2015 NISSAN PATHFINDER HYBRID Owners Manual

NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
(front seats)
1. Supplemental front-impact air bag modules
2. Air bag Control Unit (ACU)
3. Occupant classification sensor (weight sen-
sor)
4. Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag modules
5. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and roll-
over supplemental air bags
6. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and roll-
over supplemental air bag inflators
7. Satellite sensors
8. Seat belt with pretensioner
9. Pressure sensors in door (driver’s side
shown; passenger side similar)
10. Crash zone sensor
WARNING
To ensure proper operation of the passen-
ger’s advanced air bag system, please ob-
serve the following items.
●Do not allow a passenger in the 2nd row
to push or pull on the seatback pocket.
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1-54Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

●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 2nd row. If the
front seat does contact the 2nd row, the
air bag system may determine a sensor
malfunction has occurred and the front
passenger air bag status light may illu-
minate 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.All of the
information, cautions and warnings in this
manual 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 and the Air bag Control
Unit (ACU) . 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 crash, depending on the crash
severity. Additionally, the front passenger air bag
may be automatically turned OFF under some
conditions, 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 passen-
ger air bag status light will be illuminated (if the
seat is unoccupied, the light will not be illumi-
nated, 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.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-55

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 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 pas-
senger 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 inflation.
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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1-56Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 passen-
ger seat. The status of the passenger air bag (ON
or OFF) is indicated by a passenger air bag
status light
which is located on the instru-
ment panel.
After the ignition switch is placed in theON
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 passenger’s 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 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 passenger seat and the passen-
ger meet 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 vehicle
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, 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 takes his/her weight off the seat cush-
ion (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 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 sensor is designed to operate as
described above to turn the front passenger air
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-57

bag OFF for specified child restraints as required
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 theperson 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 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 vehicle, the passenger air bagstatus light will go from OFF to ON for a few
seconds and then to OFF. 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 seat-back pocket.
●Make sure that a child seat or other object is
not pressing against the rear of the seat-
back.
●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 seat-back is
not forced back against an object on the
seat or floor behind it.
1-58Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

●Make sure that there is no object placed
under the front passenger’s seat.
Steps
1. Adjust the seat as outlined in the “Seats”
section of the Owner’s Manual. Sit upright,
leaning against the seat back, and centered
on the seat cushion with your feet comfort-
ably extended to the floor.
2. Make sure there are no objects on the occu-
pant’s lap.
3. Fasten the seat belt as outlined in the “Seat
belts” section of the Owner’s Manual.
4. Remain in this position for 30 seconds al-
lowing the system to classify the passenger
before the vehicle is put into motion.
5. Ensure proper classification by checking the
passenger air bag status light.NOTE:
This vehicle’s Occupant Classification Sys-
tem locks the classification during driving
so it is important that you confirm that the
passenger is properly classified prior to
driving. Also, the Occupant Classification
System may recalculate the weight of the
occupant when the vehicle comes to a stop
(i.e stop light, stop sign etc.) , so front pas-
senger seat occupants should continue to
remain seated as outlined above.
Troubleshooting
If you think the passenger air bag status light is
incorrect:
1. If the light is ON with no front passenger and
no objects on the front passenger seat:
This may be due to the following conditions that
may be interfering with the weight sensors:
●An object weighing over 2.2 lbs (1 kg) hang-
ing on the seat or placed in the seat-back
pocket.
●A child seat or other object pressing against
the rear of the seat-back.
●A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the
back of the front passenger’s seat.●The front seat or seat-back is forced back
against an object on the seat or floor behind
it.
●An object placed under the front passen-
ger’s seat.
●An object placed between the seat cushion
and center console or between door and
cushion.
If the vehicle is moving please come to a stop
when it is safe to do so. Check and correct any of
the above conditions. Restart the vehicle and
wait one minute.
NOTE:
A system check will be performed during
which the passenger air bag status light
will remain lit for about 7 seconds initially.
If the light is still on after this, the vehicle should
be checked by a NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.
2. If the light is ON with an adult occupying the
front passenger seat:
●Occupant is a small adult→the air bag light
is functioning as intended. The front passen-
ger air bag is suppressed.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-59

However, if the occupant is not a small adult, then
this may be due to the following conditions that
may be interfering with the weight sensors:
●Occupant is not sitting upright, leaning
against the seat back, and centered on the
seat cushion with feet comfortably extended
to the floor.
●A child seat or other object pressing against
the rear of the seat-back.
●A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the
back of the front passenger’s seat.
●The front seat or seat-back is forced back
against an object on the seat or floor behind
it.
●An object placed under the front passen-
ger’s seat.
●An object placed between the seat cushion
and center console or between the seat
cushion and the door.
If the vehicle is moving please come to a stop
when it is safe to do so. Check and correct any of
the above conditions. Restart the vehicle and
wait one minute.NOTE:
A system check will be performed during
which the passenger air bag status light
will remain lit for about 7 seconds initially.
If the light is still on after this, the person should
be advised not to ride in the front passenger seat
and the vehicle should be checked by a NISSAN
dealer as soon as possible.
3. If the light is OFF with small adult, child or
child restraint occupying the front passen-
ger seat.
This may be due to the following conditions
that may be interfering with the weight sen-
sors:
●Small adult or child is not sitting upright,
leaning against the seat back, and centered
on the seat cushion with feet comfortably
extended to the floor.
●The child restraint is not properly installed,
as outlined in the “Child restraints” section of
the Owner’s Manual.
●An object weighing over 2.2 lbs (1 kg) hang-
ing on the seat or placed in the seat-back
pocket.
●A child seat or other object pressing against
the rear of the seat-back.●A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the
back of the front passenger’s seat.
●The front seat or seat-back is forced back
against an object on the seat or floor behind
it.
●An object placed under the front passen-
ger’s seat.
●An object placed between the seat cushion
and center console.
If the vehicle is moving please come to a stop
when it is safe to do so. Check and correct any of
the above conditions. Restart the vehicle and
wait one minute.
NOTE:
A system check will be performed during
which the passenger air bag status light
will remain lit for about 7 seconds initially.
If the light is still OFF after this, the small adult,
child or child restraint should be repositioned in
the rear seat and the vehicle should be checked
by a NISSAN dealer as soon as possible.
1-60Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 be-
come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury if the front air bags inflate.
●Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will be
hot. Do not touch them; you may se-
verely 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 system
may result in serious personal injury.
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 and result in serious per-
sonal 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 mate-
rial on the seat cushion or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat
covers, on the seat that are not specifi-
cally designed to assure proper air bag
operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat
or the seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classification
sensor (weight 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 seri-
ous personal injury.
●Work on and around the front air bag
system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer. The Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) wiring harnesses* should
not be modified or disconnected. Unau-
thorized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used on
the air bag system.
●A cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified repair
facility. A cracked windshield could af-
fect the function of the supplemental air
bag system.
*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 front air bag system
and guide the buyer to the appropriate sections
in this Owner’s Manual.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-61