Mazda CX-9 Owners Manual: Vehicle Loading

This section will guide you in the proper loading of your vehicle and/or trailer, to keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle will provide maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself with the following terms for determining your vehicle's weight ratings, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle's Safety Certification Label and Tire and Load Information Label:

WARNING

Overloaded Vehicle: Overloading a vehicle is dangerous. The results of overloading can have serious consequences in terms of passenger safety. Too much weight on a vehicle's suspension system can cause spring or shock absorber failure, brake failure, handling or steering problems, irregular tire wear, tire failure or other damage.

Never overload the vehicle and always observe the vehicle's weight ratings from the vehicle's Safety Certification and Tire and Load Information labels.

Base Curb Weight is the weight of the vehicle including a full tank of fuel and all standard equipment. It does not include passengers, cargo, or optional equipment.

Vehicle Curb Weight is the weight of your new vehicle when you picked it up from your dealer plus any aftermarket equipment.

Payload is the combination weight of cargo and passengers that the vehicle is designed to carry. The maximum payload for your vehicle can be found on the Tire and Load Information label on the driver's door frame or door pillar. Look for "THE COMBINATION WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX kg or XXX lbs" for your maximum payload. The payload listed on the tire label is the maximum payload for the vehicle as built by the assembly plant. If any aftermarket or dealer installed equipment has been installed on the vehicle, the weight of the equipment must be subtracted from the payload listed on the tire label in order to be accurate.

SAMPLE

Cargo Weight includes all weight added to the Base Curb Weight, including cargo and optional equipment. When towing, trailer tongue load or king pin weight is also part of cargo weight.

The cargo weight limit decreases depending on the number of vehicle occupants. The cargo weight limit can be calculated by subtracting the total weight of the vehicle occupants from the "combination weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed" value on the tire label.

Examples: Based on a single occupant weight of 68 kg (150 lbs), and a value of 385 kg (849 lbs) for the "combination weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed":

The cargo weight limit with one occupant is 385 kg (849 lbs) － 68 kg (150 lbs) = 317 kg (699 lbs)
The cargo weight limit with two occupants is 385 kg (849 lbs) － (68 × 2) kg ( (150 × 2) lbs) = 249 kg (549 lbs)

If the weight of the occupant increases, the cargo weight limit decreases by that much.

GAW (Gross Axle Weight) is the total weight placed on each axle (front and rear) - including vehicle curb weight and all payload.

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) is the maximum allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). These numbers are shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the driver's door frame or door pillar. The total load on each axle must never exceed its GAWR.

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) is the Vehicle Curb Weight + cargo + passengers.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including all options, equipment, passengers and cargo). The GVWR is shown on the Safety Compliance Certification Label located on the driver's door frame or door pillar. The GVW must never exceed the GVWR.

SAMPLE

WARNING

Never Exceed Axle Weight Rating Limits: Exceeding the Safety Certification Label axle weight rating limits is dangerous and could result in death or serious injury as a result of substandard vehicle handling, performance, engine, transmission and/or structural damage, serious damage to the vehicle, or loss of control.

Always keep the vehicle within the axle weight rating limits.

GCW (Gross Combination Weight) is the weight of the loaded vehicle (GVW) plus the weight of the fully loaded trailer.

GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating) is the maximum allowable weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer - including all cargo and passengers - that the vehicle can handle without risking damage. (Important: The towing vehicle's braking system is rated for operation at GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe control of towed vehicles and for trailers weighing more than 1,500 lbs). The GCW must never exceed the GCWR.

Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight is the highest possible weight of a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of 10－15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15－25% (fifth-wheel trailer), and driver only (150 lbs). Consult your dealership (or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your dealership) for more detailed information.

Tongue Load or Fifth-Wheel King Pin Weight refers to the amount of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch.

Examples: For a 5000 lb conventional trailer, multiply 5000 by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 500 to 750 lbs. For an 11,500 lb fifth-wheel trailer, multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 1,725 to 2,875 lbs.

WARNING

Never Exceed GVWR or GAWR Specifications: Exceeding the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the certification label is dangerous. Exceeding any vehicle rating limitation could result in a serious accident, injury, or damage to the vehicle.

Never exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the certification label.

Steps for Determining the Correct Load Limit

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit-

(1) Locate the statement "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on your vehicle's placard.

(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.

(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.

(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the "XXX" amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.

(1400 － 750 (5 × 150) = 650 lbs.)

(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.

(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.