2003 NISSAN XTERRA warning

cGrasp the shoulder belt and pull forward
quickly. The retractor should lock and re-
strict 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.
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.
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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.
cAdults and children 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.
cNever use seat belt extenders to install
child restraints. If the child restraint is
not secured properly, the child could be
seriously injured in a collision or a sud-
den stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
cTo clean the seat belt webbing,apply a
mild soap solution or any solution recom-
mended 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 shoulder
belt guide with a clean, dry cloth.cPeriodically check to see that the seat
belt and the 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 as-
sembly should be replaced.
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.
ARS1098
CHILD RESTRAINTS
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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.cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. An inflating
supplemental front air bag could seri-
ously injure or kill your child. A rear-
facing child restraint must only be used
in the rear seat.
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.
cAn improperly installed child restraint
could lead to serious injury or death in
an accident.
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
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
Vehicle 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
cImproper use of a child restraint can
increase the risk or severity of injury for
both the child and other occupants of
the vehicle.
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4. Before placing the child in the child restraint,
use force to tilt the child restraint from side
to side, and tug it forward to make sure it is
securely in place. It should not move more
than 1 inch.
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.
INSTALLATION ON REAR SEAT
OUTBOARD POSITIONS
WARNING
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.
Front facing
When you install a child restraint in a rear out-
board seat, follow these steps:
1. Position the child restraint on the seat. Al-
ways follow the restraint manufacturer’s in-
structions.
Rear Facing — step 4
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Front Facing — step 1
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5. Before placing the child in the child restraint,
use force to tilt the child restraint from side
to side, and tug it forward to make sure it is
securely held in place. It should not move
more than 1 inch.
6. Check that the retractor is in the automatic
locking mode by trying to pull more belt out
of the retractor. If you cannot pull any more
belt webbing out of the retractor, the retrac-
tor is in the automatic locking mode.
7. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the belt
is not locked, repeat steps 3 through 6.After the child restraint is removed and the seat
belt is fully retracted, the automatic locking mode
(child restraint mode) is canceled.LATCH (lower anchors and tether for
children) SYSTEM
WARNING
cAttach LATCH system compatible child
restraints only at the locations shown. If
a child restraint is not secured properly,
your child could be seriously injured or
killed in an accident.
cDo not secure a child restraint in the
center rear seating position using the
LATCH system anchors. The child re-
straint will not be secured properly.
Rear Facing — step 5
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cThe LATCH system anchors are de-
signed to withstand only those loads
imposed by correctly fitted child re-
straints. Under no circumstance are
they to be used for adult seat belts or
harnesses.
Some child restraints include two rigid or
webbing-mounted attachments that can be con-
nected to two anchors located at certain seating
positions in your vehicle. This system is known as
the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether for Chil-
dren) system. This system may also be referred to
as the ISOFIX or ISOFIX compatible system.
With this system, you do not have to use a vehicle
seat belt to secure the child restraint. Your vehicle
is equipped with special anchor points that are
used with LATCH system compatible child re-
straints. Check your child restraint for a label
stating that it is compatible with the LATCH sys-
tem. This information may also be in the child
restraint owner’s manual. If you have such a child
restraint, refer to the illustration for the seating
positions equipped with LATCH system anchors
which can be used to secure the child restraint.
The LATCH system anchors are located at the
rear of the seat cushion near the seatback. A
label is attached to the seatback to help you
locate the LATCH system anchors.LATCH child restraints generally require the use
of a top tether strap. See “Top tether strap child
restraint” later in this section for installation in-
structions.
When installing a child restraint, carefully read
and follow the instructions in this manual and
those supplied with the child restraint.
When you install a LATCH system compatible
child restraint to the lower anchor attachments,
follow these steps:
WARNING
Inspect the lower anchors by inserting
your fingers into the lower anchor area
and feeling to make sure there are no
obstructions over the LATCH system an-
chors, such as seat belt webbing or seat
cushion material. The child restraint will
not be secured properly if the LATCH sys-
tem anchors are obstructed.
1. To install the LATCH system compatible
child restraint, insert the child restraint
LATCH system anchor attachments into the
anchor points on the seat. If the child re-
straint is equipped with a top tether, see
“Top tether strap child restraint” later in this
section for installation instructions.2. After attaching the child restraint and before
placing the child in it, use force to tilt the
child restraint from side to side and tug it
forward to make sure that the child restraint
is securely held in place. It should not move
more than 1 inch.
3. Check to make sure that the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use.
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For the rear center seating position, place the top
tether strap through the split between the rear
seat back cushion as shown in the illustration.
Position the tether as low as possible in the split
before tightening the top tether strap. Do not
place the top tether strap over the seat back to
the side of the split when installing a child re-
straint in the center rear position. In that position
the top tether strap may not stay in place and not
keep the child restraint secure in a crash.
WARNING
In the center position the top tether strap
must be correctly placed between the split
in the rear seat back cushions. If the child
restraint top tether strap is not secured
properly, your child could be seriously in-
jured or killed in an accident.
Secure the top strap to the attaching bracket that
provides the straightest installation of the strap.
Tighten the strap according to the manufactur-
er’s instructions to remove any slack.
WARNING
cChild restraint anchor points are de-
signed to withstand only those loads
imposed by correctly fitted child re-
straints. Under no circumstances are
they to be used for adult seat belts or
harnesses.
cThe child restraint top tether strap may
be damaged by contact with the ton-
neau cover or items in the cargo area.
Remove the tonneau cover from the ve-
hicle or secure it and any cargo. Your
child could be seriously injured or killed
in a collision if the top tether strap is
damaged.1. Anchor point locations
2. Cargo tie down hook flaps
Anchor point locations
Anchor points are located in the cargo area under
the carpet
s1.
If you have any questions when installing a
top strap child restraint on the rear seat,
consult your NISSAN dealer for details.
Rear seat center position
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Flaps are provided in the carpet for easy access
to the anchor point locations and are marked with
the label shown.INSTALLATION ON FRONT
PASSENGER SEAT
WARNING
cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front passenger seat.
Supplemental front air bags inflate with
great force. A rear-facing child restraint
could be struck by the supplemental
front air bag in a crash and could seri-
ously injure or kill your child.
WARNING
cNISSAN recommends that child re-
straints be installed in the rear seat.
However, if you must install a forward-
facing child restraint in the front pas-
senger seat, move the passenger seat
to the rearmost position.
cA child restraint with a top tether strap
should not be used in the front passen-
ger seat.
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