
CAUTION
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brakes should be used for this
purpose.
Shifting with automatic transmission
P (Park):
Use this selector position when the vehicle
is parked or when starting the engine. Al-
ways be sure the vehicle is at a complete
stop. For maximum safety, depress the
brake pedal, pull the lever toward you, and
move the lever to the P position. Apply the
parking brake. When parking on a hill, apply
the parking brake first, then shift the lever
into the P position.
Shifting from P (Park)
If the ignition switch is in the ON position
and the foot brake pedal is depressed, but
the shift lever still cannot be moved out of P
(Park), follow these instructions:
1. Shut the engine off and remove the key.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Reinsert the ignition key and turn it clock-
wise to the first position (ACC).
4. Depress the brake pedal, move the gear-
shift lever to N (Neutral) and start the
engine.
R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Always be sure
the vehicle is completely stopped. Depress
the brake pedal, then pull the shift lever
toward you and move it to the R position.
ASD0552
4-6
ZX

nates. When cruising at a low speed
or climbing a gentle slope, you may
feel uncomfortable shift shocks as
the transmission shifts between 3rd
and overdrive repeatedly. In this
case, press the overdrive switch.
The O/D OFF indicator light comes
on at this time.
When driving conditions change, press the
overdrive switch again. The O/D OFF indi-
cator light goes out.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the O/D OFF
light illuminated. This reduces the fuel
economy.1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). (P preferred.)
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
P and into any of the other gear posi-
tions under the following conditions:
cThe ignition key is turned to the
OFF position.
cThe ignition key is turned to the ON
position without depressing the
foot brake pedal.
The starter is designed not to operate
if the selector lever is in one of the
driving positions.
3. Crank the enginewith your foot off the
accelerator pedalby turning the ignition
key to START. Release the key when the
engine starts. If the engine starts, but
fails to run, repeat the above procedure.
Ð If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold or hot weather, de-
press the accelerator pedal and hold it
to help start the engine.Ð In the summer, when restarting the
engine within 30 minutes after it has
been stopped, keep the accelerator
pedal slightly depressed while start-
ing.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine does
not start, turn the key off and wait 10
seconds before cranking again, other-
wise the starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Drive at moderate
speeds for a short distance first, espe-
cially in cold weather.
STARTING THE ENGINE
4-8
ZX

To apply:Firmly depress the parking brake.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the gearshift lever to the P (Park)
position.
3. Pull the parking brake release lever.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning
light goes out.
WARNING
cBe sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving. Failure to do
so can cause brake failure and lead
to an accident.
cDo not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.
cDo not use the gearshift in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
cDo not leave children unattended in
a vehicle. They could release the
parking brake and cause an
accident.
ASD0012
PARKING BRAKE
OPERATION
4-9
ZX

The cruise control allows driving at speeds
between 30 and 90 MPH (48 and 144 km/h)
without keeping your foot on the accelerator
pedal.
To turn the cruise control on,push the
CRUISE CONT main switch. The indicator
light on the switch comes on.
To set at cruising speed,accelerate your
vehicle to the desired speed, push the
COAST/SET switch and release it. The
CRUISE light in the instrument cluster
comes on. Take your foot off the accelerator
pedal. Your vehicle maintains the set
speed.cTo pass another vehicle,depress the
accelerator pedal. When you release the
pedal, the vehicle returns to the previ-
ously set speed.
cThe vehicle may not maintain the set
speed when going up or down steep hills.
If this happens, drive without the cruise
control.
To cancel the preset speed,follow any of
these three methods:
a) Push the CANCEL button; the CRUISE
light goes out.b) Tap the brake pedal; the CRUISE light
goes out.
c)
Push the cruise control OFF switch. Both
the ON indicator and CRUISE lights go out.
cIf you depress the brake pedal while
pushing the RES/ACCEL switch, the
RES/ ACCEL function is cancelled.
In order for the RES/ACCEL switch to
operate, the COAST/SET must be used
to re-engage the system.
cThe cruise control automatically cancels
if the vehicle slows down more than 8
MPH (13 km/h) below the set speed.
ASD0562
CRUISE CONTROL
4-10
ZX

