2002 NISSAN XTERRA wheel

To sound the horn, push the center pad area
of the steering wheel.
WARNING
Do not disassemble the horn. Doing so
could affect proper operation of the
supplemental front air bag system.
Tampering with the supplemental front
air bag system may result in serious
personal injury.The cigarette lighter element and ashtray
are accessories. They can be purchased
from an authorized NISSAN dealer.
The cigarette lighter operates when the
ignition switch is in the ACC or ON position.
Push the lighter in all the way. When the
lighter is heated, it springs out.
Return the lighter to its original position after
use.
WARNING
The cigarette lighter should not be
used while driving so full attention may
be given to vehicle operation.
CAUTION
The cigarette lighter socket is a power
source for the cigarette lighter element
only. The use of the cigarette lighter
socket as a power source for any other
accessory is not recommended.
WIC0119WIC0155
HORN CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND
ASH TRAY (accessories)
Instruments and controls2-23
ZX

3 Pre-driving checks and adjustments
Key .........................................................................3-2
Doors ......................................................................3-2
Locking with key ................................................3-2
Locking with inside lock knob............................3-3
Locking with power door lock switch.................3-3
Child safety rear door lock ................................3-4
Remote keyless entry system (if so equipped)......3-4
How to use remote keyless system ..................3-4
Battery replacement ..........................................3-7
Hood .......................................................................3-8
Rear door ...............................................................3-9
Tubular roof rack with gear basket ......................3-10Tubular step rail (if so equipped) .........................3-12
Fuel filler lid ..........................................................3-13
Fuel filler cap ...................................................3-13
Steering wheel .....................................................3-14
Tilt operation (if so equipped) .........................3-14
Sun visors.............................................................3-14
Vanity mirror ....................................................3-14
Mirrors ..................................................................3-15
Inside mirror.....................................................3-15
Outside mirrors ................................................3-15
Outside mirror remote control
(if so equipped)................................................3-16
ZX

Put the fuel filler cap in the cap holder while
refueling.TILT OPERATION (if so equipped)
Pull the lock lever down and adjust the
steering wheel up or down to the desired
position.
Push the lock lever up firmly to lock the
steering wheel in place.
WARNING
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. You could lose control of your
vehicle and cause an accident.
VANITY MIRROR
A vanity mirror is located on the rear side of
the passenger sunvisor.
WPD0064PD1238MAIC0710
STEERING WHEEL SUN VISORS
3-14Pre-driving checks and adjustments
ZX

4Heater, air conditioner and audio systems
Ventilators ...............................................................4-2
Heater and air conditioner......................................4-3
Controls .............................................................4-3
Heater operation ................................................4-4
Air conditioner operation ...................................4-5
Air flow charts ....................................................4-6
Servicing air conditioner .........................................4-9
Audio system ........................................................4-10
Radio ...............................................................4-10
FM radio reception ..........................................4-10
AM radio reception ..........................................4-10Audio operation precautions ........................... 4-11
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
player (if so equipped).....................................4-13
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
changer (if so equipped) .................................4-18
CD care and cleaning......................................4-29
Steering wheel switch for audio controls
(if so equipped)................................................4-30
Antenna ...........................................................4-31
Car phone or CB radio .........................................4-31
ZX

edges by rubbing the inner and outer
edges with the side of a pen or pencil as
illustrated.
STEERING WHEEL SWITCH FOR
AUDIO CONTROLS (if so
equipped)
The steering wheel switch for audio controls
is mounted on the left side of the steering
wheel.
Press the MODE button to switch between
the Radio presets (A, B or C) and CD Mode.
A!B!C!CD MODE
The last CD that was loaded starts to play
when in CD Mode. If there is no CD loaded,
the CD changer enters Disc Loading Mode.If in Radio presets A, B or C:
OPress
orto advance to the
next preset station or to return to the
previous preset station.
OHold down
orfor more than
1.5 seconds. The radio will seek up or
down to the next radio station.
If in CD Mode:
OPress
orto advance to the
next selection on the CD or return to the
previous selection on the CD.
Volume control is located on the side of the
WHA0128
4-30Heater, air conditioner and audio systems
ZX

