1997 NISSAN MAXIMA brake

INever leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
INever leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
The power assisted steering is designed to
use a hydraulic pump, driven by the engine, to
assist steering.
If the engine stops or drive belt breaks, you will
still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns or at low speeds.The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit develops a problem, you
will still have braking at two wheels.
Vacuum assisted brake
The brake booster aids braking by using en-
gine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop
the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal.
However, greater foot pressure on the brake
pedal will be required to stop the vehicle and
the stopping distance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
your braking distance will be longer and the
vehicle may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal to
heat-up the brakes. Do this until the brakes
return to normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at
high speeds until the brakes function correctly.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This overheats the brakes, in-
creases wear on the brake linings and pads,
and reduces gas mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
POWER STEERING SYSTEM BRAKE SYSTEM
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downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result
in loss of vehicle control.
While driving on a slippery surface, be
careful when braking, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking or acceler-
ating could cause the wheels to skid and
result in an accident.
The anti-lock brake system controls the brakes
at each wheel so the wheels will not lock when
braking abruptly or when braking on slippery
surfaces. The system detects the rotation
speed at each wheel and varies the brake fluid
pressure to prevent each wheel from locking
and sliding. By preventing wheel lockup, the
system helps the driver maintain steering con-
trol and helps to minimize swerving and spin-
ning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping
distances.
Normal operation
The anti-lock brake system will not operate at
speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10 km/h) to
completely stop the vehicle. (The speeds will
vary according to road conditions.) When the
anti-lock system senses that one or more
wheels are close to locking up, the actuator
(under the hood) rapidly applies and releases
hydraulic pressure (like pumping the brakesvery quickly). While the actuator is working,
you may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal
and hear a noise or vibration from the actuator
under the hood. This is normal and indicates
that the anti-lock system is working properly.
However, the pulsation may indicate that road
conditions are hazardous and extra care is
required while driving.
Self-test feature
The anti-lock brake system consists of elec-
tronic sensors, electric pumps, and hydraulic
solenoids controlled by a computer. The com-
puter has a built-in diagnostic feature that tests
the system each time you start the engine and
move the vehicle at a low speed in forward or
reverse. When the ªself-testº occurs, you may
hear a ªclunkº noise and/or feel a ªpulsationº in
the brake pedal. This is normal and is not an
indication of any malfunction. If the computer
senses any malfunction, it switches the anti-
lock brake system OFF and turns on the ªABSº
brake warning light in the dashboard. The
brake system will then behave normally, but
without anti-lock assistance.
If the light comes on during the self check, or
while you are driving, you should take your
vehicle to your NISSAN dealer for repair at
your earliest convenience.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS) (If so equipped)
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The anti-lock brake system is a sophis-
ticated device, but it cannot prevent ac-
cidents resulting from careless or dan-
gerous driving techniques. It can help
maintain vehicle control during braking
on slippery surfaces, but remember that
the stopping distance on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal
surfaces, even with the anti-lock sys-
tem. Stopping distances may also be
longer on rough, gravel or snow covered
roads, or if you are using tire chains.
Always maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front of you. Ultimately,
the responsibility for safety of self and
others rests in the hands of the driver.
Tire type and condition may also affect
braking effectiveness.
IWhen replacing tires, install the
specified size of tires on all 4 wheels.
IWhen installing a spare tire, make
sure it is the proper size and type as
specified on the tire placard. For tire
placard location information, refer toªTire placardº in the Owner's Manual
index.
Freeing a frozen door lock
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
de-icer or glycerin to it through the key hole. If
the lock becomes frozen, heat the key before
inserting it into the key hole.
Anti-freeze
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
temperature will drop below 32ÉF (0ÉC), check
anti-freeze (ethylene glycol base) to assure
proper winter protection. For details, see ªEn-
gine Cooling Systemº in the ªDo-it-yourself
operationsº section.
Battery
If the battery is not fully charged during ex-
tremely cold weather conditions, the battery
fluid may freeze and damage the battery. To
maintain maximum efficiency, the battery
should be checked regularly. For details, see
ªBatteryº in the ªDo-it-yourself operationsº sec-
tion.
