2001 NISSAN PATHFINDER traction control

2HÐ (2WD, high range) Only the rear wheels
are driven. Use for driving under the same
conditions as standard 2WD vehicle, 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).
The 4H position provides maximum power
and traction. Avoid excessive speed, as it
will cause loss of traction. Speed over 50
MPH (80 km/h) in 4H is not recommend.
4LÐ (4WD, low range) Four wheels aredriven. Use when climbing or descending
steep hills, or during hard driving in sand, mud
or deep snow. The 4L position provides maxi-
mum power and traction. Avoid raising vehicle
speed excessively, as the maximum speed is
approximately 30 MPH (50 km/h).
NÐ No wheels are driven. Always keep the
transfer lever out of the N position. Shift the
lever quickly and smoothly when moving
across the N position with the vehicle stopped.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle in 4H or 4L on
dry hard surface roads. Driving on dry,
hard surfaces in 4H or 4L may cause
unnecessary noise, tire wear and in-
creased fuel consumption.
WARNING
IWhen parking the vehicle, apply the
parking brake and shift the transfer
control lever in the 2H, 4H or 4L
position.IDo not leave the transfer control lever
in the N position. Otherwise, the ve-
hicle could roll unexpectedly even if
the manual transmission is in any
gear or the automatic transmission in
the P position. If the ATP light is on,
this indicates that the automatic
transmission P position will not func-
tion and the transfer lever is in neu-
tral.
IFailure to engage the transfer control
lever in 2H, 4H or 4L could result in
the vehicle moving unexpectedly, re-
sulting in serious personal injury or
property damage.
SSD0128
USING PART TIME FOUR WHEEL
DRIVE (4WD)5-20
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*1:IThe transfer 4LO position indicator light
may blink. Stop the vehicle. Be sure to
shift the 4WD shift switch after the auto-
matic transmission lever has been
shifted to the N position. If the indicator
light keeps blinking after the 4WD shift
procedure in the previous page, drive
slowly without abrupt maneuvers for a
while. Then the light will turn on or off.
IAvoid making a turn or abrupt starts
while shifting to 4LO. Otherwise gears
may grind, damaging the drive system.
*2: Make sure the transfer 4LO position indica-
tor light turns on when you shift the 4WD
shift switch to 4LO.
The transfer case 4WD shift switch is used to
select either 2WD or 4WD depending on the
driving conditions. There are four types of
drive modes available, AUTO, 2WD, 4H and
4LO.
The 4WD shift switch electronically controls
the transfer case operation. Rotate the switch
to move between each mode, 2WD, AUTO, 4H
and 4LO.
You must push the switch in to select 4LO,
and the vehicle MUST be stationary and the
automatic transmission selector lever is in
the N position when changing into or out of
4LO.
WARNING
When parking, apply the parking brake
before stopping the engine and make
sure that the 4WD shift indicator light is
on and the ATP warning light goes off.
Otherwise, the vehicle could unexpect-
edly move even if the automatic trans-
mission is in the P position.
CAUTION
INever shift the 4WD shift switch be-
tween 4LO and 4H while driving.
IThe 4H position provides greater
power and traction. Avoid excessive
speed, as it will cause loss of trac-
tion. Speed over 50 MPH (80 km/h) in
4H is not recommend.
IThe 4LO position provides maximum
power and traction. Avoid raising ve-
hicle speed excessively, as the maxi-
mum speed is approximately 30 MPH
(50 km/h).IWhen driving straight, shift the 4WD
shift switch to the 2WD, AUTO or 4H
position. Do not move the 4WD shift
switch when making a turn or revers-
ing.
IDo not shift the 4WD shift switch
(between 2WD, AUTO and 4H) while
driving on steep downhill grades. Use
the engine brake.
IDo not operate the 4WD shift switch
(between 2WD, AUTO and 4H) with
the rear wheels spinning.
IDo not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4H or 4LO position. Driv-
ing on dry hard surfaces in 4H or 4LO
may cause unnecessary noise and
tire wear. We recommend driving in
the 2WD or AUTO position under
these conditions.
IVehicles equipped with a limited slip
differential (LSD) have improved driv-
ing performance on rough roads.
They have increased traction perfor-
mance, so when making a turn
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CAUTION
ONLY use spare tires specified for each
four wheel drive model.SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENTIt is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
IA scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove
ice and snow from the windows and wiper
blades.
IA sturdy, flat board to be placed under the
jack to give it firm support.
IA shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow-
drifts.
IExtra window washer fluid to refill the res-
ervoir tank.DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
IWet ice (32ÉF, 0ÉC and freezing rain),
very cold snow or ice can be slick andvery hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have a lot less traction or grip under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
IWhatever the condition, drive with
caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating or down-
shifting too fast, the drive wheels will
lose even more traction.
IAllow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
IAllow greater following distances on
slippery roads.
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 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 your
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.
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However, for long steep grades, do not stay in
1st or 2nd gear when driving above 35 MPH
(56 km/h).
IIf the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the HOT position.
ITrailer towing requires more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances.
IAvoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km).
IHave your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule.
When towing a trailer, change oil in the
transmission more frequently. See the
Maintenance Schedule.UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADINGDOT (Department of Transportation) Quality
Grades: All passenger car tire must conform to
Federal Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades.Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TreadwearTreadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on tire wear rate when tested under
controlled conditions on specified government
test courses. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1-1/2) times as well
on the government course as a tire graded
100. However, relative tire performance de-
pends on actual driving conditions, and may
vary significantly due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction AA, A, B and CThe traction grades from highest to lowest are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to your ve-
hicle tires is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not in-
clude acceleration, cornering, hydro-
planing, or peak traction characteristics.Temperature A, B and CTemperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C. They represent a tire's resistance to
heat build-up, and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus-
tained high temperature can cause tire mate-
rial to degenerate, reducing tire life. Excessive
temperatures can lead to sudden tire failure.
Grade C corresponds to a performance level
which all passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109. Grades A and B represent higher levels of
performance on laboratory test wheels than
the minimum required by law.
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Technical and consumer information
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