Mazda Protege (2003 year). Manual

1-2

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Dashboard Overview

Ashtray

Tilt wheel release lever

Climate control system

Lighter

Glove box

Audio system

Passenger-side air bag

Hazard warning flasher switch

Fog light switch

Power window switches

Power window lock switch

Light control / Turn signals

Instrument cluster

Wiper and washer lever

Driver-side air bag

Cruise control switches

Ignition switch

Center console

Hood release handle

Cup holder

Shift lever

Parking brake handle

Rear window defroster switch

(page 5-38)

(page 2-36)

(page 5-23)

(page 5-36)

(page 5-37)

(page 3-18)

(page 3-23)

(page 5-2)

(page 5-19)

(page 6-38)

(page 5-41)

(page 6-11)

(page 2-36)

(page 6-39)

(page 6-37)

(page 5-40)

(page 6-2)

(page 3-14)

(page 3-16)

(page 5-5)

(page 5-8)

(page 6-38)

1-3

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Interior Overview

Vanity mirror

Rearview mirror

Seat belts

Interior light

Sunvisors

Front seats

Side air bags

Rear seat

(page 6-35)

(page 2-11)

(page 2-5)

(page 2-36)

(page 2-2)

(page 6-35)

(page 3-24)

(page 6-35)

1-4

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Exterior Overview

Door and keys

Outside mirrors

Side-marker lights

Headlights

Fuel-filler lid

Child safety lock

Tires

Reverse lights

Windshield wiper blades

Washer fluid

Hood

Front turn signal lights /
Parking lights

Fog lights

Rear turn signal lights

Brake lights / Taillights

Power windows

Antenna

Rear window defroster

Trunk lid

High-mount brake light

License plate
lights

Sunroof

Side-turn signal lights

(page 5-40)

(page 8-36)

(page 3-11)

(page 8-36)

(page 8-20)

(page 8-18)

(page 3-18)

(page 8-34)

(page 3-8)

(page 8-24)

(page 8-36)

(page 3-19)

(page 3-14)

(page 3-2)

(page 3-23)

(page 8-34)

(page 8-31)

(page 3-16)

(page 8-36)

(page 6-10)

(page 8-36)

(page 8-34)

1-5

Your Vehicle at a Glance

Exterior Overview

Door and keys

Outside mirrors

Side-marker lights

Headlights

Fuel-filler lid

Child safety lock

Tires

Reverse lights

Windshield wiper blades

Rear windshield
wiper blade

Liftgate

Washer fluid

Hood

Front turn signal lights/
Parking lights

Fog lights

Rear turn signal lights

Brake lights / Taillights

Power windows

Antenna

Rear window defroster

License plate
lights

Sunroof

Side-turn signal lights

(page 5-40)

(page 3-8)

(page 8-22)

(page 3-9)

(page 8-36)

(page 3-19)

(page 8-20)

(page 8-18)

(page 8-34)

(page 3-23)

(page 8-24)

(page 8-36)

(page 3-14)

(page 6-10)

(page 3-2)

(page 8-34)

(page 8-31)

(page 3-16)

(page 8-36)

(page 3-18)

(page 8-34)

2-1

Use of safety equipment, including seats, seat belt system, SRS air bags and
child-restraint systems.

Seats ................................................................................................ 2-2

Front Seats ................................................................................. 2-2
Rear Seat .................................................................................... 2-5

Seat Belt Systems ......................................................................... 2-11

Seat Belt Precautions ............................................................... 2-11
3-Point Type Seat Belt ............................................................. 2-14
Front Seat Belt Pretensioner and Load Limiting Systems  ...... 2-16
Rear Center Position Seat Belt  ................................................ 2-18
Seat Belt Extender  ................................................................... 2-20
Seat Belt Warning Light  .......................................................... 2-21
Seat Belt Warning Beep ........................................................... 2-21

Child Restraint ............................................................................ 2-22

Child Restraint Precautions ..................................................... 2-22
Installing Child-Restraint Systems .......................................... 2-25
LATCH Child-Restraint Systems ............................................ 2-31

SRS Air Bags ............................................................................... 2-36

Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Precautions ............... 2-36
Air Bag System Description .................................................... 2-40

2-2

Seats

▼ Seat Slide

To move a seat forward or backward, raise
the lever and slide the seat to the desired
position and release the lever.

Make sure the lever returns to its original
position and the seat is locked in place by
attempting to push it forward and
backward.

Front Seats

Securing the Seats:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that
are not securely locked are
dangerous. In a sudden stop or
collision, the seat or seatback could
move, causing injury. Make sure the
adjustable components of the seat are
locked in place by attempting to slide
the seat forward and backward and
rocking the seatback.

Driver’s Seat Adjustment:
Adjusting the driver’s seat while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous. The
driver could lose control of the vehicle
and have an accident. Adjust the
driver’s seat only when the vehicle is
stopped.

WARNING

Lever

2-3

Seats

▼ Seat Recline

To change the seatback angle, lean
forward slightly while raising the lever.
Then lean back to the desired position and
release the lever.

Make sure the lever returns to its original
position and the seatback is locked in
place by attempting to push it forward and
backward.

Reclining:
Sitting in a reclined position while the
vehicle is moving is dangerous
because you don’t get the full
protection from seat belts. During
sudden braking or a collision, you
can slide under the lap belt and suffer
serious internal injuries. For
maximum protection, sit well back
and upright.

Unlocked Seatback:
A seatback plays an important role in
your protection in a vehicle. Leaving
the seatback unlocked is dangerous as
it can allow passengers to be ejected
or thrown around and baggage to
strike occupants in a sudden stop or
collision, resulting in severe injury.
After adjusting the seatback at any
time, even when there are no other
passengers, rock the seatback to make
sure it is locked in place.

WARNING

When returning a rear-reclined
seatback to its upright position, make
sure you support the seatback while
operating the seatback lever. If the
seatback is not supported, it will flip
forward suddenly and could cause
injury.

Lever

CAUTION

2-4

Seats

▼ Seat Tilt (Driver’s Seat)

The seat-bottom angle can be adjusted by
rotating the dial.

▼ Head Restraint

Height adjustment

To raise a head restraint, pull it up to the
desired position.
To lower the head restraint, press the stop-
catch release, then push the head restraint
down.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top is
parallel with the top of the passenger’s
ears, never the passenger’s neck.

Down

Dial

Front of seat bottom

Down

Dial

Rear of seat bottom

Head Restraints Adjustment:
Driving with the head restraints
adjusted too low or removed is
dangerous. With no support behind
your head, your neck could be
seriously injured in a collision.
Always drive with the head restraints
inserted when seats are being used
and make sure they are properly
adjusted.

WARNING

Stop-catch release

2-5

Seats

Rear Seat

Stacking Cargo:
Stacking luggage or other cargo
higher than the seatbacks, and
putting things on the rear package
tray or on the luggage compartment
cover is dangerous. During sudden
braking or a collision, objects can
become projectiles that may hit and
injure passengers. Don’t stack things
higher than the seatbacks or put
things on the rear package tray or on
the luggage compartment cover.

Securing Seats:
Adjustable seats and seatbacks that
are not securely locked are
dangerous. In a sudden stop or
collision, the seat or seatback could
move, causing injury. Make sure the
adjustable components of the seat are
locked in place by attempting to slide
the seat forward and backward and
rocking the seatback.

WARNING

Passenger on the Folded Seatback:
Driving with a passenger on the
folded seatback is dangerous.
Allowing a child to sit up on the
folded seatback while the vehicle is
moving is particularly dangerous. In
a sudden stop or even a minor
collision, a child not in a proper seat
or child-restraint system and seat belt
could be thrown forward, back or
even out of the car resulting in
serious injuries or death. The child or
other objects in the baggage area
could be thrown into other occupants
and cause serious injury. Never allow
a passenger to sit or stand on the
folded seatback while the vehicle is
moving.

Children and the Folding Rear Seats:
Playing with the folding rear seats is
dangerous. Once the seats are back
up, a child in the trunk would not be
able to get out the way they had
entered. If you have small children,
keep the seatbacks locked (sedan). Do
not give the car keys to children and
do not allow them to play in the
vehicle.

