belt NISSAN LEAF 2012 Owner's Guide

against it when it inflates. Always sit
back against the seatback and as
far away as practical from the steer-
ing wheel or instrument panel. Al-
ways use the seat belts.
. The driver and front passenger seat
belt buckles are equipped with
sensors that detect if the seat belts
are fastened. The Advanced Air Bag
System monitors the severity of a
collision and seat belt usage then
inflates the air bags as needed.
Failure to properly wear seat belts
can increase the risk or severity of
injury in an accident.
. The front passenger seat is
equipped with occupant classifica-
tion sensors (weight sensors) that
turn the front passenger air bag
OFF under some conditions. This
sensor is only used in this seat.
Failure to be properly seated and
wearing the seat belt can increase
the risk or severity of injury in an
accident. See “Front passenger air
bag and status light” later in this
section. .
Keep hands on the outside of the
steering wheel. Placing them inside
the steering wheel rim could in-
crease the risk that they are injured
if the front air bag inflates.

WARNING
.Never let children ride unrestrained
or extend their hands or face out of
the window. Do not attempt to hold
them in your lap or arms. Some
examples of dangerous riding posi-
tions are shown in the illustrations.
. Children may be severely injured or
killed when the front air bags, side
air bags or curtain air bags inflate if
they are not properly restrained.
Pre-teens and children should be
properly restrained in the rear seat,
if possible.
. Even with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-
facing child restraint on the front
seat. An inflating front air bag could
seriously injure or kill your child.
See “Child restraints” earlier in this
section for details.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-39

.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 window or lean against
the door. Some examples of dan-
gerous riding positions are shown
in the previous illustrations.
. 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.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-41

1. Crash zone sensor
2. Supplemental front-impact air bag modules
3. Front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental airbag modules
4. Occupant classification sensors (weight sensors)
5. Occupant classification system control unit 6. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental
air bag inflators
7. Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bag modules
8. Satellite sensors
9. Lap outer pretensioner (driver side only) 10. Seat belt with pretensioner
11. Air bag Control Unit (ACU)
NISSAN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYS-
TEM (front seats)

your NISSAN certified LEAF dealer
to check the occupant classification
system.
. Until you have confirmed with your
dealer that your passenger seat
occupant classification system is
working properly, position the occu-
pants 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 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
passenger supplemental 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 sensors and the occupant
classification sensors (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 classification 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 passenger air
bag may be automatically turned OFF under
some conditions, depending on the information
provided by the occupant classification sensors.
If the front passenger air bag is OFF, the
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) . See
“Front passenger air bag and status light” later
in this section for further details. One front air
bag inflating does not indicate improper perfor-
mance of the system.
If you have any questions about your air bag
system, contact NISSAN or a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer. If you are considering modification
of your vehicle due to a disability, you may alsocontact NISSAN. Contact information is con-
tained 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 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 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.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-43

If the 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). Your NISSAN certified LEAF dealer can
check that the system is OFF by using a special
tool. However, until you have confirmed with
your dealer that your air bag is working properly,
reposition the occupant or child restraint in a
rear seat.
The air bag system and passenger air bag status
light will take a few seconds to register a change
in the passenger seat status. However, if the
seat becomes unoccupied, the air bag status
light will remain off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light

.Do not hang items on the selector
lever. This may cause an accident
due to a sudden start.
. Do not shift to the ECO position
abruptly on slippery roads. This may
cause a loss of control.
NOTE:
If the accelerator pedal is depressed when
the vehicle is in the D (Drive) or ECO
position and the driver’s seat belt is
securely fastened, the parking brake will
be released automatically. See “Electric
parking brake” later in this section.

7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior ...................................................................... 7-2Washing ................................................................................ 7-2
Waxing .................................................................................. 7-2
Removing spots .................................................................. 7-3Underbody ............................................................................ 7-3
Glass ..................................................................................... 7-3
Solar cell module (if so equipped) ................................ 7-3
Wheels .................................................................................. 7-3
Chrome parts ...................................................................... 7-4
Tire dressing ........................................................................ 7-4 Cleaning interior ...................................................................... 7-4
Air fresheners .................................................................... 7-5Floor mats .......................................................................... 7-5
Seat belts ........................................................................... 7-6
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) .............. 7-6
Corrosion protection ............................................................... 7-7
Most common factors contributing to
vehicle corrosion .............................................................. 7-7
Environmental factors influence the rate
of corrosion ....................................................................... 7-7
To protect your vehicle from corrosion ...................... 7-7

WARNING
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
REMINDERS FOR SAFETY!
Follow these important driving rules to
help ensure a safe and comfortable trip
for you and your passengers!
.NEVER drive under the influence of
alcohol or drugs.
. ALWAYS observe posted speed lim-
its and never drive too fast for
conditions.
. ALWAYS give your full attention to
driving and avoid using vehicle
features or taking other actions that could distract you.
. ALWAYS use your seat belts and
appropriate child restraint systems.
Pre-teen children should be seated
in the rear seat.
. ALWAYS provide information about
the proper use of vehicle safety
features to all occupants of the
vehicle.
. ALWAYS review this Owner’s Man-
ual for important safety information.
MODIFICATION OF YOUR VEHICLE
This vehicle should not be modified. Mod-
ification could affect its performance,
safety or durability, and may even violate
governmental regulations. In addition, da-
mage or performance problems resulting
from modification may not be covered
under NISSAN warranties.
WHEN READING THE MANUAL
This manual includes information for all
options available on this model. Therefore,
you may find some information that does
not apply to your vehicle.
FOREWORD

0 Illustrated table of contents
Seats, seat belts and Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) ........................................................................... 0-2
Exterior front .............................................................................. 0-3
Exterior rear ............................................................................... 0-4
Passenger compartment ........................................................ 0-5 Cockpit ....................................................................................... 0-6
Instrument panel ...................................................................... 0-7
Meters and gauges ................................................................. 0-8
Motor compartment ................................................................ 0-9
Warning and indicator lights ............................................. 0-10