1998 NISSAN FRONTIER Owners Manual

cBe sure the seat belt tongue is se-
curely fastened to the proper buckle.
cDo not wear the belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness.
cDo not allow more than one person
to use the same belt.
cNever carry more people in the ve-
hicle than there are seat belts.
c
Never allow anyone to ride in the cargo
area or in a slide-in camper or other
type cargo area cover while the vehicle
is in motion. These areas do not con-
tain seat belts. It is not designed for
passengers. They could be injured in
sudden braking or a collision.
cIf the seat belt warning lamp glows
continuously while the ignition is
turned ON with all doors closed and
all seat belts fastened, it may indi-
cate a malfunction in the system.
Have the system checked by an au-
thorized NISSAN dealer.
c
All seat belt assemblies including
retractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected after any colli-
sion at an authorized NISSAN dealer.NISSAN recommends that all seat-
belt assemblies in use during a colli-
sion be replaced unless the collision
was minor and the belts show no
damage and continue to operate
properly. Seat belt assemblies not in
use during a collision should also be
inspected and replaced if either dam-
age or improper operation is noted.
CHILD SAFETY
Children need adults to help protect them.
They need to be properly restrained.
The proper restraint depends on the
child's size. Generally, infants (up to
about 1 year and less than 20 pounds)
should be placed in rear facing child
restraints. Front facing child restraints
are available for children who outgrow
rear facing child restraints.
WARNING
cBe sure to turn the passenger
supplemental air bag ON/OFF switch
OFF when using a rear facing child
restraint in the front passenger seat.
If it is not OFF, the air bag may inflatein a collision. The force of the rapidly
inflating air bag could cause serious
injury or kill the child in the child
restraint.
cDo not install a child restraint in the
jump seats (King Cab model). These
seats are not suitable for child re-
straint installation.
cDo not install a child restraint in the
center position of the front bench
seat. This position is not suitable for
child restraint installation.
c
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 Canadian provinces
require the use of approved child restraints
for infants and small children. See ``Child
restraints'' later in this section for more
information.
In addition, there are many types of child
1-18Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

restraints available for larger children which
should be used for maximum protection.
NISSAN recommends that all preteens
and children be restrained in the rear
seat if available. According to accident
statistics, children are safer when prop-
erly restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
This is especially important because
your vehicle has a supplemental re-
straint system (Supplemental air bag
system) for the front passenger (For pre-
cautions, see ``Supplemental restraint
system'' earlier in this section). Also, see
``Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch and
light'' earlier in this section.
Infants and small children
NISSAN recommends that infants or small
children be seated in child restraints that
comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a
child restraint which fits your vehicle and
always follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tions for installation and use.
Larger children
Children who are too large for child re-
straints should be seated and restrained by
the seat belts which are provided.
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 avail-
able) may help overcome this. The booster
seat should raise the child so 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 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 so the shoulder belt is no
longer on or near the face and neck, use the
shoulder belt without the booster seat.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat and do not allow a child in the
cargo areas while the vehicle is mov-
ing. The child could be seriously in-
jured or killed in an accident.
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, depending on the injury.
Check with your doctor for specific recom-
mendations.
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
1-19
ZX

THREE-POINT TYPE WITH
RETRACTOR
WARNING
cEvery person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at
all times. Children should be prop-
erly restrained and, if appropriate, in
a child restraint.
c
Do not ride in a moving vehicle when
the seatback is reclined. This can be
dangerous. The shoulder belt will not
be against your body. In an accidentyou could be thrown into it and re-
ceive neck or other serious injuries.
You could also slide under the lap belt
and receive serious internal injuries.
cFor 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.
Fastening the belt
1. Adjust the seat.
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retrac-
tor and insert the tongue into the buckle
until it clicks.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 passenger side seat belt has a
cinching mechanism for child restraint in-
stallation. It is referred to as the automatic
locking mode.ARS1104ARS1110
1-20Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

When the cinching mechanism is activated
the seat belt cannot be extracted again until
the seat belt tongue is detached from the
buckle and the seat belt is fully retracted.
See ``Child restraints '' later in this section for
more information.
The automatic locking mode should be
used only for child restraint installation.
During normal seat belt use by a passen-
ger, the locking mode should not be
activated. If it is activated it may cause
uncomfortable seat belt tension.
Unfastening the seat belt
To unfasten the belt, press the button on the
buckle. The seat belt automatically retracts.
Checking seat belt operation
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.
To increase your confidence in the belts,
check the operation as follows:
cGrasp the shoulder belt and pull quicklyforward. 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
seat belt operation, see an authorized NIS-
SAN dealer.
ARS1054
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-21
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'' earlier in
this section.) To adjust, squeeze the adjust-
ment buttons and move the shoulder belt
anchor 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.
Release the adjustment buttons to lock the
shoulder belt anchor into position.
WARNING
cAfter adjustment, release the but-
tons and try to move the shoulder
belt anchor up and down to make
sure it is securely fixed in position.
cThe shoulder belt anchor height
should be adjusted to the position
best for you. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the en-
tire restraint system and increase
the chance of severity of injury in an
accident.
TWO-POINT TYPE WITHOUT
RETRACTOR (Jump seat and
center of bench seat)
WARNING
cDo not install a child restraint in the
jump seats (King Cab model). These
seats are not suitable for child re-
straint installation.
cDo not install a child restraint in the
center position of the front bench
seat. This position is not suitable for
child restraint installation.
ARS1113ARS1114
1-22Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

cSerious or fatal injury could occur.
Selecting correct set of belts
The center seat belt buckle and tongue are
identified by CENTER marks. The center
seat belt tongue can only be fastened into
the center seat belt buckle.
Fastening the belt
1. Insert the tongue into the buckle until it
clicks.2. Tighten the belt by pulling the free end of
the belt away from the tongue, then pull
the belt clip to take up the slack.
ARS1055ARS1115
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-23
ZX

3. Position the lap beltlow on the hipsas
illustrated.4. Loosen the belt by holding the tongue at
a right angle to the belt, then pull on the
belt.Unfastening the belt
To unfasten the belt, press the button on the
buckle.
ARS1076ARS1057ARS1058
1-24Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
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 right
passenger seating position. See an autho-
rized NISSAN 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 seat belt webbings,apply
a mild soap solution or any solution rec-
ommended for cleaning upholstery or
carpets. Then brush, wipe with a cloth
and allow it to dry in the shade. Do not
allow the seat belts to retract until they
are completely dry.
cIf dirt builds up in the shoulder belt
guideof the seat belt anchors, the seat
belts may retract slowly. Wipe the shoul-
der belt guide with a clean, dry cloth.
c
Periodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal components,such
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 seat
belt assembly should be replaced.
WARNING
cInfants and small children should
always 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.
cChildren 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.
ARS1098
CHILD RESTRAINTS
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-25
ZX