
(manual transmission vehicles), us-
ing only the brake, as this could
cause loss of control.
cHeavy 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.
cUnsecured 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.
cTo 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.
cDo not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could movesuddenly and injure your hands. In-
stead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
cBefore operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
cAlways drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may become hot.
cLower 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.
cDo not drive beyond the perfor-
mance of the tires, even with 4WD
engaged.
cAccelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
cIf at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN four-wheel
drive 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.
cAlways 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.
cBe sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately after driving in mud or water.
See(Brake system(later in this sec-
tion for(Wet brakes(.
cAvoid 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.
cWhenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as deep
as the wheel hub, more frequent-
maintenance may be required. See
(Periodic maintenance(in the(Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself(section
of this manual.
Starting and driving
5-5
ZX

cGVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) þ
maximum total weight (load) limit speci-
fied for the vehicle.
cGAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) þ
maximum weight (load) limit specified
for the front or rear axle.
DETERMINING VEHICLE PAY-
LOAD CAPACITY
The payload capacity of this vehicle is de-
termined by weight, not by available cargo
space. For example, a roof rack, bike car-
rier, or similar equipment does not increase
payload carrying capacity of your vehicle.
To determine vehicle payload 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.
SECURING THE LOAD
For your convenience, tie down hooks are
placed at each corner of the truck box.
These may be used to help secure cargo
loaded into the truck box.
WARNING
cProperly secure all cargo with ropes
or straps to help prevent it from
sliding or shifting. Do not place
cargo higher than the seat backs. In
a sudden stop or collision, unse-
cured cargo could cause personal
injury.
ATI1020
9-16Technical and consumer information
ZX

Hubs
Auto-lock free-running hubs ................. 5-21
I
Indicator lights and audible reminders
(See warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders) .................................................. 2-10
Inside mirror ............................................... 3-13
Instrument brightness control .................... 2-20
J
Jump seat .................................................... 1-5
Jump starting ............................................... 6-8
K
Key ............................................................... 3-2
Keyless entry system (See remote keyless
entry system) ............................................... 3-4
L
Labels
Air conditioner specification label ......... 9-14
Emission control information label........ 9-14
Engine serial number ........................... 9-13
F.M.V.S.S. certification label ................ 9-13Vehicle identification number (VIN)
plate ...................................................... 9-12
Warning labels (for SRS) ..................... 1-16
Light
Air bag warning light............................. 1-16
Brake light (See stop light) ................... 8-35
Bulb check/instrument panel ................ 2-10
Bulb replacement.................................. 8-35
Headlight aiming adjustment ................ 8-32
Headlight and turn signal switch .......... 2-20
Headlights ............................................. 8-31
Light bulbs ............................................ 8-31
Passenger supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch and light ...................... 1-13
Spotlights (See map light) .................... 2-33
Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders .............................................. 2-10
Lock
Door locks............................................... 3-2
Power door locks .................................... 3-3
Luggage rack (see roof rack) ...................... 3-9
Luggage (See vehicle loading
information) ................................................ 9-15
M
Maintenance
General maintenance ............................. 8-3
Inside the vehicle.................................... 8-3
Maintenance precautions ....................... 8-5
Outside the vehicle ................................. 8-3Seat belt maintenance.......................... 1-26
Under the hood and vehicle ................... 8-4
Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) ............... 2-14
Manual windows ........................................ 2-29
Map lights .................................................. 2-33
Meters and gauges ...................................... 2-2
Mirror
Inside mirror.......................................... 3-13
Outside mirror control ........................... 3-14
Outside mirrors ..................................... 3-13
Vanity mirror ......................................... 3-13
Multi-remote control system (See remote
keyless entry system) .................................. 3-4
O
Octane rating (See fuel octane rating) ........ 9-5
Odometer ..................................................... 2-3
Oil
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants ................................................ 9-2
Changing engine oil.............................. 8-13
Changing engine oil filter...................... 8-14
Checking engine oil level ..................... 8-11
Engine oil .............................................. 8-11
Engine oil and oil filter
recommendation ..................................... 9-6
Engine oil viscosity ................................. 9-7
Outside mirror control ................................ 3-14
Outside mirrors .......................................... 3-13
Overdrive switch ............................... 5-13, 5-14
10-3
ZX

Overheat
If your vehicle overheats ...................... 6-10
Owner's manual order form ....................... 9-30
P
Parking
Parking brake check ............................. 8-26
Parking brake operation ....................... 5-16
Parking/parking on hills ........................ 5-24
Passenger supplemental air bag ON/OFF
switch and light
Passenger supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch and light ...................... 1-13
Power
Power door locks .................................... 3-3
Power steering fluid .............................. 8-17
Power steering system ......................... 5-25
Power windows..................................... 2-27
Precautions
Maintenance precautions ....................... 8-5
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions ............................................. 5-3
Precautions on seat belt usage............ 1-18
Precautions when starting and driving ... 5-2
Push starting ................................................ 6-9
R
Radio
Car phone or CB radio ......................... 4-32FM-AM radio with cassette player and
compact disc (CD) player ..................... 4-13
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
changer ................................................. 4-18
Steering wheel audio control switch ..... 4-31
Readiness for inspection maintenance
(I/M) test..................................................... 9-28
Rear sliding window................................... 2-29
Rear window defogger switch ................... 2-19
Registering your vehicle in another
country ....................................................... 9-12
Remote keyless entry system .................... 3-4
Reporting safety defects (USA) ................. 9-28
Roof rack (see luggage rack) ...................... 3-9
S
Safety
Reporting safety defects (USA) ............ 9-28
Seat
Jump seat ............................................... 1-5
Seat belt
Precautions on seat belt usage............ 1-18
Seat belt extenders .............................. 1-26
Seat belt maintenance.......................... 1-26
Seat belts.............................................. 1-18
Three-point type with retractor ............. 1-21
Two-point type without retractor ........... 1-24
Seat belt warning light ............................... 2-13
Seats
Adjustment .............................................. 1-2
Separate seats ....................................... 1-2Service manual order form ........................ 9-30
Shifting
Automatic transmission ........................ 5-10
Manual transmission............................. 5-15
Spark plug replacement............................. 8-21
Speedometer ............................................... 2-3
Spotlights (See map light) ......................... 2-33
SRS warning label ..................................... 1-16
Starting
Before starting the engine ...................... 5-8
Jump starting .......................................... 6-8
Precautions when starting and driving ... 5-2
Push starting........................................... 6-9
Starting the engine ................................. 5-8
Steering
Power steering fluid .............................. 8-17
Power steering system ......................... 5-25
Tilting steering wheel............................ 3-12
Steering wheel audio control switch .......... 4-31
Step rail...................................................... 3-11
Stop light .................................................... 8-35
Sun shade.................................................. 2-31
Sunroof ...................................................... 2-30
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system).................... 1-6
Switch
Automatic power window switch .......... 2-29
Hazard warning flasher switch ............. 2-22
Headlight and turn signal switch .......... 2-20
Overdrive switch.......................... 5-13, 5-14
Passenger supplemental air bag
ON/OFF switch and light ...................... 1-13
10-4
ZX