PRECAUTIONS ON SEAT BELT USAGE
If you are wearing your seat belt properly
adjusted, and you are sitting upright and well
back in your seat with both feet on the floor,
your chances of being injured or killed in an
accident and/or the severity of injury may be
greatly reduced. INFINITI strongly encourages
you and all of your passengers to buckle up
every time you drive, even if your seating
position includes a supplemental air bag.
Most U.S. states and Canadian provinces or ter-
ritories specify that seat belts be worn at all
times when a vehicle is being driven.
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SEAT BELTS
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-11
WARNING
●Every person who drives or rides in this ve-
hicle should use a seat belt at all times. Chil-
dren should be properly restrained in the
rear seat and, if appropriate, in a child
restraint.
● The seat belt should be properly adjusted to
a snug fit. Failure to do so may reduce the
effectiveness of the entire restraint system
and increase the chance or severity of injury
in an accident. Serious injury or death can
occur if the seat belt is not worn properly.
● Always route the shoulder belt over your
shoulder and across your chest. Never put
the belt behind your back, under your arm or
across your neck. The belt should be away
from your face and neck, but not falling off
your shoulder.
● Position the lap belt as low and snug as
possible AROUND THE HIPS, NOT THE WAIST.
A lap belt worn too high could increase the
risk of internal injuries in an accident.
● Be sure the seat belt tongue is securely fas-
tened to the proper buckle.
● Do not wear the seat belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness. ●
Do not allow more than one person to use the
same seat belt.
● Never carry more people in the vehicle than
there are seat belts.
● If the seat belt warning light glows continu-
ously while the ignition is turned ON with all
doors closed and all seat belts fastened, it
may indicate a malfunction in the system.
Have the system checked by an INFINITI
retailer.
● No changes should be made to the seat belt
system. For example, do not modify the seat
belt, add material or install devices that may
change the seat belt routing or tension. Do-
ing so may affect the operation of the seat
belt system. Modifying or tampering with
the seat belt system may result in serious
personal injury.
● Once a seat belt pretensioner has activated,
it cannot be reused and must be replaced
together with the retractor. See an INFINITI
retailer.
● Removal and installation of the pretensioner
system components should be done by an
INFINITI retailer.
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1-12Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
●All seat belt assemblies, including retractors
and attaching hardware, should be in-
spected after any collision by an INFINITI re-
tailer. INFINITI recommends that all seat belt
assemblies in use during a collision be re-
placed unless the collision was minor and
the belts show no damage and continue to
operate properly.
Seat belt assemblies not in use during a col-
lision should also be inspected and replaced
if either damage or improper operation is
noted.
● All child restraints and attaching hardware
should be inspected after any collision. Al-
ways follow the restraint manufacturer’s in-
spection instructions and replacement rec-
ommendations. The child restraints should
be replaced if they are damaged.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 differ-
ent, so be sure to learn the best way to trans-
port 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 lb (9 kg)) should be placed in
rear-facing child restraints. Front-facing child
restraints are available for children who out-
grow 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 protection.
The vehicle’s seat belts may not fit them prop-
erly. 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 im-
properly fitting 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 re-
straints for infants and small children. (See
“CHILD RESTRAINTS” later in this section.)
Also, there are other types of child restraints
available for larger children for additional pro-
tection.
INFINITI recommends that all pre-teens and chil-
dren 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 ve-
hicle has a supplemental restraint system (air
bag system) for the front passenger. (See
“SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM” later in
this section.)
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13
Infants
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be
placed in a rear-facing child restraint. INFINITI
recommends that infants be placed in child
restraints that comply with Federal Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standards. You should choose a
child restraint which fits your vehicle and al-
ways follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation and use.
Small children
Children that are over 1 year old and weigh at
least 20 lb (9 kg) can be placed in a forward-
facing child restraint. Refer to the manufactur-
er’s instructions for minimum and maximum
weight and height recommendations. INFINITI
recommends 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 in-
stallation 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 lb (18 kg)
and 80 lb (36 kg). A booster seat should be
used to obtain proper seat belt fit.
INFINITI recommends that a child be placed in a
commercially available booster seat if the
shoulder belt in the child’s seating position fits
close to the face or neck or if the lap portion of
the seat belt goes across the abdomen. The
booster seat should raise the child so that the
shoulder belt is properly positioned across the
top, middle portion of the shoulder and the lap
belt is low on the hips. A booster seat can only
be used in seating positions that have a three-
point type seat belt. The booster seat should fit
the vehicle seat and have a label certifying that
it complies with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. Once the child has grown so the
shoulder belt is no longer on or near the face
and neck, use the shoulder belt without the
booster seat.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat and
do not allow a child in the cargo areas while the
vehicle is moving. The child could be seriously
injured or killed in an accident or sudden stop.
