2009 NISSAN SENTRA steering wheel

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


PRECAUTIONS ON
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
This Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sec-
tion contains important information concerning
the following systems:
●Driver and passenger supplemental front-
impact air bag (NISSAN Advanced Air Bag
System)
●Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag
●Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bag
●Seat 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:This system can help
cushion the impact force to the chest and pelvic
area of the driver and front passenger in certain
side impact collisions. The side air bags are de-
signed to inflate on the side where the vehicle is
impacted.Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bag system:This system can help
cushion the impact force to the head of occu-
pants in front and rear outboard seating positions
in certain side-impact collisions. The curtain air
bags are designed to inflate on the side where
the vehicle is impacted.
These supplemental restraint systems are de-
signed tosupplementthe crash protection pro-
vided by the driver and front passenger seat belts
and arenot a substitutefor them. Seat belts
should always be correctly worn and the occu-
pant seated a suitable distance away from the
steering wheel, instrument panel and door finish-
ers. (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 placing the ignition switch in 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
1-40Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


WARNING
●The 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.
●The 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.●The 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.●The 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.
●The 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.
●Keep 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 system1-41
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


1. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bag inflators
2. Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bag modules
3. Supplemental front-impact air bag
modules
4. Crash zone sensor
5. Air Bag Control Unit (ACU)
6. Occupant classification sensor
(pressure sensor)
7. Pretensioner
8. Side satellite sensor
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-
LRS0725
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


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 belt
usage 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 inthis 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 may
cause 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, theforce 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 placing the ignition switch in 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.
1-48Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


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-impact air bag
precautions
WARNING
●Do 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.●Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will be
hot. Do not touch them; you may se-
verely burn yourself.
●No 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.
●Do 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.
●Tampering 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.●Modifying 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) .
●No 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.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51
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


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 switch is
placed in the ON position.
Electric power steering
warning light
WARNING
●If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be harder to operate.●When the power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running,
there will be no power assist for the
steering. You will still have control of
the vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked by a NISSAN
dealer.
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the power steering warning light illumi-
nates. After starting the engine, the power steer-
ing warning light turns off. This indicates the
power steering system is operational.
If the power steering warning light illuminates
while the engine is running, it may indicate the
power steering system is not functioning properly
and may need servicing. Have the power steering
system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
When the power steering warning light illumi-
nates with the engine running, there will be no
power assist for the steering but you will still have
control of the vehicle. At this time, greater steer-
ing effort is required to operate the steering
wheel, especially in sharp turns and at low
speeds.
See “Power steering” in the “Starting and driving”
section.
Engine oil pressure warning
light
This light warns of low engine oil pressure. If the
light flickers or comes on during normal driving,
pull off the road in a safe area, stop the engine
immediatelyand call a NISSAN dealer or other
authorized repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is not
designed to indicate a low oil level.Use the
dipstick to check the oil level. See “Engine oil” in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause se-
rious damage to the engine almost imme-
diately. Such damage is not covered by
warranty. Turn off the engine as soon as it
is safe to do so.
Low fuel warning light
This light comes on when the fuel level in the fuel
tank is getting low. Refuel as soon as it is conve-
nient, preferably before the fuel gauge reaches E
(Empty) .There will be a small reserve of fuel
in the tank when the fuel gauge reaches E
(Empty) , showing no more fuel bars.
2-10Instruments and controls
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie