
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 or during
certain impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode
(child restraint mode) locks the seat belt for child
restraint installation.
When the ALR mode is activated, the seat belt
cannot be extended again until the seat belt
tongue is detached from the buckle and fully
retracted. The seat belt returns to the ELR mode
after the seat belt fully retracts. See “Child re-
straints” later in this section for more information.
The ALR mode should be used only for
child restraint installation. During normal
seat belt use by a passenger, the ALR 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 and status light” later in
this section.
LRS0594LRS0595
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

CHILD RESTRAINT INSTALLATION
USING THE SEAT BELTS
WARNING
cEven with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-facing
child restraint in the front passenger
seat. Front air bags inflate with great
force. A rear-facing child restraint could
be struck by the front air bag in a crash
and could seriously injure or kill your
child.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. Also, be sure
the front passenger air bag status light
is illuminated to indicate the passenger
air bag is OFF. See “Front passenger air
bag and status light” later in this sec-
tion for details.
cThe three-point seat belt in your vehicle
is equipped with an Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) which must be used
when installing a child restraint.
cFailure to use the ALR mode will result
in the child restraint not being properly
secured. The restraint could tip over or
otherwise be unsecured and cause in-
jury to the child in a sudden stop or
collision. Also, it can change the opera-
tion of the front passenger air bag. See
“Front passenger air bag and status
light” later in this section.
cA child restraint with a top tether strap
should not be used in the front passen-
ger seat.The instructions in this section apply to child
restraint installation using the vehicle seat belts in
the rear seat or the front passenger seat.
WRS0256
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-31
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

7. If the child restraint is equipped with a top
tether strap, route the top tether strap and
secure the tether strap to the tether anchor
point. See “Top tether strap child restraint” in
this section. Do not install child restraints
that require the use of a top tether strap to
seating positions that do not have a top
tether anchor.8. Before placing the child in the child restraint,
hold the child restraint near the seat belt
path and use force to push the child restraint
from side to side, and tug it forward to make
sure that it is securely held in place. It should
not move more than 1 in (25 mm) . If it does
move more than 1 in (25 mm) , pull again on
the shoulder belt to further tighten the child
restraint. If you are unable to properly secure
the restraint, move the restraint to another
seating position and try again, or try a differ-
ent child restraint. Not all child restraints fit in
all types of vehicles.
9. Check that the retractor is in the ALR mode
by trying to pull more seat belt out of the
retractor. If you cannot pull any more belt
webbing out of the retractor, the retractor is
in the ALR mode.
10. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the
seat belt is not locked, repeat steps 3
through 8.11. If the child restraint is installed in the front
passenger seat, turn the ignition switch to
the ON position. The front passenger air bag
status light
should illuminate. If this
light is not illuminated see9Front passenger
air bag and status light9in this section.
Move the child restraint to another
seating position.Have the system
checked by a NISSAN dealer.
After the child restraint is removed and the seat
belt is fully retracted, the ALR mode (child re-
straint mode) is canceled.
Front facing – step 7
WRS0698
Front facing – step 11
WRS0475
1-34Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

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 seat belt with
retractor” earlier in this section.7. If the booster seat is installed in the front
passenger seat, turn the ignition switch to
the ON position. The front passenger air bag
status light
may or may not illuminate,
depending on the size of the child and the
type of booster seat being used. See “Front
passenger air bag and status light” later in
this section.
Front passenger position
LRS0454WRS0475
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-41
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

PRECAUTIONS ON
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
This Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sec-
tion contains important information concerning
the following systems:
cDriver and passenger supplemental front-
impact air bag (NISSAN Advanced Air Bag
System)
cFront seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag
cRoof-mounted curtain side-impact and roll-
over supplemental air bag
cSeat belt with pretensioner
Supplemental front-impact air bag system:
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System can help
cushion the impact force to the head and chest of
the driver and front passenger in certain frontal
collisions.
Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag system (if so equipped):This
system can help cushion the impact force to the
chest area of the driver and front passenger in
certain side impact collisions. The side air bags
are designed to inflate on the side where the
vehicle is impacted.Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and
rollover supplemental air bag system (if so
equipped):This system can help cushion the
impact force to the head of occupants in front
and rear outboard seating positions in certain
side impact or rollover collisions. In a side impact,
the curtain and rollover air bags are designed to
inflate on the side where the vehicle is impacted.
In a rollover, both curtain and rollover air bags are
designed to inflate and remain inflated for a short
time.
These supplemental restraint systems are de-
signed tosupplementthe crash protection pro-
vided by the seat belts and arenot a substitute
for them. Seat belts should always be correctly
worn and the occupant seated a suitable dis-
tance away from the steering wheel, instrument
panel and door finishers. See “Seat belts” earlier
in this section for instructions and precautions on
seat belt usage.
The supplemental air bags operate only
when the ignition switch is in the ON or
START position.
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
seconds if the system is operational.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
1-42Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

