2009 NISSAN SENTRA weight

CHILD SAFETY
Children need adults to help protect them.
They need to be properly restrained.
In addition to the general information in this
manual, child safety information is available from
many other sources, including doctors, teachers,
government traffic safety offices, and community
organizations. Every child is different, so be sure
to learn the best way to transport your child.
There are three basic types of child restraint
systems:
●Rear-facing child restraint
●Front-facing child restraint
●Booster seat
The proper restraint depends on the child’s size.
Generally, infants up to about 1 year and less
than 20 lbs (9 kg) should be placed in rear-facing
child restraints. Front-facing child restraints are
available for children who outgrow rear-facing
child restraints and are at least 1 year old.
Booster seats are used to help position a vehicle
lap/shoulder belt on a child who can no longer
use a front-facing child restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special protec-
tion. The vehicle’s seat belts may not fit
them properly. The shoulder belt may
come too close to the face or neck. The
lap belt may not fit over their small hip
bones. In an accident, an improperly fit-
ting seat belt could cause serious or fatal
injury. Always use appropriate child
restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or terri-
tories require the use of approved child restraints
for infants and small children. See “Child Re-
straints” later in this section.
Also, there are other types of child restraints
available for larger children for additional protec-
tion.
NISSAN recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seat than in the front seat.
This is especially important because your
vehicle has a supplemental restraint sys-
tem (Air bag system) for the front passen-
ger. See “Supplemental restraint system”
later in this section.
Infants
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be placed
in a rear-facing child restraint. NISSAN recom-
mends that infants be placed in child restraints
that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. You should choose a child restraint
that fits your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation and use.
Small children
Children that are over one year old and weigh at
least 20 lbs (9 kg) can be placed in a forward-
facing child restraint. Refer to the manufacturer’s
instructions for minimum and maximum weight
and height recommendations. NISSAN recom-
mends that small children be placed in child
restraints that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a child
restraint that fits your vehicle and always follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for installation
and use.
Larger children
Children who are too large for child restraints
should be seated and restrained by the seat belts
which are provided. The seat belt may not fit
properly if the child is less than 4 ft 9 in (142.5
cm) tall and weighs between 40 lbs (18 kg) and
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●If the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being in-
jured in a collision or a sudden stop
greatly increases.
●Child restraint anchor points are de-
signed to withstand only those loads
imposed by correctly fitted child re-
straints. Under no circumstances are
they to be used for adult seat belts or
harnesses.
●Adjustable seatbacks should be posi-
tioned to fit the child restraint, but as
upright as possible.
●After attaching the child restraint, test it
before you place the child in it. Push it
from side to side while holding the seat
near the LATCH attachment or by the
seat belt path. The child restraint
should not move more than 1 inch (25
mm) , from side to side. Try to tug it
forward and check to see if the belt
holds the restraint in place. If the re-
straint is not secure, tighten the belt as
necessary, or put the restraint in an-
other seat and test it again. You may
need to try a different child restraint.
Not all child restraints fit in all types of
vehicles.●When your child restraint is not in use,
keep it secured with the LATCH system
or a seat belt to prevent it from being
thrown around in case of a sudden stop
or accident.
CAUTION
Remember that a child restraint left in a
closed vehicle can become very hot.
Check the seating surface and buckles
before placing your child in the child
restraint.
This vehicle is equipped with a universal child
restraint lower anchor system, referred to as the
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHil-
dren) system. Some child restraints include two
rigid or webbing-mounted attachments that can
be connected to these lower anchors. For details,
see “LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren) system” later in this section.
If you do not have a LATCH compatible child
restraint, the vehicle seat belts can be used. See
“Child restraint installation using the seat belts”
later in this section. In general, child restraints are
also designed to be installed with a lap/shoulder
seat belt.Several manufacturers offer child restraints for
infants and small children of various sizes. When
selecting any child restraint, keep the following
points in mind:
●Choose only a restraint with a label certifying
that it complies with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 213 or Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
●Check the child restraint in your vehicle to be
sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s seat
and seat belt system.
●If the child restraint is compatible with your
vehicle, place your child in the child restraint
and check the various adjustments to be
sure the child restraint is compatible with
your child. Choose a child restraint that is
designed for your child’s height and weight.
Always follow all recommended procedures.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require that infants and small
children be restrained in an approved child
restraint at all times while the vehicle is
being operated. Canadian law requires the
top tether strap on front-facing child re-
straints be secured to the designated an-
chor point on the vehicle.
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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.
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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
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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.
Front passenger seat adult occupants who are
properly seated and using the seat belt as out-
lined in this manual should not cause the passen-
ger air bag to be automatically turned OFF. For
small adults it may be turned OFF, however if the
occupant takes his/her weight off the seat cush-
ion (for example, by not sitting upright, by sitting
on an edge of the seat, or by otherwise being out
of position) , this could cause the sensor to turn
the air bag OFF. In addition, if the occupant
improperly uses the seat belt in the ALR mode
(child restraint mode) , this could cause the air
bag to be turned OFF. Always be sure to beseated and wearing the seat belt properly for the
most effective protection by the seat belt and
supplemental air bag.
NISSAN recommends that pre-teens and chil-
dren be properly restrained in a rear seat.
NISSAN also recommends that appropriate child
restraints and booster seats be properly installed
in a rear seat. If this is not possible, the occupant
classification sensor and seat belt sensors are
designed to operate as described above to turn
the front passenger air bag OFF for specified
child restraints as required by the regulations.
