1999 NISSAN SENTRA Owners Manual

Checking seat belt operation
(Three-point type seat belt with re-
tractor)
Your seat belt retractors are designed to lock
seat belt movement by two separate meth-
ods:
1) When the seat belt is pulled quickly from
the retractor.
2) When the vehicle slows down rapidly.
To increase your confidence in the seat
belts, check the operation as follows.
cGrasp the shoulder belt and pull forward
quickly. The retractor should lock and
restrict further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this check
or if you have any question about belt opera-
tion, see an authorized NISSAN dealer.
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, press both release
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 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 or severity of injury in an
accident.
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TWO-POINT TYPE WITHOUT RE-
TRACTOR (rear center lap belt)
Selecting the correct set of seat
belts
The center seat belt buckle and tongue are
identified by the word CENTER. The center
seat belt tongue can be fastened into the
center seat belt buckleonly.
Fastening the seat belts
1. Insert the tongue into the buckle until it
clicks. Both the tongue assembly and the
buckle are marked CENTER.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.
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3. Position the lap beltlow on the hipsas
illustrated.4. Loosen the belt by holding the tonge at a
right angle to the belt, then pull on the
belt.Unfastening the belt
To unfasten the seat 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 in-
stalled seat belts. The extender adds ap-
proximately 8 inches (200 mm) of length
and may be used for either the driver or front
passenger seating position. See an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer for assistance if the
extender is required.
WARNING
cOnly NISSAN seat belt extenders,
made by the same company which
made the original equipment seat
belts, should be used with NISSAN
seat 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
recommended for cleaning upholstery or
carpet. Then wipe with a cloth and allow
the seat belts 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 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.
cInfants 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
between the adult and parts of the
vehicle. Also, do not put the same
seat belt around both your child and
yourself.
c
Never install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. An inflating air
bag could seriously injure or kill your
child. A rear facing child restraint
must be used only in the rear seat.
cNISSAN recommends that the child
restraint system be installed in the
rear seat. According to accident sta-
tistics, children are safer when prop-
erly restrained in the rear seat than
in the front seat.
CHILD RESTRAINTS
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cAn improperly installed child re-
straint could lead to serious injury or
death in an accident.
cIn general, child restraints are de-
signed to be installed with a lap belt
or the lap portion of a three-point
type seat belt.
Child restraints for infants and children of
various sizes are offered by several manu-
facturers. When selecting any child re-
straint, keep the following points in mind:
cChoose only a restraint with a label
certifying that it complies with Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard 213.
cCheck the child restraint in your vehicle
to be sure it is compatible with the
vehicle's seat and seat belt system.
Choose the child restraint that meets the
guidelines of Society of Automotive En-
gineers recommended practice J1819
for child seat installation.
cIf 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 fol-
low all recommended procedures.
All U.S. States and Canadian provinces
require that infants and small children be
restrained in approved child restraints at
all times while the vehicle is being oper-
ated.
WARNING
cImproper use of a child restraint can
result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occu-
pants in the vehicle.
cFollow all of the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions for in-
stallation 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.
cIf the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden
stop greatly increases.cAdjustable seatbacks should be po-
sitioned to fit the child restraint, but
as upright as possible.
c
After attaching the child restraint,
test it 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 the restraint in place. If the
restraint is not secure, tighten the
belt as necessary, or put the restraint
in another seat and test it again.
cFor a front facing child restraint, if
the seat position where it is installed
has a Three-point type lap/shoulder
belt, check to make sure the shoul-
der belt does not go in front of the
child's face or neck. If it does, put
the shoulder belt behind the child
restraint. If you must install a front-
facing child restraint in the front
seat, see ``Installation on front pas-
senger seat'' later in this section for
details.
c
When your child restraint is not in
use, 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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CAUTION
Remember 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.
Front Facing Installation on rear seat
Center lap belt
When you install a child restraint in a rear
center seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the seat, as
illustrated. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer'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 restraint manufac-
turer's instructions for belt routing.
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3. Remove all slack in the lap belt for a very
tight fit by pulling forcefully on the lap belt
adjustment.4. 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.
5. If it is not secure, try to tighten the belt
again, or put the restraint in another seat.
6. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use.Rear Facing Installation on rear seat
Center lap belt
When you install a child restraint in a rear
center seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the seat, as
illustrated. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer's instructions.
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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 restraint manufac-
turer's instructions for belt routing.3. Remove all slack in the lap belt for a very
tight fit by pulling forcefully on the lap belt
adjustment.4. 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.
5. If it is not secure, try to tighten the belt
again, or put the restraint in another seat.
6. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use.
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