2020 NISSAN MAXIMA Owner´s Manual

Front passenger air bag
The front passenger air bag is designed to
automatically turn OFF when the vehicle is
operated under some conditions as de-
scribed below in accordance with U.S. regu-
lations. 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 requir-
ing the air bag to be automatically 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 Ad-
vanced Air Bag System is designed to turn
the front passenger air bag OFF in accor-
dance with the regulations. Also, if a child
restraint of the type specified in the regula-
tions 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 outlined in this manual should not
cause the front passenger air bag and pas-
senger knee 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 cushion (for ex-
ample, 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 effective protection by the
seat belt and supplemental air bag.
NISSAN recommends that pre-teens and
children be properly restrained in a rear
seat. NISSAN also recommends that ap-
propriate child restraints and booster
seats be properly installed in a rear seat. If
this is not possible, the occupant classifica-
tion sensor is designed to operate as de-
scribed above to turn the front passenger
air bag and passenger knee air 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 colli-
sion or sudden stop. This can also result in
the passenger air bag and passenger knee
air bag inflating in a crash instead of beingOFF. For additional information about
proper use and installation, refer to “Child
restraints” in this section.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front passenger air bag and passenger
knee air bag are 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 infla-
tion, such as if a child is standing on the
seat, or if two children are on the seat, con-
trary to the instructions in this manual. Al-
ways be sure that you and all vehicle occu-
pants are seated and restrained properly.
Using the front passenger air bag status
light, you can monitor when the front pas-
senger air bag and passenger knee air bag
are automatically turned OFF.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
front passenger air bag status light is illu-
minated (indicating that the front passen-
ger air bag and passenger knee air bag are
OFF), it could be that the person 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 front passenger air bag status
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-55

light may or may not be illuminated, de-
pending on the size of the child and the
type of child restraint being used. If the air
bag status light is not illuminated (indicat-
ing 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 occu-
pant is positioned properly. If the air bag
status light is still not illuminated, reposi-
tion 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
recommended that you take your vehicle
to a NISSAN dealer. A NISSAN dealer can
check system status by using a special
tool. However, until you have confirmed
with a dealer that your air bag is working
properly, reposition the occupant or child
restraint in a rear seat.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System and
front passenger air bag status light will
take a few seconds to register a change in
the front passenger seat status. This is nor-
mal system operation and does not indi-
cate a malfunction.If a malfunction occurs in the front passen-
ger air bag system, the supplemental air
bag warning light
, located in the me-
ter and gauges area of the instrument
panel, will be illuminated (blinking or
steadily lit). Have the system checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Normal operation
In order for the occupant classification
sensor system to classif y the front passen-
ger based on weight, please follow the pre-
cautions 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.
Steps 1. Adjust the seat as outlined in the “Seats” section of this manual. Sit upright, lean-
ing against the seatback, and centered
on the seat cushion with your feet com-
fortably extended 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.
Front passenger seat belt buckle sta-
tus is monitored by the occupant clas-
sification system, and is used as an in-
put to determine occupancy status. So,
it is highly recommended that the front
passenger fasten their seat belt.
4. Remain in this position for 30 seconds allowing the system to classif y the
front passenger before the vehicle is
put into motion.
5. Ensure proper classification by check- ing the front passenger air bag status
light.
1-56Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

NOTE:
This vehicle’s occupant classification
sensor system generally keeps the clas-
sification locked during driving, so it is
important that you confirm that the
front passenger is properly classified
prior to driving. However, the occupant
classification sensor may recalculate the
weight of the occupant under some con-
ditions (both while driving and when
stopped), 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 an adult occupying the front passenger seat:
∙ Occupant is a small adult — the air bag light is functioning as intended. The
front passenger air bag and passenger
knee air bag are suppressed. 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 seatback, and centered on
the seat cushion with his/her feet com-
fortably extended to the floor.
∙ 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 pas- senger 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. Re-
start 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 ON af ter this, the person
should be advised not to ride in the front
passenger seat and the vehicle should be
checked as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
2. If the light is OFF with a small adult, child or child restraint occupying the
front passenger seat.
This may be due to the following con-
ditions that may be interfering with the
weight sensors:
∙ Small adult or child is not sitting upright, leaning against the seatback, and cen-
tered on the seat cushion with his/her
feet comfortably extended to the floor.
∙ The child restraint is not properly in- stalled, as outlined in the “Child re-
straints” section of this manual.
∙ An object weighing over 9.1 lbs. (4 kg) hanging on the seat or placed in the
seatback pocket.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-57

∙ A child restraint or other object pressingagainst 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 pas- senger 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. Re-
start 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 af ter this, the small
adult, child or child restraint should be re-
positioned in the rear seat and the vehicle
should be checked as soon as possible. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service. 3. If the light is OFF with no front passen-
ger and no objects on the front pas-
senger seat, the vehicle should be
checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
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.
∙ Immediately af ter 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,
suspension system or front end struc-
ture. This could affect proper opera-
tion 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 instru-
ment panel assembly by placing ma-
terial over the steering wheel pad and
above the instrument panel or by in-
stalling additional trim material
around the air bag system.
∙ Removing or modif ying the front pas- senger seat may affect the function of
the air bag system and result in seri-
ous personal injury.
1-58Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

