Passenger air bag MAZDA MODEL MX-5 MIATA 2014 Owners Manual

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2Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.
Seats ............................................................................................... 2-2Seats .......................................................................................... 2-2
Non-Adjustable Head Restraints ............................................... 2-4
Seat Warmer
í........................................................................... 2-5
Seat Belt Systems .......................................................................... 2-7 Seat Belt Precautions ................................................................ 2-7
Seat Belt .................................................................................. 2-11
Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ................ 2-13
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-15
Seat Belt Warning Light .......................................................... 2-16
Seat Belt Reminder ................................................................. 2-17
Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-18 Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-18
Child-Restraint System Installation Position .......................... 2-22
Installing a Child-Restraint System ......................................... 2-23
SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-25 Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Precautions ................ 2-25
Supplemental Restraint System Components ......................... 2-29
How the SRS Air Bags Work .................................................. 2-30
SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria .......................................... 2-34
Limitations to SRS Air Bag .................................................... 2-35
Driver and Passenger Occupant Classification System ........... 2-37
Monitoring and Maintenance .................................................. 2-41
2-1íSome models.
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qSeat Recline
WARNING
Do not drive with either front seat
reclined:
Sitting in a reclined position while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous
because you do not 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.
Always sit in the passenger seat
properly with the seatback upright and
feet on the floor: Your passenger seat has weight
sensors, sitting in the passenger seat
improperly out of position or with the
seatback reclined too far while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous as it
can take off weight from the seat
bottom and affect the weight
determination of the passenger
sensing system. As a result the
passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air
bag and seat belt pretensioner, which
could result in serious injury. Always
sit upright against the seatback with
your feet on the floor. Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
All of the seatbacks play 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.
To 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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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WARNING
Always wear your seat belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained: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.
Do not wear twisted seat belts: Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt is not
available to absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt,
which could cause serious injury or death. So, if your seat belt is twisted, you must
straighten the seat belt to remove any twists and to allow the full width of the belt to
be used.
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.
Do not operate a vehicle with a damaged seat belt: 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. Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt
systems in use during an accident before they are used again.
Have your seat belts changed immediately if the pretensioner or load limiter has
been expended: Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately inspect the seat belt
pretensioners and air bags after any collision. Like the air bags, the seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters will only function once and must be replaced after
any collision that caused them to deploy. A seat belt with an expended pretensioner
or load limiter is still better than wearing no seat belt at all; however, if the seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters are not replaced, the risk of injury in a collision will
increase.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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Seat Belt Pretensioner and
Load Limiting Systems
For optimum protection, the driver and
passenger seat belts are equipped with
pretensioner and load limiting systems.
For both these systems to work properly
you must wear the seat belt properly.
Pretensioners:
In moderate or severe frontal or near-
frontal accidents, the air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously. The seat belt retractors
remove slack quickly as the air bags are
expanding. Any time the air bags and
front seat belt pretensioners have
deployed they must be replaced.
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the front passenger, like the front
passenger air bag, is designed to only
deploy in accordance with the total seated
weight on the front passenger seat.
For details, refer to the front passenger
seat weight sensors (page 2-37).
Load limiter:
The load limiting system releases belt
webbing in a controlled manner to reduce
belt force on the occupant's chest. While
the most severe load on a seat belt occurs
in frontal collisions, the load limiter has
an automatic mechanical function and can
activate in any accident mode with
sufficient occupant movement.
Even if the pretensioners have not
deployed, the load limiting function must
be checked by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer after any collision.
WARNING
Wear seat belts only as recommended
in this owner's manual: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. For
more details about wearing seat
belts, refer to “Fastening the seat
belts ”(page 2-11).
Have your seat belts changed
immediately if the pretensioner or load
limiter has been expended: Always have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer immediately inspect the seat
belt pretensioners and air bags after
any collision. Like the air bags, the
seat belt pretensioners and load
limiters will only function once and
must be replaced after any collision
that caused them to deploy. A seat
belt with an expended pretensioner
or load limiter is still better than
wearing no seat belt at all; however,
if the seat belt pretensioners and
load limiters are not replaced, the
risk of injury in a collision will
increase.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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Do not modify the components or
wiring, or use electronic testing devices
on 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.
