sensor MAZDA MODEL MPV 2005 Owners Manual (in English)
Page 53 of 336
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Child Restraint Precautions
Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use
them.
You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.
Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age
and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should sit in the rear and use seat belts,
both lap and shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer to
the center of the vehicle.
Statistics confirm that the rear seats are the best place for all children up to 12 years of age,
and more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).
A rear-facing child-restraint system shouldNEVERbe used on the front seat with the air
bag system activated. The front passenger's seat is also the least preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
front passenger seat weight sensors work as a part of the supplemental restraint system.
This system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the front
passenger seat belt pretensioner system when the total seated weight on the front passenger
seat is less than approximately 30 kg (66 lb).
When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, the system shuts off the front
passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system, so make sure the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
Even if the front passenger air bag is shut off, Mazda strongly recommends that children be
properly restrained and child-restraint systems of all kinds are properly secured on the rear
seats which are the best place for children.
For more details, refer to“Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-63)”.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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WARNING
Seating Children in a Child-Restraint System on the Front Passenger Seat:
If your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors, a front passenger
air bag deactivation indicator light is also equipped (page 2-51). Even with the front
passenger seat weight sensors, if you must use the front passenger seat for children,
seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat under the
following conditions increases the danger of the front passenger air bag deploying
and could result in serious injury or death to the child.
lThe total seated weight of the child with the child-restraint system on the front
passenger seat is approximately 30 kg (66 lb) or more.
lLuggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
lA rear passenger or luggage push or pull down on the front passenger seatback.lA rear passenger steps on the front passenger seat rails with the feet.lLuggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the assist grip, head
restraint or armrest.
lThe seat is washed.lLiquids are spilled on the seat.lThe front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
lThe front passenger seatback contacts the second-row seat.lLuggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.lAny accessories which might increase the total seated weight on the front passenger
seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
The designated positions with seat belts on the rear seats are the safest places for
children. Always use seat belts and child restraints.
Children and Seating Position with Side Air Bag:
Allowing anyone to lean over or against the front door is dangerous. If the vehicle is
equipped with side air bags, the impact of an inflating side air bag could cause serious
injury or death to the person. Children are more likely to sleep in the vehicle; when
they do, they are more at risk in the front passenger's seat that has a side air bag
because they may slump over into the path of the seatback-mounted air bag.
Furthermore, leaning over or against the doors could block the side air bag and
eliminate the advantages of supplemental protection. With the front air bag and the
additional side air bag that comes out of the front seat, the rear seat is always a better
location for children who are prone to sleeping. If a child can't be seated in the rear,
do not allow the child to lean over or against the front door, even if the child is seated
in a child-restraint system.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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WARNING
Seating Position with Side Air Bags:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely
dangerous. A side air bag inflates with great force and speed directly out of the
outboard shoulder of the front seat and expands along the front 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 in the front seats or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front
seatbacks. Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the driver's-side
window while driving could block the side air bag and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. Give the side airbags room to work by sitting in the center of
the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.
Front Air Bag Modules located in the steering wheel hub and the dashboard:
Attaching an object to the front air bag modules or placing something in front of them
is dangerous. In an accident, the object could interfere with front air bag inflation and
injure the occupants.
Always keep the front air bag modules free of objects.
Side Air Bag Modules:
Attaching things to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the
seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side air
bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open spewing exhaust.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or backpacks with side straps on the front seats.
Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag modules in your
front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Hot Air Bag Inflators:
Hot air bag inflators are dangerous. Immediately after inflation, the inflators in the
steering wheel, dashboard or the seatbacks are very hot. You could get burned. Don't
touch the internal components of the air bag modules after the bags have inflated.
Installation of Front-End Equipment:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar, bull
bar, push bar, etc.), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The air bag crash sensor
system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate unexpectedly, or it could
prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident. Front occupants could be
seriously injured. Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle.
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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WARNING
Suspension Adjustment:
Adjusting the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the
suspension is changed, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious
injuries.
Modification of the Supplemental Restraint System:
Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is
dangerous. You could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Don't make any
modifications to the supplemental restraint system. This includes installing 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, the driver seat slide position sensor and front
passenger seat weight sensors are not damaged and that the seats retain an
undamaged air bag connection.
NOTE
lWhen an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be
released. Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may
cause light skin injuries on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
lShould you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems
and that familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is
important.
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SRS Air Bags
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Supplemental Restraint System Components
The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems:
lThe air bag system with inflators and air bags.
lThe electrical system with crash sensors and diagnostic module.
