1-46Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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 INFINITI 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.
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
seconds if the system is operational.
JVR0192X
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
necessary for most effective protection.
Failure 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 anaccident.
Status light:
The front passenger seat is equipped with an
occupant classification sensors (weight sen-
sors) that turn the front passenger air bag on
or off depending on the weight applied to
the front passenger seat. The status of the
front passenger 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 illuminates for about 7 seconds and
then turns off or remains illuminated de-
pending on the front passenger seat occu-
pied status. The light operates as follows:
restraint being used. If the front passenger
air bag status light is not illuminated (in-
dicating 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
front passenger air bag status light is still not
illuminated, reposition the occupant or child
restraint in a rear seat.
If the front passenger air bag status light will
not illuminate even though you believe that
the child restraint, the seat belts and the
occupant are properly positioned, it is re-
commended that you take your vehicle to an
INFINITI retailer. An INFINITI retailer can
check system status by using a special tool.
However, until you have confirmed with
your retailer that your air bag is working
properly, reposition the occupant or child
restraint in a rear seat.
The INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System and
front passenger air bag status light will take
a few seconds to register a change in the
passenger seat status. This is normal system
operation and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passen-
ger air bag system, the supplemental air bag
warning light
, located in the meter and
gauges area of the instrument panel, will be illuminated (blinking or steadily lit). Have the
system checked. It is recommended you visit
an INFINITI retailer for this service.
Normal operation:
In order for the occupant classification
sensor system to classify the front passen-
ger based on weight, please follow the
precautions and steps outlined below:
Precautions
.
Make sure that there are no objects
weighing over 9.1 lbs (4 kg) 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 a rear passenger is not
pushing 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.
. Make sure that the front passenger seat
head restraint does not contact the roof
when adjusting the front passenger seat.
Steps
1. Adjust the seat as outlined in “Seats” (P.1-2). 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 “Seat belts” (P.1-11). Front passenger seat belt
buckle status is monitored by the occu-
pant classification sensor system, and is
used as an input to determine occupancy
status. So, it is highly recommended that
the front passenger fastens his/her seat
belt.
4. Remain in this position for 30 seconds allowing 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 sensor
system generally keeps the classification
locked during driving, so it is important that
you confirm that the front passenger is
properly classified prior to driving. How-
ever, the occupant classification sensor may
recalculate the weight of the occupant
under some conditions (both while driving
and when stopped), so the front passenger
seat occupant should continue to remain
seated as outlined above.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49
possible.
Other supplemental front-impact
air bag precautions
WARNING
.Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the instru-
ment panel. Also, do not place any
objects between any occupant and
the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause in-
jury 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
permanent impressions in the seat.
Such objects can damage the seat or
occupant 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
classification 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 air bag system. This is to prevent
accidental inflation of the supple-
mental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
. Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or front end struc-
ture. This could affect proper opera-
tion of the front air bag system.
. Tampering with the 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
passenger seat may affect the func-
tion 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 material on the seat cushion
or by installing additional trim mate-
rial, 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 passenger seat or the
seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensors.
. 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 serious personal injury.
. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for work on and
around the front air bag. It is also
recommended you visit an INFINITI
retailer for installation of electrical
equipment. The Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS) wiring har-
nesses* should not be modified or
disconnected. Unauthorized electrical
test equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the air bag
system.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51
1-52Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
.A cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified
repair facility. A cracked windshield
could affect the function of the
supplemental air bag system.
* The SRS wiring harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy identifica-
tion.
When selling your vehicle, we request that
you inform the buyer about the front air bag
system and guide the buyer to the appro-
priate sections in this Owner’s Manual.
SSS0521
FRONT SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE-
IMPACT SUPPLEMENTAL AIR
BAG AND ROOF-MOUNTED
CURTAIN SIDE-IMPACT AND
ROLLOVER SUPPLEMENTAL AIR
BAG SYSTEMS
The side air bags are located in the outside
of the seatback of the front seats. The
curtain air bags are located in the side roof
rails. All of the information, cautions and
warnings in this manual apply and must be
followed. The side air bags and curtain air
bags are designed to inflate in higher
severity side collisions, although they may inflate if the forces in another type of
collision are similar to those of a higher
severity impact. They are designed to inflate
on the side where the vehicle is impacted.
They may not inflate in certain side collisions.
Curtain air bags are also designed to inflate
in certain types of rollover collisions or near
rollovers. As a result, certain vehicle move-
ments may cause the curtain air bags to
inflate.
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always
an indication of proper supplemental side air
bag and curtain side-impact air bag opera-
tion.
When side air bags and curtain air bags
inflate, 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.
Side air bags, along with the use of seat
belts, help to cushion the impact force on the
chest of the front occupants. Curtain air
bags help to cushion the impact force to the
head of occupants in the front and rear
outboard seating positions in all rows. They
can help save lives and reduce serious
injuries. However, an inflating side air bags
and curtain air bags may cause abrasions or
other injuries. Side air bags and curtain air
bags do not provide restraint to the lower
body.
The seat belts should be correctly worn and
the driver and passenger seated upright as
far as practical away from the side air bag.
Rear seat passengers should be seated as far
away as practical from the door finishers
and side roof rails. The side air bags and
curtain air bags inflate quickly in order to
help protect the occupants. Because of this,
the force of the side air bags and curtain air
bags inflating can increase the risk of injury if
the occupant is too close to, or is against,
these air bag modules during inflation. In a
rollover, the curtain air bags on both sides
are designed to inflate. Under both side-
impact situations, the curtain air bags will
remain inflated for a short period of time.
The side air bags and curtain 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 air bag warning light
will turn off after about 7 seconds if the
systems are operational.
WARNING
.Do not place any objects near the
seatback of the front seats. Also, do
not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the door finisher
and the front seat. Such objects may
become dangerous projectiles and
cause injury if side air bag inflates.
. Right after inflation, several side air
bags and curtain air bag system
components will be hot. Do not touch
them; you may severely burn your-
self.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
side air bag and curtain air bags. This
is to prevent damage to or accidental
inflation of the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems.
. Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or side panel. This
could affect proper operation of the
side air bag and curtain air bag
systems.
. Tampering with the air bag system
may result in serious personal injury.
For example, do not change the front
seats by placing material near the seatback or by installing additional
trim material, such as seat covers,
around the side air bags.
. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for work on and
around the side air bag and curtain
air bag. It is also recommended you
visit an INFINITI retailer for installa-
tion of electrical equipment. The
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) wiring harnesses* should not
be modified or disconnected. Un-
authorized electrical test equipment
and probing devices should not be
used on the side-impact air bag
system.
* The SRS wiring harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy identifica-
tion.
When selling your vehicle, we request that
you inform the buyer about the side air bag
and curtain air bag systems and guide the
buyer to the appropriate sections in this
Owner’s Manual.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-53
1-54Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
SEAT BELTS WITH PRETEN-
SIONERS (front seats)
WARNING
.The pretensioners cannot be reused
after activation. They must be re-
placed together with the retractor
and buckle as a unit.
. If the vehicle becomes involved in a
collision but a pretensioner is not
activated, be sure to have the pre-
tensioner system checked and, if
necessary, replaced. It is recom-
mended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the pretensioners. This is to prevent
damage to or accidental activation of
the pretensioner system. Tampering
with the pretensioner system may
result in serious personal injury.
. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for work on and
around the pretensioner system. It is
also recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for installation of
electrical equipment. Unauthorized
electrical test equipment and probing devices should not be used on the
pretensioner system.
. If you need to dispose of the preten-
sioner or scrap the vehicle, it is
recommended you visit an INFINITI
retailer for this service. Correct pre-
tensioner disposal procedures are set
forth in the appropriate INFINITI
Service Manual. Incorrect disposal
procedures could cause personal in-
jury.
. If there is an impact to your vehicle
from any direction, your Occupant
Classification Sensor (OCS) should be
checked. It is recommended an
INFINITI retailer performs this ser-
vice to verify it is still functioning
correctly. The OCS should be checked
even if no air bags deploy as a result
of the impact. Failure to verify proper
OCS function may result in an im-
proper air bag deployment resulting
in injury or death.
The pretensioner system may activate with
the supplemental air bag system in certain
types of collisions. Working with the seat
belt retractor, it helps tighten the seat belt
when the vehicle becomes involved in certain
types of collisions, helping to restrain front
seat occupants. The pretensioner is encased with the seat
belt retractor. These seat belts are used the
same way as conventional seat belts.
When a pretensioner seat belt activates,
smoke is released and a loud noise may be
heard. The smoke is not harmful, and it 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.
After pretensioner activation, load limiters
allow the seat belt to release webbing (if
necessary) to reduce forces against the
chest.
The supplemental air bag warning light
is used to indicate malfunctions in the
pretensioner system. (See “Supplemental
air bag warning light” (P.1-55) for more
details.) If the operation of the supplemental
air bag warning light indicates there is a
malfunction, have the system checked. It is
recommended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
When selling your vehicle, we request that
you inform the buyer about the seat belt
pretensioners and guide the buyer to the
appropriate sections in this Owner’s Manual.
SSS1016
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LABELS
Warning labels about the supplemental
front-impact air bag systems are placed in
the vehicle as shown in the illustration.
SRS air bag
The warning labelsare located on the
surface of the sun visors.
WARNING
Do not use a rear-facing child restraint
on a seat protected by an air bag in front
of it. If the air bag deploys, it may cause serious injury or death.
SPA1097
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light,
displayingin the instrument panel,
monitors the circuits for the air bag systems,
pretensioners and all related wiring.
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates for about 7 seconds and
then turns off. This means the SRS air bag
systems are operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the
air bag and/or pretensioner systems need
servicing:
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-55
1-56Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
.The supplemental air bag warning light
remains on after approximately 7 sec-
onds.
. The supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
. The supplemental air bag warning light
does not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the air bag or
pretensioner systems may not operate prop-
erly. They must be checked and repaired. It is
recommended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning light
is on, it could mean that the front air
bag, side air bag, curtain air bag and/or
pretensioner systems will not operate in
an accident. To help avoid injury to
yourself or others, have your vehicle
checked as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended you visit an INFINITI retailer for
this service.
REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT
PROCEDURE
The front air bags, side air bags, curtain air
bags and pretensioners are designed to
activate on a one-time-only basis. As a
reminder, unless it is damaged, the supple-
mental air bag warning light will remain
illuminated after inflation has occurred.
These systems should be repaired and/or
replaced as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
When maintenance work is required on the
vehicle, the front air bags, side air bags,
curtain air bags, pretensioners and related
parts should be pointed out to the person
conducting the maintenance. The ignition
switch should always be in the LOCK
position when working under the hood or
inside the vehicle.
WARNING
. Once a front air bag, side air bag, or
curtain air bag has inflated, the air
bag module will not function again
and must be replaced. Additionally,
the activated pretensioner must also
be replaced. The air bag module and
pretensioner should be replaced. It is recommended you visit an INFINITI
retailer for this service. However, the
air bag module and pretensioner
system cannot be repaired.
. The front air bag, side air bag, curtain
air bag and the pretensioner system
should be inspected if there is any
damage to the front end or side
portion of the vehicle. It is recom-
mended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
. If you need to dispose of the supple-
mental air bag or pretensioner or
scrap the vehicle, it is recommended
you visit an INFINITI retailer. Correct
supplemental air bag and seat belt
pretensioner system disposal proce-
dures are set forth in the appropriate
INFINITI Service Manual. Incorrect
disposal procedures could cause per-
sonal injury.
. If there is an impact to your vehicle
from any direction, your Occupant
Classification Sensor (OCS) should be
checked by an INFINITI retailer to
verify it is still functioning correctly.
The OCS should be checked even if no
air bags deploy as a result of the
impact. Failure to verify proper OCS
function may result in an improper air
bag deployment resulting in injury or