lock MAZDA MODEL 3 5-DOOR 2004 User Guide

2-11
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Emergency Locking Mode
If the belt has fully retracted, it will always be in the emergency locking mode until you
move it into automatic locking mode by pulling the belt all the way out to its full length. In
the emergency locking mode, the belt remains comfortable on the occupant and the
retractor will lock in position during a collision.
If the belt feels tight and hinders comfortable movement while the vehicle is stopped or in
motion, you may be in the automatic locking mode because you have pulled the belt too far
out. To return to the more comfortable emergency locking mode, wait until you can stop
the vehicle in a safe level area, retract the belt fully to convert it back to emergency locking
mode and then again extend it around you.

Automatic 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 get the seat belt into the 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 2-21).
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2-13
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Unfastening the Seat Belts
Depress the button on the buckle.

Shoulder Belt Adjuster
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 button and slide it down.
Make sure the adjuster is locked.
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.
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 and near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
Shoulder belt
adjuster
WARNING
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2-23
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
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 2-29). 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.
•The total seated weight of the child with the child-restraint system on the front
passenger seat is approximately 30 kg (66 lb) or more.
• Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
• A rear passenger or luggage push or pull down on the front passenger seatback.
• A rear passenger steps on the front passenger seat rails with the feet.
• Luggage or other items are placed on the seatback or hung on the head restraint.
• The seat is washed.
• Liquids are spilled on the seat.
• The front passenger seat is moved backward, pushing into luggage or other items
placed behind it.
• The front passenger seatback contacts the rear seat.
• Luggage or other items are placed between the front passenger seat and driver seat.
• Any 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 and Curtain Air Bags:
Allowing anyone to lean over or against the front door, the area of front seat, front
and rear window pillars and the roof edge along both sides which the side and curtain
air bags deploy even though using a child-restraint system is dangerous. If the vehicle
is equipped with side and curtain air bags, the impact of inflation could cause serious
injury or death to the child. Furthermore, leaning over or against the front door could
block the side and curtain air bags 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. Do not allow a child to
lean over or against the doors, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.
WARNING
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2-25
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Accident statistics reveal that a child is
safer in the rear seat. The front
passenger’s seat is clearly the worst
choice for any child under 12, and with
rear-facing child-restraint systems it is
clearly unsafe due to air bags.
Some child-restraint systems now come
with tethers and therefore must be
installed on the seats that take tethers to
be effective. In your Mazda, tethered
child-restraint systems can only be
accommodated in the three positions on
the rear seat.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-32).