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving ...................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) .......................5-2
Three-way catalyst ............................................5-3
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions ........................................................5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover ...........................5-3
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ....................5-4
Driving safety precautions .................................5-4
Ignition switch .........................................................5-6
Automatic transmission .....................................5-6
Manual transmission..........................................5-7
Key positions .....................................................5-7
Before starting the engine ......................................5-8
Starting the engine .................................................5-8
Driving the vehicle ..................................................5-9
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ...........5-9
Manual transmission........................................5-13
Parking brake .......................................................5-14
Cruise control (if so equipped) .............................5-15
Precautions on cruise control ..........................5-15
Cruise control operations ................................5-16Break-in schedule ................................................5-17
Increasing fuel economy ......................................5-17
Using four-wheel drive .........................................5-18........................5-18
Transfer case shifting procedures ...................5-18
Auto-lock free-running hubs ............................5-19
Manual-lock free-running hubs.............................5-22
Parking/parking on hills ........................................5-24
Power steering .....................................................5-25
Brake system........................................................5-25
Braking precautions .........................................5-25
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) .........................5-26
Cold weather driving ............................................5-27
Freeing a frozen door lock ..............................5-27
Anti-freeze .......................................................5-27
Battery .............................................................5-27
Draining of coolant water ................................5-27
Tire equipment.................................................5-28
Special winter equipment ................................5-28
Driving on snow or ice.....................................5-28
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ..............5-29
ZX

THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Ex-
haust gases in the converter are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
OThe exhaust gas and the exhaust
system are very hot. Keep people,
animals or flammable materials
away from the exhaust system com-
ponents.
ODo not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
CAUTION
ODo not use leaded gasoline. Depos-
its from leaded gasoline will seri-
ously reduce the three-way cata-
lyst's ability to help reduce exhaust
pollutants.
OKeep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause over-rich fuel flow into the three-way cata-
lyst, causing it to overheat. Do not
keep driving if the engine misfires,
or if noticeable loss of performance
or other unusual operating condi-
tions are detected. Have the vehicle
inspected promptly by an authorized
NISSAN dealer.
OAvoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
ODo not race the engine while warm-
ing it up.
ODo not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than
passenger cars to make them capable of
performing in a variety of on-pavement and
off-road applications. This gives them ahigher center of gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road, allowing you to
anticipate problems. However, they are not
designed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional two-wheel drive vehicles
any more than low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. If at all possible, avoid
sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers particu-
larly at high speeds. As with other vehicles
of this type, failure to operate this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of control or
vehicle rollover.
Be sure to read the driving safety precau-
tions later in this section.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner may result in loss
of control or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden
steering maneuvers, because these driving
Starting and driving
5-3
ZX

practices could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle.As with any vehicle, a loss
of control could result in a collision with
other vehicles or objects, or cause the
vehicle to rollover, particularly if the loss
of control causes the vehicle to slide
sideways.Be attentive at all times, and
avoid driving when tired. Never drive when
under the influence of alcohol or drugs
(including prescription or over-the-counter
drugs which may cause drowsiness). Al-
ways wear your seat belt as outlined in the
``Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag
systems'' section of this manual, and in-
struct your passengers to do so.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers.In a rollover crash,
an unbelted person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wearing a seat
belt.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS
AND DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alco-
hol or drugs. Alcohol in the blood-
stream reduces coordination, delaysreaction time and impairs judgement.
Driving after drinking alcohol increases
the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others.
Additionally, if you are injured in the
accident, alcohol can increase the se-
verity of injury.
Nissan is committed to safe driving. But,
you must choose not to drive under the
influence of alcohol. Every year thousands
of people are injured or killed in alcohol
related accidents. Although the local laws
vary on what is considered to be legally
intoxicated, the fact is that alcohol affects all
people differently and most people underes-
timate the effects of alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don't mix!
And that's true for drugs too (over the
counter, prescription, and illegal drugs).
Don't drive if your ability to operate your
vehicle is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or
some other physical condition.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your NISSAN is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving indeep water or mud as your NISSAN is
mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a
conventional offroad vehicle.
Remember that two-wheel drive models are
less capable than four-wheel drive models
for rough road driving and extrication when
stuck in deep snow or mud, or the like.
Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
O
Drive carefully when off the road and
avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle
should be seated with their seat belt
fastened. This will keep you and your
passengers in position when driving
over rough terrain.
ODo not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road ve-
hicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
5-4Starting and driving
ZX