PRECAUTIONS ON SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
This Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
section contains important information
concerning the following systems.
.Driver and passenger supplemental
front-impact air bag (INFINITI Advanced
Air Bag System)
. Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag
. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact sup-
plemental air bag
. Seat belt with pretensioner
Supplemental front-impact air bag system:
The INFINITI 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 pelvis area of the driver and front
passenger in certain side impact collisions.
The front seat side-impact supplemental
air bags are designed to inflate on the side
where the vehicle is impacted.
Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bag system: This system canhelp cushion the impact force to the head
of occupants in front and rear outboard
seating positions in certain side impact
collisions. The curtain air bags are de-
signed to inflate on the side where the
vehicle is impacted.
These supplemental restraint systems are
designed to
supplementthe crash protec-
tion provided by the driver and passenger
seat belts and are not a substitutefor
them. Seat belts should always be cor-
rectly worn and the occupant seated a
suitable distance away from the steering
wheel, instrument panel and door fin-
ishers. (See “Seat belts” (P.1-11) for
instructions and precautions on seat belt
usage.)
The supplemental 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 systems are operational.
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-37
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
1-38Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SSS0131
SSS0132
WARNING
. The front air bags ordinarily will not
inflate in the event of a side impact, rear
impact, rollover, or lower severity frontal
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” (P.1-44).
. 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 INFINITI Advanced Air Bag
System, if you are unrestrained, leaning
forward, sitting sideways or out of
position 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
dual stage air bag inflators. The system
monitors information from the crash zone
sensor, the Air bag Control Unit (ACU), the
diagnosis sensor unit, seat belt buckle
sensors and the occupant classification
sensor (pattern sensor). Inflator operation
is based on the severity of a collision and
seat belt usage for the driver. For the front
passenger, the occupant classification
sensor is also monitored. Based on in-
formation 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. Addi-
tionally, the front passenger 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 illuminated, but the air
bag will be off). (See“Front passenger air
bag and status light” (P.1-44) 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 INFINITI or an INFINITI retailer. If you are considering modification
of your vehicle due to a disability, you may
also contact INFINITI. 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 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 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.
Safety
—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43
1-44Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SSS0676
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 severity of injury in an accident.
Status light:
The front passenger air bag status light
is located under the climate controls.
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 illuminates depending on
the front passenger seat occupied status.
The light operates as follows:
. Unoccupied passenger seat: The
light 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
light
illuminates 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
1-46Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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 bag inflates.
. 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.
Removing or modifying the front pas- senger seat may affect the function of
the air bag system and result in serious
personal 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
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
1-48Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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.
Because of this, the force of the side air
bags and curtain air bags 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 bags will deflate quickly
after the collision is over.
The side air bags and curtain 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 air bag warning
light will turn off after about 7 seconds if
the systems are operational.
WARNING
. Do not place any objects near the
seatback 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 front seat-
mounted side air bags and roof-mounted
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 bags.
This is to prevent damage to or acci-
dental inflation of the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems.
. Do not make unauthorized changes to
your vehicle’s electrical system, suspen-
sion 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 seat by
placing material near the seatback 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 systems should be done by an INFINITI retailer. Installation of
electrical equipment should also be
done by an INFINITI retailer. The Supple-
mental Restraint System (SRS) wiring
harnesses* should not be modified or
disconnected. Unauthorized electrical
test equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the side air bag
or curtain air bag systems.
*
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-impact
air bag and curtain side-impact air bag
system and guide the buyer to the appro-
priate sections in this Owner’s Manual.
SEAT BELTS WITH PRETENSIONERS
(front seats)
WARNING
.The pretensioners cannot be reused after
activation. They must be replaced to-
gether with the retractor and buckle as a
unit.
. If the vehicle becomes involved in a
collision but a pretensioner is not
activated, be sure to have the preten-
sioner system checked and, if necessary,
replaced by an INFINITI retailer.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the pretensioner system. This is to
prevent damage to or accidental activa-
tion 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 an INFINITI
retailer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by an INFINITI
retailer. Unauthorized electrical test
equipment and probing devices should
not be used on the pretensioner system. .
If you need to dispose of the preten-
sioner or scrap the vehicle, contact an
INFINITI retailer. Correct pretensioner
disposal procedures are set forth in the
appropriate INFINITI Service Manual.
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, it helps tighten the seat belt
when the vehicle becomes involved in
certain types of collisions, helping to
restrain front seat occupants.
The pretensioner is encased with the seat
belt retractor. These seat belts are used the
same way as conventional seat belts.
When a pretensioner activates, smoke is
released and a loud noise may be heard.
The smoke is not harmful, and it 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 breath-
ing 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” (P.1-50) for more
details.) If the operation of the supple-
mental air bag warning light indicates
there is a malfunction, have the system
checked by an INFINITI retailer.
When selling your vehicle, we request that
you inform the buyer about the preten-
sioner system and guide the buyer to the
appropriate sections in this Owner’s Man-
ual.
Safety —Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49
1-50Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SSS1016
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG WARNING
LABELS
Warning labels about the supplemental
front-impact air bag systems are placed in
the vehicle as shown in the illustration.
SRS air bag
The warning labels*1are located on the
surface of the sun visors.
SPA1097
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG WARNING
LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light,
displayingin the instrument panel,
monitors the circuits for the air bag
systems, pretensioners and all related
wiring.
When the ignition 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
air bag and/or pretensioner systems need servicing:
.
The supplemental air bag warning light
remains on after approximately 7 sec-
onds.
. The supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
. The supplemental air bag warning light
does not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the air bag and/or
pretensioner systems may not operate
properly. They must be checked and
repaired. Take your vehicle to the nearest
INFINITI retailer.
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 pretensioner
systems will not operate in an accident. To
help avoid injury to yourself or others, have
your vehicle checked by an INFINITI retailer
as soon as possible.