1. Rear window defroster switch (P. 2-26)
2. Interior trunk lid release (P. 3-20)
3. Trunk lid (P. 3-18)
4. Vehicle loading (P. 9-12)
5. Exterior trunk lid release/request button
(P. 3-13)
6. Replacing bulbs (P. 8-28)
7. Fuel-filler cap, fuel recommendation
(P. 3-21, P. 9-3)
8. Fuel-filler door (P. 3-21)
9. Child safety locks (P. 3-6)
See the page number indicated in paren-
theses for operating details.
WII0156
EXTERIOR REAR
0-4Illustrated table of contents
REVIEW COPY—2009 Maxima(max)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie
WARNING
●Do 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.●For 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 properly. See “Precau-
tions on seat belt usage” later in this
section.
●After adjustment, gently rock in the seat
to make sure it is securely locked.
●Do not leave children unattended inside
the vehicle. They could unknowingly ac-
tivate switches or controls. Unattended
children could become involved in seri-
ous accidents.●The seatback should not be reclined
any more than needed for comfort. Seat
belts are most effective when the pas-
senger sits well back and straight up in
the seat. If the seatback is reclined, the
risk of sliding under the lap belt and
being injured is increased.
CAUTION
When adjusting the seat positions, be
sure not to contact any moving parts to
avoid possible injuries and/or damage.
ARS1152
SEATS
1-2Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Maxima(max)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie
●When 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.
●Closely 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.
To fold down the driver side of the rear seat, reach
through the opening and pull on the strap
1
located behind the seat.
The rear seats can be locked using the mechani-
cal key to prevent unauthorized access.
Secondary trunk lid release (if so
equipped)
For models with a rear center console, the trunk
can be accessed through the access panel be-
tween the rear seats, as shown.
●Fold down the center arm rest.
●Insert the mechanical key into the trunk com-
partment access lid lock. Fold down the
trunk compartment access lid. For more in-
formation on the mechanical key, see
“Nissan Intelligent Key™” in the Pre-driving
checks and adjustments chapter.
●Pull the rear seat trunk release handle
1.
WRS0867LPD0459
1-6Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Maxima(max)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/21/08—tbrooks
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 an occupant, the ALR mode
should not be activated. If it is activated, it
may cause uncomfortable seat belt ten-
sion.
WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain
that the seatbacks are completely se-
cured in the latched position. If they are
not completely secured, passengers may
be injured in an accident or sudden stop.
Unfastening the seat belts
1To unfasten the seat belt, press the button on
the buckle. The seat belt automatically re-
tracts.
Checking seat belt operation
Seat belt retractors are designed to lock seat belt
movement by two separate methods:
●When the seat belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
●When the vehicle slows down rapidly.To increase your confidence in the seat belts,
check the operation as follows:
●Grasp 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.
WRS0139
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15
REVIEW COPY—2009 Maxima(max)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie
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
1and
move the shoulder belt anchor to the desired
position
2, 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
●After 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.
●The 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
●Only NISSAN seat belt extenders, made
by the same company which made the
original equipment seat belts, should
be used with NISSAN seat belts.●Adults 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.
●Never 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
●To 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.
●If 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.
●Periodically 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
REVIEW COPY—2009 Maxima(max)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie
5. Check to make sure the child restraint is
properly secured prior to each use. If the
child restraint is loose, repeat steps 2
through 4.
CHILD RESTRAINT INSTALLATION
USING THE SEAT BELTS
WARNING
●Even 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.●NISSAN recommends that child re-
straints be installed in the rear seat.
However, if you must install a front-
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.
●The three-point seat belt in your vehicle
is equipped with an Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) which must be used
when installing a child restraint.
●Failure 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.
●A 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 system1-25
REVIEW COPY—2009 Maxima(max)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie
4. Pull the shoulder belt until the belt is fully
extended. At this time, the seat belt retractor
is in the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode (child restraint mode) . It reverts to
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode
when the seat belt is fully retracted.5. Allow the seat belt to retract. Pull up on the
shoulder belt to remove any slack in the belt.6. Remove any additional slack from the seat
belt; press downward and rearward firmly in
the center of the child restraint with your
knee to compress the vehicle seat cushion
and seatback while pulling up on the seat
belt.
Front-facing – step 4
LRS0667
Front-facing – step 5
LRS0668
Front-facing – step 6
WRS0681
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-27
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Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie
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 (rear seat installation only) . 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. After attaching the child restraint, test it be-
fore you place the child in it. Push it from side
to side while holding the seat near the seat
belt path. The child restraint should not
move more than 1 inch (25 mm) , side to
side. Try to tug it forward and check to see ifthe belt holds the restraint in place. 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 re-
straints 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 seat
belt webbing out of the retractor, the retrac-
tor 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, place the ignition switch in
the ON position. The front passenger air bag
status light
should illuminate. If this
light is not illuminated seeFront passenger
air bag status lightin 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
LRS0865
1-28Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/20/08—debbie