MAZDA MODEL 3 HATCHBACK 2006 (in English) Owner's Guide

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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 2-16).
WARNING
Seat Belts Caught Under 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.
Always make sure the seat belts are
fully pulled out from under the
seatbacks.
Returning Rear Seatbacks to the
Upright Position:
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. When returning the seatback
to the upright position, make sure
there is no red indication.
Locked position
Unlocked position
Red indicator
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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qRear Seatback Lock (4 Door)
To lock or unlock a seatback, move the
lever.
NOTE
The seatback locks are part of the trunk
security system (page 3-14).
qHead Restraint
WARNING
Head Restraints Adjustment:
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. Always
drive with the head restraints inserted
when seats are being used and make
sure they are properly adjusted.
Height adjustment
To raise a head restraint, pull it up to the
desired position.
To lower the head restraint, press the stop-
catch 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.
Removal
To remove the head restraint, press the
stop-catch release, then pull up on the
head restraint.
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Seats
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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 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
Not Wearing Seat Belts:
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. Always wear your seat belt and
make sure all occupants are properly restrained.
Seat Belt Damaged During an Accident:
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. Front air bags and pretensioners work together, but whether a front seat was
occupied or not, if any air bag deployed and whether a seat belt pretensioner deployed
or not, all front seat belts and air bags must be inspected and replaced if necessary.
Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt systems in use during an
accident before they are used again.
Twisted Seat Belts:
Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt isn't available
to absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt, which could
cause serious injury or death. Don't wear twisted seat belts.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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WARNING
One Belt, One Passenger:
Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used
in this way can't 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.
CAUTION
Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them
clean.
qPregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should wear seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific recommendations.
The lap belt should be worn SNUGLY AND 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 conditions also should wear seat belts. Check with your
doctor for any special instructions regarding specific medical conditions.
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Seat Belt Systems
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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 retracted, 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 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 2-21).
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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Seat Belt (Except Center-
Rear Position)
NOTE
When using the center-rear seat belt,
refer to“Center-Rear Position Seat
Belt”(page 2-16).
qFastening the Seat Belts
1. Grasp the tongue.
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
TongueBelt
3. Insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear a click.
BuckleTongue
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 and near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly
fitted against your body.
Keep low on
hip bone
Too high Take up slack
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.
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Seat Belt Systems
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qUnfastening the Seat Belts
Depress the button on the buckle.
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
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.
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 and near your
neck, but never under your arm, on
your neck, or on your upper arm.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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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.
In moderate or greater frontal or near-
frontal accidents, the front air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously. The pretensioners take up
slack in the front seat belts as the air bags
are expanding. The seat belt pretensioner
system cannot provide adequate
protection in an accident if the seat belt is
not fastened properly. The load limiting
system releases belt webbing in a
controlled manner to reduce belt force on
the occupant's chest.
WARNING
Incorrect Positioning of the Driver
and Front Passenger Seat Belts:
Incorrect positioning of the driver and
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. Wear seat belts only as
recommended in this owner's manual
(page 2-12).
WARNING
Expended Seat Belt Pretensioners:
One or both front air bags may deploy,
and the corresponding pretensioner(s)
will also deploy at the same time. Use
of front seat belts with the
pretensioner system expended is
dangerous. Like the air bags, the seat
belt pretensioners 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
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 is
another reason to have the front seat
belts inspected.
Modification or Testing of 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. Never
modify the components or wiring, or
use electronic testing devices on the
pretensioner system.
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Seat Belt Systems
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WARNING
Pretensioner System Disposal:
Improper disposal of the pretensioner
system or a vehicle with non-
deactivated pretensioners is
dangerous. Unless all safety
procedures are followed, injury could
result. Ask an Authorized Mazda
Dealer how to safely dispose of the
pretensioner system or how to scrap a
pretensioner-equipped vehicle.
NOTE
lThe pretensioner system will only
activate in a moderate or greater
frontal or near-frontal collision. It
will not activate in most rollovers,
side or rear impacts.
lSome 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.
qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner System Warning Light
If the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner
system is normal, the warning light
illuminates when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position or after the
engine is cranked. After about 6 seconds
it goes out.
A system malfunction is indicated when
the warning light constantly illuminates or
doesn't illuminate at all when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON position. If any
of these occur, consult an Authorized
Mazda Dealer as soon as possible. The
system may not work in an accident.
WARNING
Self-Servicing the Air Bag/
Pretensioner Systems:
Self-servicing or tampering with the
systems is dangerous. An air bag/
pretensioner could accidentally
activate or become disabled. This
could cause serious injuries. Never
tamper with the systems and always
have an Authorized Mazda Dealer
perform all servicing and repairs.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt
Pretensioner System Warning Beep
If a malfunction is detected in the air bag/
front seat belt pretensioner systems and
the warning light, a warning beep sound
will be heard for about 5 seconds every
minute.
The air bag and seat belt pretensioner
system warning beep sound will continue
to be heard for approximately 35 minutes.
Have your vehicle inspected at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner
System Warning Beep:
Driving the vehicle with the air bag/
front seat belt pretensioner system
warning beep sounding is dangerous.
In a collision, the air bags and the
front seat belt pretensioner system will
not deploy and this could result in
death or serious injury.
Do not drive the vehicle with the air
bag/front seat belt pretensioner system
warning beep sounding. Contact an
Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the
vehicle inspected as soon as possible.
Center-Rear Position Seat
Belt (3-Point Type)
Before using the center-rear lap/shoulder
belt make sure tongue (A) and anchor
buckle (B) are fastened.
(A)
(B)
qFastening the Seat Belt
1. Grasp the tongue (C).
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
3. Insert the tongue (C) into the buckle
(D) until you hear a click.
(A)
(B) (C)
(D)
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