MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2008 Owner's Guide

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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 any 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.
Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint system: 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 an adult, causing injury to both child and adult.
Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is illuminated
when using a rear-facing child-restraint system: Seating a child in a rear-facing child-restraint system that is installed on the
passenger seat with the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light not
illuminated is extremely dangerous. In an accident, a air bag could inflate and cause
serious injuries or even death to the child seated in the rear-facing child-restraint
system. Always make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is
illuminated using the key to turn the passenger air bag off.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch on page 2-32.
Refer to Passenger seat weight sensors on page 2-38.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat is dangerous:This vehicle is equipped with both a passenger seat weight sensor and a passenger
air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-38). Even with the passenger seat weight
sensors, seating a child in a child-restraint system on the passenger seat under the
following conditions increases the danger of the passenger air bag deploying and
could result in serious injury or death to the child. These are among the reasons why
the passenger air bag should be turned off using the key.
ØThe total seated weight of the child with the child-restraint system on the
passenger seat is approximately 30 kg (66 lb) or more with a child in the child-
restraint system.
Ø Luggage or other items are placed on the seat with the child in the child-restraint
system.
Ø The seat is washed.
Ø Liquids are spilled on the seat.
Ø The passenger seat is moved backward, and it is pushed into luggage or other
items placed behind it.
Ø Luggage or other items are placed between the passenger seat and center
console.
Ø Any accessories, which might increase the total seated weight on the passenger
seat, are attached to the passenger seat.
Do not allow a child to lean over or against the side window of a vehicle with side air
bags: Allowing anyone to lean over or against the 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 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. Because the side air bag
deploys from the outboard shoulder of the seat, do not allow the child to lean over or
against the side window, even if the child is seated in a child-restraint system.
Never use one seat belt on more than one person at a time: Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt
used in this way cannot 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.
Always use a child-restraint system designed for use without a tether: Using a child-restraint system that requires a tether is dangerous. Your Mazda does
not have a child-restraint tether. The child-restraint system cannot be properly
secured. In a collision, it could move and injure other occupants as well as result in
serious injuries or death to the child.
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Child Restraint
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CAUTION
A seat belt or child-restraint system can become very hot when exposed to direct
sunlight 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 that slide through the passenger seat when it is in
the fully rearward position. When using these anchors to secure a child-restraint system, refer to
“ LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ”(page 2-25).
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Installing a Child-
Restraint System
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 2-25).
Follow these manufacturer's 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 2-25).
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, however
if it uses an upper tether, it may not be
mounted properly in this vehicle as there is no
safe way to anchor the tether. Confirm whether
the child-restraint system can be used with seat
belts by reading the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
Before installing a child-restraint system,
make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminated by
using the key to turn the passenger air bag
off.
Refer to Passenger seat weight sensors on
page 2-38.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Switch on page 2-32.
1. Make sure to remove articles from behind the passenger seat that would
prevent the seat from sliding back fully,
and then 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.
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4. Push the child-restraint system firmlyinto 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.
5. Make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
by using the key to turn the passenger
air bag off after installing a child-
restraint system on the passenger seat.WARNING
Always make sure the passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light is
illuminated when using a rear-facing
child-restraint system: Seating a child in a rear-facing child-
restraint system that is installed on
the passenger seat with the
passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light not illuminated is
extremely dangerous. In an accident,
a air bag could inflate and cause
serious injuries or even death to the
child seated in the rear-facing child-
restraint system. Always make sure
the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light is illuminated using
the key to turn the passenger air bag
off.
Refer to Passenger seat weight
sensors on page 2-38.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation Switch on page 2-32.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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NOTElInspect 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.
lFollow 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, however if
it uses an upper tether, it may not be
mounted properly in this vehicle as there is
no safe way to anchor the tether. Confirm
whether the child-restraint system can be
used with seat belts by reading the child-
restraint system manufacturer's
instructions.
