SRS Air Bags

Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) Precautions

Front Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch

Do not deactivate the front passenger air bag unnecessarily:

Unnecessary deactivation of the front passenger air bag is dangerous. If turned off unnecessarily, the front passenger will not receive the added protection of the air bag. Serious injuries or even death could occur. With the exception of installing a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat, do not turn the air bag deactivation switch to the OFF position.

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The front passenger air bag deactivation switch should be used to deactivate the front passenger front and side air bags and also the front passenger seat belt pretensioner system if installing a child-restraint system on the front passenger seat.

When the ignition is switched ON, both front passenger air bag deactivation indicator lights illuminate regardless of the front passenger air bag deactivation switch position. The indicator light turns off after a specified period of time, then turns on/off depending on the conditions as indicated in the following table.

Front Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch	Front Passenger Seat/Side Air Bag, Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioner Operation Condition	Front Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Indicator Light
OFF position	Deactivate
ON position	Ready	Turns off after a short period of time.

Have the front passenger air bag deactivation switch inspected by an expert repairer (we recommend an Authorised Mazda Repairer) if any of these conditions occur:

The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not illuminate for a specified period of time when the ignition is switched ON.
The front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light does not turn off after a short period of time when the ignition is switched ON (front passenger air bag deactivation switch is in ON position).

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Supplementary Restraint System Components

Side crash sensors
Front air bag sensors
Driver/Front passenger inflators and air bags
Front passenger air bag deactivation switch (Search)
Side and curtain inflators and air bags
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light (Search)
Driver knee inflator and air bag
Air bag/seat belt pretensioner system warning indication/warning light (Search)
Roll-over sensor, crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Seat belt pretensioners (Search)
Driver seat slide position sensor (Search)

How the SRS Air Bags Work

Your Mazda is equipped with the following types of SRS air bags. SRS air bags are designed to work together with the seat belts to help to reduce injuries during an accident.

The SRS air bags are designed to provide further protection for passengers in addition to the seat belt functions. Be sure to wear seat belts properly.

Driver Air Bag

The driver's air bag is mounted in the steering wheel.

When air bag crash sensors detect a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, the driver's air bag inflates quickly helping to reduce injury mainly to the driver's head or chest caused by directly hitting the steering wheel.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

The inflation of the driver's dual-stage air bag is controlled in two energy stages depending on the driver's seat position. The driver's seat slide position sensor is located under the driver's seat. The sensor determines whether the driver's seat is forward of or behind a reference position and sends the seat position to the diagnostic module (SAS unit). The SAS unit is designed to control the deployment of the driver's air bag depending on how close the driver's seat is to the steering wheel.

During an impact of moderate severity, the driver's air bag deploys with lesser energy, whereas during more severe impacts and when the driver's seat is behind the reference position, it deploys with more energy.

Driver Knee Air Bag

The knee air bag is equipped under the instrument panel.

If the air bag crash sensors receive a frontal impact of greater than moderate force, the knee air bag deploys immediately to reduce impact to the driver's legs.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

Curtain Air Bags

The curtain air bags are mounted in the front and rear window pillars, and the roof edge along both sides.

When the air bag crash sensors detect a side impact of greater than moderate force, the curtain air bag inflates quickly and helps to reduce injury mainly to the driver and front and rear outboard passengers' heads caused by directly hitting interior parts such as a door or window.

For more details about air bag deployment, refer to "SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria" (Search).

In a side impact:

Greater than moderate impact to one side of the vehicle will cause the curtain air bag on that side only to inflate.

Only one side curtain air bag will deploy on the side of the vehicle that receives the force of an impact.

In a roll-over:

In response to a vehicle roll-over, both curtain air bags inflate.

Both curtain air bags will deploy after the roll-over accident is detected.

SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria

This chart indicates the applicable SRS equipment that will deploy depending on the type of collision.

(The illustrations are the representative cases of collisions.)

SRS equipment	Types of collision
SRS equipment	A severe frontal/near frontal collision	A severe side collision	A roll-over/near roll-over^*2	A rear collision



Front seat belt pretensioner	X^*1	X^*1	X^*1	No air bag and seat belt pretensioner will be activated in a rear collision.
Rear seat belt pretensioner (Some Models)	X	X	X
Driver air bag	X	―	―
Front passenger air bag	X^*1	―	―
Knee air bag	X	―	―
Side air bag	―	X^*1 (impact side only)	―
Curtain air bag	―	X (impact side only)	X (both sides)

X: The SRS air bag equipment deploys in a collision.

―:The SRS air bag equipment does not deploy in a collision.

(With Front Passenger Air Bag Deactivation Switch)

The front passenger front and side air bags and seat belt pretensioner are designed to deploy depending on the status of the front passenger air bag deactivation switch.
In a roll-over accident, the seat belt pretensioners and the curtain air bags deploy.

In a frontal offset collision, the equipped air bags and pretensioners may all deploy depending on the direction, angle, and rate of impact.

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Limitations to SRS Air Bag

Constant Monitoring

The following components of the air bag systems are monitored by a diagnostic system:

Front air bag sensors
Crash sensors, and diagnostic module (SAS unit)
Side crash sensors
Air bag modules
Seat belt pretensioners
Air bag/Seat belt pretensioner system warning light
Related wiring

Driver seat slide position sensor

Front passenger air bag deactivation switch
Front passenger air bag deactivation indicator light

The diagnostic module continuously monitors the system's readiness. This begins when the ignition is switched ON and continues while the vehicle is being driven.