2013 NISSAN LEAF turn

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

7. If the booster seat is installed in the frontpassenger seat, push the power switch to the
ON position. The front passenger air bag sta-
tus light
may or may not illuminate
depending on the size of the child and the
type of booster seat used. See Front passen-
ger air bag and status light.
PRECAUTIONS ON SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
This Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sec-
tion contains important information concerning
the following systems.
Driver and passenger supplemental front- impact air bag (NISSAN Advanced Air Bag
System)
Front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bag
Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemen- tal air bag
Seat belt with pretensioner
Supplemental front-impact air bag system:
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System can help
cushion the impact force to the head and chest of
the driver and front passenger in certain frontal
collisions.
Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag system: This system can help
cushion the impact force to the chest and pelvic
area of the driver and front passenger in certain
side impact collisions. The side air bag is de-
signed to inflate on the side where the vehicle is
impacted. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bag system:
This system can help
cushion the impact force to the head of occu-
pants in front and rear outboard seating positions
in certain side impact collisions. The curtain air
bags are designed to inflate on the side where
the vehicle is impacted.
These supplemental restraint systems are de-
signed to supplement the crash protection pro-
vided by the driver and passenger seat belts and
are not a substitute for them. Seat belts should
always be correctly worn, and the occupant
should be seated a suitable distance away from
the steering wheel, instrument panel and door
finishers. See Seat beltsfor instructions and
precautions on seat belt usage.
The supplemental air bags operate only
when the power switch is in the ON posi-
tion.
After the power switch is placed 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 systems are operational.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
1-34Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

The seat belts and the front air bagsare most effective when you are sitting
well back and upright in the seat with
both feet on the floor. The front air
bags inflate with great force. Even with
the NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System,
if you are unrestrained, leaning for-
ward, 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 practical from the steering
wheel or instrument panel. Always use
the seat belts.
The driver and front passenger seat belt buckles are equipped with sen-
sors that detect if the seat belts are
fastened. The Advanced Air Bag Sys-
tem 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 occupant classification sensors
(weight sensors) that turn 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.
Keep hands on the outside of the steering wheel. Placing them inside
the steering wheel rim could increase
the risk that they are injured if the front
air bag inflates.
1-36Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Until you have confirmed with yourdealer that your passenger seat occu-
pant classification system is working
properly, position the occupants in the
rear seating positions.
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 op-
eration.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System has dual
stage air bag inflators. The system monitors infor- mation from the Air bag Control Unit (ACU) , seat
belt buckle sensors and the occupant classifica-
tion sensors (weight sensors) . Inflator operation
is based on the severity of a collision and seat
belt usage for the driver. For the front passenger,
the occupant classification sensors are also
monitored. Based on information from the sen-
sors, only one front air bag may inflate in a crash,
depending on the crash severity and whether the
front occupants are belted or unbelted. Addition-
ally, the front passenger air bag may be automati-
cally turned OFF under some conditions, de-
pending on the information provided by the
occupant classification sensors. If the front pas-
senger air bag is OFF, the passenger air bag
status light will be illuminated (if the seat is unoc-
cupied, the light will not be illuminated, but the air
bag will be off) . See
Front passenger air bag and
status light 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 NISSAN or a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer. If you are considering modification
of your vehicle due to a disability, you may also
contact NISSAN. Contact information is con-
tained 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 NISSAN 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 front air bags operate only when the
power switch is in the ON position.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-41

After the power switch is placed 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.
Front passenger air bag and status
light
WARNING
The front passenger air bag is designed
to automatically turn OFF under some
conditions. 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 acci-
dent.
Status light:
The front passenger air bag status light
is
located on the instrument panel. After the power
switch is pushed to the ON position, the front
passenger air bag status light on the instrument
panel illuminates for about 7 seconds and then
turns off or illuminates depending on the front
passenger seat status. The light operates as fol-
lows:
Unoccupied passenger seat: The
light 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
light 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 status light
1-42Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 as
permitted by U.S. regulations. If the front passen-
ger 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.
The occupant classification sensors (weight sen-
sors) are on the seat cushion frame under the
front passenger seat and are designed to detect
an occupant and objects on the seat. For ex-
ample, 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 sensors 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 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 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 sensors to turn the
air bag OFF. Always be sure to be seated and
wearing the seat belt properly for the most effec-
tive 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 sensors are 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
Automatic Locking Retractor (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 re-
straints 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 clas-
sification sensors. 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.
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
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43

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 on the side where the vehicle
is impacted.
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 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 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, side air bags and
curtain air bags may cause abrasions or otherinjuries. 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 bags. 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 in
the outboard seating positions. Because of this,
the force of the side air bags and curtain air bags
inflating can increase the risk of injury if the oc-
cupant is too close to, or is against, these air bag
modules during inflation. The side air bags and
curtain air bags will deflate quickly after the colli-
sion is over.
The side air bags and curtain air bags op-
erate only when the power switch is in the
ON position.
After turning the power switch to 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 systems are 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.
Right after inflation, several side air bag and curtain air bag system compo-
nents 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 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 sys-
tems.
1-46Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

When the power switch is in the ON position, the
supplemental air bag warning light illuminates for
about 7 seconds and then turns off. This means
the system is operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the front
air bag, side air bag, curtain air bag and preten-
sioner systems need servicing:
The supplemental air bag warning light remainson 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, curtain air bag and pretensioner systems
may not operate properly. They must be checked
and repaired. Take your vehicle to the nearest
NISSAN certified LEAF 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 pre-
tensioner systems will not operate in an
accident. To help avoid injury to yourself
or others, have your vehicle checked by a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer as soon as
possible.
REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT
PROCEDURE
The front air bags, side air bags, curtain air bags
and pretensioners are designed to activate on a
one-time-only basis. As a reminder, unless it is
damaged, the supplemental air bag warning light
will remain illuminated after inflation has oc-
curred. Repair and replacement of these systems
should be done only by a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer.
When maintenance work is required on the ve-
hicle, the front air bags, side air bags, curtain air
bags and pretensioners and related parts should
be pointed out to the person performing the
maintenance. The power switch 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 pre-
tensioner should be replaced by a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer. The air
bag modules and pretensioner system
cannot be repaired.
The front air bag, side air bag and curtain air bag systems, and preten-
sioner system should be inspected by
a NISSAN certified LEAF 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 pretensioner or scrap the
vehicle, contact a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer. Correct supplemental air
bag and pretensioner system disposal
procedures are set forth in the appro-
priate NISSAN Service Manual. Incor-
rect disposal procedures could cause
personal injury.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49