1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER belt

IEvery person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at
all times. Children should be properly
restrained and, if appropriate, in a
child restraint.
IThe belt should be properly adjusted
to a snug fit. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the entire
restraint system and increase the
chance or severity of injury in an
accident. Serious injury or death can
occur if the seat belt is not worn
properly.
IAlways route the shoulder belt over
your shoulder and across your chest.
Never run the belt behind your back,
under your arm or across your neck.
The belt should be away from your
face and neck, but not falling off your
shoulder.
IPosition the lap belt as low and snug
as possible AROUND THE HIPS, NOT
THE WAIST. A lap belt worn too high
could increase the risk of internalinjuries in an accident.
IBe sure the seat belt tongue is se-
curely fastened to the proper buckle.
IDo not wear the belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its ef-
fectiveness.
IDo not allow more than one person to
use the same belt.
INever carry more people in the ve-
hicle than there are seat belts.
IIf the seat belt warning lamp glows
continuously while the ignition is
turned ªONº 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.
IAll seat belt assemblies including re-
tractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected by your NISSAN
dealer after any collision. 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 damageand 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.
CHILD SAFETY
Children need adults to help protect them.
Infants and children need special pro-
tection. The vehicle's seat belts may not
fit them properly. The shoulder belt may
come too close to the face or neck. The
lap belt may not fit over their small hip
bones. In an accident, an improperly
fitting seat belt could cause serious or
fatal injury. Always use appropriate
child restraints.
All U.S. states and provinces of Canada re-
quire the use of approved child restraints for
infants and small children. (See ªChild re-
straints for infants and small childrenº later in
this section.)
In addition, there are many types of child
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restraints available for larger children which
should be used for maximum protection.
Infant or small child
NISSAN recommends that infants or small
children be placed in child restraints that com-
ply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards. You should choose a child restraint that
fits your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer's instructions for installation and use.
Children
Children who are too large for child restraints
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 lap belt is low
on the hips. The booster seat should fit thevehicle seat and have a label certifying that it
complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. Once the child has grown 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. The
child could be seriously injured or killed
in an accident.
Pregnant women
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women
use seat belts. Contact your doctor for specific
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, depending on the injury. Check
with your doctor for specific recommendations.
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3-POINT TYPE WITH RETRACTOR
Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should wear a seat belt at all
times.
Fastening the belts
1. Adjust the seat.
Do not ride in a moving vehicle when the
seatback is reclined. This can be dan-
gerous. The shoulder belt will not be
against your body. In an accident you
could be thrown into it and receive neck
or other serious injuries. You could also
slide under the lap belt and receive se-
rious internal injuries.
For most effective protection when the
vehicle is in motion, the seat should be
upright. Always sit well back in the seat
and adjust the seat belt properly.
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.
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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. During
normal seat belt use by a passenger, the
locking mode should not be activated. 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:
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, squeeze the release buttons, then
move it to the desired position so that the belt
passes over the shoulder.
IAfter adjustment, release the button
and check that it does not move up
and down to make sure the shoulder
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belt anchor is securely fixed in posi-
tion.
IThe shoulder belt anchor height
should be adjusted to snug fit.
Failure to do so may reduce the effec-
tiveness of the entire restraint system
and increase the chance or severity
of injury in an accident.
Belt hook
When the rear seat belt is not in use, hook it at
the belt hook.
2-POINT TYPE WITHOUT
RETRACTOR (Center position of
rear seat)
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.
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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.2. Position the lap beltlow and snug 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.
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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.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
ITo clean the seat belt webbings,apply a
mild soap solution or any solution recom-
mended 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 seat belts to retract until they are com-
pletely dry.
IIf dirt builds up in the shoulder belt guide of
the seat belt anchors, the seat belts may
retract slowly. Wipe the shoulder belt guide
with a clean, dry cloth.
IPeriodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal componentssuch as
buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible wires
and anchors work properly. If loose parts,
deterioration, cuts or other damage on the
webbing is found, the entire belt assembly
should be replaced.
IInfants and small children should al-
ways be placed in an appropriate
child restraint while riding in the ve-
hicle. Failure to use a child restraint
can result in serious injury or death.
IChildren 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.
INissan recommends that the child
restraint be installed in the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
IAn improperly installed child re-
straint could lead to serious injury or
death in an accident.
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR
INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN
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In general, child restraints are designed to be
installed with a lap belt or the lap portion of a
three point type seat belt. Child restraints
specially designed for infants and small chil-
dren are offered by several manufacturers.
When selecting any child restraint, 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 that child restraint in your vehicle to
be sure it is compatible with the vehicle's
seat and seat belt system. Choose a child
restraint that meets the guidelines of the
Society of Automotive Engineers recom-
mended practice J1819 for child restraint
installation.
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.
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 oper-
ated.
INever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. An inflating
supplemental air bag could seriously
injure or kill your child. A rear-facing
child restraint must only be used in
the rear seat. See ªInstallation on
front passenger seatº for details.
IImproper use of a child restraint can
result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occu-
pants in the vehicle.
IFollow 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 around in case of
a sudden stop or accident.
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