Page 73 of 556

such as a child restraint installed
in the rear seat or an object
stored on the floor.
. Make sure that there is no object
placed under the front passenger
seat.
. Make sure that there is no object
placed between the seat cushion
and center console or between
the seat cushion and the door.
. Be sure that the front passenger
seat does not contact the rear
seat, instrument panel, etc., or the
head restraint does not contact
the roof.
. Do not position the front passen-
ger seat so it contacts the rear
seat. If the front seat does con-
tact 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 sup-
plemental air bag warning light
may flash.
. If a forward facing child restraint
is installed in the front passenger
seat, do not position the front
passenger seat so the child re-
straint contacts the instrument
panel. If the child restraint does contact the instrument panel, the
system may determine the seat is
occupied and the passenger air
bag and front passenger knee air
bag may deploy in a collision.
Also the front passenger air bag
status light may not illuminate.
See “Child restraints” (P.1-23) for
information about installing and
using child restraints.
. Confirm the operating condition
with the front passenger air bag
status light.
. If you notice that the front pas-
senger air bag status light is not
operating as described in this
section, it is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer to check the
passenger seat Advanced Air Bag
System.
. Until you have confirmed with
your dealer that your passenger
seat Advanced Air Bag is working
properly, position the occupants
in the rear seating positions.
This vehicle is equipped with the NISSAN
Advanced Air Bag System for the driver
and front passenger seats. This system is
designed to meet certification require-
ments under U.S. regulations. It is also
permitted in Canada. All of the informa- tion, cautions and warnings in this
manual apply and must be followed.
The driver supplemental front-impact air
bag is located in the center of the
steering wheel. The passenger supple-
mental front-impact air bag is mounted in
the instrument panel 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 operation.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System has
dual stage air bag inflators. The system
monitors information from the Air bag
Control Unit (ACU), seat belt buckle sen-
sors and the occupant classification sen-
sors (weight sensors). Inflator operation is
based on the severity of a collision and
seat belt usage for the driver. For the
front passenger, the occupant classifica-
tion sensors are also monitored. Based on
information 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. Additionally, the front pas-
senger air bag and front passenger knee
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-53
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1-54Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
air bag may be automatically turned OFF
under some conditions, depending on the
information provided by the occupant
classification sensors. If the front passen-
ger air bag and front passenger knee air
bag are OFF, the front passenger air bag
status light will be illuminated. (See “Front
passenger air bag and status light” (P.1-
54) for further details.) One front air bag
inflating does not indicate improper per-
formance of the system.
If you have any questions about your air
bag system, it is recommended 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 contained in the
front of this Owner’s Manual.
When a front 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
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 head and chest of the front occu-
pants. They can help save lives and
reduce serious injuries. However, an in-flating front air bag may cause facial
abrasions or other injuries. Front air bags,
other than the driver’s and front passen-
ger’s knee air bags, do not provide
restraint to the lower body.
Even with NISSAN 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 the ignition is placed in the ON
position, the supplemental air bag
warning light illuminates. The supple-
mental air bag warning light will turn
off after about 7 seconds if the system
is operational.
JVR0192XFront passenger air bag status light
Front passenger air bag and status
light
WARNING
The front passenger air bag and
front passenger knee air bag are
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 ne-
cessary for most effective protec-
tion. Failure to follow all
instructions in this manual concern-
Page 75 of 556
ing 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
occupant classification sensors (weight
sensors) that turn the front passenger air
bag and front passenger knee air bag on
or off depending on the weight applied to
the front passenger seat. The status of
the front passenger air bag and front
passenger knee air bag (ON or OFF) is
indicated by the front passenger air bag
status light
which is located on the
map light. 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 depending on the
front passenger seat occupied status.
The light operates as follows:
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-55
Page 76 of 556
1-56Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
CONDITIONDESCRIPTIONPASSENGER AIR BAG
INDICATOR LIGHT ()FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG AND
FRONT PASSENGER KNEE 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
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In addition to the above, certain objects
placed on the front passenger seat may
also cause the light to operate as de-
scribed above depending on their weight.
For additional information related to the
normal operation and troubleshooting of
this occupant classification sensor sys-
tem, please refer to “Normal operation”
(P.1-58) and “Troubleshooting” (P.1-59) in
this section.
Front passenger air bag:
The front passenger air bag is designed
to automatically turn OFF when the
vehicle is operated under some condi-
tions as described below as permitted by
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.
The purpose of the regulation is to help
reduce the risk of injury or death from an
inflating air bag to certain front passen-
ger seat occupants, such as children, by
requiring 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 AdvancedAir Bag System is designed to turn the
passenger air bag OFF in accordance
with the regulations. Also, if a child
restraint of the type specified in the
regulations 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 passenger air bag
and front passenger 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 example, by not sitting
upright, by sitting on an edge of the seat,
or by otherwise being out of position), this
could cause the sensors 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
classification sensors are designed to
operate as described above to turn the
front passenger air bag and front pas-
senger knee air bag OFF for specified
child restraints as required by the regula-
tions. Failing to properly secure child
restraints and to use the Automatic Lock-
ing Retractor (ALR) mode (child restraint
mode) may allow the restraint to tip or
move in an accident or sudden stop. This
can also result in the passenger air bag
and front passenger knee air bag inflating
in a crash instead of being OFF. (See
“Child restraints” (P.1-23) for proper use
and installation.)
If the front passenger seat is not occu-
pied, the passenger air bag and front
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 classi-
fication sensors. 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 seat, contrary to the
instructions in this manual. Always be
sure that you and all vehicle occupants
are seated and restrained properly.
Using the front passenger air bag status
light, you can monitor when the front
passenger air bag and front passenger
knee air bag are automatically turned
OFF.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
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1-58Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
front passenger air bag status light is
illuminated (indicating that the front pas-
senger air bag and front passenger knee
air bag are OFF), it could be that the
person is a small adult, or is not sitting on
the seat properly.
If a child restraint must be used in the
front seat, the front passenger air bag
status light may or may not be illumi-
nated, depending on the size of the child
and the type of child restraint being used.
If the front passenger air bag status light
is not illuminated (indicating 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 front
passenger air bag status light is 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 be-
lieve 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 the system status by
using a special tool. However, until you
have confirmed with your dealer that
your air bag is working properly, reposi-tion 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 passenger seat status. This
is normal system operation and does not
indicate a malfunction.
If a malfunction occurs in the front
passenger air bag system, the supple-
mental air bag warning light
, located
in the meters and gauges area, will
illuminated (blinking or steadily lit). Have
the system checked. It is recommended
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Normal operation:
In order for the occupant classification
sensor system to classify the front pas-
senger 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. (See “Seats” (P.1-3).) Sit upright, leaning
against the seatback, and centered
on the seat cushion with your feet
comfortably extended to the floor.
2. Make sure there are no objects on your lap.
3. Fasten the seat belt as outlined. (See “Seat belts” (P.1-13).) Front passenger
seat belt buckle status is monitored
by the occupant classification system,
and is used as an input to determine
occupancy status. So, it is highly
recommended that the front passen-
ger fasten their 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.
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5. Ensure proper classification by check-ing 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. However, the occupant
classification sensor system may recal-
culate the weight of the occupant under
some conditions (both while driving and
when stopped), so the front passenger
seat occupant should continue to re-
main 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 front
passenger air bag status light is func-
tioning as intended. The front passen-
ger air bag and front 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 interfer-
ing with the weight sensors: .
Occupant is not sitting upright, lean-
ing against the seatback, and cen-
tered on the seat cushion with his/her
feet comfortably extended to the
floor.
. A child restraint or other object press-
ing 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
passenger seat.
. An object placed between the seat
cushion and center console or be-
tween 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.
Restart the vehicle and wait 1 minute.
NOTE:
A system check will be performed dur-
ing which the front passenger air bag
status light will remain lit for about 7
seconds initially.
If the light is still ON after 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 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 condi-
tions that may be interfering with the
weight sensors:
.Small adult or child is not sitting
upright, leaning against the seatback,
and centered on the seat cushion with
his/her feet comfortably extended to
the floor.
. The child restraint is not properly
installed, as outlined. (See “Child re-
straints” (P.1-23).)
. An object weighing over 9.1 lbs (4 kg)
hanging on the seat or placed in the
seatback pocket.
. A child restraint or other object press-
ing 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
passenger seat.
. An object placed between the seat
cushion and center console.
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1-60Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
.The front passenger seat head re-
straint contacting the roof.
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.
Restart the vehicle and wait 1 minute.
NOTE:
A system check will be performed dur-
ing which the front passenger air bag
status light will remain lit for about 7
seconds initially.
If the light is still OFF after this, the small
adult, child or child restraint should be
repositioned in the rear seat and it is
recommended that the vehicle should be
checked by a NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.
3. If the light is OFF with no front passenger and no objects on the front passenger
seat, the vehicle should be checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Other supplemental front-impact
air bag precautions
WARNING
.Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the
instrument panel. Also, do not place any objects between any
occupant and the steering wheel
or instrument panel. Such objects
may become dangerous projec-
tiles and cause injury 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 impres-
sions in the seat. Such objects
can damage the seat or occupant
classification sensors (weight
sensors). This can affect the op-
eration of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.
. Do not use water or acidic clea-
ners (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, sev-
eral front air bag system compo-
nents 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 supple-
mental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
. Do not make unauthorized
changes to your vehicle’s electri-
cal system, suspension system or
front end structure. This could
affect proper operation of the
front air bag system.
. Tampering with the front air bag
system may result in serious per-
sonal injury. Tampering includes
changes to the steering wheel
and the instrument panel assem-
bly 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
function 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 ad-