2013 NISSAN ALTIMA Owners Manual

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,
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 NISSAN Advanced 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 ve-
hicle, 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
of the instrument panel, will blink. Have the sys-
tem 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.
● Do not place objects with sharp edges
on the seat. Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will leave per-
manent impressions in the seat. Such
objects can damage the seat or occu-
pant classification sensors (weight sen-
sors) . This can affect the operation of
the air bag system and result in serious
personal injury.
● Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifica-
tion sensors. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.
1-48Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

●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.
● Removing or modifying the front pas-
senger seat may affect the function of
the air bag and result in serious per-
sonal injury. ●
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 (weight 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 harnesses* should
not be modified or disconnected. Unau-
thorized electrical test equipment and
probing 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.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49

FRONT SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE-
IMPACT SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
AND ROOF-MOUNTED CURTAIN
SIDE-IMPACT SUPPLEMENTAL AIR
BAG SYSTEMS
The side air bags are located in the outside of the
seatback of the front seats. The curtain air bags
are located in the side roof rails. These systems
are designed to meet voluntary guidelines to help
reduce the risk of injury to out-of-position occu-
pants.However, all of the information, cau-
tions and warnings in this manual still ap-
ply and must be followed. The side air bags
and curtain air bags are designed to inflate in higher severity side collisions, although they may
inflate if the forces in another type of collision are
similar to those of a higher severity side impact.
They are designed to inflate on the side where the
vehicle is impacted. They may not inflate in cer-
tain side collisions.
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always an
indication of proper side air bag and curtain air
bag operation.
When the side air bags and curtain air bags
inflate, a fairly loud noise may be heard, followed
by the release of smoke. This smoke is not harm-
ful 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 con-
dition should get fresh air promptly.
Side air bags, along with the use of seat belts,
help to cushion the impact force on the chest and
pelvic area of the front occupants. Curtain air
bags help to cushion the impact force to the head
of occupants in the front and rear outboard seat-
ing positions. They can help save lives and re-
duce serious injuries. However, an inflating side
air bag and curtain air bag may cause abrasions
or other injuries. Side air bags and curtain air
bags do not provide restraint to the lower body.
The seat belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger seated upright as far as
practical away from the side air bag. Rear seat
passengers should be seated as far away as
practical from the door finishers and side roof
rails. The side air bags and curtain air bags inflate
quickly in order to help protect the occupants.
Because of this, the force of the side air bag and
curtain air bag inflating can increase the risk of
injury if the occupant is too close to, or is against,
these air bag modules during inflation. The side
air bags and curtain air bag will deflate quickly
after the collision is over.
The side air bags and curtain air bags op-
erate only when the ignition switch is
placed in the ON 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 sec-
onds if the system is operational.
WARNING
●
Do not place any objects near the seat-
back of the front seats. Also, do not
place any objects (an umbrella, bag,
etc.) between the front door finisher
and the front seat. Such objects may
become dangerous projectiles and
cause injury if a side air bag inflates.
LRS0259
1-50Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

●Right after inflation, several side air bag
and curtain 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 side air bag and curtain air bag
systems. This is to prevent damage to or
accidental inflation of the side air bag
and curtain air bag or damage to the
side air bag and curtain air bag systems.
● Do not make unauthorized changes to
your vehicle’s electrical system, sus-
pension system or side panel. This
could affect proper operation of the
side air bag and curtain air bag systems.
● Tampering with the side air bag system
may result in serious personal injury.
For example, do not change the front
seats by placing material near the seat-
backs or by installing additional trim
material, such as seat covers, around
the side air bag. ●
Work around and on the side air bag
and curtain air bag system should be
done by a NISSAN dealer. Installation
of electrical equipment should also be
done by a NISSAN dealer. The SRS wir-
ing harnesses* should not be modified
or disconnected. Unauthorized electri-
cal test equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the side air bag
or curtain 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 side air bag and
curtain air bag systems and guide the buyer to
the appropriate sections in this Owner’s Manual.
SEAT BELTS WITH
PRETENSIONERS (Front seats)
WARNING
● The pretensioners cannot be reused af-
ter activation. They must be replaced
together with the retractor and buckle
as a unit. ●
If the vehicle becomes involved in a
collision but a pretensioner is not acti-
vated, be sure to have the pretensioner
system checked and, if necessary, re-
placed by your NISSAN dealer.
● No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the pretensioner system. This is to pre-
vent damage to or accidental activation
of the pretensioners. Tampering with
the pretensioner system may result in
serious personal injury.
● Work around and on the pretensioner
system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Unauthorized electrical test
equipment and probing devices should
not be used on the pretensioner system.
● If you need to dispose of a pretensioner
or scrap the vehicle, contact a NISSAN
dealer. Incorrect disposal procedures
could cause personal injury.
The pretensioner system may activate with the
supplemental air bag system in certain types of
collisions. Working with the seat belt retractor, the
pretensioners help tighten the seat belt when the
vehicle becomes involved in certain types of colli-
sions, helping to restrain front seat occupants.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51

