Mazda B2300 Truck (2009 year). Instruction

Installing child safety seats with combination lap and shoulder
belts (front outboard passenger seat only)

Check to make sure the child seat is properly secured before each use.
Children 12 and under should be properly restrained in a rear seating
position whenever possible. If all children cannot be seated and
restrained properly in a rear seating position, properly restrain the
largest child in the front seat.

When installing a child safety seat with combination lap/shoulder belts:

• Use the correct seat belt buckle for that seating position.
• Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle until you hear a snap

and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue is securely fastened in the
buckle.

• Keep the buckle release button pointing up and away from the safety

seat, with the tongue between the child seat and the release button,
to prevent accidental unbuckling.

• Place vehicle seat back in upright position.
• Put the seat belt in the automatic locking mode. Refer to step 5 below.
Perform the following steps when installing the child seat with
combination lap/shoulder belts:

Note:

Although the child seat illustrated is a forward facing child seat,

the steps are the same for installing a rear facing child seat.

1. Position the child safety seat in

a seat with a combination lap
and shoulder belt.

WARNING:

Rear facing child seats should NEVER be placed in

front of an active airbag.

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2. Pull down on the shoulder belt

and then grasp the shoulder
belt and lap belt together.

3. While holding the shoulder and

lap belt portions together, route
the tongue through the child
seat according to the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions. Be
sure the belt webbing is not
twisted.

4. Insert the belt tongue into the

proper buckle (the buckle
closest to the direction the
tongue is coming from) for that
seating position until you hear
and feel the latch engage. Make
sure the tongue is latched
securely by pulling on it.

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5. To put the retractor in the

automatic locking mode, grasp
the shoulder portion of the belt
and pull downward until all of
the belt is extracted and a click
is heard.

6. Allow the belt to retract. The belt will click as it retracts to indicate

it is in the automatic locking mode.

7. Try to pull the belt out of the retractor to make sure the retractor is

in the automatic locking mode (you should not be able to pull more
belt out). If the retractor is not locked, unbuckle the belt and repeat
Steps 5 and 6.

8. Remove remaining slack from

the belt. Force the seat down
with extra weight, e.g., by
pressing down or kneeling on
the child restraint while pulling
up on the shoulder belt in order
to force slack from the belt.
This is necessary to remove the
remaining slack that will exist
once the additional weight of
the child is added to the child
restraint. It also helps to achieve the proper snugness of the child
seat to the vehicle. Sometimes, a slight lean towards the buckle will
additionally help to remove remaining slack from the belt

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9. Attach the tether strap (if the child seat is equipped). Refer to

Attaching child safety seats with tether straps later in this chapter.

10. Before placing the child in the

seat, forcibly move the seat
forward and back to make sure
the seat is securely held in
place. To check this, grab the
seat at the belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and forward. There should be
no more than one inch (2.5 cm)
of movement for proper
installation.

11. Mazda recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child

Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to make certain the child
restraint is properly installed.

Installing child safety seats in the lap belt seating positions

1. Lengthen the lap belt. To lengthen the belt, hold the tongue so that

its bottom is perpendicular to the direction of webbing while sliding
the tongue up the webbing.

2. Place the child safety seat in the center seating position.

3. Route the tongue and webbing through the child seat according to

the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Insert the belt tongue into the proper buckle for the center seating

position until you hear a snap and feel it latch. Make sure the tongue
is securely fastened to the buckle by pulling on the tongue.

5. Push down on the child seat while pulling on the loose end of the

lap belt webbing to tighten the belt.

6. Before placing the child into the child seat, forcibly tilt the child seat

from side to side and in forward direction to make sure that the seat
is securely held in place. To check this, grab the seat at the belt path
and attempt to move it side to side and forward and back. There
should be no more than one inch (2.5 cm) of movement for proper
installation.

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7. Mazda recommends checking with a NHTSA Certified Child

Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to make certain the child
restraint is properly installed.

Attaching child safety seats with LATCH
(Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) attachments

The LATCH system is composed of three vehicle anchor points: two (2)
lower anchors located where the vehicle seat back and seat cushion meet
(called the “seat bight”) and one (1) top tether anchor located behind
that seating position. Your vehicle is not equipped with the lower anchor
points in the seat bight. For this vehicle use the vehicle seat belt and
upper tether to secure a child seat. See Attaching child safety seats
with tether straps and Recommendations for attaching safety
restraints for children in this chapter for more information.

Attaching child safety seats with tether straps

Many forward-facing child safety seats include a tether strap which
extends from the back of the child safety seat and hooks to an anchoring
point called the top tether anchor. Tether straps are available as an
accessory for many older safety seats. Contact the manufacturer of your
child seat for information about ordering a tether strap, or to obtain a
longer tether strap if the tether strap on your safety seat does not reach
the appropriate top tether anchor in the vehicle.

The tether anchors in your vehicle are located on the back of the front
seat cushion.

The tether strap anchors in your vehicle are in the following positions
(shown from top view):
• Bucket seats

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• 60/40 seats

Attach the tether strap only to the appropriate tether anchor as shown.
The tether strap may not work properly if attached somewhere other
than the correct tether anchor.

