2015 NISSAN LEAF Leaf

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.
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” in this section.
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.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13

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, deterioration, cuts
or other damage on the webbing is found, the
entire seat belt assembly should be replaced.WARNING
Do not allow children to play with the
seat belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (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 unbuck-
led or is already unbuckled, release the
child by cutting the seat belt with a suit-
able 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.
CHILD SAFETY
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15

• Child restraint anchorages are de-signed to withstand only those loads
imposed by correctly fitted child re-
straints. Under no circumstances are
they to be used to attach adult seat
belts, or other items or equipment to
the vehicle. Doing so could damage
the child restraint anchorages. The
child restraint will not be properly in-
stalled using the damaged anchorage,
and a child could be seriously injured
or killed in a collision.
Top tether anchor point locations:
Anchor points are located on the back side of the
seatbacks.
The child restraint top tether strap must be used
when installing child restraints with the LATCH
lower anchor attachments or seat belts.
If you have any questions when installing a
top tether strap, consult your NISSAN cer-
tified LEAF dealer for details.REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT
INSTALLATION USING LATCH
Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in “Child
safety” and “Child restraints” in this section be-
fore installing a child restraint.
NISSAN does not recommend the use of the
lower anchors if the combined weight of the child
and the child restraint exceeds 65 lbs (29.5 kg) . If
the combined weight of the child and the child
restraint is greater than 65 lbs, (29.5 kg) use the
vehicle’s seat belt (not the lower anchors) to
install the child restraint. Be sure to follow the
child restraint manufacturer’s instructions for in-
stallation.
Follow these steps to install a rear-facing child
restraint using the LATCH system
1. Position the child restraint on the seat. Alwaysfollow the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
1-22Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

5. Allow the seat belt to retract. Pull up on theshoulder belt to remove any slack in the belt.
6. Remove any additional slack from the seat belt. Press downward and rearward firmly in
the center of the child restraint with your knee
to compress the vehicle seat cushion and
seatback while pulling up on the seat belt.
7. Tighten the tether strap according to the manufacturer’s instructions to remove any
slack. 8. After attaching the child restraint, test it be-
fore you place the child in it. Push it from side
to side while holding the child restraint near
the seat belt path. The child restraint should
not move more than 1 inch (25 mm) from side
to side. Try to tug it forward and check to see
if the belt holds the restraint in place. If the
restraint is not secure, tighten the seat belt as
necessary, or put the restraint in another seat
and test it again. You may need to try a differ-
ent child restraint. Not all child restraints fit in
all types of vehicles. 9. Check to make sure the child restraint is prop-
erly secured prior to each use. If the seat belt
is not locked, repeat steps 2 through 8.
10. If the child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat, push the power switch to
the ON position. The front passenger air bag
status light
should illuminate. If this
light does not illuminate, see “Front passen-
ger air bag and status light” in this section.
Move the child restraint to another
seating position. Have the system
checked by a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer.
Forward-facing — step 5Forward-facing — step 6Forward-facing — step 8
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-31

WARNING
Do not pass the tether strap through
strap will be not be properly routed. Your
child could be seriously injured or killed
in a collision if the child restraint top
tether strap is not properly routed (mod-
els without rear seat) .
3. Secure the tether strap to the tether anchor point on the seatback.
4. Refer to the appropriate child restraint instal- lation procedure steps in this section before
tightening the tether strap.
If you have any questions when installing a
top tether strap, consult your NISSAN cer-
tified LEAF dealer for details.
PRECAUTIONS ON BOOSTER
SEATS
WARNING
If a booster seat and seat belt are not
used properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a sudden stop or collision
greatly increases:
• Make sure the shoulder portion of the
belt is away from the child’s face and
neck and the lap portion of the belt
does not cross the stomach.
• Make sure the shoulder belt is not be-
hind the child or under the child’s arm.
• A booster seat must only be installed
in a seating position that has a lap/
shoulder belt. • Booster seat anchorages are designed
to withstand only those loads imposed
by correctly fitted booster seats. Under
no circumstances are they to be used
to attach adult seat belts or other
items or equipment to the vehicle. Do-
ing so could damage the booster seat
anchorages. The booster seat will not
be properly installed using the dam-
aged anchorage, and a child could be
seriously injured or killed in a collision.
BOOSTER SEATS
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-33

• If you notice that the front passengerair bag status light is not operating as
described in this section, please take
your vehicle to your NISSAN certified
LEAF 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. All of the
information, cautions and warnings in this
manual 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” in this section 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.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43

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, its
weight and the child’s weight can be detected
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 toproperly 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” in this section for proper use and instal-
lation.
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 theperson 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
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 certified LEAF 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, repo-
sition the occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.
The air bag system and passenger air bag status
light will take a few seconds to register a change
in the passenger seat status. However, if the seat
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45

becomes unoccupied, the air bag status light will
remain off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
, located in the meter and gauges area,
will blink. Have the system checked by a NISSAN
certified LEAF 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 steer-
ing wheel or instrument panel. Such
objects may become dangerous pro-
jectiles 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
sensors) . 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 clas-
sification sensors. 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 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 sys-
tem may result in serious personal in-
jury. 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 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 ma-
terial on the seat cushion or by install-
ing 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 sensors.
1-46Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system