2012 NISSAN MAXIMA sensor

1. Top tether strap anchor (P. 1-33)
2. Head restraints (P. 1-7)
3. Rear seat belts (P. 1-11)
4. Roof-mounted curtain side-impactsupplemental air bag (P. 1-37)
5. Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bags (P. 1-37)
6. Head Restraints (P. 1-7)
7. Front seat belts (P. 1-11)
8. Supplemental front-impact air bags
(P. 1-37)
9. Seats (P. 1-2)
10. Occupant classification sensor
(pattern sensor) (P.1-44)
11. Seat belts with pretensioners (P. 1-50)
12. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren) system (P. 1-21)
See the page number indicated in paren-
theses for operating details.
LII0065
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS AND CHILD
RESTRAINTS
0-2Illustrated table of contents

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 as
needed. 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
(pattern 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
1-38Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

1. Roof-mounted curtain side-impactsupplemental air bag inflators
2. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bags
3. Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bag modules 4. Air bag Control Unit (ACU)
5. Supplemental front-impact air bag
modules
6. Crash zone sensor
7. Occupant classification system control
unit 8. Seat belt buckle switches for driver’s
and passenger’s side
9. Occupant classification sensor (pattern
sensor)
10. Seat belt with pretensioner
11. 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 instrument panel above the glove
box. The front air bags are designed to inflate in
higher severity frontal collisions, although they
may inflate 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 sys-
tem operation.
WRS0466
1-44Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 and the occu-
pant classification sensor (pattern sensor) . Infla-
tor operation is based on the severity of a colli-
sion and seat belt usage for the driver. For the
front passenger, the occupant classification sen-
sor is also monitored. 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 un-
belted. 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 passen-
ger air bag status light will be illuminated (if the
seat is unoccupied, the light will not be illumi-
nated, but the air bag will be off) . See “Front
passenger air bag and status light” later in this
section for further details. One front air bag inflat-
ing 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, the
force 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.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45

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 light
is
located above the radio. After the ignition switch
is placed in the ONposition, the front passen-
ger air bag status light on the instrument panel
illuminates for about 7 seconds and then turns off
or remains illuminated depending on the front
passenger seat occupied status. The light oper-
ates as follows:
● Unoccupied passenger’s seat: The
is
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
illuminates to indicate
that the front passenger air bag is OFF and
will not inflate in a crash.
●
Occupied passenger seat and the passenger
meets the conditions outlined in this section:
The light
is OFF to indicate 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 (pattern 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 System 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 regulations is
on the seat, its weight and the child’s weight can be
detected and cause the air bag to turn OFF. Occu-
pant classification sensor operation can vary de-
pending on the front passenger seat belt sensors.
The front passenger seat belt sensors are de-
signed to detect if the seat belt is buckled. Based
on the weight on the seat detected by the occu-
pant classification sensor, the Advanced Air Bag
System determines whether the front passenger
air bag should be automatically turned OFF as
required by the regulations.
LRS0865
1-46Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 be
seated 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 beingOFF. 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 bethat 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,
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 on
the driver’s side of the instrument panel, will blink.
Have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47

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 supplemental 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 (pattern 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. ●
Work on and around the front air bag
system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer. The Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) wiring should not be
modified or disconnected. Unauthor-
ized electrical test equipment and prob-
ing devices should not be used on the
air bag system.
● A cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified re-
pair facility. A cracked windshield could
affect the function of the supplemental
air bag system.
*The SRS wiring harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy identification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the front air bag system
and guide the buyer to the appropriate sections
in this Owner’s Manual.
1-48Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Be sure you do not put anything on top of
the autolight sensor located on the top side
of the instrument panel. The autolight sen-
sor controls the autolight; if it is covered,
the autolight sensor reacts as if it is dark
out and the headlights will illuminate. If
this occurs while parked with the engine
off and the ignition switch placed in the ON
position, your vehicle’s battery could be-
come discharged.Headlight beam select
1To select the high beam function, push the
lever forward. The high beam lights come on
and the
light illuminates.
2Pull the lever back to select the low beam.
3Pulling and releasing the lever flashes the
headlight high beams on and off.
Battery saver system
If the ignition switch is placed in the OFF position
while the headlight switch is in the
orposition, the headlights will turn off after
a period of time.
CAUTION
Even though the battery saver feature au-
tomatically turns off the headlights after a
period of time, you should turn the head-
light switch to the OFF position when the
engine is not running to avoid discharging
the vehicle battery.
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT SYSTEM
(Canada only)
The headlights automatically illuminate at a re-
duced intensity when the engine is started with
the parking brake released. The daytime running
lights operate with the headlight switch in the
OFF position or in the
position. Turn the
headlight switch to the
position for full
illumination when driving at night.
If the parking brake is applied before the engine is
started, the daytime running lights do not illumi-
nate. The daytime running lights illuminate when
the parking brake is released. The daytime run-
ning lights will remain on until the ignition switch
is placed in the OFF position.
WHA1170WIC1438
2-32Instruments and controls