NOTE

When returning a rear seat to its
original position, also replace the seat
belt to its normal position. Verify that
the seat belt pulls and retracts.

WARNING

2-6

Seats

▼ Split-Folding Rear Seatback

To provide more space in the luggage
compartment.

1. Unfasten the lap portion of the rear-

center seat belt (page 2-19).

2. Pull the lock release up and fold the

seatback forward.

To return the seatback to its original
position, reverse the procedure.

▼ Rear Seatback Lock (Sedan)

To lock or unlock a seatback, move the
lever.

▼ Folding the Rear Seats Flat

(Hatchback)

The seatbacks can be folded after setting
up the seat bottoms.

1. Unfasten the lap portion of the rear-

center seat belt (page 2-19).

Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause damage
to the seat belt, buckle and seatback.

CAUTION

Lock release

NOTE

The seatback locks are part of the
trunk security system (page 3-11).

Always unfasten the lap portion of the
belt before folding the rear-left
seatback. Leaving the lap portion of
the belt fastened could cause damage
to the seat belt, buckle and seatback.

Lock

Unlock

CAUTION

2-7

Seats

2. Remove the head restraints (page 2-9).

3. Pull the strap and lift the end of each

seat bottom up and forward.

4. Lift the rear of the seat bottoms

forward.

5. Pull the lock release up and fold each

seatback forward.

To return the rear seat to its original
position, reverse the procedure.

NOTE

When raising the seat bottom, hold the
seat belt and clear it from the seat
bottom’s housing space.

Stop-catch release

Strap

Lock release

2-8

Seats

▼ Removing the Seat Bottoms

(Hatchback)

When flat folding the rear seats, the seat
bottoms can be removed for more room.

To remove

1. Pull the strap and lift the end of each

seat bottom up and forward.

2. Lift the rear of the seat bottoms

forward.

3. Pull the retaining clip to release the

lever. Remove the seat bottom.

• Putting your fingers between the

seat bottom and floor is dangerous.
You could injure your fingers.
When replacing the seat bottom, be
careful not to catch your fingers
between the seat bottom and floor.

• After replacing the seat bottom to

its original position, make sure all
seat belt buckles are on top of the
seat bottom and the seat belts are
not twisted. Twisting or placing the
seat belts under the seat bottom
could damage the seat belts.

CAUTION

Strap

NOTE

When raising the seat bottom, hold the
seat belt and clear it from the seat
bottom’s housing space.

Retaining clip

2-9

Seats

To install

1. Insert the ends of the seat bottom lever

into the holders.

2. Return the seat bottom to its original

position.

▼ Head Restraint

Riding in Area with Rear Seat Bottom
Removed:
Riding in the area where a rear seat
bottom has been removed is
dangerous. Sudden braking or a
collision could cause serious injury.
Do not sit or lie in the area where a
rear seat bottom has been removed
while the vehicle is moving. Never
ride in a vehicle where you can’t sit in
the seat and wear the seat belt.

WARNING

• Putting your fingers between the

seat bottom and floor is dangerous.
You could injure your fingers.
When replacing the seat bottom, be
careful not to catch your fingers
between the seat bottom and floor.

• After replacing the seat bottom to

CAUTION

WARNING

2-10

Seats

Height adjustment

To raise a head restraint, pull it up to the
desired position.
To lower the head restraint, press the stop-
catch release, then push the head restraint
down.

Adjust the head restraint so that the top is
parallel with the top of the passenger’s
ears, never the passenger’s neck.

Removal

To remove the head restraint, press the
stop-catch release, then pull up on the
head restraint.

Stop-catch release

2-11

Seat Belt Systems

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 rear lap/shoulder belt retractors operate in two
modes: emergency locking mode, and for child-restraint systems, automatic locking mode.

Seat Belt Precautions

Not Wearing Seat Belts:
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. Always wear your seat
belt and make sure all occupants are properly restrained.

Seat Belt Damaged During an Accident:
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.

Twisted Seat Belts:
Twisted seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the full width of the belt isn’t
available to absorb the impact. This puts more force on the bones beneath the belt,
which could break them or cause other serious injury or death. Don’t wear twisted
seat belts.

WARNING

Mazda Protege (2003 year). Manual - part 1