collisions. Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not
always an indication of proper front air bag sys-
tem operation.
The INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System monitors
information from the crash zone sensor, the Air
bag Control Unit (ACU) , seat belt buckle sensor
and occupant classification sensor (weight sen-
sor) . 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 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 front
passenger air bag status light will be illuminated.
For additional information, refer to “Front passen-
ger 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, it is recommended that you visit an
INFINITI retailer to obtain information about the
system. If you are considering modification of
your vehicle due to a disability, you may alsocontact INFINITI. 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 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 INFINITI 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.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 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:
CONDITION DESCRIPTIONPASSENGER AIR BAG INDI-
CATOR LIGHT () FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG STATUS
Empty Empty front passenger seat ON (illuminated) INHIBITED
Nobody/Somebody Bag or Child or Child Restraint or Small
Adult in front passenger seat ON (illuminated)
INHIBITED
Adult Adult in the front passenger seat OFF (dark) ACTIVATED
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 occupantclassification 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 operatedunder 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.
LRS2873
