1. Headlight/fog light (if so equipped)/
turn signal switch (P. 2-20); Manual
shift paddles (if so equipped) (P.5-14 )
2. Steering wheel switch for audio control
and BluetoothHands-Free Phone
System (if so equipped) (P. 4-37, 4-39)3. Driver’s supplemental air bag/Horn
(P. 1-40, 2-23)
4. Meters and gauges (P. 2-3)
5. Instrument brightness control (P. 2-21)
6. Cruise control main/set switches
(if so equipped) (P. 5-19)7.
Windshield wiper/washer switch (P. 2-18)8. Storage bin (if so equipped) (P. 2-25)
9. Audio system (P. 4-16)
10. Center ventilator (P. 4-7)
11. Passenger’s supplemental air bag
(P. 1-40)
12. Side ventilator (P. 4-7)
13. Control panel display (if so equipped)
(P. 4-2)
14. Engine oil pressure gauge
(if so equipped) (P. 2-6)
15. g (gravity) -force gauge (if so equipped)
(P. 2-5)
16. Hazard warning flasher switch
(if so equipped) (P. 2-22)
17. Hazard warning flasher switch
(if so equipped) (P. 2-22); Manual shift
mode switch (if so equipped) (P.5-14 )
18. Glove box (P. 2-28)
19. Front passenger air bag status light
(P. 1-40)
20. Climate control (P. 4-7)
21. Shift selector (P. 5-12)
22. Power outlet (P. 2-24)
23. Ignition switch (P. 5-7)
24. Tilt steering (P.3-26)
25. Storage bin (P. 2-25)
26. Hood release lever (P. 3-22)
See the page number indicated in paren-
theses for operating details.
WIC1486
INSTRUMENT PANEL
0-6Illustrated table of contents
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks
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 lightoris located near the climate controls. The
light operates as follows:
●Unoccupied passenger’s seat: The
oris OFF and the front passenger air
bag is OFF and will not inflate in a crash.
●Passenger’s seat occupied by a small adult,
child or child restraint as outlined in this
section: The
orilluminates to
indicate that the front passenger air bag is
OFF and will not inflate in a crash.●Occupied passenger seat and the passen-
ger meet the conditions outlined in this sec-
tion: The light
oris OFF to in-
dicate 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, such
as 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-
Type A
LRS0351
Type B
LRS0316
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie
1. Headlight/fog light (if so equipped)
/turn signal switch (P. 2-20); Manual
shift paddles (if so equipped) (P.5-14 )
2. Steering wheel switch for audio control
and BluetoothHands-Free Phone
System (if so equipped) (P. 4-37, 4-39)3. Driver’s supplemental air bag/Horn
(P. 1-40, 2-23)
4. Meters and gauges (P. 2-3)
5. Instrument brightness control (P. 2-21)
6. Cruise control main/set switches
(if so equipped) (P. 5-19)7.
Windshield wiper/washer switch (P. 2-18)8. Storage bin (if so equipped) (P. 2-25)
9. Audio system (P. 4-16)
10. Center ventilator (P. 4-7)
11. Passenger’s supplemental air bag
(P. 1-40)
12. Side ventilator (P. 4-7)
13. Control panel display (if so equipped)
(P. 4-2)
14. Engine oil pressure gauge
(if so equipped) (P. 2-6)
15. g (gravity) -force gauge (if so equipped)
(P. 2-5)
16. Hazard warning flasher switch
(if so equipped) (P. 2-22)
17. Hazard warning flasher switch
(if so equipped) (P. 2-22); Manual shift
mode switch (if so equipped) (P.5-14 )
18. Glove box (P. 2-28)
19. Front passenger air bag status light
(P. 1-40)
20. Climate control (P. 4-7)
21. Shift selector (P. 5-12)
22. Power outlet (P. 2-24)
23. Ignition switch (P. 5-7)
24. Tilt steering (P.3-26)
25. Storage bin (P. 2-25)
26. Hood release lever (P. 3-22)
See the page number indicated in paren-
theses for operating details.
WIC1486
INSTRUMENT PANEL
2-2Instruments and controls
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks
Manual Transmission
●Always tow with the manual transmission in
Neutral.
●After towing 500 miles (805 km) , start and
idle the engine with the transmission in Neu-
tral for two minutes. Failure to idle the engine
after every 500 miles (805 km) of towing
may cause damage to internal transmission
parts.DOT (Department of Transportation) Quality
Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the
tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature A, B and C
The temperature grades are A (the highest) , B,
and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat, and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the
tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and exces-
sive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
9-26Technical and consumer information
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks