Essential Safety Equipment; SRS Air Bags; How the Front Air Bags Work- Page 56

2-44

Essential Safety Equipment

SRS Air Bags

Form No. 8S18-EA-03I

▼

How the Front 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 front air bags and after the inflation, the front air bags 
quickly deflate.
The front air bags will function only once. After that, 

the front air bags will not work 

again and must be replaced.

Only an Authorized Mazda Dealer can replace the systems.

The front, dual stage air bags control air bag inflation in two energy stages. During an 
impact of moderate severity the front air bags deploy with lesser energy, whereas during 
more severe impacts, they deploy with more energy. Deployment of the front air bags may 
differ between the driver and the front passenger depending on the driver seat position, 
front passenger weight and front seat belt usage, which allow for further controlling of the 
system.

Driver seat slide position sensor

Your vehicle is equipped with a driver seat slide sensor as a part of the supplemental 
restraint system. The sensor is located under the driver seat. The sensor determines whether 
the driver seat is fore or aft of a reference position and sends the seat position to the crash 
sensors and diagnostic module (SAS unit). The sensor is also designed to control the 
deployment of the driver air bag depending on how close the driver seat is to the steering 
wheel.

The air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light flashes if the sensor has a 
possible malfunction (page 2-53).

How the Air Bags Work

The front air bags will deploy only
in a frontal or frontal offset impact.

J48C_8S18-EA-03I_Edition3.book  Page 44  Monday, February 9, 2004  8:41 PM

Black process 45.0

°

 240.0 LPI