Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 (2013 year). Instruction - part 2

Head Restraints

Your vehicle is equipped with head
restraints on all outboard seats. The head
restraints are intended to help protect you
and the passengers from neck injury.

WARNING

Always drive with the head restraints
installed when seats are being used
and make sure they are properly
adjusted:

Driving with the head restraints
adjusted too low or removed is
dangerous. With no support behind
your head, your neck could be
seriously injured in a collision.

qNormal Head Restraints

Height adjustment

To raise a head restraint, pull it up to the
desired position.
To lower the head restraint, press the stop-
catch release, then push the head restraint
down.
Adjust the head restraint so that the center
is even with the top of the passenger's
ears.

Front outboard seat

Rear outboard seat

Removal/Installation

To remove the head restraint, pull it up
while pressing the stop-catch.
To install the head restraint, insert the legs
into the holes while pressing the stop-
catch.

WARNING

Always drive with the head restraints
set up when seats are being used and
make sure they are properly set up:

Driving with the head restraints not
set up is dangerous. With no support
behind your head, your neck could be
seriously injured in a collision.

2-10

Seats

Active Head Restraints

The front seats are equipped with active
head restraints.
In a rear-end collision, the active head
restraints use the force applied by the
occupant on the seatback to
instantaneously move the head restraints
in the forward direction, reducing
excessive rearward tilting of the head and
reducing the load on the neck. The active
head restraints are also highly effective at
reducing whip-lash injuries which
commonly occur in rear-end collisions at
low to mid-range vehicle speeds.

WARNING

Ø Always adjust the head restraints

properly as specified in this
section. Failure to do so can
reduce the effectiveness of the
active head restraint.

Ø Do not attach any accessories such

as a TV screen to a front seatback
and/or a front head restraint. Also
do not place heavy items or thick
items, or both in the seatback
pocket. Doing so could reduce the
effectiveness of the active head
restraint in a rear-end collision.

NOTE

The active head restraints operate in a
rear-end collision. The head restraints
return to their original position after the
collision.

The method for adjusting the active head
restraints is the same as non-active head
restraint.

qFoldable Head Restraints

The rear seats are equipped with foldable
head restraints.

NOTE

The foldable head restraints cannot be
adjusted or removed.

To fold the head restraint, pull the strap
and fold the head restraint downward. To
return the head restraint to its upright
position, lift it upward.

WARNING

Always drive with the head restraints in
their upright positions when the rear
seats are occupied, and make sure they
are securely locked in place:

Driving with the head restraints
folded down is dangerous. With no
support behind your head, your neck
could be seriously injured in a
collision.

Seats

2-11

Some models.

Seat Warmer

The driver and front passenger seats can
be warmed by rotating the applicable seat
warmer dial while the ignition is switched
ON.
The seat temperature increases as the
number on the dial increases. When the
seat warmers are not in use, rotate the seat
warmer dials to 0.

WARNING

Ø Be careful when using the seat

warmer. The heat from the seat
warmer may be too hot for some
people, as indicated below, and
could cause a low-temperature
burn.

Infants, small babies, elderly
people, and physically
challenged people

People with delicate skin

People who are excessively
fatigued

People who are intoxicated

People who have taken sleep-
inducing medicine such as
sleeping pills or cold medicine

Ø Do not use the seat warmer with

anything having high moisture-
retention ability such as a blanket
or cushion on the seat. The seat
may be heated excessively and
cause a low-temperature burn.

Ø Do not use the seat warmer even

when taking a short nap in the
vehicle. The seat may be heated
excessively and cause a low-
temperature burn.

Ø Do not place heavy objects with

sharp projections on the seat, or
insert needles or pins into it. This
could cause the seat to become
excessively heated and result in
injury from a minor burn.

CAUTION

Do not use organic solvents to clean
the seat. It may damage the seat
surface and the heater.

2-12

Some models.

Seats

NOTE

Use the seat warmer when the engine is
running, and do not continue to use it for a
long period of time.

Seats

2-13

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.

2-14

Seat Belt Systems

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. So, if your seat belt is twisted, you must
straighten the seat belt to remove any twists and to allow the full width of the belt to
be used.

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.

Have your seat belts changed immediately if the pretensioner or load limiter has
been expended:

Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately inspect the front seat belt
pretensioners and air bags after any collision. Like the air bags, the front seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters will only function once and must be replaced after
any collision that caused them to deploy. A seat belt with an expended pretensioner
or load limiter is still better than wearing no seat belt at all; however, if the front
seat belt pretensioners and load limiters are not replaced, the risk of injury in a
collision will increase.

Seat Belt Systems

2-15

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 8-73).

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 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.
If the belt is locked and cannot be pulled out, retract the belt once, and then try pulling it
out slowly. If this fails, pull the belt strongly one time and loosen, then pull it out again
slowly.

2-16

Seat Belt Systems

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 2-26).

Seat Belt Systems

2-17

Seat Belt

qFastening the Seat Belt

1. Grasp the seat belt tongue.

2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.

Seat belt
tongue

Lap/shoulder
belt

3. Insert the seat belt tongue into the seat

belt buckle until you hear a click
sound.

Seat belt
buckle

Seat belt tongue

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.

Keep low on
hip bone

Too high

Take up slack

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.

2-18

Seat Belt Systems

qUnfastening the Seat Belt

Depress the button on the seat belt 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.

qFront Shoulder 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 adjuster and slide it
down. Make sure the adjuster is locked.