Once the child safety seat has been installed using the seat belt, you can
attach the top tether strap.

Perform the following steps to install a child safety seat with tether
anchors:

1. Route the child safety seat tether strap over the back of the seat.

2. Locate the correct anchor for the selected seating position.

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Center seating location

When installing a child safety seat in the front center position, route the
tether strap over the center arm rest and clip it to the center anchor.

If the tether strap is clipped incorrectly, the child safety seat may not be
retained properly in the event of a collision.

4. Tighten the child safety seat tether strap according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.

If the safety seat is not anchored properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision greatly increases.

Child booster seats

The belt-positioning booster (booster seat) is used to improve the fit of
the vehicle seat belt. Children outgrow a typical child seat (e.g,
convertible or toddler seat) when they weigh about 40 lb (18 kg) and are
around four (4) years of age. Consult your child safety seat owner
manual for the weight, height, and age limits specific to your child safety
seat. Keep your child in the child safety seat if it properly fits the child,
remains appropriate for their weight, height and age AND if properly
secured to the vehicle.

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Although the lap/shoulder belt will provide some protection, children
who have outgrown a typical child seat are still too small for lap/shoulder
belts to fit properly, and wearing an improperly fitted vehicle seat belt
could increase the risk of serious injury in a crash. To improve the fit of
both the lap and shoulder belt on children who have outgrown child
safety seats, Mazda Motor Corporation recommends use of a
belt-positioning booster.

Booster seats position a child so that vehicle lap/shoulder seat belts fit
better. They lift the child up so that the lap belt rests low across the hips
and the knees bend comfortably at the edge of the cushion, while
minimizing slouching. Booster seats may also make the shoulder belt fit
better and more comfortably. Try to keep the belt near the middle of the
shoulder and across the center of the chest. Moving the child closer (a
few centimeters or inches) to the center of the vehicle, but remaining in
the same seating position, may help provide a good shoulder belt fit.

When children should use booster seats

Children need to use booster seats from the time they outgrow the
toddler seat until they are big enough for the vehicle seat and
lap/shoulder belt to fit properly. Generally this is when they reach a
height of at least 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 meters) tall (around age eight to
age twelve and between 40 lb (18 kg) and 80 lb (36 kg) or upward to
100 lb (45 kg) if recommended by your child restraint manufacturer).
Many state and provincial laws require that children use approved
booster seats until they reach age eight, a height of 4 feet 9 inches
(1.45 meters) tall, or 80 lb (36 kg).

Booster seats should be used until you can answer YES to ALL of these
questions when seated without a booster seat:
• Can the child sit all the way back

against the vehicle seat back with
knees bent comfortably at the
edge of the seat cushion?

• Can the child sit without

slouching?

• Does the lap belt rest low across the hips?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
• Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

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Types of booster seats

There are generally two types of belt-positioning booster seats: backless
and high back. Always use booster seats in conjunction with the vehicle
lap/shoulder belt.
• Backless booster seats

If your backless booster seat has a
removable shield, remove the
shield. If a vehicle seating position
has a low seat back or no head
restraint, a backless booster seat
may place your child’s head (as
measured at the tops of the ears)
above the top of the seat. In this
case, move the backless booster
to another seating position with a
higher seat back or head restraint and lap/shoulder belts, or consider
using a high back booster seat.

• High back booster seats

If, with a backless booster seat,
you cannot find a seating position
that adequately supports your
child’s head, a high back booster
seat would be a better choice.

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Children and booster seats vary in size and shape. Choose a booster that
keeps the lap belt low and snug across the hips, never up across the
stomach, and lets you adjust the shoulder belt to cross the chest and
rest snugly near the center of the shoulder. The drawings below compare
the ideal fit (center) to a shoulder belt uncomfortably close to the neck
and a shoulder belt that could slip off the shoulder. The drawings below
also show how the lap belt should be low and snug across the child’s
hips.

If the booster seat slides on the vehicle seat, placing a rubberized mesh
sold as shelf or carpet liner under the booster seat may improve this
condition. Do not introduce any item thicker than this under the booster
seat. Check with the booster seat manufacturer’s instructions.

The importance of shoulder belts

Using a booster without a shoulder belt increases the risk of a child’s
head hitting a hard surface in a collision. For this reason, you should
never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. It is generally best to use a
booster seat with lap/shoulder belts in the back seat.

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Move a child to a different seating location if the shoulder belt does not
stay positioned on the shoulder during use.

Follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer of the booster seat.

WARNING:

Never place, or allow a child to place, the shoulder

belt under a child’s arm or behind the back because it reduces

the protection for the upper part of the body and may increase the risk
of injury or death in a collision.

Child restraint and seat belt maintenance

Inspect the seat belt systems periodically to make sure they work
properly and are not damaged.

