2000 NISSAN XTERRA tow

OBe sure to place the transfer control
lever into the 2H position, and the
transmission selector lever into the
N (Neutral) position.VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a
stuck vehicle)
OTow chains or cables must be attached
only to the main structural members of
the vehicle.
OPulling devices should be routed so they
do not touch any part of the suspension,
steering, brake or cooling systems.
OAlways pull the cable straight out from
the front or rear of the vehicle. Never pull
the vehicle at an angle.
OPulling devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use in
vehicle towing or recovery.
OStand clear of a stuck vehicle.
WARNING
Do not spin your tires at high speed.
This could cause them to explode and
result in serious injury. Parts of your
vehicle could also overheat and be
damaged.
6-14In case of emergency
ZX

with the wheels off the vehicle. Spin balanc-
ing the front wheels on the vehicle could
lead to transmission damage.
Care of wheels
OWash the wheels when washing the ve-
hicle to maintain their appearance.
OClean the inner side of the wheels when
the wheel is changed or the underside of
the vehicle is washed.
ODo not use abrasive cleaners when
washing the wheels.
OInspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. This may cause loss of pres-
sure or damage the tire bead.
ONISSAN recommends waxing the road
wheels to protect against road salt in
areas where it is used during winter.
Spare tire
Your vehicle may be equipped with a TEM-
PORARY USE ONLY spare tire.
To avoid property damage or personal injury
when using the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire, observe the following cautions:
WARNING
OThe spare tire should be used for
emergency use only. It should be
replaced with the standard tire at the
first opportunity to avoid possible
tire or differential damage.
ODrive carefully while the TEMPO-
RARY USE ONLY spare tire is in-
stalled. Avoid sharp turns and
abrupt braking while driving.
OPeriodically check spare tire infla-
tion pressure. Always keep the pres-
sure of the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire at 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 bar).
Always keep the pressure of the full
size spare tire (if so equipped) at the
recommended pressure for standard
tires, as indicated on the tire placard.
For tire placard location, see ªTire
placardº in the index of this manual.
OWith the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire installed do not drive the
vehicle at speeds faster than 50 MPH
(80 km/h).OWhen driving on roads covered with
snow or ice, the TEMPORARY USE
ONLY spare tire should be used on
the front axle and the original tire
used on the rear axle (drive wheels).
Use tire chains only on the two rear
original tires.
OTire tread of the TEMPORARY USE
ONLY spare tire will wear at a faster
rate than the standard tire. Replace
the spare tire as soon as the tread
wear indicators appear.
ODo not use the spare tire on other
vehicles.
ODo not use more than one spare tire
at the same time.
ODo not tow a trailer when the TEM-
PORARY USE ONLY spare tire is
installed.
CAUTION
O
With the spare tire installed the
transfer control lever must be in the
2H position to prevent the transfer
case and differential gears from be-
ing damaged.
8-38Do-it-yourself
ZX

To ensure smooth, trouble-free, safe and
economical driving, NISSAN provides two
periodic maintenance schedules that may
be used, depending upon the conditions in
which you usually drive. These schedules
contain both distance and time intervals, up
to 60,000 miles (96,000 km)/48 months. For
most people, the odometer reading will in-
dicate when service is needed. However, if
you drive very little, your vehicle should be
serviced at the regular time intervals shown
in the schedule.
After 60,000 miles (96,000 km)/48
months, continue periodic maintenance
at the same mileage/time intervals.
SCHEDULE ONE
Follow Periodic Maintenance Schedule one
if your driving habits frequently include one
or more of the following driving conditions:
ORepeated short trips of less than 5
miles (8 km).
ORepeated short trips of less than 10
miles (16 km) with outside tempera-
tures below freezing.
OOperating the vehicle in hot weatherduring stop-and-go ``rush hour'' traf-
fic.
OExtensive idling and/or low speed
driving for long distances, such as
police, taxi or door-to-door delivery
use.
ODriving in dusty conditions.
ODriving on rough, muddy, or salt
spread roads.
OTowing a trailer, using a camper or a
car-top carrier.
SCHEDULE TWO
Follow Periodic Maintenance Schedule two
if none of the driving conditions shown in
Schedule one apply to your driving habits.
Maintenance for off-road driving
(
only)
Whenever you drive off-road through sand,
mud or water as deep as the wheel hub,
more frequent maintenance may be re-
quired of the following items:
¶Brake pads and rotors
¶Brake linings and drums
¶Brake lines and hoses
¶Wheel bearing grease and free-running
hub grease
¶Differential, transmission and transfer oil
¶Steering linkage
¶Propeller shafts and front drive shafts
¶Air cleaner filter
These items should be checked frequently
to assure safe and proper operation of your
vehicle.
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULES
Maintenance9-5
ZX