The air bags are mounted in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hub
lThe front passenger dashboard
lThe outboard sides of the front seatbacksí
The air bags are out of sight until activated.
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qFront Air Bag System Components
(4)
(8)
(7)
(5)
(8)(2)(9)(3) (1)
(6)
(1) Front dual stage inflators and air bags
(2) Crash sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
(3) Front air bag sensor
(4) Driver seat slide position sensor (page 2-63)
(5) Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-63)
(6) Front seats
(7) Driver and front passenger seat belt buckle switches (page 2-63)
(8) Front seat belt pretensioner and load limiting systems (page 2-35)
(9) Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-63)
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SRS Air Bags
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qSide Air Bag System Componentsí
Put children in the rear seats, they do not have side air bag systems.
(2) (1)
(3) (4)
(1) Inflators and air bags
(2) Side crash sensor
(3) Crash sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
(4) Front seats
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How the Air Bags Work
qHow the Front Air Bags Work
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, an
electrical current is sent to the inflators.
Gases are produced to inflate the front air bags and after the inflation, the front air bags
quickly deflate.
The front air bags will function only once. After that,the front air bags will not work
again and must be replaced.
Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can replace the system components.
The front, dual stage air bags control air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity the front air bags deploy with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, they deploy with more energy. Deployment of the front air bags may
differ between the driver and the front passenger depending on the driver seat position,
front passenger weight and front seat belt usage, which allow for further controlling of the
system.
The front air bags will deploy only
in a frontal or frontal offset impact.
Driver seat slide position sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a driver seat slide sensor as a part of the supplemental
restraint system. The sensor is located under the driver seat. The sensor determines whether
the driver seat is fore or aft of a reference position and sends the seat position to the crash
sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit). The sensor is also designed to control the
deployment of the driver air bag depending on how close the driver seat is to the steering
wheel.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes if the sensor has a
possible malfunction (page 2-71).
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SRS Air Bags
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Front passenger seat weight sensors
If your vehicle is equipped with front passenger seat weight sensors, a front passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light is also equipped (page 2-51). These sensors are located
under both of the front passenger seat rails. These sensors determine the total seated weight
on the front passenger seat. The sensors are also designed to prevent the front passenger
front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system from inflating if the total seated
weight is less than approximately 30 kg (66 lb).
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the seat belt
pretensioner system when:
lThere is no passenger in the front passenger seat. (The front passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light does not illuminate.)
lThe total seated weight on the front passenger seat is less than approximately 30 kg (66
lb). (The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.)
This system shuts off the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner
system, so make sure the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
according to the chart below.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes and the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates if the sensors have a possible
malfunction. If this happens, the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system will not deploy.
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light illuminates to remind you that the front passenger front and side air
bags and seat belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
If the front passenger weight sensors are normal, the indicator light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position. After about 6 seconds it goes out.
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The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates or is off under the following conditions:
Total seated weight on the
front passenger seatFront passenger air bag
deactivation indicator lightFront passenger front and
side air bagsSeat belt pretensioner
system
Empty (Not occupied)
*OFF OFF OFF
Less than approx. 30 kg
(66 lb)ON OFF OFF
Approx. 42 kg (93 lb) or
moreOFF ON ON
* If the front passenger seat belt is buckled, the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates,
however this does not indicate a malfunction.
If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position and does not illuminate as indicated in the
above chart, do not allow a child to sit in the front passenger seat and consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. The system may not work properly in an
accident.
WARNING
Decreasing the Total Seated Weight on the Front Passenger Seat:
When an adult or large child sits on the front passenger seat, decreasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated weight of
approximately 42 kg (93 lb) required for air bag deployment is dangerous. The front
passenger seat weight sensors will detect the reduced total seated weight condition and
the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system will not
deploy during an accident. The front passenger will not have the supplementary
protection of the air bag, which could result in serious injury. Decreasing the total
seated weight on the front passenger seat from the total seated weight of
approximately 42 kg (93 lb) could result in an air bag not deploying under the
following conditions, for example:
lA rear passenger pushes up on the front passenger seat with the feet.lLuggage or other items placed under the front passenger seat or between the front
passenger seat and driver seat that push up the front passenger seat bottom.
lThe front passenger seat occupant sits in a manner that does not place the entire
weight of the occupant on the seat such as by sitting too close to the door, grasping
the assist grip or the rim of the moonroof.
lThe front passenger seatback contacts the second-row seat.lAny accessories which might decrease the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat are attached to the front passenger seat.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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