NISSAN FRONTIER 2023 Owners Manual
Page 101 of 572
damage (or lack of it) is not always an indi-
cation of proper front air bag system
operation.
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
monitors information from the crash zone
sensor and the Air bag Control Unit (ACU).
Inflator operation is based on the severity
of a collision and seat belt usage for the
driver. For the front passenger, the occu-
pant classification sensor is also moni-
tored. Based on the information from the
sensor, only one front air bag may inflate in
a crash, depending on the crash severity.
Additionally, the front passenger air bag
and front passenger supplemental knee
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 and front passen-
ger supplemental knee air bag are OFF, the
front passenger air bag status light will be
illuminated (if the seat is unoccupied, the
light will not be illuminated, but the air bag
will be off ). For additional information, see
“Front passenger air bag and status light”
(P. 1-80). 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.
The front air bags operate only when the
ignition switch is 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.
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-79
Page 102 of 572
Front passenger air bag and status
light
WARNING
The front passenger air bag and front
passenger supplemental knee air bag
are designed to automatically turn OFF
under some conditions. Read this sec-
tion 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 se-
verity of injury 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:
CONDITION DESCRIPTION PASSENGER AIR BAG
STATUS LIGHT () FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG AND FRONT PASSENGER
SUPPLEMENTAL 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
LRS3091
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Front passenger air bag
The front passenger air bag and front pas-
senger supplemental knee air bag are de-
signed to automatically turn OFF when the
vehicle is operated under some conditions
as described below in accordance with U.S.
regulations. If the front passenger air bag
and front passenger supplemental knee
air bag are 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 up to
the approximate size and weight of a one
year old is properly restrained in the front
passenger seat, the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System is designed to turn the front
passenger air bag and front passenger
supplemental knee air bag OFF. For a prop-
erly restrained child who is larger than the
approximate size and weight of a one yearold, the front passenger air bag and front
passenger supplemental knee air bag may
or may not be automatically turned OFF,
depending on the size of the child and the
type of child restraint being used. Af ter in-
stalling the child restraint and positioning
the child, place the ignition switch in the ON
position: if the front passenger air bag sta-
tus light is illuminated, the front passenger
air bag and front passenger supplemental
knee air bag are OFF. If the front passenger
air bag status light is not illuminated, the air
bag will inflate in a crash.
The front passenger seat belt sensors are
designed to detect if the seat belt is buck-
led. Based on the weight on the seat de-
tected by the occupant classification sen-
sor, the NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
determines whether the front passenger
air bag and front passenger supplemental
knee 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 and
front passenger supplemental knee air
bag to be automatically turned OFF. For
small adults it may be turned OFF, however,
if the occupant 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 front passen-
ger air bag and front passenger supple-
mental knee air bag OFF. Always be sure to
be seated and wearing the seat belt prop-
erly 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 front passenger supplemental
knee air bag OFF for specified child re-
straints as required by the regulations. Fail-
ing to properly secure child restraints and
to use the ALR mode may allow the re-
straint to tip or move in a collision or sud-
den stop. This can also result in the front
passenger air bag and front passenger
supplemental knee air bag inflating in a
crash instead of being OFF. For additional
information, see “Child restraints” (P. 1-26).
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-81
Page 104 of 572
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front passenger air bag and front pas-
senger supplemental knee air bag are de-
signed not to inflate in a crash. However,
heavy objects placed on the seat could re-
sult in air bag inflation, because of the ob-
ject’s weight detected by the occupant
classification sensor. 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 pas-
senger air bag and front passenger
supplemental knee air bag are automati-
cally turned OFF with the seat occupied.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
front passenger air bag status light is illu-
minated (indicating that the air bag and
front passenger supplemental 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
light may or may not be illuminated, de-
pending on the size of the child and thetype 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 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, the
system may be sensing an unoccupied
seat (in which case the air bag is OFF). A
NISSAN dealer can check that the system is
OFF 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 passenger seat status. For example, if a
large adult who is sitting in the front pas-
senger seat exits the vehicle, the front pas-
senger air bag status light will go from OFF
to ON for a few seconds and then to OFF.