The pretensioners are part of the seat belt retrac-
tor assembly . These seat belts are used the
same way as conventional seat belts.
When a pretensioner activates, smoke is re-
leased and a loud noise may be heard. 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.
After pretensioner activation, load limiters allow
the seat belt to release webbing (if necessary) to
reduce forces against the chest.
The supplemental air bag warning light
is
used to indicate malfunctions in the pretensioner
system. (See SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT in this section for more de-
tails.) If the operation of the supplemental air bag
warning light indicates there is a malfunction,
have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the pretensioner system
and guide the buyer to the appropriate sections
in this Owner’s Manual.1. SRS air bag warning labels (located on
the sun visors)
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LABELS
Warning labels about the supplemental front-
impact air bag system are placed in the vehicle as
shown in the illustration.
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light,
displaying
in the instrument panel, moni-
tors the circuits for the air bag systems, preten-
sioners and all related wiring.
When the ignition is placed in the ON or START
position, the supplemental air bag warning light
illuminates for about 7 seconds and then turns
off. This means the system is operational.
LRS2163LRS0100
1-52Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

If any of the following conditions occur, the front
air bag, side air bag and curtain air bag and
pretensioner systems need servicing:● The supplemental air bag warning light re-
mains on after approximately 7 seconds.
● The supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
● The supplemental air bag warning light does
not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the front air bag, side air
bag and curtain air bag or pretensioner systems
may not operate properly. They must be checked
and repaired. Take your vehicle to the nearest
NISSAN dealer.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning light
is on, it could mean that the front air bag,
side air bag, curtain air bag and/or preten-
sioner systems will not operate in an ac-
cident. To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle checked by a
NISSAN dealer as soon as possible.
Repair and replacement procedure
The front air bags, side air bags, curtain air bags
and pretensioners are designed to inflate on a
one-time-only basis. As a reminder, unless it is
damaged, the supplemental air bag warning light
remains illuminated after inflation has occurred.
Repair and replacement of these supplemental
air bag systems should be done only by a
NISSAN dealer.
When maintenance work is required on the ve-
hicle, the front air bags, side air bags, curtain air
bags, pretensioners and related parts should be
pointed out to the person performing the mainte-
nance. The ignition should always be in the LOCK
position when working under the hood or inside
the vehicle.
WARNING
● Once a front air bag, side air bag, or
curtain air bag has inflated, the air bag
module will not function again and
must be replaced. Additionally, the ac-
tivated pretensioners must also be re-
placed. The air bag module and preten-
sioners should be replaced by a
NISSAN dealer. The air bag module and
pretensioners cannot be repaired. ●
The front air bag, side air bag, curtain
air bag systems and the pretensioner
system should be inspected by a
NISSAN dealer if there is any damage to
the front end or side portion of the
vehicle.
● If you need to dispose of a supplemen-
tal air bag or pretensioners or scrap the
vehicle, contact a NISSAN dealer. Incor-
rect disposal procedures could cause
personal injury.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-53

2 Instruments and controls
Instrument panel...................................2-2
Meters and gauges ................................2-3
Speedometer and odometer . . ...................2-4
Tachometer ....................................2-4
Engine coolant temperature gauge ...............2-5
Fuel gauge ....................................2-5
Compass display (if so equipped) ...................2-6
Compass display ...............................2-7
Warning/indicator lights and audible reminders ......2-10
Checking bulbs ............................... 2-10
Warning lights ................................ 2-10
Indicator lights ................................ 2-14
Audible reminders ............................. 2-16
Vehicle Information Display ........................2-17
How to use the vehicle information display .......2-17
Startup display ................................ 2-17
Settings ...................................... 2-18
Vehicle information display warnings and
indicators ..................................... 2-23
Security systems ................................. 2-26
Vehicle security system ......................... 2-26
NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system .............2-27
Windshield wiper and washer switch ...............2-28Switch operation
.............................. 2-28
Rear window and outside mirror (if so equipped)
defroster switch .................................. 2-29
Headlight and turn signal switch ....................2-30
Xenon headlights (if so equipped) ...............2-30
Headlight control switch ........................ 2-31
Daytime running light system (Canada only) ......2-33
Instrument brightness control ...................2-33
Turn signal switch ............................. 2-34
Fog light switch (if so equipped) ................2-34
Horn ............................................ 2-34
Heated seats (if so equipped) ......................2-35
Heated steering wheel (if so equipped) .............2-36
Warning systems switch (if so equipped) ............2-36
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off switch ...........2-37
P ower

outlet ..................................... 2-37
Storage ......................................... 2-38
Map pockets .................................. 2-38
Seatback pockets (if so equipped) ..............2-39
Sunglasses holder ............................. 2-39
Cup holders . . . ............................... 2-40
Glove box .................................... 2-41
Console box .................................. 2-41

Grocery hooks................................ 2-42
Windows ........................................ 2-42
Power windows ............................... 2-42
Moonroof (if so equipped) ......................... 2-45
Automatic moonroof ........................... 2-45
Interior light ...................................... 2-46
Console light .................................. 2-47
Personal Lights ................................... 2-47
Map lights ....................................... 2-48
Trunk light ....................................... 2-48HomeLink® universal transceiver (if so equipped)
....2-48
Programming HomeLink® ......................2-49
Programming HomeLink® for Canadian
customers and gate openers ....................2-50
Operating the HomeLink® universal
transceiver .................................... 2-51
Programming trouble-diagnosis .................2-51
Clearing the programmed information ............2-51
Reprogramming a single HomeLink® button ......2-52
If your vehicle is stolen ......................... 2-52