2000 NISSAN SENTRA child restraint

Foreword
Welcome to the growing family of new
NISSAN owners. This vehicle is delivered
to you with confidence. It was produced
using the latest techniques and strict quality
control.
This manual was prepared to help you
understand the operation and maintenance
of your vehicle so that you may enjoy many
miles (kilometers) of driving pleasure.
Please read through this manual before
operating your vehicle.
In the U.S., a separate Warranty Informa-
tion and Maintenance Log Booklet and
in Canada, a Warranty and Roadside
Assistance Information Booklet ex-
plains details about the warranties cov-
ering your vehicle and vehicle mainte-
nance schedules. Additionally, a
separate Customer Care/Lemon Law
Booklet (U.S. only) will explain how to
resolve any concerns you may have with
your vehicle, as well as clarify your
rights under your state's lemon law.
Your NISSAN dealership knows your ve-
hicle best. When you require any service or
have any questions, they will be glad to
assist you with the extensive resources
available to them.READ FIRST Ð THEN DRIVE SAFELY
Before driving your vehicle please read this
owner's manual carefully. This will ensure
familiarity with controls and maintenance
requirements, assisting you in the safe op-
eration of your vehicle.
WARNING
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
REMINDERS FOR SAFETY!
Follow these important driving rules to
help ensure a safe and comfortable trip
for you and your passengers!
cNEVER drive under the influence of
alcohol or drugs.
cALWAYS observe posted speed lim-
its and never drive too fast for con-
ditions.
c
ALWAYS use your seat belts and
appropriate child restraint systems.
Pre-teen children should be seated
in the rear seat.
cALWAYS provide information about
the proper use of vehicle safety fea-
tures to all occupants of the vehicle.
c
ALWAYS review this owner's manual
for important safety information.
MODIFICATION OF YOUR VEHICLE
This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification could affect its perfor-
mance, safety or durability, and may
even violate governmental regulations.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from modifications
may not be covered under NISSAN
warranties.
WHEN READING THE MANUAL
This manual includes information for all
options available on this model. Therefore,
you may find some information that does
not apply to your vehicle.
All information, specifications and illustra-
tions in this manual are those in effect at the
time of printing. NISSAN reserves the right
to change specifications or design without
notice and without obligation.
The inside pages of this manual contain
a minimum of 50% recycled fibers,
including 10% post-consumer fibers.
ZX

1 Seats, restraints and supplemental air
bag systems
Seats ......................................................................1-2
Front seat adjustment ............................................1-2
Rear seat adjustment .............................................1-4
Head restraint adjustment ......................................1-5
Supplemental restraint system ...............................1-6
Precautions on supplemental restraint system ......1-6
Supplemental air bag warning labels ...................1-16
Supplemental air bag warning light......................1-16
Seat belts .............................................................1-18
Precautions on seat belt usage ...........................1-18
Child safety...........................................................1-20Pregnant women ..................................................1-20
Injured persons ....................................................1-21
Three-point type seat belt with retractor ..............1-21
Seat belt extenders ..............................................1-24
Seat belt maintenance .........................................1-24
Child restraints .....................................................1-25
Precautions on child restraints .............................1-25
Installation on rear seat center or outboard
positions ...............................................................1-26
Top tether strap child restraint .............................1-32
Installation on front passenger seat .....................1-33
ZX

REAR SEAT ADJUSTMENT
Interior trunk access
(if so equipped)
The trunk can be accessed from the rear
seat for loading and unloading, as shown.
WARNING
cNever allow anyone to ride in the
luggage area or on the rear seat
when it is in the fold-down position.
Use of these areas by passengers
without proper restraints could resultin serious injury in an accident or
sudden stop.
cProperly secure all cargo to help
prevent it from sliding or shifting. Do
not place cargo higher than the seat-
backs. In a sudden stop or collision,
unsecured cargo could cause per-
sonal injury.
cWhen returning seatbacks to the up-
right position, be certain they are
completely secured in the latched
position.cClosely supervise children when
they are around cars to prevent them
from playing and becoming locked
in the trunk where they could be
seriously injured. Keep the car
locked, with the rear seatback se-
curely latched, when not in use, and
prevent children's access to car
keys.
WRS0025
1-4Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

