2003 NISSAN FRONTIER ECO mode

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 illustrations in
this manual are those in effect at the time of
printing. NISSAN reserves the right to change
specifications or design without notice and with-
out obligation.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT
THIS MANUAL
You will see various symbols in this manual. They
are used in the following ways:
WARNING
This is used to indicate the presence of a
hazard that could cause death or serious
personal injury. To avoid or reduce the
risk, the procedures must be followed
precisely.
CAUTION
This is used to indicate the presence of a
hazard that could cause minor or moder-
ate personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle. To avoid or reduce the risk, the pro-
cedures must be followed carefully.If you see this symbol, it means“Do not do this”
or“Do not let this happen.”
If you see a symbol similar to these in an illustra-
tion, it means the arrow points to the front of the
vehicle.
Arrows in an illustration that are similar to these
indicate movement or action.
Arrows in an illustration that are similar to these
call attention to an item in the illustration.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65
WARNING
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de-
fects or other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids contained in vehicles
and certain products of component wear
contain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
© 2003 NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
GARDENA, CALIFORNIA
All rights reserved. No part of this Owner’s
Manual may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form, or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of Nissan North America, Inc., Gar-
dena, California.
APD1005
WHEN READING THE MANUAL
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The inside pages of this manual contain
a minimum of 50% recycled fibers,
including 10% post-consumer fibers.

PASSENGER SUPPLEMENTAL AIR
BAG ON/OFF SWITCH AND LIGHT
(except Crew Cab models)
WARNING
Air bags and seat belts are designed to
work as a unit. Do not switch the air bag
OFF unless you meet federal government
criteria. Switching off the air bag may in-
crease the risk of serious or fatal injuries
in a collision where the air bag would have
inflated.
In rare instances, some passengers are exposed
to serious injury risks from inflating air bags, es-
pecially if not properly restrained. The U.S. and
Canadian federal governments recognize other
limited circumstances in which an air bag could
reduce safety. The passenger air bag ON/OFF
switch is, therefore, allowed in models without full
rear seats. Because the overall benefits of air
bags are great, in most situations air bags should
not be switched off unless special government
criteria exist.
The passenger air bag ON/OFF switch is located
in the center of the instrument panel, near the
ashtray. It can be used to turn the passenger
supplemental air bag OFF.The ON/OFF switch should ONLY be used to
turn the passenger supplemental air bag OFF
when the following government criteria exists:
cInfants (less than 1 year old) in rear facing child
restraints MUST be placed in the front pas-
senger seat.
cChildren ages 1-12 years MUST be placed in
the front passenger seat.
cThe passenger has a medical condition which,
according to a physician, causes the air bag to
pose a special risk and makes the potential
harm from the air bag greater than the potential
harm from turning off the air bag.
Seat belts and child restraints should always be
properly used. See “Precautions on seat belt
usage” and “Child restraints” later in this section
for details.
To turn the passenger supplemental air bag OFF,
insert the ignition key in the passenger supple-
mental air bag ON/OFF switch and turn the
switch clockwise to the OFF position. Then re-
move the key. When the ignition is turned to the
ON or START position the passenger air bag
OFF indicator light will illuminate to indicate the
air bag is OFF. To turn the passenger supplemen-
tal air bag ON, insert the ignition key in the
passenger supplemental air bag ON/OFF switch
and turn the switch counter clockwise to the ONposition. Then remove the key. When the ignition
is turned to the ON or START position the pas-
senger air bag OFF indicator light will illuminate
for 7 seconds to indicate the system is working
properly and then go out to indicate that the
passenger supplemental air bag is ON.
1. Do not operate the passenger supplemental
air bag ON/OFF switch when the ignition is
ON.
2. Fully turn the passenger supplemental air
bag ON/OFF switch to either the ON or OFF
position.
3. Always remove the ignition key after using
the passenger supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch.
