2016 NISSAN LEAF instrument panel

Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bag system
This system can help cushion the impact force to
the head of occupants in front and rear outboard
seating positions in certain side impact collisions.
In a side impact, the curtain air bags are designed
to inflate on the side where the vehicle is im-
pacted.
The SRS is designed tosupplementthe crash
protection provided by the driver and passenger
seat belts and are not a substitutefor them.
Seat belts should always be correctly worn, and
the occupant should be seated a suitable dis-
tance away from the steering wheel, instrument
panel and door finishers. For additional informa-
tion, instructions, and precautions on seat belt
usage, refer to “Seat belts” in this section.
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
seconds if the system is operational.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-39
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WARNING
•
The front air bags ordinarily will not in-
flate 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. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Front passenger air bag
and status light” in this section.
•
The seat belts and the front air bags are
most effective when you are sitting well
back and upright in the seat with both
feet on the floor. The front air bags in-
flate with great force. Even with the
NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System, if you
are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit-
ting 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 in-
flates. Always sit back against the seat-
back and as far away as practical from
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
Always properly 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 NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System monitors the severity of a
collision and seat belt usage then in-
flates the air bags as needed. Failure
to properly wear seat belts can in-
crease the risk or severity of injury in
an accident.
• The front passenger seat is equipped with occupant classification sensor
(weight sensor) that turns 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. For additional information, refer
to “Front passenger air bag and status
light” in this section.
• 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.
1-40Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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NISSAN ADVANCED AIR BAG
SYSTEM (FRONT SEATS)
WARNING
To ensure proper operation of the front
passenger’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 9 lb (4 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 bench
seats. If the front seat does contact the
rear bench seats, 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
installed in the front passenger seat,
do not position the front passenger
seat, so the child restraint contacts the
instrument panel. If the child restraint
does contact the instrument panel, the
system may determine the seat as oc-
cupied and the passenger air bag may
deploy in a collision. Also the front
passenger air bag status light may not
illuminate. For additional information
about installing and using child re-
straints, refer to “Child restraints” in
this section.
• 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
described in this section, please take
your vehicle to a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer to check the occupant
classification system.
• Until you have confirmed with a dealer that your passenger seat occupant
classification system is working prop-
erly, 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
front 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, al-
though 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 operation.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System 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
1-44Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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the crash severity. Additionally, the front passen-
ger 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 passenger air bag status light will be illumi-
nated (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 per-
formance 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
front 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.
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 accident.
Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45
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Front passenger air bag status light
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 the front
passenger air bag status light
which is
located on the instrument panel. After the power 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 illuminated
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 passenger air bag is
OFF and will not inflate in a crash.
• Front passenger 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 front passenger seat and the pas- senger meet the conditions as outlined in this
section: 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 NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System is de-
signed to turn the front 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 front
1-46Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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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 certified LEAF dealer.
Normal operation
In order for the occupant classification sensor
system to classify the front passenger based on
weight, please follow the precautions and steps
outlined below:
Precautions
• Make sure that there are no objects weighing over 2.2 lbs (1kg) hanging on the seat or placed
in the seatback pocket.
• Make sure that a child restraint or other object is not pressing against the rear of the seatback.
• Make sure that the rear passenger is not push- ing or pulling on the back of the front passenger
seat.
• Make sure that the front passenger 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 seat. Steps
1. Adjust the seat as outlined in the “Seats”
section of this manual. Sit upright, leaning
against the seatback, and centered on the
seat cushion with your feet comfortably ex-
tended to the floor.
2. Make sure there are no objects on your lap.
3. Fasten the seat belt as outlined in the “Seat belts” section of this manual.
4. Remain in this position for 30 seconds allow- ing the system to classify the front passenger
before the vehicle is put into motion.
5. Ensure proper classification by checking the front passenger air bag status light.
NOTE:
This vehicle’s occupant classification sen-
sor system locks the classification during
driving so it is important that you confirm
that the front passenger is properly classi-
fied prior to driving. Also, the occupant
classification sensor system may recalcu-
late the weight of the occupant when the
vehicle comes to a stop (i.e. stop light, stop
sign, etc.) , so front passenger seat occu-
pants should continue to remain seated as
outlined above.
Troubleshooting
If you think the front passenger air bag status light
is incorrect:
1. If the light is ON with no front passenger andno 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 (1kg) hang-ing on the seat or placed in the seatback
pocket.
• A child restraint or other object pressing against the rear of the seatback.
• A rear passenger pushing or pulling on the back of the front passenger seat.
• Forcing the front seat or seatback against an object on the seat or floor behind it.
• An object placed under the front passenger 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 1 minute.
1-48Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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the above conditions. Restart the vehicle and
wait 1 minute.
NOTE:
A system check will be performed during
which the front 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 certified LEAF dealer as soon as
possible.
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 sensor (weight sen-
sor) . 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 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 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 sensor (weight sen-
sor) .
1-50Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LABELS
A. Supplemental front-impact air bag system
warning labels
SRS air bag warning labels
The warning labels are located on the surface of
the sun visors.
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light, display-
ing
in the instrument panel, monitors the
circuits of the Air bag Control Unit (ACU) , satel-
lite sensors, crash zone sensor, occupant classi-
fication sensor, the supplemental front-impact air
bag, front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag, roof-mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bag and seat belt pretensioner
systems. The monitored circuits include air bag
systems, pretensioner(s) and all related wiring. 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 remains
on 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.
1-54Safety–Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system