2003 NISSAN FRONTIER Owners Manual

1. Diagnosis sensor unit
2. Seat belt pre-tensioner retractors
3. Supplemental air bag modules
4. Passenger air bag ON/OFF switch
5. Passenger air bag OFF indicatorSupplemental front air bag system
The driver supplemental front air bag is located in
the center of the steering wheel. The passenger
supplemental front air bag is mounted in the
dashboard above the glove box.These systems are designed to meet optional
certification requirements under U.S. regulations.
They are also permitted in Canada. The optional
certification allows the front air bags to be de-
signed to inflate somewhat less forcefully than
previously.However, all of the information,
cautions and warnings in this manual still
apply and must be followed.
The supplemental front air bag system is de-
signed to inflate in higher severity frontal colli-
sions, although it may inflate if the forces in an-
other type of collision are similar to those of a
higher severity frontal impact. It may not inflate in
certain frontal collisions. Vehicle damage (or lack
of it) is not always an indication of proper supple-
mental front air bag system operation.
King Cab models are equipped with a supple-
mental front passenger air bag ON/OFF switch.
Because no rear seat exists where a rear facing
child restraint can be secured as in other models,
the switch is designed to turn OFF the passenger
supplemental air bag so that a rear facing child
restraint can be used in the front passenger seat.
See “Passenger supplemental air bag ON/OFF
switch and light” later in this section for details.
Crew Cab models are not equipped with a
supplemental front passenger air bag ON/OFF
switch because they have a rear seat for child
restraint installation. Further, for Crew Cab mod-
WRS0214
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-11
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

els, the supplemental air bag system has dual
stage inflators for both the driver and passenger
air bags. The system monitors information from
the crash zone sensor, the diagnosis sensor unit
and seat belt buckle sensors that detect if the
seat belts are fastened. Inflator operation is
based on the severity of a collision and whether
the seat belts are being used. Only one front air
bag may inflate in a crash, depending on the
crash severity and whether the front occupants
are belted or unbelted. This does not indicate
improper performance of the system. If you have
any questions about the performance of your air
bag system, please contact your NISSAN dealer.
When the supplemental front air bag inflates, a
fairly loud noise may be heard, followed by the
release of smoke. This smoke is not harmful and
does not indicate a fire. Care should be taken to
not inhale it, as it may cause irritation and chok-
ing. Those with a history of a breathing condition
should get fresh air promptly.
Supplemental front air bags, along with the use of
seat belts, help to cushion the impact force on
the face and chest of the front occupants. They
can help save lives and reduce serious injuries.
However, an inflating front air bag may cause
facial abrasions or other injuries. Front air bags
do not provide restraint to the lower body.Seat belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger seated upright as far as
practical away from the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel. The supplemental front air bags in-
flate quickly in order to help protect the front
occupants. Because of this, the force of the front
air bag inflating can increase the risk of injury if
the occupant is too close to, or is against, the
front air bag module during inflation.
The front air bags deflate quickly after a collision.
The supplemental front air bags operate
only when the ignition switch is in the ON
or START position.
After turning the ignition key to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates. The supplemental air bag
warning light will turn off after about 7
seconds if the system is operational.
WARNING
cDo not place any objects on the steer-
ing wheel pad or on the instrument
panel. Also, do not place any objects
between any occupant and the steering
wheel or instrument panel. Such ob-
jects may become dangerous projec-
tiles and cause injury if the supplemen-
tal front air bag inflates.cRight after inflation, several front air
bag system components will be hot. Do
not touch them; you may severely burn
yourself.
cNo unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the supplemental air bag system. This is
to prevent accidental inflation of the
supplemental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
cDo not make unauthorized changes to
your vehicle’s electrical system, sus-
pension system or front end structure.
This could affect proper operation of
the supplemental front air bag system.
cTampering with the supplemental front
air bag system may result in serious
personal injury. Tampering includes
changes to the steering wheel and the
instrument panel assembly by placing
material over the steering wheel pad
and above the instrument panel or by
installing additional trim material
around the air bag system.
1-12Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

