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2015 Nissan Sentra Owners Manual - Seat belts



Owner’s Manuals 2015 Seat belts

Seat belts

Precautions on seat belt usage

If you are wearing your seat belt properly adjusted

If you are wearing your seat belt properly adjusted and you are sitting upright and well back in your seat with both feet on the floor, your chances of being injured or killed in an accident and/or the severity of injury may be greatly reduced.

NISSAN strongly encourages you and all of your passengers to buckle up every time you drive, even if your seating position includes a supplemental air bag.

Most U.S. states and Canadian provinces or territories specify that seat belts be worn at all times when a vehicle is being driven.

WARNING

Every person who drives or rides in this vehicle should use a seat belt at all times. Children should be properly restrained in the rear seat and, if appropriate, in a child restraint.

WARNING

The seat belt should be properly adjusted 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 accident.

Serious injury or death can occur if the seat belt is not worn properly.

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 continuously while the ignition is turned ON with all doors closed and all seat belts fastened, it may indicate a malfunction 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 personal injury.

  • Once a seat belt pretensioner has activated, it cannot be reused and must be replaced together with the retractor.

    See your NISSAN dealer.

  • Removal and installation of pretensioner system components should be done by a NISSAN dealer.
  • All seat belt assemblies, including retractors and attaching hardware, should be inspected after any collision by a NISSAN dealer. NISSAN recommends that all seat belt assemblies in use during a collision be replaced unless 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 hardware should be inspected after any collision.

    Always follow the restraint manufacturer’s inspection instructions and replacement recommendations.

    The child restraints should be replaced if they are damaged.

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 abdominal 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.
  • Do not allow children to play with the seat belts. Most seating positions are equipped with Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode seat belts. If the seat belt becomes wrapped around a child’s neck with the ALR mode activated, the child can be seriously injured or killed if the seat belt retracts and becomes tight. This can occur even if the vehicle is parked. Unbuckle the seat belt to release the child. If the seat belt cannot be unbuckled or is already unbuckled, release the child by cutting the seat belt with a suitable tool (such as a knife or scissors) to release the seat belt.

Fastening the seat belts

Manual front seat shown
Manual front seat shown

  1. Adjust the seat. See “Seats” in this section.

  1.  Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor and insert the tongue into the buckle until you hear and feel the latch engage.
  • The retractor is designed to lock during a sudden stop or on impact. A slow pulling motion permits the seat belt to move, and allows you some freedom of movement in the seat.
  • If the seat belt cannot be pulled from its fully retracted position, firmly pull the belt and release it. Then smoothly pull the belt out of the retractor.

  1. Position the lap belt portion low and snug on the hips as shown.
  2. Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the retractor to take up extra slack. Be sure the shoulder belt is routed over your shoulder and across your chest.

The front passenger seat and the rear seating positions three-point seat belts have two modes of operation:

  • Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
  • Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)

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 restraints” 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 tension.

It can also change the operation of the front passenger air bag. See “Supplemental air bag warning light” in this section.

WARNING

When fastening the seat belts, be certain that the seatbacks are completely secured in the latched position. If they are not completely secured, passengers may be injured in an accident or sudden stop.

Unfastening the seat belts

  1. To unfasten the seat belt, press the button on the buckle. The seat belt automatically retracts.

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.

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 restrict further belt movement.

If the retractor does not lock during this check or if you have any questions about seat belt operation, see a NISSAN dealer.

Shoulder belt height adjustment (front seats)

The shoulder belt anchor height should be adjusted

The shoulder belt anchor height should be adjusted to the position best for you. See “Precautions on seat belt usage” in this section. To adjust, pull out the adjustment button 1 and 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 shoulder belt anchor into position.

WARNING
  • After adjustment, release the adjustment button and try to move the shoulder 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 effectiveness 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 that is compatible with the installed seat belts is available that can be purchased. The extender 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 with purchasing an extender 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 sudden stop.

Seat belt maintenance

  • To clean the seat belt webbing, apply a mild soap solution or any solution recommended 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 guide of 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 assembly should be replaced.
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