To raise

To lower

WARNING

Positioning the Shoulder Portion of the
Seat Belt:

Seat Belt Systems

2-19

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. Any time the air bags
and front seat belt pretensioners have
deployed they must be replaced.
(With Front Passenger Occupant
Classification System)
During a side collision, the side air bag,
curtain air bag, and pretensioner system
operate simultaneously on the side in
which the collision occurs.
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the front passenger, like the front and side
passenger air bag, is designed to only
deploy in accordance with the total seated
weight on the front passenger seat.
For details, refer to the front passenger
seat weight sensors (page 2-57).

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
deployed, the load limiting function must
be checked by an Authorized Mazda
Dealer after any collision.

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 2-18).

2-20

Seat Belt Systems

Have your seat belts changed
immediately if the pretensioner or load
limiter has been expended:

Always have an Authorized Mazda
Dealer immediately inspect the front
seat belt pretensioners and air bags
after any collision. Like the air bags,
the front seat belt pretensioners and
load limiters will only function once
and must be replaced after any
collision that caused them to deploy.
A seat belt with an expended
pretensioner or load limiter is still
better than wearing no seat belt at
all; however, if the front seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters are
not replaced, the risk of injury in a
collision will increase.

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.

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

The pretensioner system will activate in a
moderate or greater frontal or near-frontal
collision. It will not activate in most
rollovers, side or rear impacts.
(With Front Passenger Occupant
Classification System)
The pretensioner system will activate in a
severe side collision.
In addition, the pretensioner system for the
front passenger is designed to only deploy
in accordance with the total seated weight
on the front passenger seat.

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 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 is
switched ON or after the engine is
cranked. The warning light turns off after
a specified period of time.

Seat Belt Systems

2-21

A system malfunction is indicated if the
warning light constantly flashes,
constantly illuminates or does not
illuminate at all when the ignition is
switched ON. If any of these occur,
consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer as
soon as possible. The system may not
operate 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.

qAir Bag/Front Seat Belt

Pretensioner System Warning Beep

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.

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

Do not drive the vehicle with the air
bag/front seat belt pretensioner system
warning beep sounding:

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.
Contact an Authorized Mazda Dealer
to have the vehicle inspected as soon
as possible.

2-22

Seat Belt Systems

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. If you sell your Mazda, do
not leave your seat belt extender in
the vehicle. It could be used
accidentally by the new owner of the
vehicle. After removing the seat belt
extender, discard it. Never use the
seat belt extender in any other
vehicle you may own in the future.

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 15 cm (6 in).

Seat Belt Systems

2-23

Do not leave a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle:

Leaving a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle without
using the seat belt is dangerous.
When the seat belt extender is
connected to the driver's seat belt
buckle (or front passenger) seat, the
SRS driver's (or front passenger's) air
bag system will determine that the
driver (or front passenger) is wearing
the seat belt even if the driver (or
front passenger) is not wearing it.
This condition could cause the
driver's (or front passenger's) air bag
to not activate correctly and result in
death or serious injury in the event of
collision. Always wear the seat belt
with the seat belt extender.

Do not use the seat belt extender when
installing a child-restraint system on
the front or rear passenger seat:

Using a seat belt extender to fasten a
child-restraint system on any seat is
dangerous. Always follow the child-
restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions and never
use a seat belt extender.

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

With warning light for front
passenger's seat

The seat belt warning light illuminates if
the driver or front passenger's seat is
occupied and the seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition switched ON.

Without warning light for front
passenger's seat

The seat belt warning light illuminates if
the driver's seat belt is not fastened when
the ignition switched ON.

2-24

Seat Belt Systems

Seat Belt Reminder

NOTE

Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer to
deactivate or restore the belt reminder. Though
the belt reminder can be deactivated, doing so
will defeat the purpose of the system to warn
the driver and the front passenger in the event
that their seat belts are not fastened. For the
safety of the driver and front passenger, Mazda
recommends not deactivating the belt
reminder.

If the vehicle is driven with the driver or
front passenger's seat belt unfastened, the
seat belt warning light illuminates and a
warning chime sounds.

NOTE

Some models do not have the seat belt
reminder function for the front passenger's
seat.

If the driver or front passenger's seat belt
is unfastened (only when the front
passenger seat is occupied) and the
vehicle is driven at a speed faster than
about 20 km/h (12 mph), the warning
light will flash and a beep sound will be
heard. After a short time, the warning
light stops flashing, but remains
illuminated, and the beep sound stops.

Until a seat belt is fastened or a given
period of time has elapsed, the beep sound
will not stop even if the vehicle speed
falls below 20 km/h (12 mph).

NOTE

The warning light flashes and a beep sound
will be heard for about 6 seconds if the
driver's seat belt is not fastened when the
ignition is switched ON.

If a driver or front passenger's seat belt is
unfastened after the beep sound turns off
(warning light remains illuminated), and
the vehicle speed exceeds 20 km/h (12
mph), the warning light flashes and beep
sound activates again.

Placing items on the front passenger seat
may cause the front passenger seat belt
warning function to operate depending on
the weight of the item.

To allow the front passenger seat weight
sensor to function properly, do not place
and sit on an additional seat cushion on the
front passenger seat. The sensor may not
function properly because the additional
seat cushion could cause sensor
interference.

When a small child sits on the front
passenger seat, it is possible that the
warning light will not operate.

Seat Belt Systems

2-25

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