1996 NISSAN ALTIMA warning

cIf you need to dispose of a supple-
mental air bag or scrap the vehicle,
contact an authorized NISSAN dealer.
Correct supplemental air bag dis-
posal procedures are set forth in the
appropriate NISSAN Service Manual.
Incorrect disposal procedures could
cause personal injury.PRECAUTIONS ON SEAT BELT
USAGE
If you are wearing your seat belt properly
adjusted, your chances of being injured or
killed in an accident and/or the severity of
injury may be greatly reduced. NISSAN
strongly encourages you and all of your
passengers to buckle up every time you
drive, even if your seating position includes
an air bag.
Some states, provinces or territories re-
quire that seat belts be worn at all times
when a vehicle is being driven.
WARNING
cEvery person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at
all times. Children should be in ap-
propriate child restraints.
cThe belt should be properly adjusted
to a snug fit. Failure to do so will
reduce the effectiveness of the en-
tire restraint system and increases
the chance or severity of injury in an
accident.cDo not wear the belt inside out or
twisted. Be sure the seat belt tongue
is securely fastened to the proper
buckle.
cDo not allow more than one person
to use the same belt.
cAll seat belt assemblies including
retractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected after any colli-
sion at your NISSAN dealer. NISSAN
recommends that all seat belt as-
semblies in use during a collision be
replaced unless the collision was
minor and the belts show no damage
and continue to operate properly.
Seat belt assemblies not in use dur-
ing a collision should also be in-
spected and replaced if either dam-
age or improper operation is noted.
cNever carry more people in the ve-
hicle than there are seat belts.
If the seat belt warning light glows con-
tinuously while the ignition is turned
``ON'' with all doors closed and all seat
belts fastened, it may indicate a mal-
function in the system. Have the system
checked by your NISSAN dealer.
SEAT BELTS
2-17
ZX

3-POINT TYPE WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
Every person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times.
Fastening the belts
1. Adjust the seat.
WARNING
The seatback should not be reclined
any more than needed for comfort
when the vehicle is moving. Seat belts
are most effective when the occupant
sits well back and upright in the seat. If
the seat is reclined, the risk of sliding
under the lap belt and being injured is
increased.
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retrac-
tor and insert the tongue into the buckle
until it snaps.
The retractor is designed to lock during
a sudden stop or on impact. A slow
pulling motion will permit the belt to
move, and allow you some freedom of
movement in the seat.
APD0500PD1023M
2-19
ZX

3. Position the lap belt portionlow on the
hipsas shown.
4. Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack.
The front passenger side seat belt and rear
3-point seat belts have a cinching mecha-
nism for child seat installation. It is referred
to as the automatic locking mode.
When the cinching mechanism is activated
the seat belt cannot be withdrawn further
until the seat belt tongue is detached from
the buckle and fully retracted. Once re-
tracted, the seat belt is in the emergencylocking mode. Refer to ``Child Restraints for
Infants and Small Children'' later in this
section for more information.
WARNING
cThe automatic locking mode should
be used only for child seat installa-
tion. During normal seat belt use by
a passenger, the locking mode
should not be activated. If it is acti-
vated it may cause uncomfortable
seat belt tension.
Unfastening the belts
To unfasten the belt, press the button on the
buckle. The seat belt will automatically re-
tract.
Checking seat belt operation
(3-point type with retractor)
Your seat belt retractors are designed to
lock belt movement using two separate
methods:
1) When the belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
2) When the vehicle slows down rapidly.
To increase your confidence in the belts,
check their operation as follows:
cGrasp the shoulder belt and pull quickly
forward. The retractor should lock and
restrict further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this
check or if you have any questions about
belt operation, see your NISSAN dealer.
PD1024M
2-20
ZX

Shoulder belt height adjustment
(For front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best for you. (See
``Precautions on Seat Belt Usage''.) To ad-
just, squeeze the release buttons, and then
move it to the desired position, so the belt
passes over the center of the shoulder. The
belt should be away from your face and
neck, but not falling off of your shoulder.
WARNING
After adjustment, release the buttons
and try to move it up and down to make
sure the shoulder belt anchor is se-
curely fixed in position.
2-POINT TYPE WITHOUT
RETRACTOR (center position of
rear seat)
Fastening the belts
1. Insert the tongue into the buckle marked
CENTER until it snaps.
PD1321APD0105
2-21
ZX

SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position,
it is not possible to properly fit the lap-
shoulder belt and fasten it, an extender is
available which is compatible with the in-
stalled seat belts. The extender adds ap-
proximately 8 inches (200 mm) of length
and may be used for either the driver or front
passenger seating position. See your NIS-
SAN dealer for assistance if the extender is
required.
WARNING
cOnly NISSAN belt extenders, made
by the same company which made
the original equipment belts, should
be used with NISSAN belts.
cPersons who can use the standard
seat belt should not use an extender.
Such unnecessary use could result
in serious personal injury in the
event of an accident.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
cTo clean the belt webbings,apply a
mild soap solution or any solution recom-
mended for cleaning upholstery or car-
pets. Then brush the webbing, wipe it
with a cloth and allow it to dry in the
shade. Do not allow the belts to retract
until they are completely dry.
cPeriodically check to see that the belt
and the metal componentssuch as
buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible
wires and anchors work properly. If loose
parts, deterioration, cuts or other dam-
age on the webbing is found, the entire
belt assembly should be replaced.
WARNING
Infants and small children should al-
ways be placed in an appropriate child
restraint while riding in the vehicle.
Failure to use a child restraint can re-
sult in serious injury or death.
Children and infants should never be
carried on your lap. It is not possible for
even the strongest adult to resist the
forces of a severe accident. The child
could be crushed between the adult
and parts of the vehicle. Also, do not
put the same seat belt around both
your child and yourself. In general,
child restraints are designed to be in-
stalled with a lap belt or the lap portion
of a three-point type seat belt.
Nissan recommends that the child re-
straint be installed in the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly restrained
in the rear seat than in the front seat.
An improperly installed child restraint
could lead to serious injury or death in
an accident.
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR
INFANTS AND SMALL
CHILDREN
2-23
ZX