∙ Modif ying or tampering with the frontpassenger 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 are 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
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 serious personal injury. ∙ It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for work on and around
the front air bag system. It is also rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for installation of electrical
equipment. The Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS) wiring har-
nesses* should not be modified or dis-
connected. Unauthorized 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 re-
pair 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
appropriate sections in this Owner’s
Manual.
Front and rear outboard
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 and rear out-
board seats. The curtain air bags are lo-
cated in the side roof rails. All of the infor-
mation, cautions and warnings in this
manual must be followed. The side air
bags and curtain air bags are designed to
inflate in higher severity side collisions, al-
LRS3142
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-59

though they may inflate if the forces in an-
other type of collision are similar to those of
a higher severity impact. They are de-
signed to inflate on the side where the ve-
hicle 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 (for example, during severe off-
roading) may cause the curtain air bags to
inflate.
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always
an indication of proper side air bag and
curtain air bag operation.
When the side air bags and curtain air bags
inflate, a fairly loud noise may be heard,
followed by the release of smoke. This
smoke is not harmful and does not indi-
cate a fire. Care should be taken not to
inhale it, as it may cause irritation and
choking. Those with a history of a breath-
ing 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 and pelvic area of the front and
rear outboard occupants. Curtain air bags
help to cushion the impact force to the
head of occupants in the front and rearoutboard seating positions. They can help
save lives and reduce serious injuries. How-
ever, an inflating side air bag and curtain air
bag 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, front passenger and rear
outboard occupants 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 finish-
ers 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 bag and curtain
air bag inflating can increase the risk of
injury if the occupant is too close to, or is
against, these air bag modules during in-
flation. The side air bag will deflate quickly
af ter the collision is over.
The curtain air bag will remain inflated for a
short time.
The side air bags and curtain air bags
operate only when the ignition switch is
placed in the ON position.
Af ter placing the ignition switch in the
ON position, the supplemental air bag
warning light illuminates. The supple-mental air bag warning light will turn off
af ter about 7 seconds if the system is
operational.
WARNING
∙ Do not place any objects near the
seatback of the front and rear seats.
Also, do not place any objects (an um-
brella, bag, etc.) between the front
and rear door finisher and the front
and rear seat. Such objects may be-
come dangerous projectiles and
cause injury if a side air bag inflate.
∙ Right af ter inflation, several side air bag and curtain air bag system com-
ponents 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 side air bag and curtain air bag
systems. This is to prevent damage to
or accidental inflation of the side air
bag and curtain air bag or damage to
the side air bag and curtain air bag
systems.
1-60Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

∙ Do not make unauthorized changesto 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 side air bag sys- tem may result in serious personal in-
jury. For example, do not change the
front and rear seats by placing mate-
rial near the seatbacks or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat
covers, around the side air bag.
∙ It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for work on and around
the side air bag and curtain air bag. It
is also recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for installation of elec-
trical equipment. The SRS wiring har-
nesses* should not be modified or dis-
connected. Unauthorized electrical
test equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the side air bag
or curtain 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.
Driver and passenger
supplemental knee air bag
The knee air bag is located in the knee
bolster, on the driver’s and passenger’s
side.
All of the information, cautions and
warnings in this manual apply and must
be followed. The knee air bag is designed
to inflate in higher severity frontal collisions,
although it may inflate if the forces in an-
other type of collision are similar to those of
a higher severity frontal impact. It may not
inflate in certain collisions.
Driver’s side
LRS2599
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-61

Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always
an indication of proper knee air bag opera-
tion.
When the knee 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 irrita-
tion and choking. Those with a history of a
breathing condition should get fresh air
promptly.The knee air bag helps to cushion the im-
pact force on the knees of the driver and
passenger. It can help reduce serious inju-
ries. However, an inflating knee air bag may
cause abrasions or other injuries. The knee
air bag provides restraint to the lower body.
The knee air bag inflates quickly in order to
help protect the occupants. Because of
this, the force of the knee air bag inflating
can increase the risk of injury if the occu-
pant is too close to, or is against, this air bag
module during inflation. The knee air bag
will deflate quickly af ter the collision is over
OR the knee air bag will remain inflated for
a short time.
The knee air bag operates only when the
ignition switch is placed in the ON posi-
tion.
Af ter placing the ignition switch in the
ON position, the supplemental air bag
warning light illuminates. The supple-
mental air bag warning light will turn off
af ter about 7 seconds if the system is
operational.
WARNING
∙ Do not place any objects between the
knee bolster and the driver’s or pas-
senger’s seat. Such objects may be-
come dangerous projectiles and
cause injury if a knee air bag inflates.
∙ Right af ter inflation, the knee 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 knee air bag system. This is to pre-
vent damage to or accidental inflation
of the knee air bag system.
∙ Do not make unauthorized changes to your vehicle’s electrical system or
suspension system. This could affect
proper operation of the knee air bag
system.
∙ Tampering with the knee air bag sys- tem may result in serious personal in-
jury. For example, do not change the
driver or passenger knee bolster or
install additional trim material
around the knee air bag.
Passenger’s side
LRS3038
1-62Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system