cWork around and on the supplemental
front air bag system should be done by
a NISSAN dealer. Installation of electri-
cal equipment should also be done by a
NISSAN dealer. The Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS) wiring should not
be modified or disconnected. Unautho-
rized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used on
the air bag system.
cA cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified re-
pair facility. A cracked windshield could
affect inflation of the supplemental air
bag system.
cThe SRS wiring harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy
identification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the supplemental front air
bag system and guide the buyer to the appropri-
ate sections in this Owner’s Manual.Pre-tensioner seat belt system (For
front seats)
WARNING
cThe pre-tensioner seat belt cannot be
reused after activation. It must be re-
placed together with the retractor and
buckle as a unit.
cIf the vehicle becomes involved in a
frontal collision but the pre-tensioner is
not activated, be sure to have the pre-
tensioner system checked and, if nec-
essary, replaced by your NISSAN
dealer.
cNo unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the pre-tensioner seat belt system. This
is to prevent accidental activation of
the pre-tensioner seat belt or damage
to the pre-tensioner seat belt operation.
Tampering with the pre-tensioner seat
belt system may result in serious per-
sonal injury.cWork around and on the pre-tensioner
system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Unauthorized electrical test
equipment and probing devices should
not be used on the pre-tensioner seat
belt system.
cIf you need to dispose of the pre-
tensioner or scrap the vehicle, contact a
NISSAN dealer. Correct pre-tensioner
disposal procedures are set forth in the
appropriate NISSAN Service Manual.
Incorrect disposal procedures could
cause personal injury.
The front seat pre-tensioner seat belt system
activates in conjunction with the supplemental
front air bag. Working with the seat belt retractor,
it helps tighten the seat belt the instant the ve-
hicle becomes involved in certain types of colli-
sions, thereby restraining seat occupants.
The pre-tensioner is encased with the seat belt’s
retractor. These seat belts are used the same as
conventional seat belts.
When the pre-tensioner seat belt activates,
smoke is released and a loud noise may be heard.
This smoke is not harmful and does not indicate a
fire. Care should be taken not to inhale it, as it may
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-13
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

cause irritation and choking. Those with a history
of a breathing condition should get fresh air
promptly.
If any abnormality occurs in the pre-tensioner
system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
will flash intermittently after the igni-
tion key is turned to the ON or START position. In
this case, the pre-tensioner seat belt will not
function properly. They must be checked and
repaired. Take your vehicle to the nearest
NISSAN dealer.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the pre-tensioner seat belt
system and guide the buyer to the appropriate
sections in this Owner’s Manual.
WRS0111
1-14Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

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
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-15
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

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.
1-16Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

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 light is also illuminated, some-
thing may be wrong with the air bag
system. Infants, children ages 1-12 or
persons with special medical condi-
tions should not use the front passen-
ger seat until the system is checked by
your NISSAN dealer.
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LABELS
Warning labels about the supplemental front air
bag system are placed in the vehicle as shown in
the illustration.
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light,
displayingin the instrument panel, moni-
tors the circuits of the supplemental air bag and
pre-tensioner seat belt systems. The circuits
monitored by the supplemental air bag warning
light are the diagnosis sensor unit, crash zone
sensor, supplemental air bag modules, pre-
tensioner seat belts and all related wiring.
When the ignition key is in the ON or START
position, the supplemental air bag warning light
illuminates for about 7 seconds and then turns
off. This means the system is operational.
WRS0215LRS0100
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-17
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X

If any of the following system conditions occur,
the supplemental air bag and pre-tensioner seat
belt systems need servicing:
cThe supplemental air bag warning light re-
mains on after approximately 7 seconds.
cThe supplemental air bag warning light flashes
intermittently.
cThe supplemental air bag warning light does
not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the Supplemental Re-
straint System (supplemental front air bag or
pre-tensioner seat belt systems) may not operate
properly. It must be checked and repaired. Take
your vehicle to the nearest NISSAN dealer.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning light
is on, it could mean that the supplemental
front air bag or pre-tensioner seat belt
systems will not operate in an accident.
Repair and replacement procedure
The supplemental front air bag and pre-tensioner
seat belts are designed to inflate on a one-time-
only basis. As a reminder, unless it is damaged,
the supplemental air bag warning light remains
illuminated after inflation has occurred. Repairand replacement of these supplemental air bag
systems should be done only by a NISSAN
dealer.
When maintenance work is required on the ve-
hicle, the supplemental front air bags, pre-
tensioner seat belts and related parts should be
pointed out to the person performing the mainte-
nance. The ignition key should always be in the
LOCK position when working under the hood or
inside the vehicle.
WARNING
cOnce a supplemental front air bag has
inflated, the air bag module will not
function and must be replaced. Addi-
tionally, if any of the supplemental front
air bags inflate, the activated pre-
tensioner seat belts must also be re-
placed. The air bag module and pre-
tensioner seat belt system should be
replaced by a NISSAN dealer. The air
bag module and pre-tensioner seat belt
system cannot be repaired.
cThe supplemental front air bag system
and pre-tensioner seat belt system
should be inspected by a NISSAN
dealer if there is any damage to the
front end portion of the vehicle.cIf you need to dispose of the supple-
mental air bag, pre-tensioner seat belt
system or scrap the vehicle, contact a
NISSAN dealer. Correct supplemental
air bag and pre-tensioner seat belt sys-
tem disposal procedures are set forth in
the appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual. Incorrect disposal procedures
could cause personal injury.
1-18Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2003 Truck/Frontier(d22)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/13/03Ðarosenma
X