Schedule One
Abbreviations: R = Replace I = Inspect. Correct or replace if necessary. [ ]: At the mileage intervals only
MAINTENANCE OPERATIONMAINTENANCE INTERVAL
Perform at number of miles, kilometers
or months, whichever comes first.Miles ý 1,000 3.75 7.5 11.25 15 18.75 22.5 26.25 30 33.75 37.5 41.25 45 48.75 52.5 56.25 60
(km ý 1,000) (6) (12) (18) (24) (30) (36) (42) (48) (54) (60) (66) (72) (78) (84) (90) (96)
Months 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48
Chassis and body maintenance
Brake lines & cablesIIII
Brake pads, rotors, drums & liningsIIIIIIII
Automatic transmission, transfer & differen-
tial gear oil (exc. LSD)See NOTE (1)IIII
Limited-slip differential (LSD) gear oil See NOTE (1) I R I I
Manual transmission oil See NOTE (1) I I I [R]
Steering gear (box) & linkage, axle & suspension partsIIIIIIII
Tire rotation See NOTE (4)
Drive shaft boots & propeller shaft (
) IIIIIIII
Front wheel bearing grease (4x2)II
Front wheel bearing grease & free-running
hub grease (
)See NOTE (2)IRIR
Exhaust systemIIIIIIII
Supplemental air bag system See NOTE (3)
NOTE: (1) If towing a trailer, using a camper or a car-top carrier, or driving on rough or muddy roads, change (not just inspect) oil at every 30,000
miles (48,000 km) or 24 months except for LSD. Change LSD gear oil every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 12 months.
(2) If operating frequently in water, replace grease every 3,750 miles (6,000 km) or 3 months.
(3) Inspect the supplemental air bag system 10 years after the date of manufacture noted on the FMVSS certification label.
(4) Refer to ``Tire rotation'' under the ``General maintenance'' heading earlier in this section.
Maintenance9-7
ZX

10 Technical and consumer information
Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants ......10-2
Fuel recommendation...........................................10-4
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation..............10-6
Recommended SAE viscosity number.................10-7
Air conditioner system refrigerant and
lubricant recommendations ..................................10-8
Engine ..................................................................10-9
Wheel/tire size ....................................................10-10
Dimensions and weights .................................... 10-11
Registering your vehicle in another country ......10-12
Vehicle identification ...........................................10-12
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate ...........10-12
Vehicle identification number
(chassis number) ................................................10-12
Engine serial number .........................................10-13Fmvss certification label .....................................10-13
Emission control information label .....................10-14
Tire placard ........................................................10-14
Air conditioner specification label.......................10-14
Installing license plate ........................................10-15
Vehicle loading information ................................10-15
Securing the load ...............................................10-16
Trailer towing ......................................................10-19
Towing load/specification chart ..........................10-21
Uniform tire quality grading ................................10-25
Emission control system warranty .....................10-26
Reporting safety defects (US only) ....................10-27
Readiness for inspection/maintenance (I/M)
test (US only) .....................................................10-27
ZX

