2000 NISSAN FRONTIER engine overheat

The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature.
The engine coolant temperature varies with
the outside air temperature and driving con-
ditions.
CAUTION
If the gauge indicates engine coolant
temperature over the normal range,
stop the vehicle as soon as safely pos-
sible. If the engine is overheated, con-
tinued operation of the vehicle may
seriously damage the engine. See the
``In case of emergency'' section for im-
mediate action required.
AIC1127AIC0738
FUEL GAUGE
2-6Instruments and controls
ZX

WARNING
The cigarette lighter should not be
used while driving so that full attention
may be given to the driving operation.
CAUTION
The cigarette lighter socket is a power
source for the cigarette lighter element
only. The use of the cigarette lighter
socket as a power source for any other
accessory is not recommended.
POWER POINT (if so equipped)
The power point can be used for powering
accessories. It is rated at 12 Volts 120 Watts
maximum.
CAUTION
ITake care as the socket and plug
may be hot during or immediately
after use.
IThis power point is not designed for
use with a cigarette lighter unit.IDo not use with accessories that
exceed a 12 volt, 120W (10A) power
draw. Do not use double adapters or
more than one electrical accessory.
IUse this power point with the engine
running. (If the engine is stopped,
this could result in a discharged bat-
tery.)
IAvoid using when the air condi-
tioner, headlights or rear window de-
fogger is on.
IBefore inserting or disconnecting a
plug, be sure to turn off the electrical
accessory being used or the ACC
power of the vehicle.
IPush the plug in as far as it will go. If
good contact is not made, the plug
may overheat or the internal tem-
perature fuse may blow.
IWhen not is use, be sure to close the
cap. Do not allow water to contact
the socket.
AIC1041
2-20Instruments and controls
ZX

the on position. Be sure to return the air
recirculation button to the off position for
normal cooling.
Dehumidfied heating
This mode is used to heat and dehumidfy
the air.
1. Push the
button to the off position.
2. Turn the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Turn the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Turn on the air conditioner button. The
indicator light comes on.
5. Turn the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
Dehumidfied defrosting/defogging
This mode is used to defog the windows
and dehumidify the air.
1. Turn the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
IWhen the
,or positions in
between are selected, the air conditioner
automatically turns on (however, the in-
dicator light will not illuminate) if theoutside temperature is more than 45äF
(7äC). This dehumidifies the air which
helps defog the windshield. The
mode automatically turns off, al-
lowing outside air to be drawn into the
passenger compartment to further im-
prove the defogging performance.
2. Turn the fan control dial to the desired
position.
3. Turn the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
Operating tips
IKeep windows and sunroof closed while
the air conditioner is in operation.
IAfter parking in the sun, drive for two or
three minutes with the windows open to
vent hot air from the passenger compart-
ment. Then, close the windows. This
allows the air conditioner to cool the
interior more quickly.
IThe air conditioning system should be
operated for approximately ten min-
utes at least once a month. This helps
prevent damage to the system due to
lack of lubrication.
IIf the engine coolant temperaturegauge indicates engine coolant tem-
perature over the normal range, turn
the air conditioner off. See²If your
vehicle overheats²in the²In case of
emergency²section of this manual.
AIR FLOW CHARTS
The following charts show the button and
dial positions forMAXIMUM AND QUICK
heating, cooling or defrosting.The air recir-
culation switch should always be in the
OFF position for heating and defrosting.
When the
,or positions in be-
tween are selected, the air conditioner au-
tomatically turns on (however, the indicator
light will not illuminate) if the outside tem-
perature is more than 45äF(7äC). This de-
humidifies the air which helps defog the
windshield. The
mode automatically
turns off, allowing outside air to be drawn
into the passenger compartment to further
improve the defogging performance..
4-6Heater, air conditioner and audio systems
ZX