WARNING
cThe front air bags ordinarily will not
inflate in the event of a side impact, rear
impact, rollover, or lower severity fron-
tal collision. Always wear your seat
belts to help reduce the risk or severity
of injury in various kinds of accidents.
cThe front passenger air bag will not
inflate if the passenger air bag status
light is lit or if the front passenger seat
is unoccupied. See “Front passenger air
bag and status light” later in this
section.cThe seat belts and the front air bags are
most effective when you are sitting well
back and upright in the seat. The front
air bags inflate with great force. Even
with the NISSAN Advanced Air Bag Sys-
tem, if you are unrestrained, leaning
forward, sitting sideways or out of posi-
tion in any way, you are at greater risk of
injury or death in a crash. You may also
receive serious or fatal injuries from the
front air bag if you are up against it
when it inflates. Always sit back against
the seatback and as far away as practi-
cal from the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel. Always use the seat belts.cThe driver and front passenger seat belt
buckles are equipped with sensors that
detect if the seat belts are fastened. The
Advanced Air Bag System monitors the
severity of a collision and seat belt us-
age then inflates the air bags. Failure to
properly wear seat belts can increase
the risk or severity of injury in an
accident.
cThe front passenger seat is equipped
with an occupant classification sensor
(pressure sensor) that turns the front
passenger air bag OFF under some
conditions. This sensor is only used in
this seat. Failure to be properly seated
and wearing the seat belt can increase
the risk or severity of injury in an acci-
dent. See “Front passenger air bag and
status light” later in this section.
cKeep hands on the outside of the steer-
ing wheel. Placing them inside the
steering wheel rim could increase the
risk that they are injured when the front
air bag inflates.
WRS0031
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
(front seats)
This 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 dashboard above the glove box.
The front air bags are designed to inflate in higher
severity frontal collisions, although they may in-
flate 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.
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always an
indication of proper front air bag system opera-
tion.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System has dual
stage inflators. It also monitors information from
the crash zone sensor, the Air bag Control Unit
(ACU) , seat belt buckle sensors, occupant clas-
sification sensor (pressure sensor) and passen-
ger seat belt tension sensor. Inflator operation is
based on the severity of a collision and seat beltusage for the driver. For the front passenger, it
additionally monitors the weight of an occupant
or object on the seat and seat belt tension. 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
weight detected on the passenger seat and how
the seat belt is used. If the front passenger air bag
is OFF, the passenger air bag status light will be
illuminated (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, please contact NISSAN or your NISSAN
dealer. If you are considering modification 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 the release of smoke.
This smoke is not harmful and does not indicate a
fire. Care should be taken to not inhale it, as it maycause 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 face 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 pas-
senger 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 front air bag module during inflation.
The front air bags deflate quickly after a collision.
The front air bags operate only when the
ignition switch is in the ON or START posi-
tion.
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
seconds if the system is operational.
1-50Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X

Front passenger air bag and status light
WARNING
The front passenger air bag is designed to
automatically turn OFF under some con-
ditions. Read this section carefully to
learn how it operates. Proper use of the
seat, seat belt and child restraints is nec-
essary for most effective protection. Fail-
ure to follow all instructions in this
manual concerning the use of seats, seat
belts and child restraints can increase the
risk or severity of injury in an accident.Status light
The front passenger air bag status light
is
located near the climate controls. The light oper-
ates as follows:
cUnoccupied passenger’s seat: The
is
OFF and the front passenger air bag is OFF
and will not inflate in a crash.
cPassenger’s seat occupied by a small adult,
child or child restraint as outlined in this
section: The
illuminates to indicate
that the front passenger air bag is OFF and
will not inflate in a crash.
cOccupied passenger seat and the passen-
ger meet the conditions outlined in this sec-
tion: 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 auto-
matically turn OFF when the vehicle is operated
under some conditions as described 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, suchas children, by requiring the air bag to be auto-
matically turned OFF. Certain sensors are used
to meet the requirements.
One sensor used is the occupant classification
sensor (pressure sensor) . It is in the bottom of the
front passenger seat cushion and is designed to
detect an occupant and objects on the seat by
weight. It works together with seat belt sensors
described later. For example, if a child is in the
front passenger seat, the Advanced Air Bag Sys-
tem 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 regula-
tions is on the seat, its weight and the child’s
weight can be detected and cause the air bag to
turn OFF. Occupant classification sensor opera-
tion can vary depending on the front passenger
seat belt sensors.
The front passenger seat belt sensors are de-
signed to detect if the seat belt is buckled and the
amount of tension on the seat belt, such as when
it is in the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode (child restraint mode) . Based on the
weight on the seat detected by the occupant
classification sensor and the belt tension de-
tected on the seat belt, the Advanced Air Bag
System determines whether the front passenger
air bag should be automatically turned OFF as
required by the regulations.
WRS0475
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51
ZREVIEW COPYÐ2008 Xterra(xtr)
Owners ManualÐUSA_English(nna)
06/26/07Ðdebbie
X