MAZDA MODEL RX 8 2011 (in English) Workshop Manual

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WARNING
Use the tether and tether anchor only
for a child-restraint system:
Using the tether or tether anchor to
secure anything but a child-restraint
system is dangerous. This could
weaken or damage the tether or
tether anchor and result in injury.
Always attach the tether strap to the
correct tether anchor position:
Attaching the tether strap to the
incorrect tether anchor position is
dangerous. In a collision, the tether
strap could come off and loosen the
child-restraint system. If the child-
restraint system moves it could result
in death or injury to the child.
Essential Safety Equipment
Child Restraint
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Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions
The front and side supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include 6 air bags.You can locate
the various air bags by the use of“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 front passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)lThe outboard sides of the front seatbacks (side air bags)lThe front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides (curtain air bags)
These systems operate independently depending on the type of accident encountered. The
side and curtain 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 and curtain 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
only in the front seats in certain situations and the rear outside passenger positions only in
same-side collisions, 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 2-26).
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.
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Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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WARNING
Seat belts must be worn in air bag equipped vehicles:
Depending only on the air bags for protection during an accident is dangerous.
Alone, air bags may not prevent serious injuries. The appropriate air bags can be
expected to inflate only in the first collision with frontal, near frontal or side forces
that are at least moderate. Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.
Children should not ride in the front passenger seat:
Placing a child, 12 years or under, in the front seat is dangerous. The child could be
hit by a deploying air bag and be seriously injured or even killed. Even if the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates, always move the front
passenger seat as far back as possible. A sleeping child is more likely to lean against
the door and be hit by the side air bag in moderate collision to the front-passenger
side of the vehicle. Whenever possible, always secure a child 12 years and under on
the rear seat with an appropriate child-restraint system for the child's age and size.
Never use a rear-facing child-restraint system in the front seat with an air bag that
could deploy:
Rear-facing child-restraint systems on the front seat are particularly dangerous even
though you may feel assured that a front passenger air bag will not deploy based on
the fact that the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates. The
child-restraint system can be hit by a deploying air bag and moved violently
backward resulting in serious injury or death to the child.
Do not sit too close to the driver and front passenger air bags:
Sitting too close to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing hands
or feet on them is extremely dangerous. The driver and front passenger air bags
inflate with great force and speed. Serious injuries could occur if someone is too
close. The driver should always hold onto only the rim of the steering wheel. The
front seat passenger should keep both feet on the floor. Front seat occupants should
adjust their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the
seatbacks with seat belts worn properly.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Sit in the center of the seat and wear seat belts properly:
Sitting too close to the side air bag modules or placing hands on them is extremely
dangerous. The side air bags inflate with great force and speed directly out of the
outboard side of the front seat and expand along the front door on the side the car is
hit. Serious injury could occur if someone is sitting too close to the door or leaning
against a window, or if rear seat occupants grab the sides of the front seatbacks.
Furthermore, sleeping up against the door or hanging out the windows in the vehicle
could block the side and curtain air bags and eliminate the advantages of
supplemental protection. Give the side and curtain air bags room to work by sitting
in the center of the seat while the vehicle is moving with seat belts worn properly.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where driver and front passenger air
bags deploy:
Attaching an object to the driver and front passenger air bag modules or placing
something in front of them is dangerous. In an accident, an object could interfere
with air bag inflation and injure the occupants.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a side air bag deploys:
Attaching things to the front seat in such a way as to cover the outboard side of the
seat in any way is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the side
air bag, which inflates from the outboard side of the front seats, impeding the added
protection of the side air bag system or redirecting the air bag in a way that is
dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open releasing the gas.
Do not hang net bags, map pouches or backpacks with side straps on the front
seats. Never use seat covers on the front seats. Always keep the side air bag modules
in your front seats free to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not attach objects on or around the area where a curtain air bag deploys:
Attaching objects to the areas where the curtain air bag activates such as on the
windshield glass, side door glass, front and rear window pillars and along the roof
edge and assist grips is dangerous. In an accident the object could interfere with the
curtain air bag, which inflates from the front and rear window pillars and along the
roof edge, impeding the added protection of the curtain air bag system or redirecting
the air bag in a way that is dangerous. Furthermore, the bag could be cut open
releasing the gas.
Do not place hangers or any other objects on the assist grips. When hanging clothes,
hang them on the coat hook directly. Always keep the curtain air bag modules free
to deploy in the event of a side collision.
Do not place luggage or other objects under the front seats:
Placing luggage or other objects under the front seats is dangerous. The components
essential to the supplemental restraint system could be damaged, and in the event of
a side collision, the appropriate air bags may not deploy, which could result in death
or serious injury. To prevent damage to the components essential to the
supplemental restraint system, do not place luggage or other objects under the front
seats.
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Do not touch the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated:
Touching the components of the supplemental restraint system after the air bags
have inflated is dangerous. Immediately after inflation, they are very hot. You could
get burned.
Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle:
Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangaroo bar,
bull bar, push bar, or other similar devices), snowplow, or winches, is dangerous. The
air bag crash sensor system could be affected. This could cause air bags to inflate
unexpectedly, or it could prevent the air bags from inflating during an accident.
Front occupants could be seriously injured.
Do not modify the suspension:
Modifying the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the
suspension is modified, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision
resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious
injuries.
Do not modify the supplemental restraint system:
Modifying the components or wiring of the supplemental restraint system is
dangerous. You could accidentally activate it or make it inoperable. Do not make
any modifications to the supplemental restraint system. This includes installing trim,
badges, or anything else over the air bag modules. It also includes installing extra
electrical equipment on or near system components or wiring. An Authorized Mazda
Dealer can provide the special care needed in the removal and installation of front
seats. It is important to protect the air bag wiring and connections to assure that the
bags do not accidentally deploy, the driver seat slide position sensor and front
passenger seat weight sensors are not damaged and that the seats retain an
undamaged air bag connection.
NOTE
lWhen an air bag deploys, a loud inflation noise can be heard and some smoke will be released.
Neither is likely to cause injury, however, the texture of the air bags may cause light skin injuries
on body parts not covered with clothing through friction.
lShould you sell your Mazda, we urge you to tell the new owner of its air bag systems and that
familiarization with all instructions about them, from the Owner's Manual, is important.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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Supplemental Restraint System Components
The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems:lThe air bag system with inflators and air bags.lThe electrical system with crash sensors and diagnostic module.
The air bags are mounted in the following locations:
lThe steering wheel hublThe front passenger dashboardlThe outboard sides of the front seatbackslThe front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides
The air bags are out of sight until activated.
Driver/Front passenger dual stage inflators and air bags
Crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Front seat belt pretensioners (page 2-20)
Front air bag sensor
Side crash sensors
Air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light (page 2-55)
Side and curtain inflators and air bags
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light (page 2-46)
Front passenger seat weight sensors (page 2-46)
Front passenger seat weight sensor control module
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Driver and front passenger seat belt buckle switches (page 2-46)
Driver seat slide position sensor
Front seats
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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How the Air Bags Work
qHow the Front Air Bags Work
When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, an
electrical current is sent to the inflators.
Gases are produced to inflate the front air bags and after the inflation, the front air bags
quickly deflate.
The front air bags will function only once. After that,the front air bags will not work
again and must be replaced.
Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can replace the system components.
The front, dual stage air bags control air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an
impact of moderate severity the front air bags deploy with lesser energy, whereas during
more severe impacts, they deploy with more energy. Deployment of the front air bags may
differ between the driver and the front passenger depending on the driver seat position,
front passenger weight and front seat belt usage, all of which provide data from each sensor
to the air bag system.
The front air bags will deploy only
in a frontal or frontal offset impact.
Driver seat slide position sensor
Your vehicle is equipped with a driver seat slide position sensor as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. The sensor is located under the driver seat. The sensor
determines whether the driver seat is fore or aft of a reference position and sends the seat
position to the diagnostic module (SAS unit). The SAS unit is also designed to control the
deployment of the driver air bag depending on how close the driver seat is to the steering
wheel.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes if the sensor has a
possible malfunction (page 2-55).
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Front passenger seat weight sensors
Your vehicle is equipped with a front passenger seat weight sensors as a part of the
supplemental restraint system. (page 2-34). These sensors are located under both of the
front passenger seat rails. These sensors determine the total seated weight on the front
passenger seat and monitor its seat belt buckle. The SAS unit is designed to prevent the
front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner system from deploying if
the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates.
To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the seat belt
pretensioner system when the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
Refer to the following table for the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
illumination conditions.
This system shuts off the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner
system, so make sure the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates
according to the following table.
The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes and the front
passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates if the sensors have a possible
malfunction. If this happens, the front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt
pretensioner system will not deploy.
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light
This indicator light illuminates to remind you that the front passenger front and side air
bags and seat belt pretensioner will not deploy during a collision.
If the front passenger weight sensors are working properly, the indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched ON. After a specified period of time it goes out.
Essential Safety Equipment
SRS Air Bags
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The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates or is off under the following conditions:
Condition detected by
front passenger occupant
classification systemFront passenger air bag
deactivation indicator lightFront passenger front and
side air bagsFront passenger seat
belt pretensioner
system
Empty (Not occupied)
*1Off Deactivated Deactivated
Child or child-restraint
system
*2On Deactivated Deactivated
Adult
*3Off Ready Ready
*1 : If the front passenger seat belt is buckled, the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light illuminates,
however this does not indicate a malfunction.
*2 : If a larger child sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might detect the child as being an adult depending
on the child's physique.
*3 : If a smaller adult sits on the front passenger seat, the sensors might detect the person as being a child
depending on the person's physique.
The curtain air bag is always ready to inflate and is not deactivated like the front passenger front and side air bags
and seat belt pretensioner systems.
If the front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate when the
ignition is switched ON and does not illuminate as indicated in the above chart, do not
allow a child to sit in the front passenger seat; contact the Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible. The system may not work properly in an accident.
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