2008 NISSAN MAXIMA child restraint

There are three basic types of child restraint
systems:
cRear facing child restraint
cFront facing child restraint
cBooster seat
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
facing child restraints. Front facing child re-
straints are available for children who outgrow
rear facing child restraints and are at least 1 year
old. Booster seats are used to help position a
vehicle lap/shoulder belt on a child who can no
longer use a front facing child restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special protec-
tion. 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 fit-
ting 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 restraintsfor infants and small children. See “Child Re-
straints” later in this section.
Also, there are other types of child restraints
available for larger children for additional protec-
tion.
NISSAN recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear seat.
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 sys-
tem (Air bag system) for the front passen-
ger. See “Supplemental restraint system”
later in this section.
Infants
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be placed
in a rear facing child restraint. NISSAN recom-
mends that infants be placed in child restraints
that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. You should choose a child restraint
that fits your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation and use.
Small Children
Children that are over one year old and weigh at
least 20 lbs (9 kg) can be placed in a forwardfacing child restraint. Refer to the manufacturer’s
instructions for minimum and maximum weight
and height recommendations. NISSAN recom-
mends that small children be placed in child
restraints that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a child
restraint that fits your vehicle and always follow
the manufacturer’s instructions 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. The seat belt may not fit
properly if the child is less than 4 feet 9 inches
(142.5 cm) tall and weighs between 40 lbs (18
kg) and 80 lbs (36 kg) . A booster seat should be
used to obtain proper seat belt fit.
NISSAN recommends that a child be placed in a
commercially available booster seat if the shoul-
der belt in the child’s seating position fits close to
the face or neck or if the lap portion of the seat
belt goes across the abdomen. The booster seat
should raise the child so that the shoulder belt is
properly positioned across the top, middle por-
tion of the shoulder and the lap belt is low on the
hips. A booster seat can only be used in seating
positions that have a three-point type seat belt.
The booster seat should fit the vehicle seat and
1-12Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

have a label certifying that it complies with Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian
Motor 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.
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 with both feet on the floor and
adjust the seat belt properly.
Fastening the seat belts
s1Adjust the seat. See “Seats” earlier in this
section.
Manual front seat shown
WRS0174
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

s2Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor
and insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear and feel the latch engage.
cThe 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.
cIf the seat belt cannot be pulled from
its fully retracted position, firmly pull
the belt and release it. Then smoothly
pull the belt out of the retractor.s3Position the lap belt portionlow and snug
on the hipsas shown.
s4Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack. Be sure the
shoulder belt is routed over your shoulder
and across your chest.
The front passenger seat and the rear seating
positions three-point seat belts have two modes
of operation:
cEmergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
cAutomatic Locking Retractor (ALR) .The Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode
allows the seat belt to extend and retract to allow
the driver and passengers some freedom of
movement in the seat. The ELR locks the seat belt
when the vehicle slows down rapidly of during
impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode or
child restraint mode locks the seat belt for child
restraint installation.
When the ALR is activated, the seat belt cannot
be extended again until the seat belt tongue is
detached from the buckle and fully retracted.
After the seat belt fully retracts, the seat belt
returns to the Emergency Locking Retractor
(ELR) mode. See “Child restraints” later in this
section for more information.
The ALR should be used only for child re-
straint installation. During normal seat belt
use by a passenger, the locking mode
should not be activated. If it is activated it
may cause uncomfortable seat belt ten-
sion. It can also change the operation of
the front passenger air bag. See “Front
passenger air bag status light” later in this
section.
WRS0137WRS0138
1-14Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

Shoulder belt height adjustment (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.
SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position, it is
not possible to properly fit the lap-shoulder belt
and fasten it, an extender is available which is
compatible with the installed seat belts. The ex-
tender adds approximately 8 in (200 mm) of
length and may be used for either the driver or
front passenger seating position. See a NISSAN
dealer for assistance if an extender is required.
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.
LRS0242
1-16Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

PRECAUTIONS ON CHILD
RESTRAINTSWARNING
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.
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.cEven with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. An in-
flating supplemental front air bag could
seriously 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. If
you must install a front facing child re-
straint in the front seat, see “Child re-
straint installation using the seat belts”
later in this section.
cImproper use or improper installation
of a child restraint can increase the risk
or severity of injury for both the child
and other occupants of the vehicle and
can lead to serious injury or death in an
accident.
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.
ARS1098WRS0256
CHILD RESTRAINTS
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-17
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

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.
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.
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. Push it
from side to side while holding the seat
near the LATCH attachment or by the
seat belt path. Try to tug it forward and
check to see if the belt holds the re-
straint in place. The child restraint
should not move more than 1 inch (25
mm) . If the restraint is not secure,
tighten the belt as necessary, or put the
restraint in another seat and test it
again. You may need to try a different
child restraint. Not all child restraints fit
in all types of vehicles.cWhen your child restraint is not in use,
keep it secured with the LATCH System
or a seat belt to prevent it from being
thrown around in case of a sudden stop
or accident.
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.
This vehicle is equipped with a universal child
restraint lower anchor system, referred to as the
Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren System
or LATCH. Some child restraints include two rigid
or webbing-mounted attachments that can be
connected to these lower anchors. For details,
see the “Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren
System (LATCH)” later in this section.
If you do not have a LATCH compatible child
restraint, the vehicle seat belts can be used. See
“Child restraint installation using the seat belts”
later in this section. In general, child restraints are
also designed to be installed with the lap portion
of a lap/shoulder seat belt.Several manufacturers offer child restraints for
infants and small children of various sizes. 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. Choose a child restraint that is
designed for your child’s height and weight.
Always follow all recommended procedures.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require that infants and small
children be restrained in an approved child
restraint at all times while the vehicle is
being operated.
1-18Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS
FOR CHILDREN SYSTEM (LATCH)
Your vehicle is equipped with special anchor
points that are used with Lower Anchors and
Tethers for CHildren System (LATCH) compat-
ible child restraints. 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.
The LATCH anchor points are provided to install
child restraints in the rear outboard seating posi-
tions only. Do not attempt to install a child restraint
in the center position using the LATCH anchors.
LATCH lower anchor point locations
The LATCH anchors are located at the rear of the
seat cushion near the seatback. A label is at-
tached to the seatback to help you locate the
LATCH anchors.
WARNING
cAttach LATCH compatible child re-
straints only at the locations shown in
the illustration. 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 anchors. The child restraint will
not be secured properly.
cChild restraint anchor points 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.
LATCH system anchor locations
WRS0718
LATCH lower anchor location
WRS0700
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-19
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X

Installing child restraint LATCH anchor
attachments
LATCH compatible child restraints include two
rigid or webbing-mounted attachments that can
be connected to two anchors located at certain
seating positions in your vehicle. With this sys-
tem, you do not have to use a vehicle seat belt to
secure the child restraint. Check your child re-
straint for a label stating that it is compatible with
LATCH. This information may also be in the in-
structions provided by the child restraint manu-
facturer.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. See “Child
restraint installation using LATCH” in this section.
TOP TETHER STRAP CHILD
RESTRAINT
If the manufacturer of your child restraint requires
the use of a top tether strap, it must be secured to
the anchor point.
WARNING
Child restraint anchor points are designed
to withstand only those loads imposed by
correctly fitted child restraints. Under no
circumstances are they to be used for
adult seat belts or harnesses.
LATCH webbing-mounted attachment
LRS0661
LATCH rigid-mounted attachment
LRS0662
1-20Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Maxima(max)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/08/07Ðdebbie
X