child restraint MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2003 Owners Manual

Table of Contents
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Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
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, SRS air bags and
child-restraint systems.
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.
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.
Specifications
Technical information about your Mazda.
Index
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Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
2Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, SRS air bags and
child-restraint systems.
Seats .............................................................................................. 2- 2
Seats ......................................................................................... 2- 2
Seat Belt Systems ......................................................................... 2- 4
Seat Belt Precautions ............................................................... 2- 4
3-Point Type Seat Belt ............................................................. 2- 7
Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ................ 2- 8
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-10
Seat Belt Warning Light .......................................................... 2-11
Seat Belt Warning Beep ........................................................... 2-12
Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-13
Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-13
Installing a Child-Restraint System ......................................... 2-16
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-18
SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-20
Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-20
Passenger-Side Air Bag Deactivation Switch .......................... 2-23
Air Bag System Description .................................................... 2-26
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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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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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Essential Safety Equipment
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
Child Restraint
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 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 .
A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER
be used in the front seat because it
would be too close to the air bag.
We have provided a deactivation switch that will disable passenger-side air bag inflation.
Do not switch off the passenger-side air bag without reading the "Passenger-Side Air Bag
Deactivation Switch" (page 2-23).
Child Restraint Precautions
Proper Size of Child-Restraint System:
For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be
properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and
size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.
WARNING
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions and Always Keep the Child-Restraint System
Buckled Down:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure
the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint
system manufacturer ’s instructions. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or
fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors for LATCH
child-restraint systems.
Holding a Child While the Vehicle is Moving:
Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a sudden
stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag forces
that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be slammed
into the adult, injuring the adult. Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint
system.
Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System:
When a rear-facing child-restraint system is installed on the passenger ’s seat and the
passenger-side air bag deactivation switch is not in the OFF position, it is extremely
dangerous. In an accident, the air bag could inflate and cause serious injuries or even
death to the child in the rear-facing child-restraint system. When using a rear-facing
child-restraint system, always set the passenger-side air bag deactivation switch to
OFF position.
WARNING
Deploying air bag
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
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.
Child-Restraint Tether:
Using a child-restraint system that requires a tether is dangerous. Your Mazda doesn ’t
have a child-restraint tether. The child-restraint system cannot be properly secured. In
a collision, it could move and cause serious injury or even death to the child or
someone else. Always use a child-restraint system designed for use without a tether.
A seat belt or child-restraint system can become very hot in a closed vehicle during
warm weather. To avoid burning yourself or a child, check them before you or your child
touches them.
NOTE
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially
designed LATCH child-restraint systems behind the passenger seat. When using these
anchors to secure a child-restraint system, refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint Systems"
(page 2-18).
WARNING
CAUTION
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
The passenger lap/shoulder belt can easily
be converted into the automatic locking
mode, which must be done to hold the
child-restraint system.
Some child-restraint systems also employ
specially designed LATCH attachments;
refer to "LATCH Child-Restraint
Systems" (page 2-18).
Follow these instructions when installing
a child-restraint system on the passenger’s
seat, unless you are attaching a LATCH-
equipped child-restraint system to the
LATCH lower anchors. Refer to "LATCH
Child-Restraint Systems" (page 2-18).
Before installing a rear-facing child-
restraint system, the passenger-side air
bag must be deactivated (page 2-23). 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 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 this step.
Installing a Child-
Restraint System
NOTE
Follow the child-restraint system
manufacturer’ s instructions carefully.
If you are not sure whether you have a
LATCH system, 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.
NOTE
Before installing a child-restraint
system, refer to "Passenger-Side Air
Bag Deactivation Switch" (page 2-23).
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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
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 instruction 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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Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
Form No. 8R09-EA-02G
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems behind the passenger seat. Both anchors must be used,
otherwise the seat will bounce around and put the child in danger.
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems
Manufacturer’s Instructions for Child-Restraint System:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make sure
the child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-restraint
system manufacturer ’s instructions.
Unsecured Child-Restraint System:
An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Follow the
child-restraint system manufacturer ’s instructions on belt routing to secure the seat
just as you would with a child in it so that nobody is tempted to put a child in an
improperly secured seat later on. When not in use, remove it from the vehicle or fasten
it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors for LATCH child-
restraint systems.
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems:
Not following the child-restraint system manufacturer ’s instructions when installing
the child-restraint system is dangerous. If seat belts or a foreign object prevent the
child-restraint system from being securely attached to the LATCH lower anchors and
the child-restraint system is installed improperly, the child-restraint system could
move in a sudden stop or collision causing serious injury or death to the child or other
occupants. When installing the child-restraint system, make sure there are no seat
belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH lower anchors. Always follow the
child-restraint system manufacturer ’s instructions.
WARNING
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