1999 NISSAN FRONTIER brake

CAUTION
IDo not drive on dry hard surface
roads in four-wheel drive.IDriving on dry hard surfaces in 4H or
4L may cause unnecessary noise
and tire wear. We recommend driv-
ing in the 2H position under these
conditions.
WARNING
IWhen parking the vehicle, apply the
parking brake and always make sure
to shift the transfer control lever into
the 2H, 4H or 4L position.
IDo not leave the transfer control le-
ver in the N (Neutral) position. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could roll unex-
pectedly even if the manual
transmission is in gear or the auto-
matic transmission is in the P (Park)
position.
IFailure to engage the transfer con-
trol lever in 2H, 4H, or 4L could result
in the vehicle moving unexpectedly,
which in turn could result in serious
personal injury or property damage.
2HÐ (2WD, high range) Only the rear
wheels are driven. Use when driving underthe same conditions as standard 2WD ve-
hicle.
4HÐ (4WD, high range) Four wheels are
driven. Use when driving on roads where it
is difficult to drive in the 2H position (i.e.,
driving at normal speeds on snow covered,
icy, wet, muddy or sandy roads).
4LÐ (4WD, low range) Four wheels are
driven. Use when climbing or descending
steep hills, or during hard driving in sand,
mud or deep snow. The 4L position provides
maximum power and traction. Avoid raising
vehicle speed excessively, as the maximum
speed is approximately 30 MPH (48 km/h).
NÐ No wheels are driven. Always keep the
transfer lever out of the N (Neutral) position.
Shift the lever quickly and smoothly when
moving across the N (Neutral) position with
the vehicle stopped.
Your NISSAN is equipped with one of two
4WD systems, auto-lock free-running hubs
or manual-lock free-running hubs.ASD1022
TRANSFER CASE
SHIFTING PROCEDURES FOR
4-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES
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Your NISSAN is designed for both normal
and off-road use. It has a higher ground
clearance and a narrower track to make it
suitable for off-road use. These characteris-
tics give the vehicle a higher center of
gravity than ordinary passenger cars. An
advantage of the higher ground clearance is
a better view of your surroundings, allowing
you to anticipate problems. However, avoid
driving in deep water or mud as your
NISSAN is mainly designed for leisure use,
unlike a conventional off-road vehicle.
Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
IDrive carefully when off the road and
avoid dangerous areas. Always wear
your seat belts to help keep you and
your passengers in position when
driving over rough terrain.
IDo not drive across steep slopes.
Instead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road
vehicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.IMany hills are too steep for any ve-
hicle. If you drive up them, you may
stall. If you drive down them, you
may not be able to control your
speed. If you drive across them, you
may roll over.
IStay alert when driving to the top of
a hill. At the top there could be a
drop-off or other hazard that could
cause an accident.
IIf your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around. Your
vehicle could tip or roll over. Always
back straight down in reverse gear.
Never back down in N (neutral) or
with the clutch depressed, using
only the brake, as this could cause
loss of control.
I
Heavy braking going down a hill could
cause your brakes to overheat and
fade, resulting in loss of control and
an accident. Apply brakes lightly and
use a low gear to control your speed.
IIf at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN four-wheel drive
vehicle has a higher center of gravitythan a two-wheel drive vehicle and can
tip over more easily. The vehicle is not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional two-wheel
drive vehicles any more than low-
slung sports cars are designed to per-
form satisfactorily under off-road con-
ditions. Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of con-
trol and/or a rollover accident.
IUnsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure it so that it will
not be thrown forward and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
IAvoid raising the center of gravity by
loading things on the roof or equip-
ping the vehicle with tires larger than
specified in this manual. This could
cause your vehicle to roll over. Put
heavy loads in the cargo area as far
forward and as low as possible.
IDo not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could jerk
and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim.
DRIVING YOUR
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE SAFELY
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IBefore operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
IAlways drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may become very
hot. Particular care should be taken
if you are barefoot.
ILower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With its
higher center of gravity, your
NISSAN is more affected by gusty
side winds. Slower speeds ensure
better vehicle control.
IDo not drive beyond the perfor-
mance of the tires even with 4WD.
IAccelerating quickly, steering or
braking may cause loss of control.
IInstall the same size of winter tires
on all four (four) wheels (such as
studless tires) or install tire chains
to the rear wheels when driving on
slippery roads (e.g., after a snow)
and drive carefully using 4WD.
IBe sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately after driving in mud or water asspecified in ``Wet brakes'' under the
heading ``Brake system,'' later in this
section.
IAvoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle and
it rolls forward, backward or side-
ways, you could be injured.
IWhenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as deep
as the wheel hub, more frequent
maintenance may be required. For
details, refer to ``Maintenance for off-
road driving'' in the ``Maintenance''
section of this manual.