NOTE:

If unsure about the proper procedures, bring your vehicle to an

authorized Mazda dealership for inspection. Inspect the seat belts to
make sure there are no nicks, tears or cuts, replacing if necessary. Check
the automatic locking retractor on the passenger outboard seating
position. All seat belt assemblies, including retractors, buckles, front seat
belt buckle assemblies, buckle support assemblies (slide bar-if equipped),
shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped), shoulder belt guide on
seatback (if equipped), child safety seat tether bracket assemblies (if
equipped), and attaching hardware, should be inspected after a collision.
Mazda recommends that all seat belt assemblies used in vehicles involved
in a collision be replaced. However, if the collision was minor and an
authorized Mazda technician finds that the belts do not show damage
and continue to operate properly, they do not need to be replaced. Seat
belt assemblies not in use during a collision should also be inspected and
replaced if either damage or improper operation is noted.

The energy absorbing functions may have been activated in a collision so
the restraints should be examined; if the front airbags have deployed, the
pretensioners have also deployed and must be replaced — regardless of
whether there was an occupant in the passenger seat or not.

WARNING:

Failure to inspect and if necessary replace the seat

belt assembly under the above conditions could result in severe

personal injuries in the event of a collision.

Refer to Interior in the Cleaning chapter.

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NOTICE TO UTILITY VEHICLE AND TRUCK OWNERS

Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in
the various driving conditions that
are encountered on streets,
highways and off-road. Utility
vehicles and trucks are not designed
for cornering at speeds as high as
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions.

WARNING:

Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover

rate than other types of vehicles. To reduce the risk of serious

injury or death from a rollover or other crash you must:
• Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers;
• Drive at safe speeds for the conditions;
• Keep tires properly inflated;
• Never overload or improperly load your vehicle; and
• Make sure every passenger is properly restrained.

WARNING:

In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is

significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt.

All occupants must wear seat belts and children/infants must use
appropriate restraints to minimize the risk of injury or ejection.

Study your Owner’s Manual and any supplements for specific
information about equipment features, instructions for safe driving and
additional precautions to reduce the risk of an accident or serious injury.

VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS

4WD and AWD Systems (if equipped)

A vehicle equipped with AWD or 4WD (when selected) has the ability to
use all four wheels to power itself. This increases traction which may
enable you to safely drive over terrain and road conditions that a
conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.

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Power is supplied to all four wheels through a transfer case or power
transfer unit. 4WD vehicles allow you to select different drive modes as
necessary. Information on transfer case operation and shifting procedures
can be found in the Driving chapter. Information on transfer case
maintenance can be found in the Maintenance and Specifications
chapter. You should become thoroughly familiar with this information
before you operate your vehicle.

On some 4WD models, the initial shift from two-wheel drive to 4WD
while the vehicle is moving can cause a momentary clunk and ratcheting
sound. These sounds are normal as the front drivetrain comes up to
speed and is not cause for concern.

WARNING:

Do not become overconfident in the ability of 4WD

and AWD vehicles. Although a 4WD or AWD vehicle may

accelerate better than two-wheel drive vehicle in low traction
situations, it won’t stop any faster than two-wheel drive vehicles.
Always drive at a safe speed.

How your vehicle differs from other vehicles

SUV and trucks can differ from
some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may
be:
• Higher – to allow higher load

carrying capacity and to allow it
to travel over rough terrain
without getting hung up or
damaging underbody components.

• Shorter – to give it the capability

to approach inclines and drive
over the crest of a hill without
getting hung up or damaging
underbody components. All other
things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs than a vehicle with a longer
wheelbase.

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• Narrower — to provide greater

maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use.

As a result of the above dimensional
differences, SUV’s and trucks often
will have a higher center of gravity
and a greater difference in center of
gravity between the loaded and
unloaded condition.

These differences that make your
vehicle so versatile also make it
handle differently than an ordinary
passenger car.

INFORMATION ABOUT UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING

Tire Quality Grades apply to new
pneumatic passenger car tires. The
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall
between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For
example:
• Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
These Tire Quality Grades are determined by standards that the United
States Department of Transportation has set.

Tire Quality Grades apply to new pneumatic passenger car tires. They do
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires, space-saver or
temporary use spare tires, light truck or “LT” type tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches or limited production tires as
defined in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 575.104(c)(2).

U.S. Department of Transportation-Tire quality grades:

The U.S.

Department of Transportation requires Mazda to give you the following
information about tire grades exactly as the government has written it.

Treadwear

The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified

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government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1

⁄

) times as well on the government course as a tire

graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices, and
differences in road characteristics and climate.

Traction AA A B C

The traction grades, from highest to lowest are AA, A, B, and C. The
grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.

NOTE:

The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on

straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.

Temperature A B C

The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 139. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by
law.

WARNING:

The temperature grade for this tire is established

for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive

speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.

TIRES

Tires are designed to give many thousands of miles of service, but they
must be maintained in order to get the maximum benefit from them.

Glossary of tire terminology
• Tire label: A label showing the OE (Original Equipment) tire sizes,

recommended inflation pressure and the maximum weight the vehicle
can carry.

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Mazda B2300 Truck (2009 year). Instruction - part 7