Draining of coolant water
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
anti-freeze, drain the cooling system by open-
ing the drain valves located under the radiator
and on the engine block. Refill before operat-
ing the vehicle. See ªChanging Engine Cool-
antº in the ªDo-it-yourself operationsº section.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
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of ice is seen ahead, brake before
reaching it. Try not to brake while
actually on the ice, and avoid any
sudden steering maneuvers.
IDo not use cruise control on slippery
roads.
ISnow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep snow
clear of the exhaust pipe and from
around your vehicle.
Engine block heater/Engine heater
(If so equipped)
An engine block heater/engine heater to assist
extreme cold temperature starting is available
through your NISSAN dealer.
Do not use your heater with an un-
grounded electrical system or two-
pronged (cheater) adapters. You can be
injured by an electrical shock if you use
an ungrounded connection.
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If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road away
from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the
parking brake. Shift the manual transmis-
sion into reverse (automatic transmission in
ªPº).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic, and to
signal professional road assistance person-
nel that you need assistance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle
and stand in a safe place, away from traffic
and clear of the vehicle.
IMake sure that the parking brake is
securely applied and the manual
transmission is shifted into reverse
(automatic transmission in ªPº).
INever change tires when the vehicleis on a slope, ice or slippery areas.
This is hazardous.
INever change tires if oncoming traffic
is close to your vehicle. Wait for pro-
fessional road assistance.Getting the spare tire and tools
Remove jacking tools and spare tire from the
storage area located inside the trunk as illus-
trated.
SCE0036
FLAT TIRE
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Always follow the instructions below. Fail-
ure to do so could result in damage to the
charging system and cause personal in-
jury.
1. If the booster battery is in another vehicle,
position the two vehicles to bring their bat-
teries into close proximity to each other.
Do not allow the two vehicles to touch.
2. Apply parking brake. Move the shift lever to
ªNeutralº (On automatic transmission mod-
els, move the lever to ªPº). Switch off all
unnecessary electrical systems (light,
heater, air conditioner, etc.).3. Remove vent caps on the battery (if so
equipped). Cover the battery with an old
cloth to reduce explosion hazard.
4. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as
illustrated.
IAlways connect positive (+) to posi-
tive (+) and negative (þ) to body
ground (e.g., strut mounting bolt, etc.
Ð not to the battery).
IMake sure that cables do not touch
moving parts in the engine compart-
ment and that clamps do not contact
any other metal.
5. Start the engine of the other vehicle and let
it run for a few minutes.
6. Keep the engine speed of the other vehicle
at about 2,000 rpm, and start your engine in
the normal manner.
Do not keep starter motor engaged for
more than 10 seconds. If the engine
does not start right away, turn the key
off and wait 3 to 4 seconds before trying
again.
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7. After starting your engine, carefully discon-
nect the negative cable and then the posi-
tive cable.
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be
sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover
the vent holes as it may be contaminated
with corrosive acid.
IAutomatic transmission models can-
not be push started. This may cause
transmission damage.
IThree-way catalyst equipped models
should not be started by pushing
since the three-way catalyst may be
damaged.
INever try to start the vehicle by tow-
ing it; when the engine starts, the
forward surge could cause the ve-
hicle to collide with the tow vehicle.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading), or
if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc., take the following steps:
IDo not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could
cause a vehicle fire.
ITo avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
IDo not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply
the parking brake and move the gearshift
lever to neutral (automatic transmission to
ªPº).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner switch. Open all
the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to ªmaximum
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
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IWhen towing with the front wheels on
the ground:
Turn the ignition key to the ªOFFº
position and secure the steering
wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a rope or similar device. Never
place the ignition key in the ªLOCKº
position. This will result in damage to
the steering lock mechanism.
Move the shift lever to the neutral
(ªNº position).
On automatic transmission models,
to move the selector lever to the Neu-
tral position, turn the ignition key to
the ªOFFº or ªACCº position. After
moving the selector lever to the Neu-
tral position, be sure to turn the igni-
tion key to the ªOFFº position.
IWhen towing with the rear wheels on
the ground, release the parking
brake.
On automatic transmission models,
to move the selector lever to the Neu-
tral (ªNº position), turn the ignition
key to the ªOFFº or ªACCº position.
After moving the shift lever to theNeutral position, be sure to turn the
ignition key to the ªOFFº position.
IAttach safety chains for all towing.
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground as illustrated.
ISpeed: Below 70 MPH (115 km/h)
IDistance: Less than 500 miles (800 km)
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