1996 NISSAN SENTRA fan

2 Pre-driving checks and adjustments
Key ....................................................................... 2-2
Door locks ............................................................ 2-2
Multi-remote control system (If so equipped) ...... 2-4
Child safety rear door lock ................................... 2-7
Hood release ........................................................ 2-8
Glove box ............................................................. 2-9
Trunk lid lock operation ........................................ 2-9
Fuel filler lid lock operation ................................ 2-11
Front Seats ......................................................... 2-13
Supplemental restraint system
(Air bag system) (If so equipped) ...................... 2-15
Warning labels (If so equipped) ......................... 2-20
Air bag warning light (If so equipped) ................ 2-20
Seat belts ........................................................... 2-22
Child restraints for infants and small children.... 2-28
Tilting steering wheel ......................................... 2-34
Outside mirror control......................................... 2-34
Inside mirror ....................................................... 2-35
Vanity mirror (If so equipped) ............................ 2-35
ZX

cDriver Supplemental Air Bag (see
``Meters and Gauges'' in the ``Instru-
ments and controls'' section).
cPassenger-side Supplemental Air Bag
(see ``Meters and Gauges'' in the ``Instru-
ments and controls'' section).
cSupplemental Restraint System Warning
Labels (see ``Warning Labels'' later in
this section).
Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all times.
Children should be in appropriate child re-
straints (see ``Seat belts'' and ``Child Re-
straints for Infants and Small Children'' later
in this section).
The supplemental air bags operate only
when the ignition switch is in the ON or
START position.WARNING
The supplemental air bags ordinarily
will not inflate in the event of a side
impact, rear impact, roll over, or lower
severity frontal collision; so always
wear your seat belts to help reduce the
risk or severity of injury in various
kinds of accidents.
WARNING
The seat belts and the air bags are most
effective when you are sitting back and
upright in the seat. Air bags inflate with
great force. If you are unrestrained,
leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, you are at
greater risk of injury or death in a crash
and may also receive serious or fatal
injuries from the air bag if you are
upagainst it when it inflates. Always sit
back against the seatback and use the
seatbelts.
IPD061
2-16
ZX

WARNING
Never let children ride unrestrained as
shown in the previous illustrations.
Children may be severely injured or
killed when the air bag inflates if they
are not properly restrained.
Also, never install a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat. See ``Child
restraints for infants and small chil-
dren'' for details.
IPD062IPD063IPD064
2-17
ZX

PRECAUTIONS ON SEAT BELT
USAGE
Your chances of being injured or killed in an
accident and/or the severity of injury may be
greatly reduced if you are wearing your seat
belt and it is properly adjusted. 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 entire
restraint system and increases the
chances 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 re-
tractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected after any colli-
sion at your NISSAN dealer. NISSAN
recommends that all seat belt assem-
blies in use during a collision be
replaced unless the collision was mi-
nor 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.
c
If the seat belt warning lamp glows con-
tinuously while the ignition is turned ON
with all doors closed and all seat belts
fastened, it may indicate a malfunction
in the system. Have the system checked
by your NISSAN dealer.cBe sure to observe the following pre-
cautions when using seat belts. Failure
to do so could increase the chance
and/or severity of injury in an accident.
cAlways route the shoulder belt over
your shoulder and across your chest.
Never run the belt under your arm or
across your neck. The belt should be
away from your face and neck, but
not falling off your shoulder.
cPosition the lap belt as low as pos-
sible AROUND THE HIPS, NOT THE
WAIST.
cSerious injury or death can occur if
seat belt is not worn properly.
CHILD SAFETY
Children need adults to help protect
them.
All U.S. states and provinces of Canada
require the use of approved child restraints
for infants and small children. (See ``Child
Restraints for Infants and Small Children''
later in this section.)
In addition, there are many types of child
restraints available for larger children which
SEAT BELTS
2-22
ZX

should be used for maximum protection.
Infant or small child
NISSAN recommends that infants or small
children be placed in child restraint systems
that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standards. You should choose
a child restraint system which fits your ve-
hicle and always follow the manufacturer's
instructions for installation and use.
Children
Children who are too large for child restraint
systems should be seated and restrained by
the seat belts which are provided.
NISSAN recommends that children sit in the
rear seat if possible. According to accident
statistics, children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the front
seat.
If the child's seating position has a shoulder
belt that fits close to the face or neck, the use
of a booster seat (commercially available)
may help overcome this. The booster seat
should raise the child so that the shoulder
belt is properly positioned across the top,
middle portion of the shoulder and the lapbelt is low on the hips. The booster seat
should fit the vehicle seat and have a label
certifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standards. Once the child
has grown enough so the shoulder belt is no
longer on or near the face and neck, use the
shoulder belt without the booster seat.
Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat and do not allow a child in the cargo
areas while the vehicle is moving.
Pregnant women
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women
use seat belts. Contact your doctor for spe-
cific recommendations. The lap belt should
be worn snug and positioned as low as
possible around the hips, not the waist.
Injured persons
NISSAN recommends that injured persons
use seat belts. Check with your doctor for
specific recommendations.
3-POINT TYPE WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
Every person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should wear a seat belt at
all times.
Fastening the belts
1. Adjust the seat.
MPA0002
2-23
ZX

WARNING
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 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 permits the belt to move,
and allows you some freedom of move-
ment 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
mechanism 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
``Child Restraints for Infants and Small
Children'' later in this section for more infor-
mation.
APD0631APD0640
2-24
ZX

WARNING
Infants and small children shouldalwaysbe
placed in an appropriate child restraint while
riding in the vehicle. Failure 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 system be installed in the rear
seat. According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly re-
strained 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 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 ªInstallation on
front passenger seatº for details.cFollow all of the child restraint manu-
facturer's instructions for installation
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.
c
When your child restraint is not in
use, keep it secured with a seat belt to
prevent it from being thrown forward
in case of a sudden stop or accident.
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.
c
All 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.
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR
INFANTS AND SMALL
CHILDREN
2-28
ZX

A child restraint with a top strap should not
be used in the front passenger seat.
WARNING
cThe 3-point belt in your vehicle is
equipped with a locking mode retrac-
tor which must be used when install-
ing a child restraint.
cFailure to use the retractor's locking
mode will result in the child restraint
not being properly secured. The re-
straint 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 the front
seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the front
passenger seat.It should be placed in
a forward-facing direction only.Move
the seat as far back from the instrument
panel as possible. Always follow the re-
straint manufacturer's instructions.Child
restraints for infants must be used in
the rear-facing direction and therefore
must not be used in the front seat.
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 reverts back to ``emergency
locking'' when the belt is fully retracted.)
4. Allow the belt to retract. A clicking sound
is heard as the belt retracts. This indi-
cates that the retractor is in the automatic
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 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 the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the
lap belt is not locked, repeat steps 3
through 6.
After the child restraint is removed and the
seat 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.
NOTE:
For Canada, some vehicles are not
equipped with a Supplemental Air Bag
System and do not have a passenger-side
supplemental air bag. If your vehicle does
not have a passenger-side air bag, a rear
facing child restraint may be used in the
front passenger seat. Follow the instruc-
tions in ``Installation on rear outboard
seating positions'' earlier in this section.
PD1336
2-33
ZX