1998 NISSAN PATHFINDER Owners Manual

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 internal
injuries 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 light glows
continuously while the ignition isturned 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.
IAll seat belt assemblies including re-
tractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected after any colli-
sion by 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.
CHILD SAFETYChildren 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 lb (9 kg)) should be placed in rear
facing child restraints. Front facing child re-
straints are available for children who outgrowrear facing child restraints.
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 US states and provinces of Canada require
the use of approved child restraints for infants
and small children. (See ªChild restraints for
infants and small childrenº later in this section.)
In addition, there are many types of child
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
possible. According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained
in the rear seat than in the front seat. This
is especially important because your ve-
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hicle has a Supplemental Restraint System
(Air Bag System) for the front passenger
(See ªSupplemental Restraint Systemº ear-
lier in this section for precaution).Infants and small childrenNISSAN recommends that infants and 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.Larger childrenChildren who are too large for child restraints
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 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 the
vehicle 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 theshoulder 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 WOMENNISSAN 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 PERSONSNISSAN recommends that injured persons
use seat belts, depending on the injury. Check
with your doctor for specific recommendations.
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THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTORIEvery person who drives or rides in
this vehicle should use a seat belt at
all times.
IDo 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 accident
you 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 inju-
ries.
IFor 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 seat belts1. Adjust the seat.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 and snug
on the hipsas shown.
4. Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack.
SSS0018
SSS0020
SSS0102
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The front seat passenger side seat belt and
rear three-point seat belts have a cinching
mechanism for child restraint 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. For additional information,
see ªChild Restraint Systems for Infants and
Small Childrenº later in this section.
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 acti-
vated. If it is activated it may cause uncom-
fortable seat belt tension.
Unfastening the seat beltsTo unfasten the belt, press the button on the
buckle. The seat belt will automatically retract.Checking seat belt operationYour seat belt retractors are designed to lock
belt movement by two separate methods:
IWhen the belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
IWhen the vehicle slows down rapidly.
You can check the operation as follows:
IGrasp the shoulder belt and pull quickly
SSS0061
SSS0021
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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 (for
front seats)The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best suited for you
(see ªPrecautions on Seat Belt Usageº earlier
in this section). To adjust, squeeze the release
buttons, then move the shoulder belt anchor to
the desired position so that the belt passes
over the shoulder. Release the adjustment
buttons to lock the shoulder belt anchor into
position.
IAfter adjustment, release the button
and try to move the shoulder belt
anchor up and down to make sure it
securely fixed in position.
IThe shoulder belt anchor height
should be adjusted to the position
best for you.
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.
PD1328MA
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Seat belt hookWhen the rear seat belt is not in use, hook it at
the belt hook.
TWO-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITHOUT RETRACTOR (Center of
rear seat)
Selecting correct set of seat beltsThe center seat belt buckle and tongue are
identified by the CENTER mark. The center
seat belt tongue can be fastened only into the
center seat belt buckle.
Fastening the seat belts1. Insert the tongue into the buckle marked
CENTER until it snaps.
SPA0531
SPA0110
SSS0103
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2. To lengthen, hold the tongue at a right
angle to the belt and pull on the belt.
To shorten, pull the free end of the belt
away from the tongue, then pull the belt clip
to take up the slack.
3. Position the lap beltlow and snug on the
hipsas shown.
Unfastening the seat beltsTo unfasten the belt, press the button on the
buckle.
SSS0024
SSS0025SSS0060
SSS0026
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SEAT BELT EXTENDERSIf, 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 MAINTENANCEITo 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.
PRECAUTIONS ON CHILD
RESTRAINTSIInfants 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.
IInfants and small children should
never be carried on your lap. It is not
possible for even the strongest adult
to resist the forces of a severe acci-
dent. The child could be crushed be-
tween the adult and parts of the ve-
hicle. Also, do not put the same seat
belt around both your child and your-
self.
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.
INissan recommends that the child
restraint be installed in the rear seat.CHILD RESTRAINTS
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