belt MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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Thank you for choosing a Mazda. We at Mazda design and build vehicles with complete
customer satisfaction in mind.
To help ensure enjoyable and trouble-free operation of your Mazda, read this manual
carefully and follow its recommendations.
An Authorized Mazda Dealer knows your vehicle best. So when maintenance or service is
necessary, that's the place to go.
Our nationwide network of Mazda professionals is dedicated to providing you with the best
possible service.
We assure you that all of us at Mazda have an ongoing interest in your motoring pleasure
and in your full satisfaction with your Mazda product.Mazda Motor CorporationHIROSHIMA, JAPAN
Important Notes About This Manual
Keep this manual in the glove box as a handy reference for the safe and enjoyable use of your Mazda. Should you
resell the vehicle, leave this manual with it for the next owner.
All specifications and descriptions are accurate at the time of printing. Because improvement is a constant goal at
Mazda, we reserve the right to make changes in specifications at any time without notice and without obligation.
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder. In the event of a crash, this device records data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time. These data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur and lead to the designing of safer
vehicles.
Air Conditioning and the Environment
Your Mazda's genuine air conditioner is filled with HFC134a (R134a), a refrigerant that has been found not to
damage the earth's ozone layer. If the air conditioner does not operate properly, consult an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
Perchlorate
Certain components of this vehicle such as [air bag modules, seat belt pretensioners, lithium batteries, ...] may
contain Perchlorate Material –Special handling may apply for service or vehicle end of life disposal. See
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Please be aware that this manual applies to all models, equipment and options. As a result, you may find
some explanations for equipment not installed on your vehicle.
©2007 Mazda Motor Corporation
Printed in Japan June 2007(Print1)
A Word to Mazda Owners
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Table of Contents
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Interior, exterior views and part identification of your Mazda.1
Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.2
Knowing Your Mazda
Explanation of basic operations and controls; opening/closing and adjustment
of various parts.3
Before Driving Your Mazda
Important information about driving your Mazda.4
Driving Your Mazda
Explanation of instruments and controls.5
Interior Comfort
Use of various features for drive comfort, including air-conditioning and audio
system.6
In Case of an Emergency
Helpful information on what to do in an emergency.7
Maintenance and Care
How to keep your Mazda in top condition.8
Customer Information and Reporting Safety Defects
Important consumer information including warranties and add-on equipment.9
Specifications
Technical information about your Mazda.10
Index11

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Power door lock switch ..................................................................................... page 3-28
Outside mirror switch ........................................................................................ page 3-48
Dashboard illumination ..................................................................................... page 5-37
DSC OFF switch ............................................................................................... page 5-24
Lighting control/Turn signals ............................................................................ page 5-55
Audio control switch ......................................................................................... page 6-40
Instrument cluster .............................................................................................. page 5-33
Air bags ............................................................................................................. page 2-33
Wiper and washer lever ..................................................................................... page 5-58
Cruise control switches ...................................................................................... page 5-20
Information display ............................................................................................ page 6-45
Hazard warning flasher switch .......................................................................... page 5-61
Audio system ..................................................................................................... page 6-10
Glove box .......................................................................................................... page 6-50
Center console ................................................................................................... page 6-51
Cup holder ......................................................................................................... page 6-49
Parking brake ....................................................................................................... page 5-6
MT shift lever .................................................................................................... page 5-10
AT shift lever (Sport AT) ................................................................................... page 5-12
Lighter ............................................................................................................... page 6-47
Ashtray ............................................................................................................... page 6-48
Climate control system ........................................................................................ page 6-2
Ignition switch ..................................................................................................... page 5-2
Tilt wheel release lever ...................................................................................... page 3-48
Coin box ............................................................................................................ page 6-50
Hood release handle .......................................................................................... page 3-38
Trunk release button .......................................................................................... page 3-32
Power window lock switch ................................................................................ page 3-36
Power window switches .................................................................................... page 3-35
Interior light ....................................................................................................... page 6-43
Sunvisor ............................................................................................................. page 6-43
Rearview mirror ................................................................................................. page 3-49
Vanity mirror ...................................................................................................... page 6-43
Front seats ............................................................................................................ page 2-2
Rear seat .............................................................................................................. page 2-8
Seat belt ............................................................................................................... page 2-9
Your Vehicle at a Glance
Dashboard and Interior Overview
1-3The equipment and installation position varies by vehicle
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2Essential Safety Equipment
Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, child-restraint
systems and SRS air bags.
