warning NISSAN SENTRA 2009 Owner´s Manual

HEAD RESTRAINT ADJUSTMENT
To raise the head restraint, pull it up. To lower,
push and hold the lock knob and push the head
restraint down.
WARNING
Head restraints should be adjusted prop-
erly as they may provide significant pro-
tection against injury in an accident. Do
not remove them. Check the adjustment
after someone else uses the seat.Adjust the head restraint so the center is level
with the center of your ears.
WRS0133WRS0134
1-8Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


WARNING
●Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times. Children should be properly re-
strained in the rear seat and, if appro-
priate, in a child restraint.
WARNING
●The seat belt should be properly ad-
justed to a snug fit. Failure to do so may
reduce the effectiveness of the entire
restraint system and increase the
chance or severity of injury in an acci-
dent. Serious injury or death can occur
if the seat belt is not worn properly.
SSS0134SSS0016
1-10Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


WARNING
●Always route the shoulder belt over
your shoulder and across your chest.
Never put the belt behind your back,
under your arm or across your neck. The
belt should be away from your face and
neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
●Position the lap belt as low and snug as
possible AROUND THE HIPS, NOT THE
WAIST. A lap belt worn too high could
increase the risk of internal injuries in
an accident.●Be sure the seat belt tongue is securely
fastened to the proper buckle.
●Do not wear the seat belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness.
●Do not allow more than one person to
use the same seat belt.
●Never carry more people in the vehicle
than there are seat belts.
●If the seat belt warning light glows con-
tinuously while the ignition is turned
ON with all doors closed and all seat
belts fastened, it may indicate a mal-
function in the system. Have the system
checked by a NISSAN dealer.
●No changes should be made to the seat
belt system. For example, do not modify
the seat belt, add material, or install
devices that may change the seat belt
routing or tension. Doing so may affect
the operation of the seat belt system.
Modifying or tampering with the seat
belt system may result in serious per-
sonal injury.●Once a seat belt pretensioner has acti-
vated, it cannot be reused and must be
replaced together with the retractor.
See your NISSAN dealer.
●Removal and installation of preten-
sioner system components should be
done by a NISSAN dealer.
●All seat belt assemblies, including re-
tractors and attaching hardware,
should be inspected after any collision
by a NISSAN dealer. NISSAN recom-
mends that all seat belt assemblies in
use during a collision be replaced un-
less the collision was minor and the
belts show no damage and continue to
operate properly. Seat belt assemblies
not in use during a collision should also
be inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is noted.
●All child restraints and attaching hard-
ware should be inspected after any col-
lision. Always follow the restraint
manufacturer’s inspection instructions
and replacement recommendations.
The child restraints should be replaced
if they are damaged.
SSS0014
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-11
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


CHILD SAFETY
Children need adults to help protect them.
They need to be properly restrained.
In addition to the general information in this
manual, child safety information is available from
many other sources, including doctors, teachers,
government traffic safety offices, and community
organizations. Every child is different, so be sure
to learn the best way to transport your child.
There are three basic types of child restraint
systems:
●Rear-facing child restraint
●Front-facing child restraint
●Booster seat
The proper restraint depends on the child’s size.
Generally, infants up to about 1 year and less
than 20 lbs (9 kg) should be placed in rear-facing
child restraints. Front-facing child restraints are
available for children who outgrow rear-facing
child restraints and are at least 1 year old.
Booster seats are used to help position a vehicle
lap/shoulder belt on a child who can no longer
use a front-facing child restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special protec-
tion. The vehicle’s seat belts may not fit
them properly. The shoulder belt may
come too close to the face or neck. The
lap belt may not fit over their small hip
bones. In an accident, an improperly fit-
ting seat belt could cause serious or fatal
injury. Always use appropriate child
restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or terri-
tories require the use of approved child restraints
for infants and small children. See “Child Re-
straints” later in this section.
Also, there are other types of child restraints
available for larger children for additional protec-
tion.
NISSAN recommends that all pre-teens
and children be restrained in the rear seat.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seat than in the front seat.
This is especially important because your
vehicle has a supplemental restraint sys-
tem (Air bag system) for the front passen-
ger. See “Supplemental restraint system”
later in this section.
Infants
Infants up to at least 1 year old should be placed
in a rear-facing child restraint. NISSAN recom-
mends that infants be placed in child restraints
that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. You should choose a child restraint
that fits your vehicle and always follow the manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation and use.
Small children
Children that are over one year old and weigh at
least 20 lbs (9 kg) can be placed in a forward-
facing child restraint. Refer to the manufacturer’s
instructions for minimum and maximum weight
and height recommendations. NISSAN recom-
mends that small children be placed in child
restraints that comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards or Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards. You should choose a child
restraint that fits your vehicle and always follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for installation
and use.
Larger children
Children who are too large for child restraints
should be seated and restrained by the seat belts
which are provided. The seat belt may not fit
properly if the child is less than 4 ft 9 in (142.5
cm) tall and weighs between 40 lbs (18 kg) and
1-12Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


