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cDo not modify the vehicle exhaust
system, brake system, etc. to install
a trailer hitch.
cTo reduce the possibility of addi-
tional damage if your vehicle is
struck from the rear, where practical,
remove the hitch and/or receiver
when not in use.
cAfter the hitch is removed, seal the
bolt holes to prevent exhaust fumes,
water or dust from entering the pas-
senger compartment.
cRegularly check that all hitch mount-
ing bolts are securely mounted.
Tire pressures
cWhen towing a trailer, inflate the vehicle
tires to the recommended cold tire pres-
sure indicated on the tire placard (located
on the inside of the glove box lid).
cTrailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer and tire
manufacturer's specifications.
Safety chains
Always use suitable safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Safety chains
should be crossed and should be attached
to the hitch, not to the vehicle bumper or
axle. Be sure to leave enough slack in the
chains to permit turning corners.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights should comply with Federal
and/or local regulations. When wiring the
vehicle for towing, connect the stop and tail
light pickup into the vehicle electrical circuit.
Class I Trailer Tow electrical wiring provides
two circuits (right and left hand) to operate
trailer stop/turn tail lamps. Each individual
stop/turn circuit will operate only one com-
bination stop/turn light bulb (#1157, 3157,
2357, or 3357) on the trailer. Never add
more than one trailer light bulb to one
circuit.
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Trailer tow harness and module
(if so equipped)
The trailer tow module on your vehicle al-
lows turn/stop lamp control of a trailer being
towed by your NISSAN.The trailer tow module includes:
ctrailer tow module which draws power
from the vehicle stop lamp fuse
cone subharness containing a SAE J1239
specified connectorTo use the tow harness:
1) Remove the connector cap from the
vehicle harness, located behind the rear
bumper. Store the connector cap in ve-
hicle glove box for reinstallation.
2) Connect the tow harness to the vehicle
harness located behind the rear bumper.
3) Connect the tow harness connector
(SAE J1239) to your trailer.
4) Confirm proper vehicle and trailer
stop/turn lamp operation.
5) When towing is completed, disconnect
the tow harness from the trailer and the
vehicle. Store the tow harness in the
glove box. Reinstall the connector cap to
the vehicle harness.
If you need further assistance in wiring
a trailer to your NISSAN, contact an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
Always confirm proper vehicle and
trailer stop/turn lamp operation every
time the trailer light circuits are con-
nected for use.
ATI0555
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Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to Federal
and/or local regulations and it is properly
installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
cBe certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle
if it has an abnormal nose-up or nose-
down condition; check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes of either condi-
tion.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shift while driving.
cBe certain your rear view mirrors conform
to all federal, state or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding
of the vehicle's behavior, you should prac-
tice turning, stopping and backing up in an
area which is free from traffic. Steering,
stability, and braking performance are
somewhat different than under normal driv-
ing conditions.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shift while driving.
c
Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
cAvoid sharp turns or lane changes.
cAlways drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
cAlways block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if
you must do so, first block the wheels
and apply the parking brake, and then
move the transmission shift selector le-
ver into the P (Park) position. If you move
the shift selector lever to the P (Park)
position before blocking the wheels and
applying the parking brake, transmission
damage could occur.
cWhen going down a hill, shift into a lowergear and use the engine braking effect.
When ascending a long grade, downshift
the transmission to a lower gear and
reduce speed to reduce chances of en-
gine overloading and/or overheating.
cIf the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature when the air
conditioning system is on, turn the air
conditioner off. Coolant heat can be ad-
ditionally vented by opening the win-
dows, switching the fan control dial to
high and setting the temperature control
dial to the WARM position.
cTrailer towing requires more fuel than
normal circumstances.
cAvoid towing a trailer for the first 500
miles (800 km) of the vehicle's life.
cHave your vehicle serviced more often
than at intervals specified in the recom-
mended Maintenance Schedule.
cWhen making a turn, your trailer wheels
will be closer to the inside of the turn than
your vehicle wheels. To compensate for
this, make a larger than normal turning
radius during the turn.
cCrosswinds and rough roads adversely
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affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly
causing vehicle sway. When being
passed by larger vehicles, be prepared
for possible changes in crosswinds that
could affect vehicle handling. If swaying
does occur, firmly grip the steering
wheel, steer straight ahead, and immedi-
ately (but gradually) reduce vehicle
speed. This combination helps to stabi-
lize the vehicle. Never increase speed.
cBe careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires
considerably more distance than normal
passing. Remember the length of the
trailer must also pass the other vehicle
before you can safely change lanes.
cTo maintain engine braking efficiency
and electrical charging performance, do
not use overdrive.
cAvoid holding the brake pedal down too
long or too frequently. This could cause
the brakes to overheat, resulting in re-
duced braking efficiency.
When towing a trailer, change fluid in the
transmission more frequently. For addi-
tional information see the ``Mainte-
nance'' section earlier in this manual.Department of Transportation (DOT) Qual-
ity Grades: All passenger car tires must
conform to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
Treadwear
Treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on tire wear rate when tested under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment 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 depends on actual
driving conditions, and may vary signifi-
cantly, due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-ment as measured under controlled condi-
tions, on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. 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 C
Temperature 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 condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause tire material 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 perfor-
mance on laboratory test wheels than the
minimum required by law.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADING
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WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, under inflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combi-
nation, can cause heat build-up and
possible tire failure.Your NISSAN is covered by the following
emission warranties:
For US
1) Emission Defects Warranty
2) Emission Performance Warranty
For Canada
Emission Control System Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found
with other vehicle warranties in your War-
ranty Information and Maintenance Log
Booklet that comes with your NISSAN. If
you did not receive a Warranty Information
and Maintenance Log Booklet, or it has
become lost, you may obtain a replacement
by writing to:
cNissan North America Inc.
Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 191
Gardena, CA 90248-0191
cNissan Canada Inc.
5290 Orbitor Drive
Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4Z5If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause
injury or death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
(NHTSA)in addition to no-
tifying NISSAN.
If
NHTSAreceives similar complaints, it
may open an investigation, and if it finds
that a safety defect exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy
campaign. However,
NHTSAcannot be-
come involved in individual problems be-
tween you, your dealer, or NISSAN.
To contact
NHTSA, you may either call the
Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1- 800-424-
9393 (or 366-0123 in the Washington, D.C.
area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation, Washington, D.C.
20590. You can also obtain other informa-
tion about motor vehicle safety from the
Hotline.
You may notify NISSAN by contacting our
Consumer Affairs Department, toll-free, at
1-800-NISSAN-1.
In Hawaii, call (808) 836-0888.
EMISSION CONTROL
SYSTEM WARRANTYREPORTING SAFETY
DEFECTS (US only)
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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 pat-
terns. Usually, the ready condition can be
obtained by ordinary usage of the vehicle.
If a powertrain system component is repaired
or the battery is disconnected, the vehicle
may be reset to a not ready condition. Before
taking the I/M test, drive the vehicle through
the following pattern to set the vehicle to the
ready condition. If you cannot or do not want
to perform the driving pattern, an authorized
NISSAN dealer can conduct it for you.
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 (86 to 96 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 at 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 (shift lever in the ``P'' or
``N'' position).
9. Rev the engine up between 2,500 and
3,500 rpm and hold it for 3 consecutive
minutes, then release the accelerator
pedal completely.
10. Wait 5 seconds at idle.
11. Rev the engine up between 2,000 and3,000 rpm and maintain it for 5 consecu-
tive minutes.
12. Stop the vehicle and turn the engine off.
13. Repeat steps one through twelve at
least one more time.
If steps one through seven are interrupted,
repeat the preceding step. Any safe driving
mode is acceptable between steps. Do not
stop the engine until step seven is com-
pleted.
READINESS FOR
INSPECTION/MAINTENANCE
(I/M) TEST (US only)
Technical and consumer information10-21
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Page 295 of 304
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is the
best source of service and repair informa-
tion for your vehicle. Filled with wiring dia-
grams, illustrations and step-by-step diag-
nostic and adjustment procedures, this
manual is the same one used by the factory
trained technicians working at authorized
NISSAN dealerships. Also available are
genuine NISSAN Owner's Manuals, and
genuine NISSAN Service and Owner's
Manuals for older NISSAN models.
In the USA:
For current pricing and availability of genu-
ineNISSAN Service Manualsfor the 2000
model year and later, contact:
Tweddle Litho Company
1-800-639-8841
www.nissan-techinfo.com
For current pricing and availability of genu-
ineNISSAN Service Manualsfor the 1999
model year and prior, see an authorized
NISSAN dealer, or contact:
DDS Distribution Services, Ltd.
20770 Westwood Road
Strongsville OH 44136
1-800-247-5321
OWNER'S MANUAL/SERVICE
MANUAL ORDER INFORMATION
10-22Technical and consumer information
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For current pricing and availability of genu-
ineNISSAN Owner's Manualsfor the 2001
model year and prior, see an authorized
NISSAN dealer, or contact:
DDS Distribution Services, Ltd.
20770 Westwood Road
Strongsville OH 44136
1-800-247-5321
In Canada:
To purchase a copy of a Genuine NISSAN
Service Manual or Owner's Manual please
contact your nearest NISSAN Dealer. For the
phone number and location of a NISSAN
Dealer in your area call the NISSAN Satisfac-
tion Center at 1-800-387-0122 and a bilingual
NISSAN representative will assist you.
Also available are Genuine NISSAN Service
and Owner's Manuals for older NISSAN
models.
IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION
Unfortunately, accidents do occur. In this
unlikely event, there is some important in-
formation you should know.
Many insurance companies routinely autho-
rize the use of non-genuine collision parts in
order to cut costs, among other reasons.
Insist on the use of Genuine
Nissan/Infiniti Collision Parts!
If you want your vehicle to be restored using
parts made to Nissan's/Infiniti's original ex-
acting specifications - if you want to help it to
last and hold its resale value, the solution is
simple.
Tell your insurance agent and
your repair shop to only use Genuine
Nissan/Infiniti Collision Parts.
Nissan
does not warrant non-Nissan parts, nor
does Nissan's warranty apply to damage
caused by a non-genuine part.
Using Genuine Nissan/Infiniti Parts can help
protect your personal safety, preserve your
warranty protection and maintain the resale
value of your vehicle. And if your vehicle
was leased, using Genuine Nissan/Infiniti
Parts may prevent or limit unnecessary ex-
cess wear and tear expenses at the end of
your lease.
Nissan/Infiniti designs its hoods with
crumple zones to minimize the risk that the
hood will penetrate the windshield of your
vehicle in an accident. Non-genuine (imita-
tion) parts may not provide such built in
safeguards. Also, non-genuine parts often
show premature wear, rust and corrosion.
Why should you take a chance?
In over 40 states, the law says you must be
advised if non-genuine parts are used to
repair your vehicle. And some states have
enacted laws that restrict insurance compa-
nies from authorizing the use of non-
genuine collision parts during the new ve-
hicle warranty. These laws help protect you,
so you can take action to protect yourself.
It's your right!
If you should need further information visit
us at:www.nissandriven.com.
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