Mazda RX-8 (2011 year). Instruction

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Rear Seat

WARNING

Make sure luggage and cargo are
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.

Non-Adjustable Head
Restraints

Your vehicle is equipped with non-
adjustable head restraints on the driver's
and front passenger's seatbacks. The non-
adjustable head restraints consist of a
trimmed foam covering over the upper
structure of the seatbacks and are intended
to help protect you and the front
passenger from neck injury. Adjust the
seatbacks to their upright, on-road
positions so that the head restraint is
positioned as close as possible to the back
of your head.

WARNING

Make sure the seatbacks are properly
adjusted to their upright, on-road
positions before the vehicle is driven:

Driving with the seatbacks not
adjusted properly is dangerous. With
no support behind your head, your
neck could be seriously injured in a
collision.

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Seats

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Seat Warmer

The front seats are electrically heated. The
ignition must be switched ON.

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.

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.

Seats

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Some models.

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NOTE

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

The temperature of the seat warmer cannot
be adjusted because the seat warmer is
controlled by a thermostat.

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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. 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.

Seat Belt Systems

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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.

Make sure the seat belt is not caught or pinched in the door:

Wearing a seat belt that is caught or pinched in the door is dangerous. The seat belt
could become loose and not provide adequate protection in a sudden stop or
collision.

Make sure nothing is placed on the seat belt slide bar:

Placing your foot or other objects such as an umbrella on the seat belt slide bar is
dangerous. The front seat belt is built into the rear door, and the lower part of the
seat belt slides forward or backward along the seat belt slide bar as the rear door
opens or closes. If the seat belt slider is blocked, the seat belt could be improperly
positioned and would provide little or no protection in a collision.

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 8-49).

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Seat Belt Systems

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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.

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

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Location of Seat Belt

For rear seat

For front seat

WARNING

Do not use a front seat belt while seated in a rear seat:

Using a front seat belt, which is stored in the rear door, is dangerous as the seat belt
cannot function at its full capacity during sudden braking or in a collision, which
could result in serious, injury or death. In addition, using the seat belt in this manner
could damage the rear seat belt buckle.

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Seat Belt Systems

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Seat Belt

qFastening the Seat Belt

1. Grasp the seat belt tongue.

2. Slowly pull out the lap/shoulder belt.

Lap/shoulder belt

Seat belt tongue

3. Insert the seat belt tongue into the seat

belt buckle until you hear a click
sound.

Seat belt tongue

Seat belt buckle

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.

Too high

Take up slack

Keep low on
hip bone

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.

Seat Belt Systems

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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.

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 fired
they must be replaced.
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the front passenger, like the front
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 2-46).

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

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Seat Belt Systems

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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 2-19).

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.
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.

Seat Belt Systems

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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.

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
work 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.

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.

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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).

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 Systems

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Seat Belt Warning Light/Beep

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 is switched ON.

Conditions of operation

Condition

Result

The driver's seat belt is not
fastened when the ignition is
switched ON.

The warning light
flashes 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
fastened before the ignition
is switched ON.

The warning light will
not illuminate and the
beep sound will not be
heard.

qBelt 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.

Driver seated/Front passenger not
seated

The belt reminder is a supplemental
warning to the seat belt warning function.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened
when the ignition is switched ON, the
warning light/beep operates to give you
further reminders according to the chart
below.

Condition

Vehicle speed

Between 0

― 20

km/h

― 12 mph)

20 km/h

(12 mph) or

Seat belt

Indicator

Beep

: Fastened
: Unfastened
: Illuminated

: Flashing

: Beep

Once the beep sound is heard, it continues
sounding even if the vehicle speed lowers
to 20 km/h (12 mph) or less until the
seatbelt is fastened or the beep sound
period has passed.

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Seat Belt Systems

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Driver seated/Front passenger seated

The seat belt warning function reminds
the front passenger to fasten the seat belt
according to the chart below.

Condition

Vehicle speed

Between 0

― 20

km/h

― 12 mph)

20 km/h

(12 mph) or

Seat belt
(Driver)

Seat belt
(Passenger)

Indicator

Beep

: Fastened
: Unfastened
: Illuminated

: Flashing

: Beep

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

Once the beep sound is heard, it continues
sounding even if the vehicle speed lowers
to 20 km/h (12 mph) or less until the
seatbelt is fastened or the beep sound
period has passed.

NOTE

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 neither
the warning light nor the warning beep
operate.

Seat Belt Systems

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Child Restraint Precautions

Mazda strongly urges the use of child-restraint systems for children small enough to use
them.

You are required by law to use a child-restraint system for children in the U.S. and Canada.
Check your local and state or provincial laws for specific requirements regarding the safety
of children riding in your vehicle.

Whatever child-restraint system you consider, please pick the appropriate one for the age
and size of the child, obey the law and follow the instructions that come with the individual
child-restraint system.

A child who has outgrown child-restraint systems should sit in the rear and use seat belts,
both lap and shoulder. If the shoulder belt crosses the neck or face, move the child closer to
the center of the vehicle.

Statistics confirm that the rear seat is the best place for all children up to 12 years of age,
and more so with a supplemental restraint system (air bags).

A rear-facing child-restraint system should NEVER be used on the front seat with the air
bag system activated. The front passenger's seat is also the least preferred seat for other
child-restraint systems.

To reduce the chance of injuries caused by deployment of the front passenger air bag, the
front passenger seat weight sensors work as a part of the supplemental restraint system.
This system deactivates the front passenger front and side air bags and also the front
passenger seat belt pretensioner system when the front passenger air bag deactivation
indicator light illuminates.

When an infant or small child sits on the front passenger seat, the 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.

Even if the front passenger air bag is shut off, Mazda strongly recommends that children be
properly restrained and child-restraint systems of all kinds are properly secured on the rear
seats which are the best place for children.

For more details, refer to

“Front passenger seat weight sensors” (page 2-46).

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Child Restraint

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WARNING

Use the correct size child-restraint system:

For effective protection in vehicle accidents and sudden stops, a child must be
properly restrained using a seat belt or child-restraint system depending on age and
size. If not, the child could be seriously injured or even killed in an accident.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions and always keep the child-restraint system
buckled down:

An unsecured child-restraint system is dangerous. In a sudden stop or a collision it
could move causing serious injury or death to the child or other occupants. Make
sure any child-restraint system is properly secured in place according to the child-
restraint system manufacturer's instructions. When not in use, remove it from the
vehicle or fasten it with a seat belt, or latch it down to BOTH LATCH lower anchors
for LATCH child-restraint systems and the corresponding tether anchor.

Always secure a child in a proper child-restraint system:

Holding a child in your arms while the vehicle is moving is extremely dangerous. No
matter how strong the person may be, he or she cannot hold onto a child in a
sudden stop or collision and it could result in serious injury or death to the child or
other occupants. Even in a moderate accident, the child may be exposed to air bag
forces that could result in serious injury or death to the child, or the child may be
slammed into an adult, causing injury to both child and adult.

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.

Child Restraint

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Mazda RX-8 (2011 year). Instruction - part 2