Nissan Altima Coupe (2013 year). Instruction - part 4

INSTALLING TOP TETHER STRAP

First, secure the child restraint with the LATCH
lower anchors (rear outboard seat positions only)
or the seat belt, as applicable.

1. Flip up the anchor cover

䊊

from the anchor

point which is located directly behind the
child seat.

2. Position the top tether strap over the top of

the head restraint

䊊

3. Secure the tether strap to the tether anchor

point on the rear parcel shelf

䊊

4. Refer to the appropriate child restraint in-

stallation procedure steps in this section
before tightening the tether strap.

If you have any questions when installing a
top tether strap, consult your NISSAN
dealer for details.

BOOSTER SEATS

Precautions on booster seats

WARNING

If a booster seat and seat belt are not used
properly, the risk of a child being injured
in a sudden stop or collision greatly
increases:

– Make sure the shoulder portion of

the belt is away from the child’s face
and neck and the lap portion of the
belt does not cross the stomach.

– Make sure the shoulder belt is not

behind the child or under the child’s
arm.

– A booster seat must only be installed

in a seating position that has a
lap/shoulder belt.

LRS0798

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

1-35

Booster seats of various sizes are offered by
several manufacturers. When selecting any
booster seat, keep the following points in mind:

● Choose only a booster seat with a label

certifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.

● Check the booster seat in your vehicle to be

sure it is compatible with the vehicle’s seat
and seat belt system.

● Make sure the child’s head will be properly

supported by the booster seat or vehicle
seat. The seatback must be at or above the
center of the child’s ears. For example, if a
low back booster seat

䊊

is chosen, the

vehicle seatback must be at or above the
center of the child’s ears. If the seatback is
lower than the center of the child’s ears, a
high back booster seat

䊊

should be used.

● If the booster seat is compatible with your

vehicle, place the child in the booster seat
and check the various adjustments to be
sure the booster seat is compatible with the
child. Always follow all recommended pro-
cedures.

All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
territories require that infants and small
children be restrained in an approved child
restraint at all times while the vehicle is
being operated.

The instructions in this section apply to booster
seat installation in the rear seats or the front
passenger seat.

LRS0453

LRS0464

1-36

Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Booster seat installation

CAUTION

Do not use the lap/shoulder belt in the
Automatic Locking Retractor mode when
using a booster seat with the seat belts.

Refer to all Warnings and Cautions in the “Child
Safety”, “Child Restraint” and “Booster Seats”
sections before installing a child restraint.

Follow these steps to install a booster seat in the
rear seat or in the front passenger seat:

1. If you must install a booster seat in the

front seat, move the seat to the rear-
most position.

2. Position the booster seat on the seat. Only

place it in a front-facing direction. Always
follow the booster seat manufacturer’s in-
structions.

3. The booster seat should be positioned on

the vehicle seat so that it is stable.

If necessary, adjust or remove the head re-
straint to obtain the correct booster seat fit. If
the head restraint is removed, store it in a
secure place. Be sure to reinstall the
head restraint when the booster seat is
removed. See “Head restraints” in this sec-
tion for head restraint adjustment, removal
and installation information.

WRS0699

Front passenger position

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1-37

If the seating position does not have an
adjustable head restraint and it is interfering
with the proper booster seat fit, try another
seating position or a different booster seat.

4. Position the lap portion of the seat belt low

and snug on the child’s hips. Be sure to
follow the booster seat manufacturer’s in-
structions for adjusting the seat belt routing.

5. Pull the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt

toward the retractor to take up extra slack.
Be sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the top, middle portion of the child’s
shoulder. Be sure to follow the booster seat
manufacturer’s instructions for adjusting the
seat belt routing.

6. Follow the warnings, cautions and instruc-

tions for properly fastening a seat belt
shown in “Three-point type seat belt with
retractor” earlier in this section.

7. If the booster seat is installed in the front

passenger seat, place the ignition switch in
the ON position. The front passenger air bag
status light

may or may not illuminate,

depending on the size of the child and the
type of booster seat being used. See “Front
passenger air bag and status light” later in
this section.

PRECAUTIONS ON SUPPLEMENTAL
RESTRAINT SYSTEM

This Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) sec-
tion contains important information concerning
the following systems:

● Driver and passenger supplemental front-

impact air bag (NISSAN Advanced Air Bag
System)

● Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-

mental air bag

● Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-

mental air bag

● Seat belt with pretensioner

Supplemental front-impact air bag system:
The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System can help
cushion the impact force to the head and chest of
the driver and front passenger in certain frontal
collisions.

Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bag system: This system can help
cushion the impact force to the chest and pelvic
area of the driver and front passenger in certain
side-impact collisions. The side air bags are de-
signed to inflate on the side where the vehicle is
impacted.

WRS0475

SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM

1-38

Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supple-
mental air bag system: This system can help
cushion the impact force to the head of occu-
pants in front and rear outboard seating positions
in certain side-impact collisions. The curtain air
bags are designed to inflate on the side where
the vehicle is impacted.