This is normal system operation and does
not indicate 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 blink. 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.
1-82Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
Page 105 of 572
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.
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 checking the front passenger air bag status light.NOTE:
This vehicle’s occupant classification
sensor system locks the classification
during driving so it is important that you
confirm that the front passenger is prop-
erly classified prior to driving. Also, the
occupant classification sensor system
may recalculate the weight of the occu-
pant when the vehicle comes to a stop
(i.e. stop light, stop sign, etc.), so front
passenger seat occupants should con-
tinue 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 occupyingthe front passenger seat:
• Occupant is a small adult — the air bag light is functioning as intended. The front
passenger air bag and front passenger
supplemental knee air bag are sup-
pressed. 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 be-
hind it.
• An object placed under the front passen- ger seat.
• An object placed between the seat cush- ion 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.
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-83
Page 106 of 572
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, childor 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 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 restraints”
section of this manual.
• An object weighing over 9.1 lbs. (4 kg) hanging on the seat or placed in the seat-
back pocket. • 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 passen- ger seat.
• An object placed between the seat cush- ion 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 passenger
and no objects on the front passenger
seat, the vehicle should be checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer as soon as 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.
• 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.
1-84Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
Page 107 of 572
•Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle's electrical system,
suspension system or front end
structure. This could affect proper
operation of the front air bag system.
• Tampering with the front air bag sys-
tem may result in serious personal
injury. 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 installing additional trim material
around the air bag system.
• Removing or modif ying the front
passenger seat may affect the func-
tion of the air bag system and result
in serious personal injury. •
Modif ying 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 are not specifically designed to
assure proper air bag operation. Ad-
ditionally, do not stow any objects
under the front passenger seat or the
seat cushion and seatback. Such ob-
jects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensor (weight sensor).
• No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring
of the seat belt system. This may af-
fect the front air bag system. Tam-
pering 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. 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
disconnected. Unauthorized electri-
cal test equipment and probing de-
vices 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 identification.
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.
Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-85
Page 108 of 572
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 cur-
tain 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 colli- sion 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 (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 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 and pelvic area of the front occu-
pants. Curtain air bags help to cushion the
impact force to the head of occupants in
the front and rear outboard seating posi-
tions. They can help save lives and reduce
serious injuries. However, an inflating side
air bag or curtain air bag may cause abra-
sions 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 up-
right 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 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 dur-
ing inflation. The side air bag will deflate
quickly af ter the collision is over.
The curtain air bags will remain inflated for
a short time.
The side air bags and curtain air bags
operate only when the ignition switch is
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.
LRS2501
1-86Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
Page 109 of 572
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 front door fin-
isher and the front seat. Such objects
may become dangerous projectiles
and cause injury if a side air bag
inflates.
•
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 systems.
• Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle's electrical system,
suspension system or side panel.
This could affect proper operation of
the curtain air bag systems. •
Tampering with the side air bag sys-
tem may result in serious personal
injury. For example, do not change
the front seats by placing material
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 installa-
tion of electrical equipment. The SRS
wiring harnesses* should not be
modified or disconnected. Unauthor-
ized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used
on the side air bag or curtain air bag
systems.
*
The SRS wiring harness or connectors are
yellow or orange for easy identification.
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 front passenger
supplemental knee air bag
The knee air bag is located below the
steering column on the driver’s side, and in
the knee bolster on the front 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.
LRS3641
Driver’s side
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Page 110 of 572
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always an
indication of proper knee air bag operation.
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 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 between
the knee bolster and the driver’s or
passenger’s seat. Such objects may
become 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
prevent damage to or accidental in-
flation 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
injury. For example, do not change
the driver or passenger knee bolster
or install additional trim material
around the knee air bag.
LRS3436
Passenger’s side
1-88Safety-Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system