2015 NISSAN ALTIMA Owners Manual

WARNING
●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 NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. An in-
flating front air bag could seriously in-
jure or kill your child. For additional
information, refer to “Child restraints”
in this section.
WARNING
Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bags and roof-mounted curtain
side-impact and rollover supplemental air
bags:
●The side air bags and 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.
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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45

WARNING
●The seat belts, the side air bags and
curtain air bags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and upright in
the seat with both feet on the floor. 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.
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WARNING
●When sitting in the rear seat, do not
hold onto the seatback of the front seat.
If the side air bag inflates, you may be
seriously injured. Be especially 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 side
air bag inflation.
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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47

NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
(front seats)
1. Top tether strap anchor
2. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and roll-over supplemental air bag inflators
3. Rear seat belts
4. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and roll- over supplemental air bag
5. Front seat-mounted side-impact supple- mental air bag
6. Head restraints/headrests
7. Front seat belts
8. Side-impact weight sensor (driver’s side shown; passenger’s side similar)
9. Supplemental front-impact air bags
10. Seats
11. Occupant Classification Sensor (weight sensor)
12. Seat belt with pretensioner
13. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system
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1-48Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

WARNING
To ensure proper operation of the passen-
ger’s NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System,
please observe the following items.
●Do not allow a passenger in the rear
seat to push or pull on the seatback
pocket.
● Do not place heavy loads heavier than
2.2 lb (1 kg) on the seatback, head
restraint/headrest or in the seatback
pocket.
● Do not store luggage behind the seat
that can press into the seatback.
● Do not position the front passenger
seat so it contacts the rear seat. If the
front seat does contact the rear seat,
the air bag system may determine a
sensor malfunction has occurred and
the front passenger air bag status light
may illuminate and the supplemental
air bag warning light may flash. ●
If a forward facing child restraint is in-
stalled in the front passenger seat, do
not position the front passenger seat so
the child restraint contacts the instru-
ment panel. If the child restraint does
contact the instrument panel, the sys-
tem may determine the seat is occupied
and the passenger air bag may deploy
in a collision. Also the front passenger
air bag status light may not illuminate.
For additional information, refer to
“Child restraints” in this section for in-
formation about installing and using
child restraints.
● Confirm the operating condition with
the front passenger air bag status light.
● If you notice that the front passenger air
bag status light is not operating as de-
scribed in this section, please take your
vehicle to your NISSAN dealer to check
the occupant classification system.
● Until you have confirmed with your
dealer 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 dashboard above the glove box.
The front air bags are designed to inflate in higher
severity frontal collisions, although they may in-
flate 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 system opera-
tion.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System has dual
stage inflators. It also monitors information from
the crash zone sensor, the Air bag Control Unit
(ACU) , seat belt buckle sensors and Occupant
Classification Sensor (weight 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 information from the
sensor, only one front air bag may inflate in a
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49

crash, depending on the crash severity and
whether the front occupants are belted or un-
belted. Additionally, the front passenger air bag
may be automatically turned off under some con-
ditions, depending on the weight detected on the
passenger seat and how the seat belt is used. 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) . For additional information,
refer to “Front passenger air bag and status light”
in this section. One front air bag inflating does not
indicate improper performance of the system.
If you have any questions about your air bag
system, please contact NISSAN or your NISSAN
dealer. If you are considering modification of your
vehicle due to a disability, you may also contact
NISSAN. 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 the release of smoke.
This smoke is not harmful and does not indicate a
fire. Care should be taken to not 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 face and
chest of the front occupants. They can help savelives 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 front air bag module during infla-
tion.
The front air bags deflate quickly after a collision.
The front air bags operate 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.
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 con-
cerning the use of seats, seat belts and
child restraints can increase the risk or
severity of injury in an accident.
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Status light
The front passenger seat is equipped with an
Occupant Classification Sensor (weight sensor)
that turns the front passenger air bag on or off
depending on the weight applied to the front
passenger seat. The status of the front passen-
ger air bag (ON or OFF) is indicated by a front
passenger air bag status light
which is
located on the instrument panel.
After the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the front passenger air bag status light
on the instrument panel illuminates for about
7 seconds and then turns off or remains illumi-
nated depending on the front passenger seat
occupied status. The light operates as follows:
● Unoccupied front passenger’s seat:
The
light is OFF and the front passen-
ger air bag is OFF and will not inflate in a
crash.
● Front passenger’s seat occupied by a small
adult, child or child restraint as outlined in
the Safety section of the owner’s manual:
The
light illuminates to indicate that
the front passenger air bag is OFF and will
not inflate in a crash. ●
Occupied front passenger seat and the pas-
senger meets the conditions as outlined in
the Safety section of the owner’s manual:
The
light is OFF to indicate that the
front passenger air bag is operational.
In addition to the above, certain objects placed
on the front passenger seat may also cause the
light to operate as described above depending
on their weight.
For additional information related to the normal
operation and troubleshooting of this Occupant
Classification Sensor system, please refer to
“Normal operation” and “Troubleshooting” in this
section.
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 in
accordance with U.S. regulations. 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 auto-
matically turned OFF. Certain sensors are used to
meet the requirements. The Occupant Classification Sensor in this ve-
hicle is a weight sensor. It is designed to detect
an occupant and objects on the seat by weight.
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 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 outlined
in this manual should not cause the passenger air
bag to be automatically turned OFF. For small
adults it may be turned OFF, however if the occu-
pant takes his/her weight off the seat cushion (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 protec-
tion 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 Sensor is designed to operate as
described above to turn the front passenger air
bag OFF for specified child restraints as required
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51

by the regulations. Failing to properly secure
child restraints and to use the ALR mode may
allow the restraint to tip or move in a collision or
sudden stop. This can also result in the passen-
ger air bag inflating in a crash instead of being
OFF. For additional information, refer to “Child
restraints” in this section for proper use and in-
stallation.
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’s weight 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 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 toOFF. 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.
Normal operation
In order for the occupant classification system to
classify the right front passenger based on
weight, please follow the precautions and steps
outlined below:
Precautions
● Make sure there are no objects weighing
over 2.2 lbs (1 kg) hanging on the seat or
placed in the seatback pocket.
●
Make sure that a child seat or other object is
not pressing against the rear of the seatback.
● Make sure that a rear passenger is not push-
ing or pulling on the back of the front pas-
senger’s seat.
● Make sure that the front seat or seatback is
not forced back against an object on the
seat or floor behind it.
● Make sure that there is no object placed
under the front passenger’s seat.
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