2002 NISSAN FRONTIER Owners Manual

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
cDo not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could
cause a vehicle fire.
cTo 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.
cDo not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road,
apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to N (Neutral). On automatic
transmission models, move the selector
lever to 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 radia-
tor should not leak water. If coolant is
leaking, 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 res-
ervoir tank if necessary. Have your ve-
hicle repaired at an authorized NISSAN
dealer.
IF YOUR VEHICLE
OVERHEATS
6-10In case of emergency
ZX

When towing your vehicle, all state (Provin-
cial in Canada) and local regulations for
towing must be followed. Incorrect towing
equipment could damage your vehicle.
Towing instructions are available from an
authorized NISSAN dealer. Local service
operators are generally familiar with the
applicable laws and procedures for towing.
To assure proper towing and to prevent
accidental damage to your vehicle, NISSAN
recommends having a service operator tow
your vehicle. It is advisable to have the
service operator carefully read the following
precautions:
WARNING
cNever ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
cNever get under your vehicle after it
has been lifted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
cWhen towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering system
and powertrain are in working con-
dition. If any unit is damaged, dollies
must be used.
cAlways attach safety chains before
towing.
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
Two-wheel drive models
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (rear) wheels off the
ACE1019
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
In case of emergency6-11
ZX

ground or place the vehicle on a flat bed
truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
cNever tow automatic transmission
models with the rear wheels on the
ground or four wheels on the ground
(forward or backward), as this may
cause serious and expensive dam-
age to the transmission. If it is nec-
essary to tow the vehicle with the
front wheels raised, always use tow-
ing dollies under the rear wheels.
cWhen towing automatic or manual
transmission models with the front
wheels on the ground or on towing
dollies:
Turn the ignition key to the OFF
position, and secure the steering
wheel in a straight ahead position
with a rope or similar device.
Never secure the steering wheel
by turning the ignition key to the
LOCK position. This may damage
the steering lock mechanism.cIf you have to tow manual transmis-
sion models with the rear wheels on
the ground (if you do not use towing
dollies) or four wheels on the
ground:
cAlways release the parking
brake.
cMove the transmission shift le-
ver to the N (Neutral) position.
cObserve the following re-
stricted towing speeds and dis-
tances for manual transmis-
sion models only:
Speed: Below 60 MPH (97 km/h)
Distance: Less than 500 miles
(805 km)
If the speed or distance must necessarily be
greater, remove the propeller shaft before
towing to prevent damage to the transmis-
sion.
Four-wheel drive models
NISSAN recommends that towing dollies be
used when towing your vehicle or place the
vehicle on a flat bed truck as illustrated.
ACE0705
6-12In case of emergency
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CAUTION
c
Never tow automatic transmission
models with the rear wheels on the
ground or four wheels on the ground,
as this may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the transmission. If it
is necessary to tow the vehicle with
the front wheels raised, always use
towing dollies under the rear wheels.
cWhen towing automatic or manual
transmission models with the front
wheels on the ground or on towing
dollies:
cTo disengage auto-lock free-
running hubs see the ªStarting
and drivingº section for details.
cMove the transfer case shift le-
ver to the 2H position.
cTurn the ignition key to the OFF
position, and secure the steer-
ing wheel in a straight ahead
position with a rope or similar
device. Never secure the steer-
ing wheel by turning the igni-
tion key to the LOCK position.
This may damage the steeringlock mechanism.
cIf you have to tow manual transmis-
sion models with the rear wheels on
the ground (if you do not use towing
dollies) or four wheels on the
ground:
cTo disengage auto-lock free-
running hubs see the ªStarting
and drivingº section for details.
cMove the transfer case shift le-
ver to the 2H position.
cMove the transmission shift le-
ver to the N (Neutral) position.
cAlways release the parking
brake.
cObserve the following re-
stricted towing speeds and dis-
tances for manual transmis-
sion models only:
Speed: Below 60 MPH (97 km/h)
Distance: Less than 500 miles
(805 km)
If the speed or distance must necessarily be
greater, remove the front and rear propellershafts before towing to prevent damage to
the transmission.
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a
stuck vehicle)
cTow chains or cables must be attached
only to the main structural members of
the vehicle.
cPulling devices should be routed so they
do not touch any part of the suspension,
steering, brake or cooling systems.
cAlways pull the cable straight out from
the front or rear of the vehicle. Never pull
the vehicle at an angle.
cPulling devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use in
vehicle towing or recovery.
cStand 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.
In case of emergency
6-13
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MEMO
6-14In case of emergency
ZX

