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
inflates the air bags as needed. Fail-
ure to properly wear seat belts can
increase the risk or severity of injury
in an accident.
• The front passenger seat is equipped
with an occupant classification sen-
sor (pressure sensor) that turns the
front passenger air bag OFF under
some conditions. This sensor is only
used in this seat. Failure to be prop-
erly seated and wearing the seat belt
can increase the risk or severity of
injury in an accident. For additional
information, refer to “Front passen-
ger 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 when
the front air bag inflates.
1-72Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
WARNING
• Even with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-
facing child restraint in the front seat.
An inflating front air bag could seri-
ously injure or kill your child. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “Child
restraints” in this section.
ARS1045WRS0256
1-74Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
WARNING
Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bags and roof-
mounted curtain side-impact and roll-
over supplemental air bags:
• The side air bags and curtain air bags
ordinarily will not inflate in the event
of a frontal impact, rear impact, or
lower severity side collision. Always
wear your seat belts to help reduce
the risk or severity of injury in various
kinds of accidents.
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-75
WARNING
• The seat belts, the side air bags and
curtain air bags are most effective
when you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat. The side air bag
and curtain air bag inflate with great
force. Do not allow anyone to place
their hand, leg or face near the side
air bag on the side of the seatback of
the front seat or near the side roof
rails. Do not allow anyone sitting in
the front seats or rear outboard seats
to extend their hand out of the win-
dow or lean against the door. Some
examples of dangerous riding posi-
tions are shown in the previous
illustrations.
WARNING
• When sitting in the rear seat, do not
hold onto the seatback of the front
seat. If the side air bag inflates, you
may be seriously injured. Be espe-
cially careful with children, who
should always be properly re-
strained. Some examples of danger-
ous riding positions are shown in the
illustrations.
• Do not use seat covers on the front
seatbacks. They may interfere with
side air bag inflation.
SSS0159
1-76Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
(front seats)
1. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact androllover supplemental air bag inflators
2. Seat belt with pretensioner(s) (front seats)
3. Front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bag module
4. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and rollover supplemental air bags
5. Seat belt buckle switches
6. Air bag Control Unit (ACU)
7. Front door satellite sensor (driver’s side shown; passenger’s side similar)
8. Supplemental front-impact air bag modules
9. Crash zone sensor
10. Occupant classification system control unit
11. Occupant classification sensor (pres- sure sensor)
12. Satellite sensors (passenger’s side shown; driver’s side similar)
LRS3124
This vehicle is equipped with the NISSAN
Advanced Air Bag System for the driver and
front passenger seats. This system is de-
signed to meet certification requirements
under U.S. regulations. It is also permitted in
Canada.However, 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 in-
flate in certain frontal collisions. Vehicle
damage (or lack of it) is not always an indi-
cation of proper front air bag system op-
eration.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
monitors information from the crash zone
sensor, the Air bag Control Unit (ACU), seat
belt buckle sensors, occupant classifica-
tion sensor (pressure sensor) and passen-
ger seat belt tension sensor. Inflator opera-
tion is based on the severity of a collision
and seat belt usage for the driver. For the front passenger, it additionally monitors
the weight of an occupant or object on the
seat and seat belt tension. Based on infor-
mation from the sensors, only one front air
bag may inflate in a crash, depending on
the crash severity and whether the front
occupants are belted or unbelted. Addi-
tionally, the front passenger air bag may be
automatically turned off under some con-
ditions, 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 sta-
tus light will be illuminated (if the seat is
unoccupied, the light will not be illumi-
nated, but the air bag will be off ). For addi-
tional 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 a NISSAN dealer to obtain information
about the system. If you are considering
modification of your vehicle due to a dis-
ability, you may also contact NISSAN. Con-
tact information is contained in the front of
this Owner's Manual.
When a front air bag inflates, a fairly loud
noise may be heard, followed by the re-
lease 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 irrita-
tion 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 seri-
ous injuries. However, an inflating front air
bag may cause facial abrasions or other
injuries. Front air bags do not provide re-
straint 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 in-
crease 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 af ter a
collision.
1-78Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
The front air bags operate only when the
ignition switch is in the ON or START po-
sition.
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.
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 protec-
tion. 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 in-
jury in an accident. Status light
The front passenger air bag status light
is located near the climate controls.
Af ter the ignition switch is placed in the
"ON" position, the front passenger air bag
status light on the instrument panel illumi-
nates 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's seat occupied by a small adult, child or child restraint as out-
lined in this section: The
light illumi-
nates to indicate that the front passen-
ger air bag is OFF and will not inflate in a
crash.
• Occupied front passenger seat and the passenger meet the conditions outlined
in this section: The
light is OFF to
indicate that the front passenger air bag
is operational.
WRS0475
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.
One sensor used is the occupant classifi-
cation sensor (pressure sensor). It is in the
bottom of the front passenger seat cush-
ion and is designed to detect an occupant
and objects on the seat by weight. It works
together with seat belt sensors described
in this section. 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 causethe air bag to turn OFF. Occupant classifi-
cation sensor operation can vary depend-
ing on the front passenger seat belt sen-
sors.
The front passenger seat belt sensors are
designed to detect if the seat belt is buck-
led and the amount of tension on the seat
belt, such as when it is in the Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) mode (child re-
straint mode). Based on the weight on the
seat detected by the occupant classifica-
tion sensor and the belt tension detected
on the seat belt, the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System determines whether the front
passenger air bag should be automatically
turned OFF as required by the regulations.
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 to be
automatically turned OFF. For small adults
it may be turned OFF, however, if the occu-
pant does not sit in the seat properly (for
example, 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. In addition, if the
occupant improperly uses the seat belt in
the ALR mode, this could cause the air bag
to be turned 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 and seat belt sensors are de-
signed to operate as described above to
turn the front passenger 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 inflating in a crash
instead of being OFF. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Child restraints” in this sec-
tion.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front passenger air bag is 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 de-
tected by the occupant classification sen-
sor. Other conditions could also result in air
bag inflation, such as if a child is standing
on the seat, or if two children are on the
1-80Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system