PREGNANT WOMEN
INFINITI recommends that pregnant women use
seat belts. The seat belt should be worn snug,
and always position the lap belt as low as
possible around the hips, not the waist, and
place the shoulder belt over your shoulder and
across your chest. Never run the lap/shoulder
belt over your abdominal area. Contact your
doctor for specific recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
INFINITI recommends that injured persons use
seat belts, depending on the injury. Check with
your doctor for specific recommendations.
1-14Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
PRE-CRASH SEAT BELTS (front seats)
(if so equipped)
The pre-crash seat belt tightens the seat belt to
help restrain front seat occupants under emer-
gency braking. This can help reduce the risk of
injury when a collision occurs.
Pre-crash seat belt will not be activated when:
●the brake pedal is not depressed
● the seat belt is not fastened
● the vehicle speed is under 10 MPH (15 km/h)
Always wear your seat belt correctly and sit
upright and well back.
If the seat belt warning light blinks even if the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belts are
fastened, it may indicate the pre-crash seat belt
system has a malfunction. Have your INFINITI
retailer check and repair the system.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WARNING
● Every person who drives or rides in this ve-
hicle should use a seat belt at all times.
● 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 inju-
ries. 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 up-
right. Always sit well back in the seat with
both feet on the floor and adjust the seat belt
properly.
Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat. (See “SEATS” earlier in this section.)
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retrac- tor and insert the tongue into the buckle
until you hear and feel the latch engage.
●The retractor is designed to lock during a
sudden stop or on impact. A slow pulling mo-
tion permits the belt to move, and allows you
some freedom of movement in the seat.
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Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15
●If 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.
3. Position the lap belt portion low and snug
on the hips as shown.
4. Pull 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 three-point type seat belts have two modes
of operation:
●Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
● Automatic 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 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. For additional
information, see “CHILD RESTRAINTS” later in
this section.
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 uncom-
fortable seat belt tension.WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain that
seatbacks are completely secured in the
latched position. If they are not completely se-
cured, passengers may be injured in an acci-
dent or sudden stop.
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1-16Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
Unfastening the seat belts
To unfasten the seat belt, push the button on
the buckle. The seat belt automatically retracts.
Checking seat belt operation
Seat belt retractors are designed to lock seat
belt movement by two separate methods:
●When the 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 question about seat belt
operation, see an INFINITI retailer.
SEAT BELT GUIDE (front seats)
When the seat belt guide is used with the front
seat, the seat belt can easily be pulled out.
Release the seat belt guide, clip the seat belt
and install the seat belt guide again.
When using the seat belt guide, do not allow it
to twist.
WARNING
When using the seat belt guide, make sure that
the seat belt guide is securely installed to the
seat. Otherwise, the seat belt may slip and re-
sult in personal injury.
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Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-17
CAUTION
●When entering or exiting the rear seat, or
inserting or retrieving luggage with the seat-
back folded down, always release the seat
belt guide. Otherwise, the seat belt guide
may be damaged.
● Do not fold the seat forward or pull it back-
ward by holding the seat belt guide in your
hand. Doing so may damage the seat belt
guide.
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 that is compatible
with the installed seat belts is available that
can be purchased. The extender adds approxi-
mately 8 in (200 mm) of length and may be
used for either the driver or front passenger
seating position.
See an INFINITI retailer for assistance with
purchasing an extender if an extender required.
WARNING
● Only INFINITI seat belt extenders, made by
the same company which made the original
equipment seat belts, should be used with
the INFINITI seat belts.
● Adults and children who can use the stan-
dard seat belt should not use an extender.
Such unnecessary use could result in seri-
ous personal injury in the event of an
accident.
● Never use seat belt extenders to install child
restraints. If the child restraint is not se-
cured properly, the child could be seriously
injured in a collision or a sudden stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
● To clean the seat belt webbing, apply a mild
soap solution or any solution recommended
for cleaning upholstery or carpets. 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 guide of
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 an-
chors work properly. If loose parts, deterio-
ration, cuts or other damage on the webbing
is found, the entire seat belt assembly
should be replaced.
1-18Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system