Mazda 6 Owners Manual: 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:

When a collision is detected, the pretensioners deploy simultaneously with the air bags.

For deployment details, refer to the SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria.

The front seat belt retractors remove slack quickly as the air bags are expanding.

Any time the air bags and seat belt pretensioners have fired they must be replaced.

A system malfunction or operation conditions are indicated by a warning.

Refer to Warning/Indicator Lights. Refer to Air Bag/Front Seat Belt Pretensioner System Warning Beep.

(With Front Passenger Occupant Classification System)

In addition, the pretensioner system for the front passenger, like the front and side passenger air bag, is designed to only deploy when the front passenger occupant classification sensor detects a passenger sitting on the front passenger's seat.

For details, refer to the front passenger occupant classification sensor.

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.

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"

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

Always have an Authorized Mazda Dealer immediately inspect the seat belt pretensioners and air bags after any collision. Like the air bags, the 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 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 nondeactivated pretensioners is dangerous. Unless all safety procedures are followed, injury could result. Have an Authorized Mazda Dealer safely dispose of the pretensioner system or scrap a pretensioner system equipped vehicle.

NOTE

• The pretensioner system may not operate depending on the type of the collision. For details, refer to the SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria.
• 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.