MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2008 (in English) Owner's Manual

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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 and all rear 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
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.
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.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seat Belt Systems
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Have your seat belts changed immediately if the pretensioner or load limiter has
been expended:One or both front air bags may deploy, and the corresponding pretensioner(s) may
also deploy at the same time. While it is safer to use a crash-used seat belt that was
used in an accident than no seat belt at all, using a seat belt with an expended
pretensioner or load limiter loaded reduces the safety available to you. 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 this is another reason to have the
front seat belts inspected.
Make sure the seat belt is not caught or pinched in the door: Wearing a seat belt that is caught or pinched in the door is dangerous. The seat belt
could become loose and not provide adequate protection in a sudden stop or
collision.
Make sure nothing is placed on the seat belt slide bar: Placing your foot or other objects such as an umbrella on the seat belt slide bar is
dangerous. The front seat belt is built into the rear door, and the lower part of the
seat belt slides forward or backward along the seat belt slide bar as the rear door
opens or closes. If the seat belt slider is blocked, the seat belt could be improperly
positioned and would provide little or no protection in a collision.
CAUTION
Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep
them clean. For more details about cleaning the seat belts, refer to “Cleaning the
Lap/Shoulder Belt Webbing ”(page 8-45).
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qPregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should always 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.
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 fastened, 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 to the 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 2-20).
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Seat Belt Systems
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Location of Seat Belt
For rear seat
For front seat
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Seat Belt
qFastening the Seat Belt
1. Grasp the tongue.
2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.
Belt
Tongue
3. Insert the tongue into the buckle until you hear a click.
Tongue
Buckle
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. Position the lap belt as low as possible,
not on the abdominal area, then adjust
the shoulder belt so that it fits snugly
against your body.
Too high
Take up slack
Keep low on
hip bone
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 Belt
Depress the button on the buckle. If the
belt does not fully retract, pull it out and
check for kinks or twists. Then make sure
it remains untwisted as it retracts.
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.
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. 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 front air bag and
pretensioner systems deploy
simultaneously. The front seat belt
retractors remove slack quickly as the air
bags are expanding.
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. Any
time the air bags and seat belt
pretensioners have fired they must be
replaced. For details, refer to the front
passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-40).
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 fired,
the load limiting function must be
checked by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
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WARNING
Wear seat belts only as recommended
in this owner's manual:Incorrect positioning of the driver and
front 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 2-13). Have your seat belts changed
immediately if the pretensioner or load
limiter has been expended:
One or both front air bags may
deploy, and the corresponding
pretensioner(s) may also deploy at
the same time. While it is safer to use
a crash-used seat belt that was used
in an accident than no seat belt at
all, using a seat belt with an
expended pretensioner or load limiter
loaded reduces the safety available to
you. 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
this is another reason to have the
front seat belts inspected.
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.
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Seat Belt Systems
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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. The pretensioner system for the
front passenger is designed to only deploy
in accordance with the total seated weight
on the front passenger seat. 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 working properly, the warning
light illuminates when the ignition switch
is turned to the ON position 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 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
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 Extender
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.
WARNING
Do not use a seat belt extender unless
it is necessary: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.
Do not use 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.
Do not use 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.
Do not 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).
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Seat Belt Systems
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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/Beep
The seat belt warning light illuminates
and a beep sound will be heard if the
driver's seat belt is not fastened when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position.
Conditions of operation
ConditionResult
The driver's seat belt is not
fastened when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position. The warning light
flashes illuminates for
about 1 minute and a
beep sound will be
heard for about 6
seconds.
The driver's seat belt is
fastened while the warning
light and the beep sound are
activated. The warning light
turns off and the beep
sound stops.
The driver's seat belt is
fastened before the ignition
switch is turned to the ON
position. The warning light will
not illuminate and the
beep sound will not be
heard.
q
Belt Minder
NOTE
The belt minder can be deactivated. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer to deactivate and
restore the seat belt minder.
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