1996 NISSAN PATHFINDER Owners Manual

The seatback should not be reclined any
more than needed for comfort. Seat
belts are most effective when the pas-
senger sits well back and straight up 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 retractor
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.
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 seat 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seat belt cannot be withdrawn again until the
seat belt tongue is detached from the buckle
and fully retracted. Refer to ªChild Restraint
Systems for Infants and Small Childrenº later
in this section for more information.
The automatic locking mode should be
used only for child seat installation. Dur-
ing normal seat belt use by a passenger,
the locking mode should not be acti-
vated. If it is activated 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 retract.
Checking seat belt operation
Your seat belt retractors are designed to lock
belt movement by two separate methods:
1) When the belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
2) When the vehicle slows down rapidly.
You can check the operation as follows:
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IGrasp the shoulder belt and pull quickly
forward. The retractor should lock and re-
strict further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this check
or if you have any question about belt opera-
tion, see your NISSAN dealer.
Shoulder belt height adjustment
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best suited for you
(see ªPrecautions on Seat Belt Usageº). To
adjust, push the release button, then move it to
the desired position so that the belt passes
over the shoulder.
After adjustment, release the button and
check that it does not move it up and
down to make sure the shoulder beltanchor is securely fixed in position.
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Belt hook
When the rear seat belt is not in use, hook it at
the belt hook.
Selecting correct set of belts
The center seat belt buckle and tongue are
identified by the ªCENTERº mark. The center
seat belt tongue can be fastened only into the
center seat belt buckle.
2-POINT TYPE WITH RETRACTOR
(Center position of rear seat)
Fastening the belts
1. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor
and insert the tongue into the buckle until it
snaps.
If the retractor locks and restricts further move-
ment, let the belt rewind into the retractor, then
slowly pull the belt out.
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2. Position the lap beltlow on the hipsas
shown.
3. Pull the belt toward the retractor to take up
extra slack.
Unfastening the belts
To unfasten the belt, press the button on the
buckle. The seat belt will automatically retract.
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 installed seat belts. The
extender adds approximately 8 inches (200
mm) of length and may be used for either the
driver or right passenger seating position. See
your NISSAN dealer for assistance if the ex-
tender is required.
IOnly NISSAN belt extenders, made by
the same company which made the
original equipment belts, should be
used with NISSAN belts.
IPersons 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.SPA0108SPA0109
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SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
ITo clean the belt webbings,apply a mild
soap solution or any solution recommended
for cleaning upholstery or carpets. 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.
IPeriodically check to see that the belt
and the metal componentssuch as buck-
les, tongues, retractors, flexible wires and
anchors work properly. If loose parts, dete-
rioration, cuts or other damage on the web-
bing is found, the entire belt assembly
should be replaced.Infants and small children should al-
ways be placed in an appropriate child
restraint while riding in the vehicle. Fail-
ure to use a child restraint can result 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 installed 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. Ac-
cording to accident statistics, children
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 inan accident.Child restraints specially designed for infants
and small children are offered by several
manufacturers. When selecting any child re-
straint, keep the following points in mind:
1) Choose only a restraint with a label certify-
ing that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
2) Check the child restraint in your vehicle to
be sure it is compatible with the vehicle's
seat belt system.
3) If the child restraint is compatible with your
vehicle, place your child in the child re-
straint and check the various adjustments
to be sure the child restraint is compatible
with your child. Always follow all recom-
mended procedures.
INever 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 ªInstallation on
front passenger seatº for details.
IFollow all of the child restraint manu-
facturer's instructions for installation
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR
INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN
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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.
Improper use of a child restraint can
result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occu-
pants in the vehicle.
IWhen your child restraint is not in
use, store it in the trunk or keep it
secured with a seat belt to prevent it
from being thrown forward in case of
a sudden stop or accident.
IAfter attaching a child restraint, test
the restraint 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 it in place. If the re-
straint is not secure, tighten the belt
as necessary, or put the restraint in
another seat and test it again.
IIf the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden stop
greatly increases.IAdjustable seatbacks should be posi-
tioned to fit the child restraint, but as
upright as possible.
IRemember 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.
IAll U.S. states and provinces of
Canada require that infants and small
children be restrained in approved
child restraints at all times while the
vehicle is being operated.
IFor 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 shoulder
belt behind the child restraint.
Installation on rear seat
Center lap belt
Secure the child restraint with the lap belt as
illustrated. Remove all slack in the lap belt for
a very tight fit by pulling forcefully on the lap
belt adjustment.
After attaching the child restraint, test it before
you place the child in it. Tilt the restraint from
side to side. If it is not secure, try to tighten the
belt again, or put the restraint in another seat.
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Installation on rear outboard seating
positions
IThe 3-point belt on your vehicle is
equipped with a locking mode retrac-
tor which must be used when install-
ing a child restraint.
IFailure to do so will result in the child
restraint not being properly secured.
It could tip over or otherwise be un-
secured and cause injury to the childin 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 manu-
facturer'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 manufac-
turer'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 ªemergency lockingº when
the belt is fully retracted.
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.
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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 automatic
locking mode by trying to pull more belt out
of the retractor. If you cannot pull any more
belt webbing out of the retractor, the belt is
in the automatic locking mode.
7. Check to make sure that the child restraint
is properly secured prior to each use. If the
belt is not locked, repeat steps 3 through 6.
After the child restraint is removed and theseat belt is allowed to wind back into the
retractor, the automatic locking mode (child
restraint mode) is canceled; the seat belt may
be used as normal and will only lock during a
sudden stop or impact.Top strap child restraint
If your child restraint has a top strap, install the
anchor bracket to the provided anchor point.
Secure the child restraint with the center lap
belt or the lap portion of an outboard 3-point
belt and latch the top strap hook onto the
appropriate anchor bracket. To install the an-
chor bracket, a metric bolt of the dimensions
listed below must be used.
Bolt diameter: 8.0 mm
Bolt length: more than 1.18 in (30 mm)
Thread pitch: 1.25 mm
The top strap should be secured to the attach-
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