These supplemental restraint systems are de-
signed to supplement the crash protection pro-
vided by the driver and front passenger seat belts
and are not a substitute for them. Seat belts
should always be correctly worn and the occu-
pant seated a suitable distance away from the
steering wheel, instrument panel and door finish-
ers. (See “Seat belts” earlier in this section for
instructions and precautions on seat belt usage.)

The supplemental air bags operate only
when the ignition switch is placed in the
ON position.

After placing the ignition switch in the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates. The supplemental air bag
warning light will turn off after about 7
seconds if the system is operational.

WARNING

● The front air bags ordinarily will not

inflate in the event of a side impact, rear
impact, rollover, or lower severity fron-
tal collision. Always wear your seat
belts to help reduce the risk or severity
of injury in various kinds of accidents.

● The front passenger air bag will not

inflate if the passenger air bag status
light is lit or if the front passenger seat
is unoccupied. See “Front passenger air
bag and status light” later in this
section.

● The seat belts and the front air bags are

most effective when you are sitting well
back and upright in the seat. The front
air bags inflate with great force. Even
with the NISSAN Advanced Air Bag Sys-
tem, if you are unrestrained, leaning
forward, sitting sideways or out of posi-
tion in any way, you are at greater risk of
injury or death in a crash. You may also
receive serious or fatal injuries from the
front air bag if you are up against it
when it inflates. Always sit back against
the seatback and as far away as practi-
cal from the steering wheel or instru-
ment panel. Always use the seat belts.

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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● 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 us-
age 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 an occupant classification sensor
(pattern sensor) that turns 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 acci-
dent. See “Front passenger air bag and
status light” later in this section.

● Keep hands on the outside of the steer-

ing wheel. Placing them inside the
steering wheel rim could increase the
risk that they are injured when the front
air bag inflates.

ARS1133

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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 positions are shown
in the illustrations.

ARS1041

ARS1042

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

1-41

WARNING

● 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 re-
strained in the rear seat, if possible.

● Even with the NISSAN Advanced Air

Bag System, never install a rear-facing
child restraint in the front seat. An in-
flating front air bag could seriously in-
jure or kill your child. See “Child re-
straints” earlier in this section for
details.

ARS1044

ARS1045

ARS1046

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

WARNING

Front seat-mounted side-impact supple-
mental air bags and roof-mounted curtain
side-impact supplemental air bags:

● The side air bags and curtain air bags

ordinarily will not inflate in the event of
a frontal impact, rear impact, rollover or
lower severity side collision. Always
wear your seat belts to help reduce the
risk or severity of injury in various kinds
of accidents.

WARNING

● 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 with both feet on the floor. 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

dangerous

riding

positions

are

shown in the previous illustrations.

WARNING

● 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 especially careful
with children, who should always be
properly restrained. Some examples of
dangerous riding positions are shown
in the illustrations.

● Do not use seat covers on the front

seatbacks. They may interfere with side
air bag inflation.

SSS0101

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

1-43

SSS0159

SSS0162

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Roof-mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bag inflators

Roof-mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bags

Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bag modules

Air bag Control Unit (ACU)

Side-impact pressure sensor (driver’s
side shown; passenger’s side similar)

Supplemental front-impact air bag
modules

Crash zone sensor

Seat belt buckle switches on driver’s
and passenger’s side

Occupant classification sensor
(pattern sensor)

10. Occupant classification system control

unit

11. Seat belt with pretensioner
12. Side satellite sensor

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System
(front seats)

This vehicle is equipped with the NISSAN Ad-
vanced Air Bag System for the driver and front
passenger seats. This system is designed to
meet certification requirements under U.S. regu-
lations. It is also permitted in Canada. However,
all of the information, cautions and warn-
ings 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 dashboard above the glove box.
The front air bags are designed to inflate in higher
severity frontal collisions, although they may in-
flate 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 system opera-
tion.

The NISSAN Advanced Air Bag System has dual
stage air bag inflators. It also monitors informa-
tion from the crash zone sensor, the Air bag
Control Unit (ACU), seat belt buckle sensors and
the occupant classification sensor (pattern sen-
sor). Inflator operation is based on the severity of
a collision and seat belt usage for the driver. For

the front passenger, the occupant classification
sensor is 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 sensor. 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 performance of the system.

If you have any questions about your air bag
system, please contact NISSAN or your NISSAN
dealer. 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 the release 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 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 face 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 pas-
senger 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 front 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.

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

Front passenger air bag and status light

WARNING

The front passenger air bag is designed to
automatically turn OFF under some con-
ditions. Read this section carefully to
learn how it operates. Proper use of the
seat, seat belt and child restraints is nec-
essary for most effective protection. Fail-
ure to follow all instructions in this
manual concerning 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 air bag status light

located on the instrument panel above the radio
controls. After the ignition switch is placed in the
⬙ON⬙ position, the front passenger air bag status
light on the instrument panel illuminates for about
7 seconds and then turns off or remains illumi-
nated depending on the front passenger seat
occupied status. The light operates as follows:

● Unoccupied passenger’s seat: The

OFF and the front passenger air bag is OFF
and will not inflate in a crash.

● Passenger’s seat occupied by a small adult,

child or child restraint as outlined in this
section: The

illuminates to indicate

that the front passenger air bag is OFF and
will not inflate in a crash.

