●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.
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 still 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 dashboard 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 sys-
tem operation.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System monitors
information from the crash zone sensor, the Air bag Control Unit (ACU) , seat belt buckle sensors
and occupation classification sensor (weight
sensor) . Inflator operation is based on the sever-
ity of a collision and seat belt usage for the driver.
For the front passenger, the occupant classifica-
tion sensor is also monitored. Based on informa-
tion 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
unbelted. Additionally, the front passenger air
bag may be automatically turned off under some
conditions, depending on the weight detected on
the front 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 illumi-
nated. For additional information, refer to “Front
passenger air bag and status light” in this section.
One front air bag inflating does not indicate im-
proper performance of the system.
If you have any questions about your air bag
system, it is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer to obtain information about the
system. 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 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 maycause 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, other than the
driver’s knee air bag, 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 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 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.
1-56Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
