
í
Some models.
í
Adjust the head restraint so that the top is
even with the top of the passenger's ears,
never the passenger's neck.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
qSeat Warmer
The front seats are electrically heated. The
ignition switch must be in the ON
position.
Press the switch to turn the seat warmer
on or off. When the switch is in the ON
position, the indicator light will come on.
NOTE
The seat temperature is regulated
automatically by a thermostat. Other
than turning it on or off, it cannot be
adjusted.
í
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.
Make sure the adjustable components
of a seat are locked in place:
Adjustable seats that are not securely
locked are dangerous. In a sudden
stop or collision, the seat or seatback
could move, causing injury.
í
Some models.
2-5
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
WARNING
Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
The seatback plays an important role
in your protectio n 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 child
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.
WARNING
Never give the car keys to children and
do not allow them to play in the
vehicle:
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 (sedan).
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.
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.
2-6
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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. Unfasten the lap portion of the centerrear seat belt (page 2-18).
CAUTION
Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of the
belt fastened could cause damage to the
seat belt, buckle and seatback.
2. Position the outboard seat belts to the
side when folding the seatbacks down.
3. Support the seatback with your hand.
4. Push the rear seatback knob down.
To return the seatbacks to the upright
position
1. Position the outboard seat belts to the
side.
2. Lift the seatbacks upright.
3. Make sure the seat belts are fully
pulled out from under the seatbacks.
4. Pull on the top of the seatbacks from
inside the vehicle to make sure they are
locked.
5. Fasten the center-rear lap/shoulder belt
and check that all seat belts are routed
properly for passenger use (page 2-18).
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.
2-7
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
WARNING
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
Unlocked position
Red indicator
NOTE
The seatback locks are part of the trunk
security system (page 3-16).
qHead Restraint
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.
qRear Seatback Lock (4 Door)
To lock or unlock a seatback, move the
lever.
2-8
Adjust the head restraint so that the top is
even with the top of the passenger's ears,
never the passenger's neck.
Removal
To remove the head restraint, press the
stop-catch release, then pull up on the
head restraint.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
qArmrest
í
The rear armr est in the center of the rear
seatback can be used (no occupant in the
center seat) or placed upright.
Armrest
í
Some models.
2-9
Essential Safety Equipment
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.
WARNING
Always wear you r seat belt and make sure all occupants are proper ly 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 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.
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.
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.
2-10
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
WARNING
Have your seat belts changed immediately if the pretensioner or load limiter has been
expended:
One or both front air bags may deploy, and the corresponding pretensioner(s) may
also deploy at the same time. While it is safer to use a crash-used seat belt that was
used in an accident than no seat belt at all, using a seat belt with an expended
pretensioner or load limiter loaded reduces the safety available to you. Like the air
bags, the seat belt pretensioners will only function once. After they are expended, they
will not functi on again and must be replaced immediately. If the seat belt
pretensioners are not replaced, the risk of injury in a collision will increase. Always
have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect the seat belt pretensioners and air bags
after any collision. Expended seat belt pretensioners and air bags must be replaced
after any collision which caused them to deploy. Additionally, the load limiter will only
limit loads on the chest once in a collision and this is another reason to have the front
seat belts inspected.
CAUTION
Belt retraction may become difficult 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 8-66).
2-11
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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 to 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.
qAutomatic Locking Mode
Always use the automatic locking mode to keep the child-restraint 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 child-restraint system. It will
retract down to the child-restraint system and stay locked on it. See the section on child
restraint (page 2-24).
2-12
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Seat Belt (Except CenterRear Position)
NOTE
When using the center-rear seat belt,
refer to “Center-Rear Position Seat
Belt” (page 2-18).
qFastening the Seat Belt
1. Grasp the tongue.
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
Belt
Tongue
3. Insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear a click.
WARNING
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of
the Seat Belt:
Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
Always make sure the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is positioned
across your shoulder an d near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
4. Position the lap belt as low as possible,
not on the abdominal area, then adjust
the shoulder belt so that it fits snugly
against your body.