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LATCH Child-Restraint System
Your Mazda is equipped with LATCH lower anchors for attachment of specially designed
LATCH child-restraint systems behind the passenger seat that slide through the passenger
seat when it is in the fully rearward position. Only LATCH junior seats and infant carriers
without upper tethers can be used in this position, as there is no good place to anchor the
tether due to this vehicle's design. Both anchors must be used when installing these lower
anchor only child-restraint systems, otherwise the seat will bounce around and put the child
in danger.
WARNING
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the use of the 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 any child-restraint system does not rely on an upper tether and then properly
secure those non-tethered seats according to the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
Make sure the child-restraint system is properly secured: 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.
Make sure there are no seat belts or foreign objects near or around the LATCH child-
restraint system: 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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qLATCH Child-Restraint System
Installation Procedure
Before installing a child-restraint system,
make sure the passenger air bag
deactivation indicator light illuminated by
using the key to turn the passenger air bag
off.
Refer to Passenger seat weight sensors on
page 2-38.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag Deactivation
Switch on page 2-32.
1. Make sure to remove articles from
behind the passenger seat that would
prevent the seat from sliding back fully,
and then slide the seat as far back as
possible to insert the LATCH lower
anchors between the seat bottom and
the seatback.
2. Expand the area between the seat bottom and the seatback slightly to
verify the locations of the LATCH
lower anchors.
NOTE
The markings above the LATCH lower anchors
indicate the locations of the LATCH lower
anchors for the attachment of a child-restraint
system.
3. Secure the child-restraint system usingBOTH LATCH lower anchors,
following the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instruction, however if
it uses an upper tether, it may not be
mounted properly in this vehicle as
there is no safe way to anchor the
tether. Confirm whether the child-
restraint system can be used with seat
belts by reading the child-restraint
system manufacturer's instructions.
4. Make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
by using the key to turn the passenger
air bag off after installing a child-
restraint system on the passenger seat.
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WARNING
Always make sure the passenger air
bag deactivation indicator light is
illuminated when using a rear-facing
child-restraint system:Seating a child in a rear-facing child-
restraint system that is installed on
the passenger seat with the
passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light not illuminated is
extremely dangerous. In an accident,
a air bag could inflate and cause
serious injuries or even death to the
child seated in the rear-facing child-
restraint system. Always make sure
the passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light is illuminated using
the key to turn the passenger air bag
off.
Refer to Passenger seat weight
sensors on page 2-38.
Refer to Passenger Air Bag
Deactivation Switch on page 2-32.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 4 air bags.Please
verify which kinds of air bags are equipped on your vehicle by locating the “SRS
AIRBAG ”location indicators. These indicators are visible in the area where the air bags
are installed.
The air bags are installed in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hub (driver air bag)lThe passenger dashboard (passenger air bag)lThe outboard sides of the seatbacks (side air bags)í
These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered; if
you have side air bags, the side air bags are not likely to deploy on both sides in the same
accident because a vehicle is not often hit from both sides. The side air bags and the frontal
air bag system will not normally deploy during the same type of accident unless a
combination of frontal and side impacts occur.
The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection
in certain situations, so seat belts are always important in the following ways:
Without seat belt usage, the air bags cannot provide adequate protection during an accident.
Seat belt usage is necessary to:
lKeep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.lReduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag
inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.
lReduce the possibility of injuries in frontal or side collisions that are not severe enough
to activate the air bags.
lReduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.lReduce the possibility of injuries to lower body and legs during an accident because the
air bags provide no protection to these parts of the body.
lHold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.
Small children must be protected by a child-restraint system as stipulated by law in every
state and province. In certain states and provinces, larger children must use a child-restraint
system (page 2-17).
Carefully consider which child-restraint system is necessary for your child and follow the
installation directions in this Owner's Manual as well as the child-restraint system
manufacturer's instructions.
Do not use a child-restraint system which employs an upper tether because there is no
appropriate means to anchor the tether.
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íSome models.
SRS Air Bags
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