FUEL RECOMMENDATION
Your vehicle is designed to operate on
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index)
(Research octane number 91).
CAUTION
OUsing a fuel other than that specified
could adversely affect the emission
control system, and may also affect
the warranty coverage.
OUnder no circumstances should a
leaded gasoline be used, since this
will damage the three-way catalyst.
Reformulated Gasoline
Some fuel suppliers are now producing re-
formulated gasolines. These gasolines are
specially designed to reduce vehicle emis-
sions. NISSAN supports efforts towards
cleaner air and suggests that you use refor-
mulated gasoline when available.
Gasoline containing oxygenates
Some fuel suppliers sell gasoline containing
oxygenates such as ethanol, MTBE and
methanol with or without advertising theirpresence. Nissan does not recommend the
use of fuels of which the oxygenate content
and the fuel compatibility for your NISSAN
cannot be readily determined. If in doubt,
ask your service station manager.
If you use oxygenate-blend gasoline, please
take the following precautions as the usage
of such fuels may cause vehicle perfor-
mance problems and/or fuel system dam-
age.
OThe fuel should be unleaded and have
an octane rating no lower than that
recommended for unleaded gasoline.
OIf an oxygenate-blend, excepting a
methanol blend, is used, it should
contain no more than 10% oxygenate.
(MTBE may, however, be added up to
15%.)
O
If a methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 5% methanol
(methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). It
should also contain a suitable amount
of appropriate cosolvents and corro-
sion inhibitors. If not properly formu-
lated with appropriate cosolvents and
corrosion inhibitors, such methanol
blends may cause fuel system damageand/or vehicle performance problems.
At this time, sufficient data is not avail-
able to ensure that all methanol blends
are suitable for use in NISSAN ve-
hicles.
If any driveability problems such as engine
stalling and hard hot starting are experi-
enced after using oxygenate-blend fuels,
immediately change to a non-oxygenate
fuel or a fuel with a low blend of MTBE.
Take care not to spill gasoline during
refueling. Gasoline containing oxygen-
ates can cause paint damage.
After Market Fuel Additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
any fuel additives (i.e., fuel injector cleaner,
octane booster, intake valve deposit remov-
ers, etc.) which are sold commercially. Many
of these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active sol-
vents or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
In most parts of North America, you should
use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index). How-
10-4Technical and consumer information
ZX

could cause serious engine damage.
Selecting the correct oil filter
Your new NISSAN vehicle is equipped with
a high-quality genuine NISSAN oil filter.
When replacing, use a genuine NISSAN oil
filter or its equivalent for the reason de-
scribed in ``Change intervals''.
Change intervals
The oil and oil filter change intervals for your
engine are based on the use of the specified
quality oils and filters. Oil and filter other
than the specified quality, or oil and filter
change intervals longer than recommended
could reduce engine life. Damage to the
engine caused by improper maintenance or
use of incorrect oil and filter quality and/or
viscosity is not covered by the new NISSAN
vehicle warranties.
Your engine was filled with a high quality
engine oil when it was built. You do not have
to change the oil before the first recom-
mended change interval. Oil and filter
change intervals depend upon how you use
your vehicle. Operation under the following
conditions may require more frequent oil
and filter changes:Ð repeated short distance driving at cold
outside temperatures,
Ð driving in dusty conditions,
Ð extensive idling,
Ð towing a trailer.
RECOMMENDED SAE
VISCOSITY NUMBER
OSAE 5W-30 viscosity oil is preferred
for all temperatures. SAE 10W-30, SAE
10W-40 viscosity oils may be used if
the ambient temperature is above 0ÉF
(-18ÉC).
ATI1028
Technical and consumer information10-7
ZX

OGVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) þ
maximum total weight (load) limit speci-
fied for the vehicle.
OGAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) þ
maximum weight (load) limit specified for
the front or rear axle.
Determining Vehicle Load Capacity
The load capacity of this vehicle is deter-
mined by weight, not by available cargo
space. For example, a roof rack, bike car-
rier, or similar equipment does not increase
load carrying capacity of your vehicle.
To determine vehicle load capacity:
Vehicle weight can be determined by using
a commercial-grade scale, found at places
such as a truck stop, gravel quarry, grain
elevator, or a scrap metal recycling facility.
1) Determine the curb weight of your ve-
hicle.
2) Compare the curb weight amount to the
GVWR specified for your vehicle to de-
termine how much more weight your
vehicle can carry.
3) After loading (cargo and passengers),
reweigh your vehicle to determine if ei-ther GVWR or GAWR for your vehicle is
exceeded. If GVWR is exceeded, re-
move cargo as necessary. If either the
front or rear GAWR is exceeded, shift the
load or remove cargo as necessary.
Loading Tips
OThe GVW must not exceed GVWR or
GAWR as specified on the FMVSS Cer-
tification Label located on the driver's
door jamb pillar.
ODo not load the front and rear axle to the
GAWR. Doing so will exceed the GVWR.
OLoads should be spread out, and cargo
should be properly secured. Large or
heavy objects should be placed toward
the front of the trunk box to help prevent
sliding or shifting.
SECURING THE LOAD
There are tie down hooks located in the
cargo area. The tie down hooks can be used
to secure cargo with ropes or other types of
straps.
Do not apply a total load of more than 33
lbs. (15 kg) to a single hook when secur-
ing cargo.
AIC1106
10-16Technical and consumer information
ZX