Child restraints specially designed for in-
fants and small children are offered by
several manufacturers. When selecting any
child restraint, keep the following points in
mind:
1) Choose only a restraint with a label cer-
tifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Cana-
dian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
2) Check the child restraint in your vehicle
to be sure it is compatible with the vehi-
cle's seat belt system.
3) If the child restraint is compatible with
your vehicle, place your child in the child
restraint and check the various adjust-
ments to be sure the child restraint is
compatible with your child. Always follow
all recommended procedures.
WARNING
cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. A rear-facing
child restraint must only be used in
the rear seat. See ``Installation on
front passenger seat'' for details.cFollow all of the child restraint manu-
facturer's instructions for installa-
tion and use. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure to select one
which will fit your child and vehicle.
It may not be possible to properly
install some types of child restraints
in your vehicle.
cImproper use of a child restraint can
result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occu-
pants in the vehicle.
cWhen your child restraint is not in
use, keep it secured with a seat belt
to prevent it from being thrown for-
ward in case of a sudden stop or
accident.
cAfter attaching the child restraint,
test it before you place the child in it.
Tilt it from side to side. Try to tug it
forward and check to see if the belt
holds the restraint in place. If the
restraint is not secure, tighten the
belt as necessary, or put the re-
straint in another seat and test it
again.cIf the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden
stop greatly increases.
cAdjustable seatbacks should be po-
sitioned to fit the child restraint, but
as upright as possible.
cRemember that a child restraint left
in a closed vehicle can become very
hot. Check the seating surface and
buckles before placing your child in
the child restraint.
cAll U.S. states and provinces of
Canada require that infants and
small children be restrained in ap-
proved child restraints at all times
while the vehicle is being operated.
cFor a front-facing child restraint, if
the seat position where it is installed
has a 3-point type lap/shoulder belt,
check to make sure the shoulder belt
does not go in front of the child's
face or neck. If it does, put the shoul-
der belt behind the child restraint.
2-24
ZX

Installation on rear outboard seating
positions
WARNING
cThe 3-point belt in your vehicle is
equipped with a locking mode re-
tractor which must be used when
installing a child restraint.
cFailure to do so will result in the
child restraint not being properly se-
cured. It could tip over or otherwise
be unsecured and cause injury to the
child in a sudden stop or collision.When you install a child restraint in a rear
outboard seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the seat. It
can be placed in a forward facing or rear
facing direction, depending on the size of
the child. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
2. Route the seat belt tongue through the
child restraint and insert it into the buckle
until you hear and feel the latch engage.
Be sure to follow the child restraint manu-
facturer's instructions for belt routing.
3. Pull on the shoulder belt until all of the
belt is fully extended and a click is heard.
At this time, the belt retractor is in the
automatic locking mode (child restraint
mode). It will revert back to emergency
locking mode when the belt is fully re-
tracted.
4. Allow the belt to retract. A clicking sound
will be heard as the belt retracts. This
indicates that the retractor is in the auto-
matic locking mode. Pull down on the belt
to remove any slack in the belt.5. Before placing the child in the child re-
straint, use force to tilt the child restraint
from side to side, and tug it forward to
make sure that it is securely held in
place.
6. Check that the retractor is in the auto-
matic locking mode by trying to pull more
belt out of the retractor. If you cannot pull
any more belt webbing out of the retrac-
tor, the belt is in the automatic locking
mode.
7. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the
PD1331PD1332
2-26
ZX

Anchor point locations
Anchor points are located under the rear
parcel shelf finisher.
To use attaching hardware for child re-
straints with top straps, follow these instruc-
tions carefully:
1. Open the trunk and find the anchor point
nuts on the underside of the rear parcel
shelf. Thread a bolt (8.0 mm diameter,
1.25 pitch) up through the nut behind the
seating position where the child restraint
will be installed and use it to break
through the rear parcel shelf supportmaterial. There are pre-cut circles at
each anchor point location that should
break away from the shelf support mate-
rial when pressure is applied to them.
Remove the bolt after you feel the pre-cut
circle separate from the shelf support
material.
2. Cut a small slit through the parcel shelf
fabric at the anchor point location. Reach
through the fabric with a tool such as a
pair of needle-nose pliers and remove
the pre-cut circle in the parcel shelf sup-
port material.
3. Install the bolt through the top strap hook
and into the anchor point nut.
4. Be sure to follow all of the instructions
that accompany the top strap attaching
hardware.
Installation on front passenger seat
WARNING
Never install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front passenger seat. Air
bags inflate with great force. A rear-
facing child restraint could be struck
by the air bag in a crash and could
seriously injure or kill your child.
If you install a forward-facing child re-
straint in the front passenger seat,
place the passenger seat as far back as
possible.
APD0108APD0503
2-28
ZX