80 lbs (36 kg) . A booster seat should be used to
obtain proper seat belt fit.
NISSAN recommends that a child be placed in a
commercially available booster seat if the shoul-
der belt in the child’s seating position fits close to
the face or neck or if the lap portion of the seat
belt goes across the abdomen. The booster seat
should raise the child so that the shoulder belt is
properly positioned across the top, middle por-
tion of the shoulder and the lap belt is low on the
hips. A booster seat can only be used in seating
positions that have a three-point type seat belt.
The booster seat should fit the vehicle seat and
have a label certifying that it complies with Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Once the child
has grown so the shoulder belt is no longer on or
near the face and neck, use the shoulder belt
without the booster seat.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat and do not allow a child in the cargo
areas while the vehicle is moving. The
child could be seriously injured or killed in
an accident or sudden stop.
PREGNANT WOMEN
NISSAN recommends that pregnant women use
seat belts. The seat belt should be worn snug and
always position the lap belt as low as possible
around the hips, not the waist. Place the shoulder
belt over your shoulder and across your chest.
Never run the lap/shoulder belt over your ab-
dominal area. Contact your doctor for specific
recommendations.
INJURED PERSONS
NISSAN recommends that injured persons use
seat belts. Check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
THREE-POINT TYPE SEAT BELT
WITH RETRACTOR
WARNING
●Every person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should use a seat belt at all
times.●Do not ride in a moving vehicle when
the seatback is reclined. This can be
dangerous. The shoulder belt will not
be against your body. In an accident,
you could be thrown into it and receive
neck or other serious injuries. You
could also slide under the lap belt and
receive serious internal injuries.
●For the most effective protection when
the vehicle is in motion, the seat should
be upright. Always sit well back in the
seat with both feet on the floor and
adjust the seat belt properly.
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-13
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


The Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode
allows the seat belt to extend and retract to allow
the driver and passengers some freedom of
movement in the seat. The ELR locks the seat belt
when the vehicle slows down rapidly or during
certain impacts.
The Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode
(child restraint mode) locks the seat belt for child
restraint installation.
When the ALR mode is activated, the seat belt
cannot be extended again until the seat belt
tongue is detached from the buckle and fully
retracted. The seat belt returns to the ELR mode
after the seat belt fully retracts. See “Child re-
straints” later in this section for more information.
The ALR mode should be used only for
child restraint installation. During normal
seat belt use by an occupant, the ALR mode
should not be activated. If it is activated, it
may cause uncomfortable seat belt ten-
sion. It can also change the operation of
the front passenger air bag. See “Front
passenger air bag and status light” later in
this section.WARNING
When fastening the seat belts, be certain
that the seatbacks are completely se-
cured in the latched position. If they are
not completely secured, passengers may
be injured in an accident or sudden stop.
Unfastening the seat belts
1To unfasten the seat belt, press the button on
the buckle. The seat belt automatically re-
tracts.
Checking seat belt operation
Seat belt retractors are designed to lock seat belt
movement by two separate methods:
●When the seat belt is pulled quickly from the
retractor.
●When the vehicle slows down rapidly.
LRS0767
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-15
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


To increase your confidence in the seat belts,
check the operation as follows:
●Grasp the shoulder belt and pull forward
quickly. The retractor should lock and re-
strict further belt movement.
If the retractor does not lock during this check or
if you have any questions about seat belt opera-
tion, see a NISSAN dealer.
Center of the rear seat (except SE-R
model)
The rear seat center seat belt has a connector
tongue
1and a seat belt tongue2. Both the
connector tongue and the seat belt tongue must
be securely latched for proper seat belt opera-
tion.
WARNING
●Always fasten the connector tongue
and the seat belt in the order shown.
●Always make sure both the connector
tongue and the seat belt tongue are
secured when using the seat belt or
installing a child restraint. Do not use
the seat belt or child restraint with only
the seat belt tongue attached. This
could result in serious personal injury in
case of an accident or a sudden stop.
SSS0240SSS0241
1-16Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


