Get Essential Safety Equipment -> SRS Air Bags Guide for Mazda Mx-5 SUV Second Generation (1998-2004)

Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions

The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) include up to 2 air bags (verify “SRS AIRBAG”

location indicator marks).

They are located in:

The steering wheel hub (driver air bag)

The passenger dashboard (front passenger air bag)

The air bag supplemental restraint systems are designed to provide supplemental protection

only in the front seats in certain situations, 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:

Keep the occupant from being thrown into an inflating air bag.

Reduce the possibility of injuries during an accident that is not designed for air bag

inflation, such as roll-over or rear impact.

Reduce the possibility of injuries in frontal collisions that are not severe enough to

activate the air bags.

Reduce the possibility of being thrown from your vehicle.

Reduce 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.

Hold the driver in a position which allows better control of the vehicle.

Children should be protected by a child-restraint system. Laws vary on the size a child

must be to use a child-restraint system (page 2-13).

We have provided a deactivati on switch that will disable passenger air bag inflation. Do not

switch off the passenger air bag without reading the “Passenger Air Bag Deactivation

Switch” (page 2-23).

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.

Please be aware that there is no good way to anchor an upper tether, so do not pick a child

restraint system that uses upper tethers at all.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

WARNING

Air Bags without Seat Belts:

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 collisions with frontal or near frontal forces that are at least moderate.

Vehicle occupants should always wear seat belts.

Rear-Facing Child-Restraint System:

When a rear-facing child-restraint system is installed on the passenger's seat and the

passenger air bag deactivation switch is not in the OFF position, it is extremely

dangerous. In an accident, the air bag could inflate and cause serious injuries or even

death to the child in the rear-facing child-restraint system. When using a rear-facing

child-restraint system, always set the passenger air bag deactivation switch to OFF

position.

Seating Position with Air Bags:

Sitting too close to the air bag modules or placing hands or feet on them is extremely

dangerous. Air bags inflate with great force and speed. Serious injuries could occur if

someone is too close. The drive r should always hold onto only the rim of the steering

wheel. The passenger should keep both feet on the floor. Seat occupants should adjust

their seats as far back as possible and always sit upright against the seatbacks with

seat belts worn properly.

Air Bag Modules located in the steering wheel hub and the dashboard:

Attaching an object to the air bag modules or placing something in front of them is

dangerous. In an accident, the object could interfere with air bag inflation and injure

the occupants.

Always keep the air bag modules free of objects.

Hot Air Bag Inflators:

Hot air bag inflators are dangerous. Immediately after inflation, the inflators in the

steering wheel or the dashboard are very hot. You could get burned. Don't touch the

internal components of the air bag modules after the bags have inflated.

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

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WARNING

Installation of Front-End Equipment:

Installation of front-end equipment, such as frontal protection bar (kangar oo bar, bull

bar, push bar, etc.), 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. Occupants could be seriously

injured. Never install any front-end equipment to your vehicle.

Suspension Adjustment :

Adjusting the vehicle suspension is dangerous. If the vehicle's height or the

suspension is changed, the vehicle will be unable to accurately detect a collision

resulting in incorrect or unexpected air bag deployment and the possibility of serious

injuries.

Modification of 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. Don't 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.

NOTE

When 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.

Should 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.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Passenger Air Bag

Deactivation Switch

WARNING

Unnecessary Deactiva tion of

Passenger Air Bag:

Unnecessary deactivation of the

passenger air bag is dangerous. If

turned off unnecessarily, the

passenger will not receive the added

protection of the air bag. Serious

injuries or even death could occur.

With the exception of passengers

fitting the categories described below,

do not turn the air bag deactivation

switch to the OFF position.

Your vehicle is equipped with a passenger

air bag deactivation switch. The switch is

located in the center console. The switch

must be used to deactivate the passenger

air bag and the passenger seat b elt

pretensioner system when the occupant of

the passenger seat fits into one of the

following categories (as described in the

request form for the air bag on-off switch,

the appendix B to part 595 of National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[NHTSA]):

Infants (less than one year old; for all

types of restraint, but particularly the

rear-facing child restraint.)

Children aged 1 to 12

People with certain medi cal conditions

which, according to his/her physician,

could be adversely affected by air-bag

activation

For more government release information

on air bag deactivation, contact your

Authorized Mazda Dealer for the

occupant categories as described in the

request form for the air bag deactivation

switch in the NHTSA rules .

The air bag deactivation switch turns off

the passenger air bag. Make sure the

passenger air bag deactivation switch is in

the ON position except when a passenger

fitting the previous categories occupies

the front passenger seat.

Air bag deactivation switch

Deactivation indicatoir

Passenger

Air Bag

Deactivation

Switch

Passenger

Air Bag

Operation

Air Bag

Deactivation

Indicator

Light

OFF position

Deactivate ON

ON position

Ready OFF

When the ignition switch is turned to the

ON position, the passenger air bag

deactivation indicator light comes on for

about 6 seconds.

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

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If the passenger air bag deactivation

switch is in the OFF position, the

indicator light remains on to warn that the

passenger air bag has been deactivated.

