2013 INFINITI M-HEV Owners Manual

1-40Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
Always sit back against the seatback
and as far-away as practical from the
steering wheel or instrument 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
usage 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
accident. See “Front passenger air bag
and status light” later in this section.
. Keep hands on the outside of the
steering wheel. Placing them inside the
steering wheel rim could increase the
risk of injury if the front air bag inflates.
SSS0007
SSS0006
SSS0008
SSS0009

SSS0099
SSS0100
WARNING
.Never let children ride unrestrained or
extend their hands or face out of the
window. Do not attempt to hold them in
your lap or arms. Some examples of
dangerous riding positions are shown in
the illustrations.
. Children may be severely injured or
killed when the front air bags, side air
bags or curtain air bags inflate if they
are not properly restrained. Pre-teens
and children should be properly re-
strained in the rear seat, if possible.
. Even with the INFINITI Advanced Air Bag
System, never install a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat. An inflating
front air bag could seriously injure or kill
your child. See “Child restraints” earlier
in this section for details.
SSS0059A
SSS0188A
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-41

1-42Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SSS0140
SSS0162
SSS0159
WARNING
Front seat-mounted side-impact supplemen-
tal air bags and roof-mounted curtain side-
impact supplemental air bags:
. The front seat-mounted side-impact air
bags and roof-mounted curtain air bags
ordinarily will not inflate in the event of
a frontal impact, rear impact, rollover or
lower severity side collision. Always
wear your seat belts to help reduce the
risk or severity of injury in various kinds
of accidents. .
The seat belts, side air bags and curtain
air bags are most effective when you are
sitting well back and upright in the seat.
The side air bag and curtain air bag
inflate with great force. Do not allow
anyone to place their hand, leg or face
near the side air bag on the side of the
seatback of the front seat or near the
side roof rails. Do not allow anyone
sitting in the front seats or rear outboard
seats to extend their hand out of the
window or lean against the door. Some
examples of dangerous riding positions
are shown in the previous illustrations.
. When sitting in the rear seat, do not
hold onto the seatback of the front seat.
If the supplemental side air bag inflates,
you may be seriously injured. Be espe-
cially careful with children, who should
always be properly restrained. Some
examples of dangerous riding positions
are shown in the illustrations.
. Do not use seat covers on the front
seatbacks. They may interfere with
supplemental side air bag inflation.

SSS1086
1. Crash zone sensor
2. Supplemental front air bag modules(INFINITI Advanced Air Bags)
3. Front seat-mounted side-impact sup- plemental air bags
4. Occupant classification sensor (pat- tern sensor) 5. Occupant classification system con-
trol unit
6. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags
7. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bag inflators 8. Lap outer pretensioners (if so
equipped)
9. Air bag Control Unit (ACU)
10. Satellite sensors
11. Seat belts with pretensioners
INFINITI ADVANCED AIR BAG SYS-
TEM (front seats)
This vehicle is equipped with the INFINITI
Advanced Air Bag System for the driver and
front passenger seats. This system is
designed to meet certification require-
ments under U.S. regulations. It is also
permitted in Canada. However, all of the
information, cautions and warnings 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 front 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
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43

1-44Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
operation.
The INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System has
dual stage air bag inflators. The system
monitors information from the crash zone
sensor, the Air bag Control Unit (ACU), seat
belt buckle switches and the occupant
classification sensor (pattern sensor). In-
flator operation is based on the severity of
a collision and seat belt usage for the
driver. For the front passenger, the occu-
pant classification sensor is also moni-
tored. 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 pas-
senger air bag may be automatically turned
OFF under some conditions, depending on
the information provided by the occupant
classification sensor. 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 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 inflating does not indicate
improper performance of the system.
If you have any questions about your air bag system, contact an INFINITI retailer. If
you are considering modification of your
vehicle due to a disability, you may also
contact an INFINITI retailer. Contact infor-
mation 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 release of
smoke. This smoke is not harmful and does
not indicate a fire. Care should be taken
not to 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 head 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 INFINITI advanced air bags, seat
belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger 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 air bag module
during inflation.
The front air bags deflate quickly after a
collision.
The supplemental front air bags operate
only when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
After pushing the ignition switch to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light illuminates. The supplemental air
bag warning light will turn off after about
7 seconds if the system is operational.