Properly dispose of the pretensioner
system: 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 activate in a
moderate or greater frontal or near-frontal
collision. It will not activate in most
rollovers, side or rear impacts.
In addition, the pretensioner system for the
passenger is designed to only deploy in
accordance with the total seated weight on
the passenger seat.
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 pretensioner system gets on the skin
or in the eyes, wash it off as soon as
possible.
q Air Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner
System Warning Light
If the air bag/seat belt pretensioner system
is working properly, the warning light
illuminates when the ignition is switched
ON or after the engine is cranked. The
warning light turns off after a specified
period of time.
A system malfunction is indicated if the
warning light constantly flashes,
constantly illuminates or does not
illuminate at all when the ignition is
switched ON. If any of these occur,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible. The system may not
operate in an accident.
WARNING
Never tamper with the air bag/
pretensioner systems and always have
an Authorized Mazda Dealer perform
all servicing and repairs:
Self-servicing or tampering with the
systems is dangerous. An air bag/
pretensioner could accidentally
activate or become disabled causing
serious injury or death.
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Seat Belt Systems
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Do not leave a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle:Leaving a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle without
using the seat belt is dangerous.
When the seat belt extender is
connected to the driver's seat belt
buckle (or passenger) seat, the SRS
driver's (or passenger's) air bag
system will determine that the driver
(or passenger) is wearing the seat
belt even if the driver (or passenger)
is not wearing it. This condition could
cause the driver's (or passenger's) air
bag to not activate correctly and
result in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Always wear the
seat belt with the seat belt extender.
Do not use the seat belt extender when
installing a child-restraint system on
the passenger seat: Using a seat belt extender to fasten a
child-restraint system on any seat is
dangerous. Always follow the child-
restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions and never
use a seat belt extender.
NOTE
When not in use, remove the seat belt extender
and store it in the vehicle. If the seat belt
extender is left connected, the seat belt
extender might get damaged as it will not
retract with the rest of the seat belt and can
easily fall out of the door when not in use and
be damaged. In addition, the seat belt warning
light will not illuminate and function properly.
Seat Belt Warning Light
The seat belt warning light illuminates if
the driver or front passenger's seat is
occupied and the seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switched ON.
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Seat Belt Systems
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Child Restraint Precautions
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 child-restraint system shouldNEVERbe used on the passenger seat with the air bag
system activated.
In a collision, the force of an air bag slamming the child-restraint system rearwards could
result in death to the child even if the child is properly belted. Be alert to the operation of
the indicator light and BE SURE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS ALWAYS
DEACTIVATED AS INDICATED BY PASSENGER AIR BAG DEACTIVATION
INDICATOR LIGHT.
Passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
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Child Restraint
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Passenger seat weight sensors
These sensors deactivate the passenger front and side air bags and also the passenger seat
belt pretensioner system when the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
When an infant or small child is seated on the passenger seat, the system shuts off the
passenger air bag, so make sure the passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
Refer to Passenger Seat Weight Sensors on page 2-37.
WARNING
Use the correct size 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.
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.
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 child-restraint system: Seating a child in a 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, an air bag could inflate and cause serious injuries or even
death to the child seated in the child-restraint system. Always make sure the
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light is illuminated.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Refer to Passenger Seat Weight Sensors on page 2-37.
Seating a child in a child-restraint system on the passenger seat is dangerous under
certain conditions:This vehicle is equipped with both a passenger seat weight sensor and a passenger
air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-37). 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.
ØThe passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when
seating 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.
Before installing child-restraint system on the passenger seat, move the passenger
seat as far back as possible: In a collision, the force of a deploying air bag could cause serious injury or death to
the child.
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Child Restraint
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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.
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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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