Get Essential Safety Equipment -> Seat Belt Systems Guide for Mazda 3 4 Door First Generation (2004-2009)

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

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 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

Not Wearing Seat Belts:

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. Always wear your seat belt and

make sure all occupants are properly restrained.

Seat Belt Damaged During an Accident:

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. Front air bags and pretensioners work together, but whether a front seat was

occupied or not, if any air bag deployed and whether a seat belt pretensioner deployed

or not, all front seat belts and air bags must be inspected and replaced if necessary.

Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer inspect all seat belt systems in use during an

accident before they are used again.

Twisted Seat Belts:

Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt isn't available

to absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt, which could

cause serious injury or death. Don't wear twisted seat belts.

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Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

WARNING

One Belt, One Passenger:

Using one seat belt for more than one person at a time is dangerous. A seat belt used

in this way can't 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.

CAUTION

Belt retraction may become difficult if the belts and rings are soiled, so try to keep them

clean.

qPregnant Women and Persons with Serious Medical Conditions

Pregnant women should wear seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific recommendations.

The lap belt should be worn SNUGLYAND AS LOWAS 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.

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Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

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 retracted, 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 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 2-21).

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Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

Seat Belt (Except Center-

Rear Position)

WARNING

Positioning the Shoulder Portion of

the Seat Belt:

NOTE

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.

When using the center-rear seat belt,

refer to “Center-Rear Position Seat

Belt” (page 2-16).

qFastening the Seat Belts

1. Grasp the tongue.

4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly

fitted against your body.

2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.

Belt

Take up slack

Keep low on

hip bone

Tongue

Too high

3. Insert the tongue into the buckle until

you hear a click.

WARNING

Positioning the Lap Portion of the

Seat Belt:

Tongue

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.

Buckle

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Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

qUnfastening the Seat Belts

WARNING

Depress the button on the buckle.

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.

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.

qShoulder Belt Adjuster

Adjust the height of the shoulder belt if

the seat belt touches your neck, or if it

crosses your arm instead of your shoulder.

To raise the shoulder belt adjuster, push

the adjuster up. To lower the shoulder belt

adjuster, pull the button and slide it down.

Make sure the adjuster is locked.

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Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

Front Seat Belt

Pretensioner and Load

Limiting Systems

WARNING

Expended Seat Belt Pretensioners:

One or both front air bags may deploy,

and the corresponding pretensioner(s)

will also deploy at the same time. Use

of front seat belts with the

pretensioner system expended is

dangerous. 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 is

another reason to have the front seat

belts inspected.

For optimum protection, the driver and

front passenger seat belts are equipped

with pretensioner and load limiting

systems.

In moderate or greater frontal or near-

frontal accidents, the front air bag and

pretensioner systems deploy

simultaneously. The pretensioners take up

slack in the front seat belts as the air bags

are expanding. The seat belt pretensioner

system cannot provide adequate

protection in an accident if the seat belt is

not fastened properly. The load limiting

system releases belt webbing in a

controlled manner to reduce belt force on

the occupant's chest.

WARNING

Incorrect Positioning of the Driver

and Front Passenger Seat Belts:

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. Wear seat belts only as

recommended in this owner's manual

(page 2-12).

Modification or Testing of 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. Never

modify the components or wiring, or

use electronic testing devices on the

pretensioner system.

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Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt

Pretensioner System Warning

Light

WARNING

Pretensioner System Disposal:

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.

If the air bag/front seat belt pretensioner

system is normal, the warning light

illuminates when the ignition switch is

turned to the ON position or after the

engine is cranked. After about 6 seconds

it goes out.

NOTE

l

The pretensioner system will only

activate in a moderate or greater

frontal or near-frontal collision. It

will not activate in most rollovers,

side or rear impacts.

A system malfunction is indicated when

the warning light constantly illuminates or

doesn't 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.

l

Some 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

WARNING

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.

Self-Servicing the Air Bag/

Pretensioner Systems:

Self-servicing or tampering with the

systems is dangerous. An air bag/

pretensioner could accidentally

activate or become disabled. This

could cause serious injuries. Never

tamper with the systems and always

have an Authorized Mazda Dealer

perform all servicing and repairs.

2-15

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt

Pretensioner System Warning

Beep

Center-Rear Position Seat

Belt (3-Point Type)

If a malfunction is detected in the air bag/

front seat belt pretensioner systems and

the warning light, a warning beep sound

will be heard for about 5 seconds every

minute.