CAUTION
IDo not use leaded gasoline. Depos-
its from leaded gasoline seriously
reduce the three-way catalyst's abil-
ity to help reduce exhaust pollut-
ants.
IKeep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause over-
rich fuel flow into the three way cata-
lyst, causing it to overheat.
IDo not keep driving if the engine
misfires, or if noticeable loss of per-
formance or other unusual operating
conditions are detected. Have the
vehicle inspected promptly by an
authorized NISSAN dealer.
IAvoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
IDo not race the engine while warm-
ing it up.
IDo not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.ON-PAVEMENT AND OFFROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than
passenger cars to make them capable of
performing in a variety of on-pavement and
offroad applications. This gives them a
higher center of gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road, allowing you to
anticipate problems. However, they are not
designed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional two-wheel drive vehicles
any more than low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily under off
road conditions. If at all possible, avoid
sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers particu-
larly at high speeds. As with other vehicles
of this type, failure to operate this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of control or
vehicle rollover.
Be sure to read the driving safety precau-
tions later in this section.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner may result in loss
of control or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden
steering maneuvers, because these driving
practices could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle.As with any vehicle, a loss
of control could result in a collision with
other vehicles or objects, or cause the
vehicle to rollover, particularly if the loss
of control causes the vehicle to slide
sideways.Be attentive at all times, and
avoid driving when tired. Never drive when
under the influence of alcohol or drugs
(including prescription or over-the-counter
drugs which may cause drowsiness). Al-
ways wear your seat belt as outlined in the
²Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag
systems²section of this manual, and also
instruct your passengers to do so.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
Starting and driving
5-3
ZX

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
or accelerating could cause the
wheels to skid and result in an acci-
dent.
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 (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)
Starting and driving5-29
ZX

If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge read-
ing), or if you feel a lack of engine power, or
detect abnormal noise, etc., take the follow-
ing steps:
WARNING
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 radiator 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 N (Neutral), or the au-
tomatic transmission into P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2.
Turn off the air conditioner (if so
equipped). Open all of the windows,
move the heater or air conditioner tem-perature control to maximum hot and fan
control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climb-
ing a long hill on a hot day, run the engine
at a fast idle (approximately 1,500 r/min)
until the temperature gauge indicator re-
turns to normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. Wait until
no steam or coolant can be seen before
proceeding.
5. Open the hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or
looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leak-
ing, or the water pump belt is missing or
loose, or the cooling fan does not run,
stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or to get caught in, engine belts or
the engine cooling fan. The engine
cooling fan can start at any time when
the coolant temperature is high.
7. After the engine cools down, check the
coolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reser-
voir tank if necessary. Have your vehicle
repaired at an authorized NISSAN
dealer.
IF YOUR VEHICLE
OVERHEATS
6-10In case of emergency
ZX

The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a high-quality, year-round,
genuine NISSAN anti-freeze coolant solu-
tion. The anti-freeze solution contains rust
and corrosion inhibitors, therefore additional
engine cooling system additives are not
necessary.
CAUTION
When adding or replacing coolant, be
sure to use only an ethylene glycol
anti-freeze with the proper mixture ratio
of 50% Genuine Nissan Anti-freeze
coolant or equivalent and 50% dem-
ineralized or distilled water. The use of
other types of coolant solutions may
damage the engine cooling system.
Outside tempera-
ture down toGenuine
Nissan
Anti-
freeze
coolant or
equivalentDeminer-
alized
water or
Distilled
water ÉC ÉF
þ35 þ30 50% 50%
WARNING
INever remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Wait until the en-
gine and radiator cool down. Serious
burns could be caused by high pres-
sure fluid escaping from the radiator.
See precautions in ``If your vehicle
overheats'' found in the ``In case of
emergency'' section of this manual.
IThe radiator is equipped with a pres-
sure type radiator cap. To prevent
engine damage, use only a genuine
NISSAN radiator cap.
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant level in the reservoir tank
when the engine is cold. If the coolant level
is below the MIN level, add coolant to the
MAX level. If the reservoir tank is empty,
check the coolant level in the radiatorwhen
the engine is cold.If there is insufficient
coolant in the radiator, fill the radiator with
coolant up to the filler opening and also add
it to the reservoir tank up to the MAX level.
ADI1026
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Do-it-yourself8-5
ZX

8. Start the engine and warm it up until it
reaches normal operating temperature.
Then race the engine two or three times
under no load. Watch the engine coolant
temperature gauge for signs of overheat-
ing.9. Stop the engine. After it completely cools
down, refill the radiator up to the filler
opening. Fill the reservoir tank up the
MAX level.10. Open and close the air release plug to
release air. Then fill the radiator again
and install the radiator cap.
ADI1055ADI1056ADI1057
8-8Do-it-yourself
ZX