2008 NISSAN 350Z Owners Manual

WARNING

Never let an infant who requires the
use of a rear facing child restraint
ride in this vehicle. Do not attempt to
hold a child in your lap or arms. Some
examples of dangerous riding posi-
tions are shown in the previous illus-
trations.

Roadster models do not have an an-
chor for a top tether strap required
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SSS0009SSS0099
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for most front facing child restraints.
Never let children who require the
use of a front facing child restraint
ride in Roadster models.

Children may be severely injured or
killed when the front air bags, side air
bags or curtain air bags inflate if they
are not properly restrained.

Even with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-
facing child restraint in the front seat.
An inflating front air bag could seri-
ously injure or kill your child. See
“Child restraints” earlier in this sec-
tion for details.
WARNING
Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bags and roof-
mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bags (if so equipped):

The side air bags and curtain air bags
ordinarily will not inflate in the event
of a frontal impact, rear impact, roll-
over or lower severity side collision.
Always wear your seat belts to help
reduce the risk or severity of injuryin various kinds of accidents.

The seat belts, side air bags and
curtain air bags are most effective
when you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat. The side air bags
and curtain air bags inflate with great
force. Do not allow anyone to place
their hand, leg or face near the side
air bag on the side of the seatback of
the front seat or near the side roof
rails. Do not allow anyone sitting in
the front seat to extend their hand
out of the window or lean against the
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door. Some examples of dangerous
riding positions are shown in the pre-
vious illustrations.

Do not use seat covers on the front
seatbacks. They may interfere with
side air bag inflation.
1. Crash zone sensor
2. Supplemental front-impact air bag modules
3. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bags (if so equipped for Coupe
models)4. Occupant classification sensor (pattern sen-
sor)
5. Occupant classification system control unit
6. Front seat-mounted side-impact supplemen-
tal air bag modules (if so equipped)
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7. Air bag Control Unit (ACU)
8. Satellite sensors
9. Seat belt pretensionersNISSAN Advanced Air Bag SystemThis vehicle is equipped with the NISSAN Ad-
vanced Air Bag System for the driver and front
passenger seats. This system is designed to
meet certification requirements under U.S. regu-
lations. It is also permitted in Canada.However,
all of the information, cautions and warn-
ings in this manual still apply and must be
followed.
The driver supplemental front-impact air bag is
located in the center of the steering wheel. The
passenger supplemental front-impact air bag is
mounted in the instrument panel. The front air
bags are designed to inflate in higher severity
frontal collisions, although they may inflate if the
forces in another type of collision are similar to
those of a higher severity frontal impact. They
may not inflate in certain frontal collisions. Ve-
hicle damage (or lack of it) is not always an
indication of proper air bag system operation.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System has dual
stage air bag inflators. It also monitors informa-
tion from the crash zone sensor, the Air bag
Control Unit (ACU), seat belt buckle sensors
and the occupant classification sensor (patternsensor). Inflator operation is based on the sever-
ity of a collision and seat belt usage for the
driver. For the front passenger, the occupant
classification sensor is also monitored. Based on
information from the sensors, only one front air
bag may inflate in a crash, depending on the
crash severity and whether the front occupants
are belted or unbelted. Additionally, the front
passenger air bag may be automatically turned
OFF under some conditions, depending on the
information provided by the occupant classifica-
tion sensor. If the front passenger air bag is OFF,
the passenger air bag status light will be illumi-
nated (if the seat is unoccupied, the light will not
be illuminated, but the air bag will be off.). See
“Front passenger air bag and status light” later in
this section for further details. One front air bag
inflating does not indicate improper performance
of the system.
If you have any questions about your air bag
system, contact NISSAN or a NISSAN dealer. If
you are considering modifications of your vehicle
due to a disability, you may also contact
NISSAN. Contact information is contained in the
front of this Owner’s Manual.
When a front air bag inflates, a fairly loud noise
may be heard, followed by release of smoke.
This smoke is not harmful and does not indicate
a fire. Care should be taken not to inhale it, as itmay cause irritation and choking. Those with a
history of a breathing condition should get fresh
air promptly.
Front air bags, along with the use of seat belts,
help to cushion the impact force on the head 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.
Even with NISSAN advanced air bags, seat belts
should be correctly worn and the driver and
passenger seated upright as far as practical
away from the steering wheel or instrument
panel. The front air bags inflate 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 air bag module during
inflation.
The air bag will deflate quickly after a collision.
The front air bags operate only when the
ignition switch is in the ON or START po-
sition.
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
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seconds if the system is operational.
Front passenger air bag and status
light
WARNING
The front passenger air bag is designed
to automatically turn OFF under some
conditions. Read this section carefully
to learn how it operates. Proper use of
the seat, seat belt and child restraints is
necessary for most effective protection.Failure to follow all instructions in this
manual concerning the use of seats,
seat belts and child restraints can in-
crease the risk or severity of injury in an
accident.
Status light:
The front passenger air bag status light
is
located on the overhead console. The light op-
erates as follows:

Unoccupied passenger seat: Thelight
is OFF and the front passenger air bag is
OFF and will not inflate in a crash.

Passenger seat occupied by a small adult,
child or child restraint as outlined in this
section: The
light illuminates to indicate
that the front passenger air bag is OFF and
will not inflate in a crash.