Checking water entry
If you have driven in deep water or mud,
check water entry in the clutch housing by
removing the blind plug at the bottom of the
transmission case. After checking, be sure
to reinstall the plug.
ADI0726
Starting and driving5-25
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WARNING
IDo not park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
I
The transfer control lever
must be in the 2H, 4H or 4L position
and the parking brake set to prevent
the vehicle from rolling.
INever place the transfer control le-
ver in the N (Neutral) position. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could roll unex-pectedly even if the manual trans-
mission is in gear or the automatic
transmission is in the P (Park) posi-
tion. This could result in serious per-
sonal injury or property damage.
ISafe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and
the transmission placed into P (Park)
position (automatic) or in the appro-
priate gear (manual). Failure to do so
could cause the vehicle to move un-
expectedly or roll away and result in
an accident. Make sure the gearlever has been pushed as far forward
as it can go and cannot be moved
without depressing the button at the
end of the lever.
INever leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
I
Do not leave children unattended in-
side the vehicle. They could unknow-
ingly activate switches or controls.
Unattended children could become
involved in serious accidents.
IIf the ATP lamp is ON, this indicates
that the automatic transmission P
(park) position will not function and
the transfer shift lever is in the N
position. Failure to engage the trans-
fer shift lever in H or 4LO could
result in the vehicle moving unex-
pectedly, resulting in serious per-
sonal injury or property damage.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2.Manual transmission models:
Place the gearshift lever in the R (Re-
verse) position. When parking on an up-MSD0002
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
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hill grade, place the gearshift lever in the
1st position.
Automatic transmission models:
Move the gearshift lever to the P (Park)
position.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling
into the street when parked on an incline,
it is a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
IHEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:À
1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
IHEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:Á
2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
IHEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:Â
3
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.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. How-
ever, much greater steering effort is needed,
especially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
WARNING
If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be much harder to operate.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 brakes
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 will be required to stop the
vehicle and 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 the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal
to heat the brakes. Do this until the brakes
return to normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at
high speeds until the brakes function cor-
rectly.
POWER STEERING SYSTEM BRAKE SYSTEM
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Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will overheat the brakes,
wear out the brake linings and pads faster,
and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear, and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce speed
and downshift to a lower gear before going
down a slope or long grade.
WARNING
IWhile driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
actions or sudden acceleration
could cause the wheels to skid and
result in an accident.
IIf the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
Normal Operation
The anti-lock brake system does not oper-
ate at speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10
km/h). (The speeds vary according to road
conditions.)
When driving, the anti-lock brake system
controls the wheels so they will not lock
when braking abruptly or when braking on a
slippery road. Thus, difficult steering and
swerving of the vehicle due to locked
wheels is minimized. The system detects
the wheel rotation rate and electronically
controls the pressure applied to each brake.
Slight vibration on the brake pedal accom-
panied by noise usually occurs while the
ABS system is operating. Such vibration
and noise encountered during abrupt brak-
ing is not a problem, but indicates that the
system is functioning.
Self-test feature
The anti-lock brake system consists of elec-
tronic sensors and hydraulic solenoids con-
trolled by a computer. The computer has a
built-in diagnostic feature that tests the sys-
tem each time you start the engine and
move the vehicle at a low speed in forward
or reverse. When the self-test occurs, youmay 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 an abnormality occurs in the system, the
anti-lock function will cease but the ordinary
brakes will continue to operate normally. The
ABS brake warning light will then come on.
If the light comes on while you are driving,
contact an authorized NISSAN dealer for
repair.
Using the System, 4WD Vehicles
(4 wheel ABS)
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS)
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Using the system, 2WD Vehicles
(2 wheel rear ABS)
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
With the rear anti-lock brake system, the
front wheels can still lock. If this happens,
release the brake pedal slightly and then
reapply pressure.
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 under
some conditions, but remember that
the stopping distance on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal
surfaces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances 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 four
wheels.
IWhen installing a spare tire, make
sure it is the proper size and type as
specified on the tire placard. See
``Tire placard'' in the ``Technical and
consumer information'' section.
Freeing a frozen door lock
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
de-icer or glycerin through the key hole. If
the lock becomes frozen, heat the key be-
fore inserting it in 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 ``Engine cooling system'' in the ``Do-it-
yourself'' section of this manual.
Battery
If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the bat-
tery fluid may freeze and damage the bat-
tery. To maintain maximum efficiency, the
battery should be checked regularly. For
details, see ``Battery'' in the ``Do-it-yourself''
section of this manual.
Draining of coolant water
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
anti-freeze, drain the cooling system by
opening the drain valves located under the
radiator and on the engine block. Refill
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
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IWatch for slippery spots (glare ice).
These may appear on an otherwise
clear road in shaded areas. If a patch
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 the 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 (if so equipped)
An engine block heater to assist extreme
cold temperature starting is available
through an authorized NISSAN dealer.
WARNING
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.
5-32Starting and driving
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