4. The passenger air bag OFF indicator light
should illuminate for 7 seconds after the
ignition is turned to the ON or START posi-
tion. If not, the vehicle should be taken to a
NISSAN dealer.
Items 2 and 3 above are intended to prevent
improper use of the ignition key.
When the switch is turned to the ON position, the
passenger supplemental air bag is enabled and
could inflate in a frontal collision. When the
switch is turned to the OFF position, the passen-
ger supplemental air bag is disabled and will not
inflate in a frontal collision. The passenger
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supplemental air bag OFF indicator light on the
instrument panel illuminates when the passenger
supplemental air bag ON/OFF switch is turned to
the OFF position. The driver’s side supplemental
air bag always remains enabled and is not af-
fected by the passenger supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch.
The passenger supplemental air bag light, dis-
playing OFF in the center of the instrument panel,
monitors the position of the passenger supple-
mental air bag ON/OFF switch. When the igni-
tion key is in the ON or START position, the light
illuminates for about 7 seconds and then turns off
if the air bag ON/OFF switch is in the ON posi-
tion, or stays on if the passenger supplemental air
bag ON/OFF switch is in the OFF position.WARNING
cDo not switch the air bag OFF unless
you meet the federal government crite-
ria outlined previously. This vehicle (ex-
cept Crew Cab models) is equipped
with seat belts with a “load limiter” fea-
ture. The seat belts are designed to
work with the air bags to reduce the risk
of injury in a collision. The seat belts are
designed to release additional belt
webbing during some collisions to re-
duce the concentration of force on the
occupant’s chest area. In a collision
with the airbag turned OFF, the seat
belt may allow the occupant enough
forward movement to incur serious or
fatal injuries.cKeep the passenger supplemental air
bag ON/OFF switch turned ON unless arear-facing child restraint must be used
in the front seat, if children ages 1-12
must be placed in the front seat, or if the
passenger has a medical condition,
which, according to a physician, causes
the air bag to pose a special risk of
harm (the federal government criteria) .
If the switch is OFF, the air bag will not
inflate in a collision as designed and
the extra protection provided by the air
bag may be lost.
cBe sure to turn the passenger supple-
mental 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 inflate in a colli-
sion. The force of the rapidly inflating
air bag could cause serious injury or kill
the child in the child restraint. Children
ages 1-12 and persons with special
medical conditions may also be at risk
from an inflating air bag.
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facing child restraints. Front facing child re-
straints are available for children who outgrow
rear facing child restraints.
WARNING
cBe sure to turn the passenger supple-
mental air bag ON/OFF switch OFF
when using a rear facing child restraint
in the front passenger seat in models so
equipped. If it is not OFF, the air bag
may inflate in a collision. The force of
the rapidly inflating air bag could cause
serious injury or kill the child in the
child restraint. See “Passenger supple-
mental air bag ON/OFF switch and
light” earlier in this section.
cIn Crew Cab models, never install a rear
facing child restraint in the front pas-
senger 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.
cDo not install a child restraint in the
jump seats (King Cab model) . These
seats are not suitable for child restraint
installation.cInfants 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 or terri-
tories require the use of approved child restraints
for infants and small children. See “Child Re-
straints” later in this section.
In addition, there are many types of child re-
straints 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
available (Crew Cab models) . 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 vehicle has a supplemental
restraint system (Air bag system) for the
front passenger. See “Supplemental re-
straint 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 and small chil-
dren be placed in child restraints that comply with
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Ca-
nadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. You
should choose a child restraint that fits your ve-
hicle and always follow the manufacturer’s in-
structions for installation and use.
Larger children
Children 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 posi-
tioned 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.
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PRECAUTIONS ON CHILD
RESTRAINTS
WARNING
cInfants and small children should al-
ways be placed in an appropriate child
restraint while riding in the vehicle.
Failure to use a child restraint can re-
sult in serious injury or death.
