2008 NISSAN SENTRA Tow rope

Interior trunk access (if so equipped)
The trunk can be accessed from the rear seat for
loading and unloading, as shown.
1. Stow outboard seat belts with clip before
folding rear seat backs.
When folding the passenger’s side rear seat
back, first disconnect and stow the center seat
belt. See “Stowing the rear center seat belt” later
in this section.2. Pull up on the strap
sAlocated on the top
outboard side of the seat to be folded.
3. Fold seat back down.
WARNING
cNever allow anyone to ride in the cargo
area or on the rear seat when it is in the
fold-down position. Use of these areas
by passengers without proper restraints
could result in serious injury in an acci-
dent or sudden stop.cProperly secure all cargo with ropes or
straps to help prevent it from sliding or
shifting. Do not place cargo higher than
the seatbacks. In a sudden stop or col-
lision, unsecured cargo could cause
personal injury.
cWhen returning the seatbacks to the
upright position, be certain they are
completely secured in the latched posi-
tion. If they are not completely secured,
passengers may be injured in an acci-
dent or sudden stop.
cClosely supervise children when they
are around cars to prevent them from
playing and becoming locked in the
trunk where they could be seriously in-
jured. Keep the car locked, with the rear
seatback and trunk lid securely latched
when not in use, and prevent children’s
access to car keys.
LRS0728WRS0726
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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 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.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR (Rear center
seat, all models except SE-R)
WARNING
cEvery person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times.
cFor the most effective protection when
the vehicle is in motion always sit well
back in the seat with both feet on the
floor and adjust the seat belt properly.
Fastening the seat belts
s1Slowly 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.s2Position the lap belt portionlow and snug
on the hipsas shown.
s3Pull 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)
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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.
cNISSAN recommends that the booster
seat 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 booster seat in the
front seat, see “Booster seat installa-
tion” in this section.
cA booster seat must only be installed in
a seating position that has a
lap/shoulder belt. Failure to use a
three-point type seat belt with a
booster seat can result in a serious in-
jury in sudden stop or collision.
cImproper use or improper installation
of a booster seat 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.cDo not use towels, books, pillows or
other items in place of a booster seat.
Items such as these may move during
normal driving or a collision and result
in serious injury or death. Booster seats
are designed to be used with a
lap/shoulder belt. Booster seats are de-
signed to properly route the lap and
shoulder portions of the seat belt over
the strongest portions of a child’s body
to provide the maximum protection dur-
ing a collision.
cFollow all of the booster seat manufac-
turer’s instructions for installation and
use. When purchasing a booster seat,
be sure to select one which will fit your
child and vehicle. It may not be possible
to properly install some types of
booster seats in your vehicle.
cIf the booster seat and seat belt is not
used properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden stop
greatly increases.
cAdjustable seatbacks should be posi-
tioned to fit the booster seat, but as
upright as possible.cAfter placing the child in the booster
seat and fastening the seat belt, make
sure the shoulder portion of the belt is
away from the child’s face and neck and
the lap portion of the belt does not
cross the abdomen.
cDo not put the shoulder belt behind the
child or under the child’s arm. If you
must install a booster seat in the front
seat, see “Booster seat installation”
later in this section.
cWhen your booster seat is not in use,
keep it secured with a seat belt to pre-
vent it from being thrown around in
case of a sudden stop or accident.
CAUTION
Remember that a booster seat left in a
closed vehicle can become very hot.
Check the seating surface and buckles
before placing your child in the booster
seat.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-39
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3. The booster seat should be positioned on
the vehicle seat so that it is stable. If neces-
sary, adjust or remove the head restraint to
obtain the correct booster seat fit. See
“Head restraint adjustment” earlier in this
section. If the head restraint is removed,
store it in a secure place. Be sure to install
the head restraint when the booster seat is
removed. If the seating position does not
have an adjustable head restraint and it is
interfering with the proper booster seat fit,
try another seating position or a different
booster seat.4. Position the lap portion of the seat belt low
and snug on the child’s hips. Be sure to
follow the booster seat manufacturer’s in-
structions for adjusting the belt routing.
5. Pull the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt
toward the retractor to take up extra slack.
Be sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the top, middle portion of the child’s
shoulder. Be sure to follow the booster seat
manufacturer’s instructions for adjusting the
belt routing.
6. Follow the warnings, cautions and instruc-
tions for properly fastening a seat belt
shown in the “Three-point type seat belt with
retractor” earlier in this section.
Rear outboard position
LRS0452
Front passenger position
LRS0454
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until you have confirmed with your dealer that
your air bag is working properly, reposition the
occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.
The air bag system and passenger air bag status
light will take a few seconds to register a change
in the passenger seat status. For example, if a
large adult who is sitting in the front passenger
seat exits the vehicle, the passenger air bag
status light will go from OFF to ON for a few
seconds and then to OFF. This is normal system
operation and does not indicate a malfunction.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
, located in the meter and gauges area
in the center of the instrument panel, will blink.
Have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
Other supplemental front air bag precau-
tions
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 front air
bags inflate.cImmediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will be
hot. Do not touch them; you may se-
verely 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 front air bag system.
cTampering with the 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.cModifying or tampering with the front
passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing mate-
rial on the seat cushion or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat
covers, on the seat that are not specifi-
cally designed to assure proper air bag
operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat
or the seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensor (pressure sensor) .
cNo 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 seri-
ous personal injury.