cMove the selector lever to N (Neutral).
The CRUISE light goes out.
To reset at a faster cruising speed,use
one of the following three methods:
a) Depress the accelerator pedal. When the
vehicle attains the desired speed, push
and release the COAST/SET switch.
b) Push and hold the RES/ACCEL switch.
When the vehicle attains the speed you
desire, release the switch.
c) Push, then quickly release the
RES/ACCEL switch. Each time you do
this, the set speed increases by about 1
MPH (1.6 km/h).
To reset at a slower cruising speed,use
one of the following three methods:
a) Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the
vehicle attains the desired speed, push
the COAST/SET switch and release it.
b) Push and hold the COAST/SET switch.
Release the switch when the vehicle
slows down to the desired speed.
c) Push, then quickly release the
COAST/SET switch. Each time you dothis, the set speed decreases by about 1
MPH (1.6 km/h).
To resume the preset speed,push and
release the RES/ACCEL switch. The ve-
hicle resumes the last set cruising speed
when the vehicle speed is over 30 MPH (48
km/h).
Precautions
cIf the cruise control system malfunctions,
it cancels automatically. The CRUISE
indicator in the instrument cluster then
blinks to warn the driver.
cWhen the cruise indicator blinks, turn the
cruise control switch (main switch) OFF
and have the system checked by your
NISSAN dealer.
cThe cruise indicator may blink when the
cruise control main switch is turned ON
while pushing either the RES/ACCEL,
COAST/SET, or the CANCEL switch (lo-
cated on the steering wheel). To properly
set the cruise control system, perform the
steps above in the order indicated.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when
driving under the following conditions:
cit is not possible to keep the vehicle
at a set speed.
cin heavy traffic or in traffic that var-
ies in speed.
con winding or hilly roads.
con slippery roads (rain, snow, ice,
etc.).
cin very windy areas.
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle
control and result in an accident.
4-11
ZX

WARNING
Do not park the vehicle over flammable
materials such as dry grass, waste pa-
per or rags. They may ignite and cause
a fire.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the gearshift lever to the P (Park)
position.WARNING
Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park)
position. Failure to do so could cause
the vehicle to move unexpectedly or
roll away and result in an accident.
Make sure the shift lever has been
pushed up as far as it can go and
cannot be moved without pulling it to-
wards you.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rollinginto the street when parked on a sloping
driveway, it is a good practice to turn the
wheels as illustrated.
cHEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
s1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
cHEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
s2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
cHEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
s3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away from
the center of the road if it moves.
4. Turn the ignition key to the LOCK posi-
tion and remove the key.
WARNING
cNever leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
cNever leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
ASD0007
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
4-13
ZX

The power assisted steering is designed to
use a hydraulic pump, driven by the engine,
to aid steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks,
you still have control of the vehicle. How-
ever, much greater steering effort is
needed, especially in sharp turns or at low
speeds.The brake system has two separate hydrau-
lic 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
engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake
pedal. However, greater foot pressure on
the brake pedal is required to stop the
vehicle, and the stopping distance is longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, your braking distance is 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,
wears out the brake linings and pads fasterand reduces gas mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
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.
WARNING
While driving on a slippery surface, be
careful when braking, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking actions
or sudden acceleration could cause the
wheels to skid and result in an acci-
dent.
POWER STEERING SYSTEM BRAKE SYSTEM
4-14
ZX

The anti-lock brake system controls the
brakes at each wheel so the wheels do 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 control and helps to minimize swerv-
ing and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Normal operation
The anti-lock brake system does not operate
at speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10 km/h) to
completely stop the vehicle. (The speeds vary
according to road conditions.) When the anti-
lock system senses one or more wheels are
close to locking up, the actuator (under the
hood) rapidly applies and releases hydraulic
pressure (like pumping the brakes veryquickly). 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
the anti-lock system is working properly. How-
ever, the pulsation may indicate road condi-
tions 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 self-test occurs,
you may hear a ``clunk'' noise and/or feel a
pulsation 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 ABS brake warning light in the
dashboard. The brake system then operates
normally, but without anti-lock assistance.
If the light comes on during the self-test, or
while driving, take your vehicle to your NIS-
SAN dealer for repair at your earliest conve-
nience.
WARNING
The anti-lock brake system is a sophis-
ticated device, but it cannot prevent
accidents resulting from careless or
dangerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control during
braking on slippery surfaces, but re-
member that the stopping distance on
slippery surfaces will be longer than on
normal surfaces, even with the anti-
lock system. Stopping distances may
also be longer on rough, gravel or
snow covered roads, or if you are using
tire chains. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance 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 of tires may
also affect braking effectiveness.
cWhen replacing tires, install the
specified size of tires on all 4 wheels.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS) (if so equipped)
4-15
ZX