SSS1085
Front passenger air bag status light
Front passenger air bag and status
light
WARNING
The front passenger air bag is designed to
automatically turn OFF under some condi-
tions. Read this section carefully to learn
how it operates. Proper use of the seat, seat
belt and child restraints is necessary for
most effective protection. Failure to follow
all instructions in this manual concerning
the use of seats, seat belts and child
restraints can increase the risk or severityof injury in an accident.
Status light:
The front passenger air bag status light
is located on the instrument panel.
After the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the front passenger air bag status
light illuminates for about 7 seconds and
then turns off or operates depending on
the front passenger seat occupied status.
The light operates as follows:
. Unoccupied passenger seat: The
is
OFF and the front passenger air bag is
OFF and will not inflate in a crash.
. Passenger seat occupied by a small
adult, child or child restraint as out-
lined in this section: The
illumi-
nates to indicate that the front
passenger air bag is OFF and will not
inflate in a crash.
. Occupied passenger seat and the pas-
senger 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
automatically turn OFF when the vehicle is operated under some conditions as de-
scribed below as permitted by U.S. regula-
tions. 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 automatically
turned OFF.
The occupant classification sensor (pattern
sensor) is in the front passenger seat
cushion and is designed to detect an
occupant and objects on the seat. 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,
the occupant classification sensor can
detect it and cause the air bag to turn OFF.
Front passenger seat adult occupants who
are properly seated and using the seat belt
as outlined in this manual should not
cause the passenger air bag to be auto-
matically turned OFF. For small adults it
Safety
—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45

1-46Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
may be turned OFF, however, if the
occupant does not sit in the seat properly
(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.
Always be sure to be seated and wearing
the seat belt properly for the most effective
protection by the seat belt and supple-
mental air bag.
INFINITI recommends that pre-teens and
children be properly restrained in a rear
seat. INFINITI also recommends that appro-
priate child restraints and booster seats be
properly installed in a rear seat. If this is
not possible, the occupant classification
sensor is designed to operate as described
above to turn the front passenger air bag
OFF for specified child restraints. 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 passenger 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 being
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 automatically turned OFF with the
seat occupied. The light will not illuminate
when the front passenger seat is unoccu-
pied.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
passenger air bag status light is illumi-
nated (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.
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 passenger
air bag status light is not illuminated
(indicating that the air bag might inflatein 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 passenger air bag status
light is still not illuminated, reposition the
occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.
If the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate 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
INFINITI retailer can check that the system
is OFF by using a special tool. However,
until you have confirmed with your retailer
that your air bag is working properly,
reposition the occupant or child restraint
in a rear seat.
The INFINITI advanced air bag system and
passenger air bag status light will take a
few seconds to register a change in the
passenger seat status. However, if the seat
becomes unoccupied, the air bag status
light will remain off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front
passenger air bag system, the supplemen-
tal air bag warning light
, located in the

meter and gauges area will blink. Have the
system checked by an INFINITI retailer.
Other supplemental front-impact
air bag precautions
WARNING
.Do not place any objects on the steering
wheel pad or on the instrument panel.
Also, do not place any objects between
any occupant and the steering wheel or
instrument panel. Such objects may
become dangerous projectiles and cause
injury if the front air bags inflate.
. Do not place objects with sharp edges
on the seat. Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will leave
permanent impressions in the seat. Such
objects can damage the seat or occupant
classification sensor (pattern sensor).
This can affect the operation of the air
bag system and result in serious perso-
nal injury.
. Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifica-
tion sensor. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and result in serious personal injury.
. Immediately after inflation, several front
air bag system components will be hot.
Do not touch them; you may severely
burn yourself.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the 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, suspen-
sion system or front end structure. This
could affect proper operation of the front
air bag system.
. Tampering with the air bag system may
result in serious personal injury. Tamper-
ing includes changes to the steering
wheel and the instrument panel assem-
bly 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 material on the seat cushion or by
installing additional trim material, such
as seat covers, on the seat that is not
specifically designed to assure proper
air bag operation. Additionally, do not
stow any objects under the front pas-
senger seat or the seat cushion and
seatback. Such objects may interfere
with the proper operation of the occu-
pant classification 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 serious
personal injury.
. Work on and around the front air bag
system should be done by an INFINITI
retailer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by an INFINITI
retailer. The Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) wiring harnesses* should
not be modified or disconnected. Un-
authorized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used on
the air bag system.
. A cracked windshield should be replaced
immediately by a qualified repair facility.
A cracked windshield could affect the
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47