2013 NISSAN LEAF Owners Manual

WARNING
Every person who drives or rides in this vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times. Children should be properly re-
strained in the rear seat and, if appro-
priate, in a child restraint.
1-8Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

The seat belt should be properly ad-justed 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 prop-
erly. 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 inju-
ries in an accident.
Be sure the seat belt tongue is se- curely fastened to the proper buckle.
Do not wear the seat belt inside out or twisted. Doing so may reduce its effec-
tiveness.
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 continuously while the power switch 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 a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer. 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. Doing 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 ac- tivated, it cannot be reused and must
be replaced together with the retrac-
tor. See a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer.
Removal and installation of the pre- tensioner system components should
be done by a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-9

All seat belt assemblies, including re-tractors and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after any collision
by a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
NISSAN recommends that all seat belt
assemblies in use during a collision be
replaced unless the collision was mi-
nor and the belts show no damage and
continue to operate properly. Seat belt
assemblies not in use during a colli-
sion should also be inspected and re-
placed if either damage or improper
operation is noted.
All child restraints and attaching hard- ware should be inspected after any
collision. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer’s inspection instruc-
tions and replacement recommenda-
tions. The child restraints should be
replaced if they are damaged.
PREGNANT WOMEN
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women use
seat belts. The seat belt should be worn snug,
and always position the lap belt as low as pos-
sible around the hips, not the waist. Place the
shoulder belt over your shoulder and across your
chest. Never put the lap/shoulder belt over your abdominal area. Contact your doctor for specific
recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
NISSAN recommends that injured persons use
seat belts, depending on the injury. Check with
your doctor for specific recommendations.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
Every person who drives or rides in this vehicle 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 injuries. 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 upright. Always sit well back
in the seat with both feet on the floor
and adjust the seat belt properly. Do not allow children to play with the
seat belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) mode seat belts. If the
seat belt becomes wrapped around a
child’s neck with the ALR mode acti-
vated, the child can be seriously in-
jured or killed if the seat belt retracts
and becomes tight. This can occur
even if the vehicle is parked. Unbuckle
the seat belt to release the child. If the
seat belt can not be unbuckled or is
already unbuckled, release the child
by cutting the seat belt with a suitable
tool (such as a knife or scissors) to
release the seat belt.
1-10Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat. SeeSeatsearlier in this
section.
2. Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor 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 motion permits the belt to move
and allows you some freedom of move-
ment in the seat.
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 re- tractor to take up extra slack. Be sure the
shoulder belt is routed over your shoulder and
across your chest.
The front passenger seat and the rear seating
positions three-point 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
certain impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode
(child restraint mode) locks the seat belt for child
restraint installation.
When 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 uncomfortable seat belt ten-
sion.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-11

WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain
that seatbacks are completely secured in
the latched position. If they are not com-
pletely secured, passengers may be in-
jured in an accident or sudden stop.
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 retrac- tor.
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 restrict
further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this check or
if you have any questions about seat belt opera-
tion, see a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
1-12Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Shoulder belt height adjustment (for
front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be ad-
justed to the position that is best for you. See
Precautions on seat belt usage.
To adjust, pull the adjustment button
1, and then
move the shoulder belt anchor to the preferred
position
2so that the belt passes over the
center of the shoulder. The belt should be away
from your face and neck, but not falling off of your
shoulder. Release the adjustment button to lock
the shoulder belt anchor into position.
WARNING
After adjustment, release the adjust- ment button and then try to move the
shoulder belt anchor up and down to
make sure that it is securely fixed in
position.
The shoulder belt anchor height should be adjusted to the position that
is best for you. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the entire
restraint system and increase the
chance or severity of injury in an acci-
dent.
Seat belt hooks
When the rear seat belts are not in use and when
folding down the rear seats, hook the rear outer
seat belts on the seat belt hooks.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13

Center of rear seat
Selecting correct set of seat belts:
The center seat belt buckle is identified by the
CENTER mark
A. The center seat belt tongue
can be fastened onlyinto the center seat belt
buckle.
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 approximately 8 in (200 mm) of length and may be used for either
the driver or front passenger seating position.
See a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer for assis-
tance with purchasing an extender if an extender
is required.
WARNING
Only NISSAN seat belt extenders, made by the same company which
made the original equipment seat
belts, should be used with NISSAN
seat belts.
Adults and children who can use the standard seat belt should not use an
extender. Such unnecessary use could
result in serious personal injury in the
event of an accident.
Never use seat belt extenders to install child restraints. If the child restraint is
not secured 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
anchors, work properly. If loose parts, deterio-
ration, cuts or other damage on the webbing is
found, the entire seat belt assembly should be
replaced.
1-14Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

WARNING
Do not allow children to play with the
seat belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) mode seat belts. If the seat
belt becomes wrapped around a child’s
neck with the ALR mode activated, the
child can be seriously injured or killed if
the seat belt retracts and becomes tight.
This can occur even if the vehicle is
parked. Unbuckle the seat belt to release
the child. If the seat belt can not be un-
buckled or is already unbuckled, release
the child by cutting the seat belt with a
suitable tool (such as a knife or scissors)
to release the seat belt.
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
Forward-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. Forward-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 forward-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 re-
straints.
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. A child restraint may be secured in the vehicle by
using either the LATCH (Lower Anchor and Teth-
ers for Children) system or with the vehicle seat
belt. For more information, see
Child restraints.
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.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 1 year old and weigh at
least 20 lbs (9 kg) should remain in a rear-facing
CHILD SAFETY
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15