● Occupied passenger seat and the passen-

ger meets the conditions outlined in this
section: The light

is OFF to indicate

that the front passenger air bag is opera-
tional.

Front passenger air bag

The front passenger air bag is designed to auto-
matically 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 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 passenger seat occupants, such
as children, by requiring the air bag to be auto-
matically turned OFF.

The occupant classification sensor (pattern sen-
sor) is in the front passenger seat cushion and is
designed to detect an occupant and objects on
the seat. For example, if a child is in the front
passenger seat, the Advanced Air 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, the occupant classification sensor
can detect it and cause the air bag to turn OFF.

Front passenger seat adult occupants who are
properly seated and using the seat belt as out-
lined in this manual should not cause the passen-
ger 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
air bag OFF. Always be sure to be seated and

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

1-47

wearing the seat belt properly for the most effec-
tive protection by the seat belt and supplemental
air bag.

NISSAN recommends that pre-teens and chil-
dren be properly restrained in a rear seat.
NISSAN also recommends that appropriate child
restraints and booster seats be properly installed
in a rear seat. If this is not possible, the occupant
classification sensor is designed to operate as
described above to turn the front passenger air
bag OFF for specified child restraints as required
by the regulations. Failing to properly secure
child restraints and to use the 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 inflating in a
crash instead of being OFF. See “Child re-
straints” earlier in this section for proper use and
installation.

If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
passenger air bag is designed not to inflate in a
crash. However, heavy objects placed on the
seat could result in air bag inflation, because of
the object being detected by the occupant clas-
sification 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 passenger air bag status light, you can
monitor when the front passenger air bag is au-
tomatically turned OFF with the seat occupied.
The light will not illuminate when the front pas-
senger seat is unoccupied.

If an adult occupant is in the seat but the passen-
ger air bag status light is illuminated (indicating
that the air bag is 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 passenger air bag status light may or may not
be illuminated, depending on the size of the child
and the type of child restraint being used. If the 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 occupant is positioned properly. If the air
bag status light is not illuminated, reposition the
occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.

If the passenger air bag status light will not illu-
minate 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 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

, located in the meter and gauges area

in the center of the instrument panel, will blink.
Have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.

Other supplemental front-impact air bag
precautions

WARNING

● Do not place any objects on the steer-

ing wheel pad or on the instrument
panel. Also, do not place any objects
between any occupant and the steering
wheel or instrument panel. Such ob-
jects may become dangerous projec-
tiles and cause injury if the front air
bags inflate.

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

● Do not place objects with sharp edges

on the seat. Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will leave per-
manent impressions in the seat. Such
objects can damage the seat or occu-
pant classification sensor (pattern sen-
sor). This can affect the operation of the
air bag system and result in serious
personal injury.

● Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot

steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifica-
tion sensor. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.

● Immediately after inflation, several

front air bag system components will be
hot. Do not touch them; you may se-
verely 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.

● Tampering with the front air bag system

may result in serious personal injury.
Tampering includes changes to the
steering

wheel

and

the

instrument

panel assembly by placing material
over the steering wheel pad and above
the instrument panel or by installing
additional trim material around the air
bag system.

● Modifying or tampering with the front

passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing mate-
rial on the seat cushion or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat
covers, on the seat that are not specifi-
cally designed to assure proper air bag
operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat
or the seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensor.

● No unauthorized changes should be

made to any components or wiring of
the seat belt system. This may affect the
front air bag system. Tampering with
the seat belt system may result in seri-
ous personal injury.

● Work on and around the front air bag

system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer.

The

Supplemental

Restraint

System (SRS) wiring should not be
modified or disconnected. Unauthor-
ized electrical test equipment and prob-
ing devices 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 system

1-49

Front seat-mounted side-impact
supplemental air bag and roof-
mounted curtain side-impact
supplemental air bag systems

The side air bags are located in the outside of the
seatback of the front seats. The curtain air bags
are located in the side roof rails. These systems
are designed to meet voluntary guidelines to help
reduce the risk of injury to out-of-position occu-
pants. However, all of the information, cau-
tions and warnings in this manual still ap-
ply 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 collision are
similar to those of a higher severity side impact.
They are designed to inflate on the side where the
vehicle is impacted. They may not inflate in cer-
tain side collisions.

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 the release of smoke. This smoke is not harm-
ful 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 con-
dition 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 occupants. Curtain air
bags help to cushion the impact force to the head
of occupants in the front and rear outboard seat-
ing positions. They can help save lives and re-
duce serious injuries. However, an inflating side
air bag and curtain air bag may cause abrasions
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 upright 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 during inflation. The side
air bags and curtain air bag will deflate quickly
after the collision is over.

The side air bags and curtain air bags op-
erate only when the ignition switch is
placed in the ON position.

WARNING

● Do not place any objects near the seat-

back of the front seats. Also, do not
place any objects (an umbrella, bag,
etc.) between the front door finisher
and the front seat. Such objects may
become

dangerous

projectiles

and

cause injury if a side air bag inflates.

LRS0259

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Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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