2000 NISSAN FRONTIER 4WD

or with the clutch depressed
(manual transmission vehicles), us-
ing only the brake, as this could
cause loss of control.
IHeavy 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.
IUnsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure all cargo so it
will not be thrown forward and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
ITo avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacity of the roof rack (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the
cargo area as far forward and as low
as possible. Do not equip the vehicle
with tires larger than specified in this
manual. This could cause your ve-
hicle to roll over.
IDo not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-road. The steering wheel could move
suddenly and injure your hands. In-
stead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
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 hot.
ILower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your NISSAN is
more affected by strong side winds.
Slower speeds ensure better vehicle
control.
IDo not drive beyond the perfor-
mance of the tires, even with 4WD
engaged.
IAccelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
IIf at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN four wheeld-
rive vehicle has a higher center of
gravity than a two wheel drive veh-icle. The vehicle is not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as
conventional two wheel drive ve-
hicles. Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of con-
trol and/or a roll over accident.
IAlways use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias-
belted, or radial), and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install tire chains
on the rear wheels when driving on
slippery roads and drive carefully.
IBe sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately after driving in mud or water.
See²Brake system²later in this sec-
tion for²Wet brakes².
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. See
²Periodic maintenance²in the²Main-
tenance²section of this manual.
Starting and driving
5-5
ZX

CAUTION
Do not drive on dry hard surface roads
in four-wheel drive. Driving on dry hard
surfaces in 4H or 4L may cause unnec-
essary noise, tire wear, and increased
fuel consumption. NISSAN recom-
mends driving 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,
resulting in serious personal injury
or property damage.2HÐ (2WD, high range) Only the rear
wheels are driven. Use for driving under the
same conditions as standard 2WD vehicles
or state dynamometer I/M testing.
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
Starting and driving5-21
ZX

Payload Weight Ratings(1)(KA24DE Engine)
2WD 4WD
Regular Cab King Cab King Cab
Manual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
Transmission
XE XE XE XE XE
lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg
Federal 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635
California 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635
Canada N/A N/A N/A N/A 1400 635 1400 635 N/A N/A
(1) The payload weight rating is the maximum total weight of passengers, optional
equipment (air conditioning, trailer hitch, etc) and cargo that your vehicle is designed
to carry. Before driving a loaded vehicle, confirm that you do not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for your
vehicle. See²Vehicle Loading Information²earlier in this section for details.
Technical and consumer information10-19
ZX

Payload Weight Ratings(1)(VG33E Engine)
2WD 4WD
King Cab
Manual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission
XE XE SE SE XE XE SE SE
lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg
Federal 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1168 530
California 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1200 544 1168 530
Canada 1200 544 1200 544 N/A N/A N/A N/A 1200 544 1200 544 N/A N/A N/A N/A
(1) The payload weight rating is the maximum total weight of passengers, optional equipment (air conditioning, trailer hitch, etc) and cargo that your vehicle
is designed to carry. Before driving a loaded vehicle, confirm that you do not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for your vehicle. See²Vehicle Loading Information²earlier in this section for details.
Payload Weight Ratings(1)(VG33E Engine)
2WD 4WD
Crew Cab
Manual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission
XE XE SE SE XE XE SE SE
lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg
Federal 1200 544 1177 534 1133 5141111 5 0 4 111 3 5 0 51080 490 1036 470 1003 455
California 1200 544 1177 534 1133 5141111 5 0 4 111 3 5 0 51080 490 1036 470 1003 455
Canada 1200 544 1177 5341111 5 0 41089 494 1080 490 1047 475 1003 455 970 440
(1) The payload weight rating is the maximum total weight of passengers, optional equipment (air conditioning, trailer hitch, etc) and cargo that your vehicle
is designed to carry. Before driving a loaded vehicle, confirm that you do not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for your vehicle. See²Vehicle Loading Information²earlier in this section for details.
10-20Technical and consumer information
ZX