NOTE

Have the passenger air bag deactivation

switch inspected by an Auth orized

Mazda Dealer if any of these conditions

occur:

The indicator doesn't come on when

the ignition switch is turned to the

ON position.

The indicator doesn't remain on

when the ignition switch is in the ON

position and the passenger a ir bag

deactivation switch is in the OFF

position.

The indicator remains on when the

ignition switch is in the ON p osition

and the passenger air bag

deactivation switch is in the ON

position.

qTo Deactivate The Passenger Air

Bag

WARNING

Leaving the Key in the Passenger Air

Bag Deactivation Switch:

Unintentional deactivation of the

passenger air bag is dangerous. In an

accident, the passenger will not be

properly protected. Serious injuries or

even death could occur. To avoid

unintentional deactivation, always use

the same key to operate the passenger

air bag deactivation switch and the

ignition switch, that way you won't

leave the key in the passenger air bag

deactivation switch.

1. Insert the key into the switch.

2. Turn the key clockwise until the key

points to OFF.

3. Remove the key.

4. Make sure the air bag deactivation

indicator light remains on when the

ignition is in the ON position .

The passenger air bag will remain

deactivated until the passenger air bag

deactivation switch is turned to the ON

position.

qTo Ready The Passenger Air Bag

1. Insert the key into the switch.

2. Turn the key counterclockwise until the

key points to ON.

3. Remove the key.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

4. Make sure the air bag deactivation

indicator light goes off after 6 seconds

when the ignition switch is turned to

the ON position.

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

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Air Bag System Description

The supplemental restraint systems (SRS) have two basic subsystems:

The air bag system with inflators and air bags.

The electrical system with crash sensors and diagnostic module.

The air bags are mounted in the following locations: the center of the steering wheel, the

passenger-side of the dashboard. They are out of sight until activated.

The passenger air bag has a deactivation switch located on the center console (page 2-23).

Crash sensors and diagnostic

module (SAS unit)

Inflators and air bags

Crash sensor

qHow the 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 air bags and after the inflation, the air bags quickly

deflate.

The air bags will function only once. After that, the air bags will not work again and

must be replaced.

Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can replace the system components.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

qAir Bag Activation/Deactivation

Air bag activation

A greater than moderate impact will cause

the air bags to inflate in the following

cases:

Hitting a solid wall straight on at

greater than about 22 km/h (14 mph).

Hitting a curb, pavement edge or hard

object.

Landing hard or the vehicle falling.

Frontal impact within about a 30

degree range from head-on to the

vehicle.

Driving into a big hole or hitting the far

side of a hole.

Limitations to air bag activation

Depending on the severity of impact, the

air bags may not inflate in the following

cases:

Impacts involving trees or poles cause

severe cosmetic damage but may not

have enough impact to activate the air

bag.

Frontal offset impact to the vehicle

may not provide the stopping force

necessary for air bag deployment.

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

2-27

Rear-ending or running under a truck's

tail gate may not provide the stopp ing

force necessary for air bag deployment.

Non-activation of air bags

Air bags will not normally inflate in the

following cases:

Collision from the rear.

Impact to the side.

Vehicle roll-over.

qConstant Monitoring

The following components of the air bag

systems are monitored by a diagnostic

system:

SAS unit

Crash sensor

Air bag modules

Seat belt pretensioners

Related wiring

Passenger air bag deactivation switch

A diagnostic module continuously

monitors the systems' readiness. This

begins when the ignition switch is turned

to the ON position and continues while

the vehicle is being driven.

qAir Bag/Seat Belt Pretensioner

System Warning Light

If the air bag/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.

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Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

A system malfunction is indicated when

the warning light constantly flashes,

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.

WARNING

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.

qMaintenance

The air bag systems do not require regular

maintenance. But if any of the following

occurs, take your vehicle to an Authorized

Mazda Dealer as soon as possible:

The air bag system warning light

flashes.

The air bag system warning light

remains illuminated.

The air bag system warning light

remains off when the ignition switch is

turned to the ON position.

The air bags inflate.

WARNING

Damaged Air Bag Sensors:

Driving with damaged air bag sensors

is dangerous. A collision, even one not

strong enough to inflate the air bags,

could damage the sensors. If there was

a subsequent collision, a damaged

sensor would not inflate the air bags.

Always have an Authorized Mazda

Dealer inspect the air bag systems

after a collision.

Removing Interior Parts:

Removing any components such as the

front dashboard, the steering wheel or

parts containing air bag parts or

sensors is dangerous. These parts

contain essential air bag parts. The air

bag could accidentally activate and

cause serious injuries. Always have an

Authorized Mazda Dealer remove

these parts.

Air Bag Disposal:

Improper disposal of an air bag or a

vehicle with live air bags in it can be

extremely dangerous. Unl ess all safety

procedures are followed, injury can

result. Ask an Authorized Mazda

Dealer how to safely dispose of an air

bag or how to scrap an air bag

equipped vehicle.

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

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Essential Safety Equipment -> SRS Air Bags for Your Mazda Mx-5 SUV Second Generation (1998-2004)

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