Rear Seat Child-Restraint
System Installation
Follow these instructions when using a
child-restraint system, unless you are
attaching a LATCH-equipped child-
restraint system to the rear LATCH lower
anchors. Refer to "LATCH Child-
Restraint Systems" (page 2-32).
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by pushing it back until it is
fully locked.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the manufacturer ’s instructions on
the child-restraint system for belt
routing instructions.
Installing Child-Restraint
Systems
Tethered Child-Restraint Systems
Work Only on Tether-Equipped Rear
Seats:
Installation of a tether equipped
child-restraint system in the front
passenger ’s seat defeats the safety
design of the system and will result in
an increased chance of serious injury
if the child-restraint system goes
forward without benefit of being
tethered.
Place tether equipped child-restraint
systems where there are tether
anchors.
WARNING
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer ’s instructions carefully.
If you are not sure whether you have a
LATCH system or tether, check in the
child-restraint system manufacturer ’s
instructions and follow them
accordingly. Depending on the type of
child-restraint system, it may not
employ seat belts which are in
automatic locking mode.
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2-26
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
3. To get the retractor into the automatic locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor.
4. Push the child-restraint system firmly into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in the
automatic locking mode. If the belt
does not lock the seat down tight,
repeat this step. 5. If your child-restraint system requires
the use of a tether strap, hook and
tighten the tether strap by following the
manufacturer ’s instructions.NOTE
Inspect this function before each use of
the child-restraint system. You should
not be able to pull the shoulder belt out
of the retractor while the system is in
the automatic locking mode. When
you remove the child-restraint system,
be sure the belt fully retracts to return
the system to emergency locking mode
before occupants use the seat belts.
Cover
For rear right seat For rear left seat
Anchor
bracket
4 Door
Anchor bracket
location
For rear center seat
Anchor
bracket
Tether
strap4 Door
Tether strap
position
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2-29
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Front Passenger
’s Seat Child-
Restraint System Installation
1. Slide the seat as far back as possible.
2. Secure the child-restraint system with
the lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.
See the manufacturer ’s instructions on
the child-restraint system for belt
routing instructions.
3. To get the retractor into the automatic locking mode, pull the shoulder belt
portion of the seat belt until the entire
length of the belt is out of the retractor.
4. Push the child-restraint system firmly into the vehicle seat. Be sure the belt
retracts as snugly as possible. Clicking
from the retractor will be heard during
retraction if the system is in automatic
locking mode. If the belt does not lock
the seat down tight, repeat the previous
step and also this one.Children and Seating Position with
Side and Curtain Air Bags:
Allowing anyone to lean over or
against the front door, the area of
front seat, front and rear window
pillars and the roof edge along both
sides which the side and curtain air
bags deploy even though using a
child-restraint system is dangerous. If
the vehicle is equipped with side and
curtain air bags, the impact of
inflation could cause serious injury
or death to the child. Furthermore,
leaning over or against the front door
could block the side and curtain air
bags 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. Do not allow a
child to lean over or against the
doors, even if the child is seated in a
child-restraint system.
WARNING
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2-30
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
5. Make sure the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
after installing a child-restraint system
on the front passenger seat.NOTE
•Inspect this function before each
use of the child-restraint system.
You should not be able to pull the
shoulder belt out of the retractor
while the system is in the automatic
locking mode. When you remove
the child-restraint system, be sure
the belt fully retracts to return the
system to emergency locking mode
before occupants use the seat belts.
• Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer
’s instructions
carefully.
Depending on the type of child-
restraint system, it may not employ
seat belts which are in automatic
locking mode.
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2-33
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure (Rear
Outboard Seats)
1. Make sure the seatback is securely
latched by pushing it back until it is
fully locked.
2. Expand the area between the seat bottom and the seatback slightly to
verify the locations of the LATCH
lower anchors.
3. Secure the child-restraint system using BOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer ’s instruction. 4. If your child-restraint system came
equipped with a tether, that probably
means it is very important to properly
secure the tether for child safety, please
carefully follow the child-restraint
system manufacturer ’s instructions
when installing tethers.
NOTE
The markings above the LATCH lower
anchors indicate the locations of
LATCH lower anchors for the
attachment of a child-restraint system.
LATCH
lower anchor Marking
For rear
right seat For rear
left seat
Cover
For rear right seat
For rear left seat
4 Door
Anchor bracket
location
Anchor
bracket
Anchor
bracket
Tether
strap4 Door
Tether strap
position
For rear left seatFor rear right seat
5 Door
Anchor bracket
location
(Outboard position)
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2-34
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure (Rear
Center Seat)
The LATCH lower anchors at the center
of the rear seat are much further apart than
the sets of LATCH lower anchors for
child-restraint system installation at other
seating positions. Child-restraint systems
with rigid LATCH attachments cannot be
installed on the center seating position.
Some LATCH equipped child-restraint
systems can be placed in the center
position and will reach the nearest
LATCH lower anchors which are 400 mm
(15.75 in) apart. LATCH compatible
child-restraint systems (with attachments
on belt webbing) can be used at this
seating position only if the child-restraint
system manufacturer’
s instructions state
that the child-restraint system can be
installed to LATCH lower anchors that are
400 mm (15.75 in) apart. Do not attach
two child-restraint systems to the same
LATCH lower anchor. If your child-
restraint system has a tether, it must also
be used for your child ’s optimum safety.
1. Make sure the seatback is securely latched by pushing it back until it is
fully locked.
2. Expand the area between the seat bottom and the seatback slightly to verify the
locations of the LATCH lower anchors.
Child-Restraint Tether Usage:
Using the tether or tether anchor to
secure anything but a child-restraint
system is dangerous. This could
weaken or damage the tether or tether
anchor and result in injury. Use the
tether and tether anchor only for a
child-restraint system.
Incorrect Attachment of the Tether
Strap:
Attaching the tether strap on top of
the head restraint is dangerous. In a
collision, the tether strap could slide
off the head restraint, and loosen the
child-restraint system. The child-
restraint system could move and
injure the child or someone else.
Always attach the tether strap
between the head restraint and the
seatback.
5 Door
Tether strap position
(Outboard position)
Tether strap
WARNING
For rear center seat
LATCH
lower anchor Marking
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2-38
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
Form No. 8S18-EA-03I
Seating Position with Front Air Bags:
Sitting too close to the air bag modules or placing hands or feet on them is extremely
dangerous. Front air bags inflate with great force and speed. Serious injuries could
occur if someone is too close. The driver should always hold onto only the rim of the
steering wheel. The front seat passenger should keep both feet on the floor. Front seat
occupants should adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright
against the seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
Seating Position with Side and Curtain Air Bags:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely
dangerous. The side air bags inflate with great force and speed directly out of the
outboard side of the front seat and expand 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, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks.
Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the windows in the vehicle
could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. Give the side and curtain air bags 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:
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.
WARNING
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