Seats ............................................................................................... 2-2Front Seats (Manually Operated Seats) ..................................... 2-2
Front Seats (Electrically Operated Seats) .................................. 2-5
Rear Seat ................................................................................... 2-8
Seat Belt Systems .......................................................................... 2-9 Seat Belt Precautions ................................................................ 2-9
Location of Seat Belt ............................................................... 2-12
Seat Belt .................................................................................. 2-13
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems ....... 2-14
Seat Belt Extender ................................................................... 2-17
Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep ................................................ 2-18
Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-20 Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-20
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-24
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-30
SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-33 Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-33
Supplemental Restraint System Components ......................... 2-37
How the Air Bags Work .......................................................... 2-40
2-1
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Front Seats (Manually
Operated Seats)
WARNING
Do not modify or replace the front
seats:Modifying or replacing the front seats
such as replacing the upholstery or
loosening any bolts is dangerous. The
front seats contain air bag
components essential to the
supplemental restraint system. Such
modifications could damage the
supplemental restraint system and
result in serious injury. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer if there is
any need to remove or reinstall the
front seats.
Do not drive with damaged front seats: Driving with damaged front seats is
dangerous. A collision, even one not
strong enough to inflate the air bags,
could damage the front seats which
contain essential air bag
components. If there was a
subsequent collision, an air bag may
not deploy which could lead to
injuries. Always have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer inspect the front seats,
front seat belt pretensioners and air
bags after a collision. Make sure the adjustable components
of a seat are locked in place:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that
are not securely locked are
dangerous. In a sudden stop or
collision, the seat or seatback could
move, causing injury. Make sure the
adjustable components of the seat
are locked in place by attempting to
slide the seat forward and backward
and rocking the seatback.
qSeat Slide
WARNING
Adjust the driver seat only when the
vehicle is stopped:
Adjusting the driver's seat while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous. The
driver could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident.
To move a seat forward or backward, raise
the lever and slide the seat to the desired
position and release the lever.
Make sure the lever returns to its original
position and the seat is locked in place by
attempting to push it forward and
backward.
2-2
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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qSeat Recline
WARNING
Do not drive with the seats reclined:
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.
Always sit in a passenger seat properly
with the seatback upright and feet on
the floor: If your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat weight sensors,
sitting in the front 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 front passenger
sensing system. As a result the front
passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air
bag and seat belt pretensioner, which
could cause result in serious injury.
Always sit upright against your
seatback, with your feet on the floor. Do not drive with the seatback
unlocked:
The 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.
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
2-3
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Front Seats (Electrically
Operated Seats)
WARNING
Do not modify or replace the front
seats:Modifying or replacing the front seats
such as replacing the upholstery or
loosening any bolts is dangerous. The
front seats contain air bag
components essential to the
supplemental restraint system. Such
modifications could damage the
supplemental restraint system and
result in serious injury. Consult an
Authorized Mazda Dealer if there is
any need to remove or reinstall the
front seats.
Do not drive with damaged front seats: Driving with damaged front seats is
dangerous. A collision, even one not
strong enough to inflate the air bags,
could damage the front seats which
contain essential air bag
components. If there was a
subsequent collision, an air bag may
not deploy which could lead to
injuries. Always have an Authorized
Mazda Dealer inspect the front seats,
front seat belt pretensioners and air
bags after a collision.
CAUTION
ØThe seat-bottom power
adjustment is operated by motors.
Avoid extended operation because
excessive use can damage the
motors.
Ø To prevent the battery from
running down, avoid using the
power adjustment when the
engine is stopped. The adjuster
uses a large amount of electrical
power.
Ø Don't use the switch to make more
than one adjustment at a time.
qSeat Slide
To slide the seat, move the slide lifter
switch on the outside of the seat to the
front or back and hold it. Release the
switch at the desired position.
Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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qSeat Recline
WARNING
Do not drive with the seats reclined:
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.
Always sit in a front passenger seat
properly with the seatback upright and
feet on the floor: If your vehicle is equipped with front
passenger seat weight sensors,
sitting in the front 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 front passenger
sensing system. As a result the front
passenger will not have the
supplementary protection of the air
bag and seat belt pretensioner, which
could cause result in serious injury.
Always sit upright against your
seatback, with your feet on the floor. Change the seatback angle by pressing the
front or rear side of the reclining switch.
Release the switch at the desired position.
q
Height Adjustment
Front of seat bottom
To adjust the front height of the seat
bottom, raise or lower the front of the
slide lifter switch on the left side of the
seat.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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qSeat Warmer
The front seats are electrically heated. The
ignition switch must be in the ON
position.
Press the switch to turn the seat warmer
on or off. When the switch is in the ON
position, the indicator light will come on.
NOTE
The seat temperature is regulated
automatically by a thermostat. Other than
turning it on or off, it cannot be adjusted.
Rear Seat
WARNING
Make sure luggage and cargo is
secured before driving:
Not securing cargo while driving is
dangerous as it could move or be
crushed during sudden braking or a
collision and cause injury.
Do not allow anyone to sit on the
center console between the rear seats: Allowing someone to sit on the rear
center console between the rear seats
is dangerous. The rear center console
is not designed for occupant seating.
During a collision, occupants not
wearing a seat belt could be thrown
from the vehicle and seriously injured
or even killed.
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Essential Safety Equipment
Seats
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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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