Occupied passenger seat and the passenger
meets the conditions outlined in this section:
The
light is OFF to indicate that the
front passenger air bag is operational.
Front passenger air bag:
The front passenger air bag is designed to
automatically turn OFF when the vehicle is op-
erated under some conditions as described
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Front passenger air bag status light
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below in accordance with U.S. regulations. If the
front passenger air bag is OFF, it will not inflate
in a crash. The driver air bag and other air bags
in your vehicle are not part of this system.
The purpose of the regulation is to help reduce
the risk of injury or death from an inflating air bag
to certain front passenger seat occupants, such
as children, by requiring the air bag to be
automatically turned OFF.
The occupant classification sensor (pattern sen-
sor) is in the front passenger seat cushion and is
designed to detect an occupant and objects on
the seat. For example, if a child is in the front
passenger seat, the Advanced Air Bag System is
designed to turn the passenger air bag OFF in
accordance with the regulations. Also, if a child
restraint of the type specified in the regulations
is on the seat, the occupant classification sensor
can detect it and cause the air bag to turn OFF.
Front passenger seat adult occupants who are
properly seated and using the seat belt as
outlined in this manual should not cause the
passenger air bag to be automatically turned
OFF. For small adults it may be turned OFF,
however, if the occupant does not sit in the seat
properly (for example, by not sitting upright, by
sitting on an edge of the seat, or by otherwise
being out of position), this could cause the
sensor to turn the air bag OFF. Always be sure tobe seated and wearing the seat belt properly for
the most effective protection by the seat belt and
supplemental air bag.
The occupant classification sensor is designed
to operate as described above to turn the front
passenger air bag OFF for specified child re-
straints as required by the regulations. Failing to
properly secure child restrains and to use the
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode (child
restraint mode) may allow the restraint to tip or
move in an accident or sudden stop. This can
also result in the passenger air bag inflating in a
crash instead of being OFF. See “Child re-
straints” earlier in this section for proper use and
installation.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
passenger air bag is designed not to inflate in a
crash. However, heavy objects placed on the
seat could result in air bag inflation, because of
the object being detected by the occupant
classification sensor. Other conditions could
also result in air bag inflation, such as if a child is
standing on the seat, or if two children are on the
seat, contrary to the instructions in this manual.
Always be sure that you and all vehicle occu-
pants are seated and restrained properly.
Using the passenger air bag status light, you can
monitor when the front passenger air bag is
automatically turned OFF with the seat occu-pied. The light will not illuminate when the front
passenger seat is unoccupied.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
passenger air bag status light is illuminated
(indicating that the air bag is OFF), it could be
that the person is a small adult, or is not sitting
on the seat properly.
If a child restraint must be used in the front seat,
the passenger air bag status light may or may not
be illuminated, depending on the size of the child
and the type of child restraint being used. If the
air bag status light is not illuminated (indicating
that the air bag might inflate in a crash), it could
be that the child restraint or seat belt is not being
used properly. Make sure that the child restraint
is installed properly, the seat belt is used prop-
erly and the occupant is positioned properly. If
the air bag status light is still not illuminated, try
a different child restraint.
If the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate even though you believe that the child
restraint, the seat belts and the occupant are
properly positioned, the system may be sensing
an unoccupied seat (in which case the air bag is
OFF). A NISSAN dealer can check that the
system is OFF by using a special tool. However,
until you have confirmed with your dealer that
your air bag is working properly, do not transport
a child in this vehicle.
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The air bag system and passenger air bag status
light will take a few seconds to register a change
in the passenger seat status. However, if the
seat becomes unoccupied, the air bag status
light will remain off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
, located in the meter and gauges
area, will blink. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
Other supplemental front-impact air
bag precautions
WARNING

Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the instru-
ment panel. Also, do not place any
objects between any occupant and
the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause in-
jury if the front air bag inflates.

Do not place objects with sharp
edges on the seat. Also, do not placeheavy objects on the seat that will
leave permanent impressions in the
seat. Such objects can damage the
seat or occupant classification sen-
sor (pattern sensor). This can affect
the operation of the air bag system
and result in serious personal injury.

Do not use water or acidic cleaners
(hot steam cleaners) on the seat. This
can damage the seat or occupant
classification sensor. This can also
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious personal
injury.

Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will
be hot. Do not touch them; you may
severely burn yourself.

No 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 dam-
age to the supplemental air bag
system.
Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or front end
structure. This could affect proper
operation of the front air bag system.

Tampering with the front air bag sys-
tem may result in serious personal
injury. Tampering includes changes
to the steering wheel and the instru-
ment panel assembly by placing ma-
terial over the steering wheel pad
and above the instrument panel or by
installing additional trim material
around the air bag system.

Modifying or tampering with the front
passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing
material on the seat cushion or by
installing additional trim material,
such as seat covers, on the seat that
are not specifically designed to as-
sure proper air bag operation. Addi-
tionally, do not stow any objects un-
der the front passenger seat or the1-38
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seat cushion and seatback. Such ob-
jects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensor.

No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the seat belt system. This may affect
the front air bag system. Tampering
with the seat belt system may result
in serious personal injury.

Work on and around the front air bag
system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical
equipment should also be done by a
NISSAN dealer. The Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) wiring
should not be modified or discon-
nected. Unauthorized electrical test
equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the air bag
system.

A cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified re-
pair facility. A cracked windshield
could affect the function of thesupplemental air bag system.

The SRS wiring harness connectors
are yellow and orange for easy iden-
tification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the front air bag system
and guide the buyer to the appropriate sections
in this Owner’s Manual.
Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bag and
roof-mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bag systems (if so
equipped)This section includes the information about both
the side air bag system
A
and the curtain air
bag system
B. Curtain air bags are not available
on Roadster models.
The side air bags are located in the outside of
the seatback of the front seats. The curtain air
bags are located in the side roof rails. These
systems are designed to meet voluntary guide-
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