Unit: lbs (kg)
MODEL
WEIGHT2WD 4WD
M/T (4cyl) A/T (4cyl) M/T (V6) A/T (V6) M/T (4cyl) M/T (V6) A/T (V6)
MAXIMUM
TRAILER
WEIGHT*13,500 (1,588) 2,000 (907) 3,500 (1,588) 5,000 (2,268) 3,500 (1,588) 3,500 (1,588) 5,000 (2,268)
MAXIMUM
TONGUE
LOAD350 (159) 200 (91) 350 (159) 500 (227) 350 (159) 350 (159) 500 (227)
GROSS
COMBINED
WEIGHT
RATING7,000 (3,175) 6,000 (2,721) 8,000 (3,628) 9,500 (4,309) 7,700 (3,492) 8,000 (3,628) 9,500 (4,309)
RECOMMENDED
EQUIPMENT*2Sway Control
DeviceÐSway Control
DeviceSway Control
DeviceSway Control
DeviceSway Control
DeviceSway Control
Device
*1: ll towing above 1,000 lb (454 kg) requires the use of trailer brakes. NISSAN recommends the use of a tandem axle trailer whenever towing above 3,000
lb (1,361 kg).
*2: A sway control device is recommended for all towing above 2,000 lb (907 kg). Sway control devices are not offered by NISSAN. See a professional
trailer/hitch outlet for a properly designed sway control device for your trailer.
M/T = Manual Transmission
A/T = Automatic Transmission
2WD = 2-wheel drive
4WD = 4-wheel drive
TOWING LOAD/
SPECIFICATION CHART
Technical and consumer information10-23
ZX

Due to legal requirements in some states
and Canadian provinces, your vehicle may
be required to be in the ready condition for
an Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of the
emission control system.
The vehicle is set to the ready condition
when it is driven through certain driving
patterns. Usually, the ready condition can
be obtained by ordinary usage of the ve-
hicle.
If a powertrain system component is re-
paired or the battery is disconnected, the
vehicle may be reset to a not ready condi-
tion. Before taking the I/M test, drive the
vehicle through the following pattern to set
the vehicle to the ready condition.
WARNING
Always drive the vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner according to traffic
conditions and obey all traffic laws.
1. Start the engine when the engine coolant
temperature gauge needle points to C.
Allow the engine to idle until the gauge
needle points between the C and H (nor-
mal operating temperature).2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 mph (88
km/h), then quickly release the accelera-
tor pedal completely and keep it released
for at least 6 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for
a moment, then drive the vehicle at a
speed of 53 to 60 mph (85 to 97 km/h) for
at least 5 minutes.
4. Stop the vehicle.
5. Accelerate the vehicle to 35 mph (55
km/h) and maintain the speed for 20
seconds.
6. Repeat steps four through five least three
times.
7. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 mph (88
km/h) and maintain the speed for at least
3 minutes.
8. Stop the vehicle and turn the engine off.
9. Repeat steps one through eight at least
one more time.
If step one through seven interrupted, repeat
the preceding step. Any safe driving mode is
acceptable between steps. Do not stop the
engine until step seven is completed. If you
cannot or do not want to perform the drivingpattern, an authorized NISSAN dealer can
conduct it for you.
Dynamometer testing for Inspection/
Maintenance (I/M) test (US only)
Due to legal requirements in some
states/areas, your vehicle may be tested for
emissions on a dynamometer. The transfer
control lever (if so equipped) MUST be in
the 2H position for I/M testing on a two
wheel dynamometer.
WARNING
IIf the transfer control lever is not in
the 2H position during the dyna-
mometer I/M testing, the vehicle
could come off the dynamometer
and cause serious personal injury
and/or body damage to the vehicle.
ISerious damage will occur to the
4WD system if the transfer control
lever is not in the 2H position
READINESS FOR
INSPECTION/MAINTENANCE
(I/M) TEST (US only)
10-28Technical and consumer information
ZX