Take up slack
Keep low on
hip bone
Too high
Buckle
Tongue
WARNING
Positioning the Lap Portion of the
Seat Belt:
The lap portion of the seat belt worn
too high is dangerous. In a collision,
this would concentrate the impact
force directly on the abdominal area,
causing serious injury. Wear the lap
portion of the belt snugly and as low
as possible.
2-13
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
qUnfastening the Seat Belt
Depress the button on the buckle. If the
belt does not fully retract, pull it out and
check for kinks or twists. Then make sure
it remains untwisted as it retracts.
Button
NOTE
If a belt does not fully retract, inspect it
for kinks and twists. If it is still not
retracting properly, have it inspected at
an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
qShoulder Belt Adjuster
í
Adjust the height of the shoulder belt if
the seat belt touches your neck, or if it
crosses your arm instead of your shoulder.
To raise the shoulder belt adjuster, push
the adjuster up. To lower the shoulder belt
adjuster, pull the adjuster and slide it
down. Make sure the adjuster is locked.
To raise To lower
WARNING
Positioning the Shoulder Portion of
the Seat Belt:
Improper positioning of the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is dangerous.
Always make sure the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is positioned
across your shoulder an d near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
2-14
í
Some models.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems
For optimum protection, the driver and
front passenger seat belts are equipped
with pretensioner and load limiting
systems. For both these systems to work
properly you must wear the seat belt
properly.
Pretensioners:
In moderate or severe frontal or nearfrontal accidents, the front air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously when the seat belt is worn.
If the front seat occupant is not wearing a
seat belt, that person's pretensioner will
not fire even if the air bag does. The front
seat belt retractors remove slack quickly
as the air bags are expanding.
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the front passenger, like the front
passenger air bag, is designed to only
deploy in accordance with the total seated
weight on the front passenger seat. Any
time the air bags and seat belt
pretensioners have fired they must be
replaced. For details, refer to the front
passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-49).
WARNING
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 2-13).
Load limiter:
The load limit ing 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.
2-15
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
WARNING
Have your seat belts changed
immediately if the pretensioner or load
limiter has been expended:
One or both front air bags may deploy,
and the corresponding pretensioner(s)
may also deploy at the same time.
While it is safer to use a crash-used
seat belt that was used in an accident
than no seat belt at all, using a seat
belt with an expended pretensioner or
load limiter loaded reduces the safety
available to you. Like the air bags, the
seat belt preten sioners will only
function once. After they are
expended, they will not function again
and must be replaced immediately. If
the seat belt pretensioners are not
replaced, the risk of injury in a
collision will increase. Always have an
Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect the
seat belt preten sioners and air bags
after any collision. Expended seat belt
pretensioners and air bags must be
replaced after any collision which
caused them to deploy. Additionally,
the load limiter will only limit loads on
the chest once in a collision and this is
another reason to have the front seat
belts inspected.
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.
WARNING
Properly dispose of the pretensioner
system:
Improper disposal of the pretensioner
system or a vehicle with nondeactivated pretensioners is
dangerous. Unless all safety
procedures are followed, injur y could
result. Ask an Authorized Mazda
Dealer how to safely dispose of the
pretensioner system or how to scrap a
pretensioner-equipped vehicle.
NOTE
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The pretensioner system will acti vate
in a moderate or greater frontal or
near-frontal collision. The
pretensioner system for the front
passenger is designed to only deploy
in accordance with the total seated
weight on the front passenger seat. It
will not activate in most rollovers,
side or rear impacts.
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Some smoke (non-toxic gas) will be
released when the air bags and
pretensioners deploy. This does not
indicate a fire. This gas normally has
no effect on occupants, however,
those with sensitive skin may
experience light skin irritation. If
residue from the deployment of the
air bags or the front pretensioner
system gets on the skin or in the
eyes, wash it off as soon as possible.
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