7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior ....................................................7-2
Washing .............................................................7-2
Waxing ...............................................................7-2
Removing spots .................................................7-3
Underbody .........................................................7-3
Glass..................................................................7-3
Aluminum alloy wheels ......................................7-3
Chrome parts .....................................................7-3
Cleaning interior .....................................................7-4Floor mats..........................................................7-4
Seat belts ..........................................................7-5
Corrosion protection ...............................................7-5
Most common factors contributing to
vehicle corrosion................................................7-5
Environmental factors influence the rate
of corrosion. .......................................................7-5
To protect your vehicle from corrosion .............7-5
ZX

In order to maintain the appearance of your
vehicle, it is important to take proper care of
it.
In the following cases, please wash your
vehicle as soon as possible to protect the
paint surface:
cafter a rainfall to prevent possible dam-
age from acid rain.
cafter driving on coastal roads.
cwhen contaminants such as soot, bird
droppings, tree sap, metal particles or
bugs get on the paint surface.cwhen dust or mud builds up on the
surface.
Whenever possible, store or park your ve-
hicle inside a garage or in a covered area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park in
a shady area or protect the vehicle with a
body cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint sur-
face when putting on or removing the
body cover.
WASHING
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly using
a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or
general purpose dishwashing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
CAUTION
cDo not wash the vehicle with strong
household soap, strong chemical
detergents, gasoline or solvents.
cDo not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight or while the vehicle body is
hot, as the surface may become
water-spotted.cAvoid using tight-napped or rough
cloths, such as washing mitts. Care
must be taken when removing
caked-on dirt or other foreign sub-
stances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
clean water.
Inside flanges, seams and folds on the
doors, hatches and hood are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of road salt. There-
fore, these areas must be regularly cleaned.
Take care that the drain holes in the lower
edge of the door are open. Spray water
under the body and in the wheel wells to
loosen the dirt and wash away road salt.
A damp chamois can be used to dry the
vehicle to avoid water spots.
WAXING
Regular waxing protects the paint surface
and helps retain new vehicle appearance.
After waxing, polishing is recommended to
remove built-up residue and to avoid a
``weathered'' appearance.
MAI0001
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care
ZX

An authorized NISSAN dealer can assist
you in choosing the proper product.
cWax your vehicle only after a thorough
washing. Follow the instructions sup-
plied with the wax.
cDo not use a wax containing any abra-
sives, cutting compounds or cleaners
that may damage the vehicle finish.
cIf the surface does not polish easily, use
a ``road tar'' remover and wax again.
Machine compounding or aggressive pol-
ishing on a base coat/clear coat paint finish
may dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the surface of the paint to avoid per-
manent damage or staining. Special clean-
ing products are available at an authorized
NISSAN dealer or any automotive accesso-
ries store.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, it
is necessary to clean the underbody regu-
larly in order to prevent dirt and salt frombuilding up and causing the acceleration of
corrosion on the underbody and suspen-
sion. Before the winter period and again in
the spring, the underseal must be checked
and, if necessary, retreated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and
dust film from the glass surfaces. It is nor-
mal for glass to be coated with a film after
the vehicle is parked in the hot sun. Glass
cleaner and a soft cloth easily remove this
film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dow, do not use sharp-edged tools or
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could dam-
age the electrical conductors, radio an-
tenna elements or rear window defog-
ger elements.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS
Wash regularly, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used.
Salt could discolor the wheel if not removed.
CHROME PARTS
Clean all chrome parts regularly with a
non-abrasive chrome polish to maintain the
finish.
Appearance and care
7-3
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