WARNING
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 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.cIn Crew Cab models, never install a rear
facing child restraint in the front pas-
senger 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.
cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat of a model
equipped with a supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch unless you first turn
OFF the air bag. An inflating air bag
could seriously injure or kill your child.
See “Passenger supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch and light” earlier in this
section.
cAn improperly installed child restraint
could lead to serious injury or death in
an accident.
cNISSAN recommends that the child re-
straint be installed in the rear seat. Ac-
cording to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat.
In general, child restraints are designed to be
installed with a lap belt or the lap portion of a
three-point type seat belt. In addition, this vehicle
is equipped with a universal child restraint lower
anchor system, referred to as the LATCH (Lower
Anchors and Tether for Children) system. Some
ARS1098WRS0256
CHILD RESTRAINTS
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child restraints include two rigid or webbing-
mounted attachments that can be connected to
these lower anchors. For details, see the “LATCH
(Lower Anchors and Tether for Children) system”
later in this section.
Child restraints for infants and small children of
various sizes are offered by several manufactur-
ers. When selecting any child restraint, 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 Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 213.
cCheck the child restraint in your vehicle to be
sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s seat and
seat belt system.
cIf the child restraint is compatible with your
vehicle, place your child in the child restraint
and check the various adjustments to be sure
the child restraint is compatible with your child.
Always follow all recommended procedures.
All U.S. states and provinces of Canada
require that infants and small children be
restrained in an approved child restraint at
all times while the vehicle is being oper-
ated.WARNING
cDo not install a child restraint in the
jump seats (King Cab model) . These
seats are not suitable for child restraint
installation.
cImproper use of a child restraint can
increase the risk or severity of injury for
both the child and other occupants of
the vehicle.
cFollow all of the child restraint manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation
and use. When purchasing a child re-
straint, 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 in-
jured in a collision or a sudden stop
greatly increases.
cAdjustable seatbacks should be posi-
tioned to fit the child restraint, but as
upright as possible.cAfter 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. The child restraint
should not move more than 1 inch. If the
restraint is not secure, tighten the belt
as necessary, or put the restraint in an-
other 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 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. If you must
install a front facing child restraint in
the front seat, see “Installation on front
passenger seat” later in this section.
cWhen your child restraint is not in use,
keep it secured with a seat belt to pre-
vent 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.
INSTALLATION ON REAR BENCH
SEAT CENTER POSITION (Crew
Cab models only)
Front facing
When you install a child restraint in the rear
center seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the seat as
illustrated. Always follow the restraint manu-
facturer’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 child restraint manu-
facturer’s instructions for belt routing.
Front Facing – step 1
WRS0263
Front Facing — step 2
WRS0250
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cNISSAN recommends that the child re-
straint be installed in the rear seat
(Crew Cab models) . However, if you
must install a forward-facing child re-
straint in the front passenger seat,
move the passenger seat to the rear-
most position.
cNever install a rear facing child restraint
in the front seating position of Crew
Cab models. Install a rear-facing child
restraint in the rear seat only. The force
of the inflating air bag could cause se-
rious injury or kill the child in the child
restraint.
cThe three-point seat belt in your vehicle
is equipped with an automatic locking
mode retractor which must be used
when installing a child restraint.
cFailure to use the retractor’s locking
mode will result in the child restraint
not being properly secured. The re-
straint could tip over or otherwise be
unsecured and cause injury to the child
in a sudden stop or collision.cIf the supplemental air bag warning
light located in the instrument panel
next to the speedometer comes on
when the passenger supplemental air
bag OFF indicator light is also illumi-
nated, something may be wrong with
the supplemental air bag system. Do
not use a child restraint in the front
passenger seat until the system is
checked by your NISSAN dealer.
If you choose to install a child restraint in the front
seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the front pas-
senger seat.Move the seat to the rear-
most position.Always follow the restraint
manufacturer’s instructions.
Front Facing — step 1
WRS0258
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