Stowing the rear center seat belt
When folding down the rear seat, the center seat
belt can be retracted into a stowed position as
follows:
1Hold the connector tongue so that the seat
belt does not retract suddenly when the
tongue is released from the connector
buckle. Release the connector tongue by
inserting a suitable tool such as key into the
connector buckle
A.
2Retract the seat belt up to the retractor base.
3Insert the seat belt connector buckle into the
fabric sleeve to stow.
WARNING
●Do not unfasten the rear center seat
belt connector except when folding
down the rear seat.
●When attaching the rear center seat
belt connector, be certain that the seat-
backs are completely secured in the
latched position and the rear center
seat belt connector is completely
secured.●If the rear center seat belt connector
and the seatbacks are not secured in
the correct position, serious personal
injury may result in an accident or sud-
den stop.
WRS0735
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-17
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


Attaching the rear center seat belt
Always be sure the center seat belt connector
tongue and connector buckle are attached. Dis-
connect only when folding down the rear seat.
To connect the buckle:
1Pull out the connector buckle from the fabric
sleeve.
2Pull out the connector tongue.
3Pull the seat belt and secure the receiver
buckle until it clicks.
The center seat belt connector tongue and re-
ceiver buckle are indicated by the > and < marks.
The center seat belt connector tongue can be
attached only into the rear center seat belt con-
nector buckle.
To fasten the seat belt, see “Fastening the seat
belt” earlier in this section.
WARNING
●Do not unfasten the rear center seat
belt connector except when folding
down the rear seat.
●When attaching the rear center seat
belt connector, be certain that the seat-
backs are completely secured in the
latched position and the rear center
seat belt connector is completely
secured.
●If the rear center seat belt connector
and the seatbacks are not secured in
the correct position, serious personal
injury may result in an accident or sud-
den stop.
WRS0736
1-18Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie


SHOULDER BELT HEIGHT
ADJUSTMENT (front seats)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be ad-
justed to the position best for you. (See “Precau-
tions on seat belt usage” earlier in this section.)
To adjust, pull out the adjustment button
1and
move the shoulder belt anchor to the desired
position
2, so the belt passes over the center of
the shoulder. The belt should be away from your
face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
Release the adjustment button to lock the shoul-
der belt anchor into position.
WARNING
●After adjustment, release the adjust-
ment button and try to move the shoul-
der belt anchor up and down to make
sure it is securely fixed in position.
●The shoulder belt anchor height should
be adjusted to the position best for you.
Failure to do so may reduce the effec-
tiveness of the entire restraint system
and increase the chance or severity of
injury in an accident.
SEAT BELT EXTENDERS
If, because of body size or driving position, it is
not possible to properly fit the lap/shoulder belt
and fasten it, an extender is available which is
compatible with the installed seat belts. The ex-
tender adds approximately 8 in (200 mm) of
length and may be used for either the driver or
front passenger seating position. See a NISSAN
dealer for assistance if an extender is required.
WARNING
●Only NISSAN seat belt extenders, made
by the same company which made the
original equipment seat belts, should
be used with NISSAN seat belts.●Adults and children who can use the
standard seat belt should not use an
extender. Such unnecessary use could
result in serious personal injury in the
event of an accident.
●Never use seat belt extenders to install
child restraints. If the child restraint is
not secured properly, the child could be
seriously injured in a collision or a sud-
den stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
●To clean the seat belt webbing,apply a
mild soap solution or any solution recom-
mended for cleaning upholstery or carpet.
Then wipe with a cloth and allow the seat
belts to dry in the shade. Do not allow the seat
belts to retract until they are completely dry.
●If dirt builds up in the shoulder belt
guideof the seat belt anchors, the seat
belts may retract slowly. Wipe the shoulder
belt guide with a clean, dry cloth.
●Periodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal components,such as
buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible wires
and anchors, work properly. If loose parts,
deterioration, cuts or other damage on the
webbing is found, the entire seat belt as-
sembly should be replaced.
LRS0242
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-19
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/23/08—debbie