WARNING
cNever let children ride unrestrained.
Do not attempt to hold them in your
lap or arms. Some examples of dan-
gerous riding positions are shown in
the illustrations.
cChildren may be severely injured or
killed when the supplemental front
air bag inflates if they are not prop-
erly restrained.
cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. An inflating
supplemental front air bag could se-
riously injure or kill your child. See
``Child restraints'' later in this sec-
tion for details.
ARS1043
ARS1044
ARS1045
ARS1046
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-9
ZX

WARNING
Supplemental side air bag (if so
equipped):
cThe supplemental side air bag ordi-
narily will not inflate in the event of a
frontal impact, rear impact or lower
severity side collision. Always wear
your seat belt to help reduce the risk
or severity of injury in various kinds
of accidents.cThe seat belts and the supplemental
side air bag are most effective when
you are sitting well back and upright
in the seat. The side air bag inflates
with great force. Do not allow any-
one to place their hand, leg or face
near the side air bag on the side of
the seatback of the front seat. Do not
allow anyone sitting in the front seat
to extend their hand out of the win-
dow or lean against the door. When
sitting in the rear seat, do not hold
onto the seatback of the front seat.If the side air bag inflates, the occu-
pant may be seriously injured. Be
especially careful with children, who
should always be properly re-
strained. Some examples of danger-
ous riding positions are shown in
the illustrations.
cDo not use seat covers on the front
seatbacks. They may interfere with
supplemental side air bag inflation.
SSS0101WRS0032SSS0159
1-10Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

damage to the front end or side por-
tion of the vehicle, or replaced if the
supplemental air bag has inflated.
cIf you need to dispose of a supple-
mental air bag or scrap the vehicle,
contact an authorized NISSAN
dealer. Correct supplemental air bag
disposal procedures are set forth in
the appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual. Incorrect disposal proce-
dures could cause personal injury.
PRECAUTIONS ON SEAT BELT
USAGE
If you are wearing your seat belt properly
adjusted, your chances of being injured or
killed in an accident and/or the severity of
injury may be greatly reduced. NISSAN
strongly encourages you and all of your
passengers to buckle up every time you
drive, even if your seating position includes
a supplemental air bag.
Most states and all Canadian provinces
or territories require 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 prop-
erly restrained and, if appropriate, in
a child restraint.
cThe belt should be properly adjusted
to a snug fit. 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. Serious injury or death can
occur if the seat belt is not worn
properly.
WRS0035
SEAT BELTS
1-18Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

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 one year
and less than 20 pounds (9 kg) should be
placed in rear facing child restraints. Front
facing child restraints are available for chil-
dren who outgrow rear facing child restraints.
WARNING
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 improp-
erly fitting seat belt could cause seri-
ous or fatal injury. Always use appro-
priate child restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require the use of approved child
restraints for infants and small children. See
``Child restraints'' 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 pre-teens 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-
hicle has a supplemental restraint system
(Air bag system) for the front passenger.
See ``Supplemental restraint system'' ear-
lier in this section.
Infants and small children
NISSAN recommends that infants and small
children be placed in child restraints that
comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213. You should choose a
child restraint that 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 that the shoul-der 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 Standard 213 or Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. 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 moving.
The child could be seriously injured or
killed in an accident or sudden stop.
PREGNANT WOMEN
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women
use seat belts. The seat belt should be worn
snug, and always position the lap belt as
low as possible around the hips, not the
waist. Place the shoulder belt over your
shoulder and across your chest. Never run
the lap/shoulder belt over your abdominal
area. Contact your doctor for specific rec-
ommendations.
1-20Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat.
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retrac-
tor and insert the tongue into the buckle
until you hear and feel the latch engage.
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 and
snug on the hipsas shown.
4. Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack.
The front passenger seat belt and the rear
three-point seat belts have a cinching
mechanism for child restraint installation. It is
referred to as the automatic locking mode.
When automatic locking mode is activated,
the seat belt cannot be withdrawn again
until the seat belt tongue is detached from
the buckle and fully retracted. Once re-
tracted, the seat belt is in the emergencylocking mode. For additional information,
see ``Child restraints'' 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 automatic locking mode should
not be activated. If it is activated it may
cause uncomfortable seat belt tension.
ARS1052ARS1162
1-22Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX