2003 NISSAN FRONTIER Owners Manual

PRECAUTIONS ON SEAT BELT
USAGE
If you are wearing your seat belt properly ad-
justed, 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 in-
cludes a supplemental air bag.
Most U.S. states and Canadian provinces
or territories specify that seat belts be worn
at all times when a vehicle is being driven.
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SEAT BELTS
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WARNING
cEvery person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times. Children should be properly re-
strained in the rear seat (Crew Cab
models) and, if appropriate, in a child
restraint.
WARNING
cThe seat belt should be properly ad-
justed to a snug fit. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the entire
restraint system and increase the
chance or severity of injury in an acci-
dent. Serious injury or death can occur
if the seat belt is not worn properly.
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WARNING
cAlways 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.
cPosition 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.cBe sure the seat belt tongue is securely
fastened to the proper buckle.
cDo not wear the seat belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness.
cDo not allow more than one person to
use the same seat belt.
cNever carry more people in the vehicle
than there are seat belts.
cOnce the pre-tensioner seat belt has
activated, it cannot be reused and must
be replaced together with the retractor.
See your NISSAN dealer.
cNever allow anyone to ride in the cargo
area or in a slide-in camper or other
type cargo area cover while the vehicle
is in motion. These areas do not contain
seat belts. It is not designed for passen-
gers. They could be injured in sudden
braking or a collision.
cIf the seat belt warning light glows con-
tinuously while the ignition is turned
ON with all doors closed and all seat
belts fastened, it may indicate a mal-
function in the system. Have the system
checked by a NISSAN dealer.cRemoval and installation of the pre-
tensioner seat belt system components
should be done by a NISSAN dealer.
cAll seat belt assemblies, including re-
tractors and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after any collision
by a NISSAN dealer. NISSAN recom-
mends that all seat belt assemblies in
use during a collision be replaced un-
less the collision was minor and the
belts show no damage and continue to
operate properly. Seat belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
cAll child restraints and attaching hard-
ware should be inspected after any col-
lision. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer’s inspection instructions
and replacement recommendations.
The child restraints should be replaced
if they are damaged.
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 1 year and less
than 20 pounds, (9 kg) should be placed in rear
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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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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 pos-
sible 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
recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
NISSAN recommends that injured persons use
seat belts. Check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
cEvery person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times.
cDo 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 receive
neck or other serious injuries. You
could also slide under the lap belt and
receive serious internal injuries.
cFor the 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 belts
s1Adjust the seat.
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s2Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor
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 seat belt to move, and
allows you some freedom of movement in
the seat.s3Position the lap belt portionlow and snug
on the hipsas shown.
s4Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack.
The front passenger seat belt and the rear three-
point seat belts (Crew Cab only) 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 retracted, the seat belt is in the
emergency locking mode. See “Child restraints”
later in this section for more information.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.
WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain
that the seatbacks are completely se-
cured in the latched position. If they are
not completely secured, passengers may
be injured in an accident or sudden stop.
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Unfastening the seat belts
s1To unfasten the seat belt, press the button on
the buckle. The seat belt automatically re-
tracts.
Checking seat belt operation
Seat belt retractors are designed to lock seat belt
movement by two separate methods:
cWhen the seat belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
cWhen 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 questions about seat belt opera-
tion, see a NISSAN dealer.
Shoulder belt height adjustment (For
front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be ad-
justed to the position best for you. (See “Precau-
tions on seat belt usage” earlier in this section.)
To adjust, pull out the adjustment button
s1and
move the shoulder belt anchor to the desired
position
s2, so the belt passes over the center of
the shoulder. The belt should be away from your
face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Release the adjustment button to lock the shoul-
der belt anchor into position.
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WARNING
cAfter adjustment, release the adjust-
ment button and try to move the shoul-
der 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 effec-
tiveness of the entire restraint system
and increase the chance or severity of
injury in an accident.
TWO-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITHOUT RETRACTOR (jump seat in
King Cab models and center of rear
seat in Crew Cab models)
WARNING
cDo not install a child restraint in the
jump seats (King Cab model) . These
seats are not suitable for child restraint
installation.
cSerious or fatal injury could occur.
Fastening the belts
1. Insert the tongue into the buckle until you
hear and feel the latch engage.
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