Before using the center-rear lap/shoulder

belt make sure tongue (A) and anchor

buckle (B) are fastened.

(A)

(B)

The air bag and seat belt pretensioner

system warning beep sound will continue

to be heard for approximately 35 minutes.

Have your vehicle inspected at an

Authorized Mazda Dealer as soon as

possible.

WARNING

Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner

System Warning Beep:

qFastening the Seat Belt

1. Grasp the tongue (C).

Driving the vehicle with the air bag/

front seat belt pretensioner system

warning beep sounding is dangerous.

In a collision, the air bags and the

front seat belt pretensioner system will

not deploy and this could result in

death or serious injury.

2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.

3. Insert the tongue (C) into the buckle

(D) until you hear a click.

Do not drive the vehicle with the air

bag/front seat belt pretensioner system

warning beep sounding. Contact an

Authorized Mazda Dealer to have the

vehicle inspected as soon as possible.

(C)

(D)

(A)

(B)

2-16

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

qUnfastening the Seat Belt

WARNING

Depress the button on the buckle.

Fastening the Center-Rear Seat Belt

with Only One Buckle:

Fastening the center-rear seat belt

with only one buckle is dangerous. If

only one pair of seat belt tongue and

buckle, either tongue (A) and anchor

buckle (B) or tongue (C) and anchor

buckle (D), is fastened, the seat belt

cannot provide full protection. In a

sudden stop or collision, the user

could slide under the belt and suffer

serious injuries. Always make sure

that both pairs of seat belt tongues and

buckles are fastened properly.

Button

qUnfastening the Lap Portion of

the Seat Belt

Positioning the Shoulder Portion of

the Seat Belt:

Insert a small object such as a key in the

anchor buckle (B) slot.

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.

(A)

(B)

4. Make sure the shoulder belt is snugly

fitted against your body.

WARNING

CAUTION

Positioning the Lap Portion of the

Seat Belt:

Always unfasten the lap portion of the

belt before folding the left-rear

seatback. Leaving the lap portion of the

belt fastened could cause damage to the

seat belt, buckle and seatback.

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.

2-17

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

NOTE

Seat Belt Extender

To encourage rear seat passengers to

wear their seat belts, we suggest leaving

the center-rear lap position of the belt

fastened at all times except when

folding the rear seat forward.

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.

qFastening the Lap Portion of the

Seat Belt

Grasp tongue (A) and insert it into the

anchor buckle (B) until you hear a click. It

is now secure for passenger use.

NOTE

WARNING

After returning the left-rear seatback to

its upright position, fasten the lap

portion of the belt.

Unnecessary Use of an Extender:

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.

Using 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.

2-18

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

Seat Belt Warning Light/

Beep

WARNING

Using 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.

Don't 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).

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.

NOTE

Conditions of operation

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 the seat belt warning light will

not illuminate and function properly.

Condition

Result

The warning light

The driver's seat belt is not

fastened when the ignition

switch is turned to the ON

position.

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

The warning light will

fastened before the ignition not illuminate and the

switch is turned to the ON beep sound will not be

position.

heard.

2-19

Essential Safety Equipment

Seat Belt Systems

qBelt Minder

NOTE

The belt minder is a supplemental

The belt minder can be deactivated by

the following methods.

warning to the seat belt warning function.

This feature provides additional reminders

to the driver that the driver's seat belt is

not fastened by intermittently sounding a

beep sound and flashing the seat belt

warning light in the instrument cluster.

l

(Temporary deactivation)

To temporarily deactivate the belt

minder, turn the ignition switch to

the ON position, fasten the driver's

seat belt for about 2 seconds or

longer, and then unfasten it within 20

seconds. The belt minder will be

deactivated until the ignition switch

is turned to the ON position again.

Condition

Result

The driver's seat belt is not The warning light

flashes and the beep

sound will be heard

fastened when the vehicle

speed reaches 8 km/h

(5 mph) and about 1 minute for about 6 seconds

has elapsed since the every 30 seconds, for

ignition switch was turned a period of about 5

l

(Long-term deactivation)

To deactivate the belt minder over

the long term, consult an Authorized

Mazda Dealer. If the belt minder is

long-term deactivated, the belt

minder will not activate until it is

restored at the Authorized Mazda

Dealer.

to the ON position.

minutes.

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 not illuminate and the

switch is turned to the ON beep sound will not be

The warning light will

position.

heard.

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Essential Safety Equipment -> Seat Belt Systems for Your Mazda 3 4 Door First Generation (2004-2009)

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