Failing to properly secure child restraints and to
use the ALR mode (child restraint mode) may
allow the restraint to tip or move in an accident or
sudden stop. This can also result in the passen-
ger air bag inflating in a crash instead of being
OFF. See “Child restraints” earlier in this section
for proper use and installation.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied the
passenger air bag is designed not to inflate in a
crash. However, heavy objects placed on the
seat could result in air bag inflation, because of
the object’s weight detected by the occupant
classification sensor. Other conditions could also
result in air bag inflation, such as if a child is
standing on the seat, or if two children are on the
seat, contrary to the instructions in this manual.
Always be sure that you and all vehicle occupants
are seated and restrained properly.Using the passenger air bag status light, you can
monitor when the front passenger air bag is au-
tomatically turned OFF with the seat occupied.
The light will not illuminate when the front pas-
senger seat is unoccupied.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the passen-
ger air bag status light is illuminated (indicating
that the air bag is OFF) , it could be that the
person is a small adult, or is not sitting on the seat
properly or not using the seat belt properly.
If a child restraint must be used in the front seat,
the passenger air bag status light may or may not
be illuminated, depending on the size of the child
and the type of child restraint being used. If the air
bag status light is not illuminated (indicating that
the air bag might inflate in a crash) , it could be
that the child restraint or seat belt is not being
used properly. Make sure that the child restraint is
installed properly, the seat belt is used properly
and the occupant is positioned properly. If the air
bag status light is not illuminated, reposition the
occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.
If the passenger air bag status light will not illu-
minate even though you believe that the child
restraint, the seat belts and the occupant are
properly positioned, the system may be sensing
an unoccupied seat (in which case the air bag is
OFF) . Your NISSAN dealer can check that the
system is OFF by using a special tool. However,
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Tire inflation pressure
Check the tire pressures (including the
spare) often and always prior to long dis-
tance trips. The recommended tire pres-
sure specifications are shown on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label
or the Tire and Loading Information label
under the “Cold Tire Pressure” heading.
The Tire and Loading Information label is
affixed to the driver side center pillar. Tire
pressures should be checked regularly
because:
●Most tires naturally lose air over time.
●Tires can lose air suddenly when
driven over potholes or other objects
or if the vehicle strikes a curb while
parking.
The tire pressures should be checked
when the tires are cold. The tires are
considered COLD after the vehicle has
been parked for 3 or more hours, or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) at moderate
speeds.Incorrect tire pressure, including un-
der inflation, may adversely affect
tire life and vehicle handling.
WARNING
●Improperly inflated tires can fail
suddenly and cause an accident.
●The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) is located on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certifica-
tion label. The vehicle weight ca-
pacity is indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information label (if so
equipped) . Do not load your ve-
hicle beyond this capacity. Over-
loading your vehicle may result in
reduced tire life, unsafe operat-
ing conditions due to premature
tire failure, or unfavorable han-
dling characteristics and could
also lead to a serious accident.
Loading beyond the specified ca-
pacity may also result in failure of
other vehicle components.●Before taking a long trip, or
whenever you heavily load your
vehicle, use a tire pressure gauge
to ensure that the tire pressures
are at the specified level.
●For additional information re-
garding tires, refer to “Important
Tire Safety Information” (US) or
“Tire Safety Information”
(Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.
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TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This information iden-
tifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also pro-
vides the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The TIN
can be used to identify the tire in case of a
recall.
1Tire size (example: P215/65R15 95H)
1. P: The “P” indicates the tire is de-
signed for passenger vehicles (not all
tires have this information) .
2. Three-digit number (215): This num-
ber gives the width in millimeters of
the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge.
3. Two-digit number (65): This number,
known as the aspect ratio, gives the
tire’s ratio of height to width.4. R: The “R” stands for radial.
5. Two-digit number (15): This number
is the wheel or rim diameter in inches.
6. Two- or three-digit number (95): This
number is the tire’s load index. It is a
measurement of how much weight
each tire can support. You may not
find this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
7. H: Tire speed rating. You should not
drive the vehicle faster than the tire
speed rating.
Example
WDI0394
Example
WDI0395
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9 Technical and consumer information
Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants.........9-2
Fuel recommendation . . .........................9-4
Engine oil and oil filter recommendations..........9-6
Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil
recommendations..............................9-7
Specifications . . ...................................9-8
Engine........................................9-8
Wheels and tires...............................9-9
Dimensions and weights.......................9-10
When traveling or registering your vehicle in
another country..................................9-11
Vehicle identification..............................9-11
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate.........9-11
Vehicle identification number
(chassis number)..............................9-11
Engine serial number...........................9-12
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label..........9-12
Emission control information label...............9-13
Tire and loading information label................9-13Air conditioner specification label................9-13
Installing front license plate........................9-14
Vehicle loading information........................9-14
Terms........................................9-14
Vehicle load capacity..........................9-15
Loading tips..................................9-17
Measurement of weights.......................9-17
Towing a trailer...................................9-18
Maximum load limits...........................9-18
Towing load/specification. . .....................9-21
Towing safety.................................9-21
Flat towing....................................9-25
Uniform tire quality grading........................9-26
Emission control system warranty..................9-27
Reporting safety defects (US only).................9-27
Readiness for inspection/maintenance (I/M) test.....9-28
Event Data Recorders (EDR).......................9-29
Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order information . . . 9-29
In the event of a collision.......................9-30
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