MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2003 User Guide

2-3
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Seat ReclineTo 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.
Reclining:
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.
Unlocked Seatback:
A seatback plays 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.
WARNING
When returning a rear-reclined
seatback to its upright position, make
sure you support the seatback while
operating the seatback lever. If the
seatback is not supported, it will flip
forward suddenly and could cause
injury.
Lever
CAUTION
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2-4
Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
Seat Belt Systems
Seat belts help to decrease the possibility of severe injury during accidents and sudden
stops. Mazda recommends that the driver and passenger 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 passenger ’s seat lap/shoulder belt retractors operate in two modes:
emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.
Seat Belt Precautions
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2-5
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
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. Whether a seat was occupied or not, if the air bags deployed the
pretensioners also deployed and both seat belts must be replaced. 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 break them or cause other serious injury or death. Don ’t wear twisted
seat belts.
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.
Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them
clean.
WARNING
CAUTION
Ring
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2-6
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Pregnant 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.

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 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 2-13).
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2-7
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Fastening the Seat Belts
1. Grasp the buckle and tongue.
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
3. Insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear a click. 4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly
fitted against your body.
3-Point Type Seat Belt
Belt
Tongue
Tonge
Buckle
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.
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.
WARNING
Keep low on
hip bone
Too high
Take up slack
WARNING
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2-8
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Unfastening the Seat Belts
Depress the button on the buckle.
To secure the passenger's seat belt when
not in use, insert the belt tongue into the
slot. For optimum protection, the driver and
passenger seat belts are equipped with
pretensioner and load limiting systems.
In moderate or greater frontal or near-
frontal accidents, the air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously. The pretensioners take up
slack in the seat belts as the air bags are
expanding. The load limiting system
releases belt webbing in a controlled
manner to reduce belt force on the
occupant
’s chest.
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.
Seat Belt Pretensioner and
Load Limiting Systems
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2-9
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
Incorrect Positioning of the Driver
and 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.
Expended Seat Belt Pretensioners:
Use of front seat belts with the
pretensioner system expended is
dangerous.
The seat belt pretensioners will only
function once. After they are
expended, they will not work again
and must be replaced immediately,
even if there was no front seat
occupant seated at the time.
If the seat belt pretensioners are not
replaced, the risk of injury in a
collision will increase.
Always have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer inspect and replace the seat
belt pretensioners after a collision.
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 could be
seriously injured. Never modify the
components or wiring, or use
electronic testing devices on the
pretensioner system.
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
• The 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.
• 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 pretensioner
system gets on the skin or in the
eyes, wash it off as soon as possible.
WARNING
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2-10
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G

Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner
System Warning Light
If the air bag/seat belt pretensioner system
is OK, the warning light comes on 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 flashes, stays
on or doesn
’t come on 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. If your seat belt is not long enough, even
when fully extended, a seat belt extender
may be available to you at no charge from
your Authorized Mazda Dealer.
This extender will be only for you and for
the particular vehicle and seat. Even if it
plugs into other seat belts, it may not hold
in the critical moment of a crash.
When ordering an extender, only order
one that provides the necessary additional
length to fasten the seat belt properly.
Please contact your Authorized Mazda
Dealer for more information.
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.
WARNING
Seat Belt Extender
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2-11
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position, the seat belt warning light
will remain on until the belt is fastened.
If the system does not operate correctly,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Unnecessary Use of an Extender:
Using a seat belt extender when not
necessary is dangerous. The seat belt
will be too long and not fit properly.
In an accident, the seat belt will not
provide adequate protection and you
could be seriously injured. Only use
the extender when it is required to
fasten the seat belt properly.
Using an Improper Extender:
Using a seat belt extender that is for
another person or a different vehicle
or seat is dangerous. The seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and
the user could be seriously injured in
an accident. Only use the extender
provided for you and for the
particular vehicle and seat. NEVER
use the extender in a different vehicle
or seat.
Using an Extender That is Too Long:
Using an extender that is too long is
dangerous. The seat belt will not fit
properly. In an accident, the seat belt
will not provide adequate protection
and you could be seriously injured.
Don ’t use the extender or choose one
shorter in length if the distance
between the extender ’s buckle and the
center of the user ’s body is less than
15cm (6 in).
WARNINGSeat Belt Warning Light
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2-12
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
If the driver’s seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position, a beep will sound for about
6 seconds.
Seat Belt Warning Beep
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