1-54Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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WARNING LIGHTS
orAnti-lock Braking
System (ABS)
warning light (if so
equipped)
When the ignition switch is in the ON position,
the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning light
illuminates and then turns off. This indicates the
ABS is operational.
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the
engine is running, or while driving, it may indicate
the ABS is not functioning properly. Have the
system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
If an ABS malfunction occurs, the anti-lock func-
tion is turned off. The brake system then operates
normally, but without anti-lock assistance. See
9Brake system9in the9Starting and driving9sec-
tion.
orBrake warning light
This light functions for both the parking brake and
the foot brake systems.
Parking brake indicator
When the ignition key is in the ON position, the
light comes on when the parking brake is applied.Low brake fluid warning light
When the ignition key is in the ON position, the
light warns of a low brake fluid level. If the light
comes on while the engine is running with the
parking brake not applied, stop the vehicle and
perform the following:
1. Check the brake fluid level. Add brake fluid
as necessary. See “Brake fluid” in the “Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section of this
manual.
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the
warning system checked by a NISSAN
dealer.
WARNING
cYour brake system may not be working
properly if the warning light is on. Driv-
ing could be dangerous. If you judge it
to be safe, drive carefully to the nearest
service station for repairs. Otherwise,
have your vehicle towed because driv-
ing it could be dangerous.
cPressing the brake pedal with the en-
gine stopped and/or a low brake fluid
level may increase your stopping dis-
tance and braking will require greater
pedal effort as well as pedal travel.cIf the brake fluid level is below the
MINIMUM or MIN mark on the brake
fluid reservoir, do not drive until the
brake system has been checked at a
NISSAN dealer.
Charge warning light
If this light comes on while the engine is running,
it may indicate the charging system is not func-
tioning properly. Turn the engine off and check
the generator belt. If the belt is loose, broken,
missing, or if the light remains on, see a NISSAN
dealer immediately.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving if the generator
belt is loose, broken or missing.
Door open warning light
This light comes on when any of the doors are not
closed securely while the ignition key is in the ON
position.
Instruments and controls2-9
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cMalfunction Indicator Light blinking — An
engine misfire has been detected which may
damage the emission control system. To re-
duce or avoid emission control system dam-
age:
– do not drive at speeds above 45 MPH
(72 km/h) .
– avoid hard acceleration or deceleration.
– avoid steep uphill grades.
– if possible, reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled or towed.
The Malfunction Indicator Light may stop blinking
and come on steady. Have the vehicle inspected
by a NISSAN dealer. You do not need to have
your vehicle towed to the dealer.
CAUTION
Continued vehicle operation without hav-
ing the emission control system checked
and repaired as necessary could lead to
poor driveability, reduced fuel economy,
and possible damage to the emission con-
trol system.
Overdrive off indicator light
(CVT models)
The overdrive off indicator light illuminates when
the overdrive off mode is selected.
For additional information, see “Continuous Vari-
able Transmission (CVT)” in the “Starting and
driving” section of this manual.
Security indicator light
For vehicles without Intelligent Key: This light
blinks whenever the ignition switch is in the
LOCK, OFF or ACC position.
For vehicles with Intelligent Key: This light blinks
when the ignition switch is in the LOCK position
with the key removed from the ignition switch.
The blinking security indicator light indicates that
the security systems equipped on the vehicle are
operational.
For additional information, see “Security sys-
tems” later in this section.
Turn signal/hazard indicator
lights
The appropriate light flashes when the turn signal
switch is activated.Both lights flash when the hazard switch is turned
on.
AUDIBLE REMINDERS
Brake pad wear warning
The disc brake pads have audible wear warnings.
When a disc brake pad requires replacement, it
makes a high pitched scraping sound when the
vehicle is in motion, whether or not the brake
pedal is depressed. Have the brakes checked as
soon as possible if the warning sound is heard.
Key reminder chime
A chime sounds if the driver’s door is opened
while the key is left in the ignition switch. Remove
the key and take it with you when leaving the
vehicle.
Intelligent Key door buzzer (if so
equipped)
The Intelligent Key door buzzer sounds if any one
of the following improper operations is found.
cThe ignition switch is not returned to the
LOCK position when locking the doors.
cThe Intelligent Key is left inside the vehicle
when locking the doors.
cThe Intelligent Key is taken outside the ve-
hicle when operating the vehicle.
2-14Instruments and controls
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Once the rear seats have been lowered, the trunk
divider can be opened by pressing down on the
securing latch and pushing the divider toward the
rear of the vehicle. For more information on the
lowering of rear seats, see “Interior trunk access”
in the “Safety — Seats, seat belts and supple-
mental restraint system” section of this manual.Access the trunk divider by opening the trunk. To
remove the trunk divider, press down on securing
latch
s1and lower the trunk divider to about 45°.
Pull and lift the divider out of the holding brackets
s2to remove from the trunk.
CARGO NET (if so equipped)
WARNING
cProperly secure all cargo with ropes or
straps to help prevent it from sliding or
shifting. In a sudden stop or collision,
unsecured cargo could cause personal
injury.
cBe sure to secure all four hooks into the
retainers. The cargo restrained in the
net must not exceed 30 lbs. (13.6 kg) or
the net may not stay secured.
Accessing through rear seats
LIC1030
Accessing through trunk
LIC1031WIC1032
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