
RADIO
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position
and press the power on switch to turn the radio
on. If you listen to the radio with the engine not
running, the key should be turned to the ACC
position.
Radio reception is affected by station signal
strength, distance from radio transmitter, build-
ings, bridges, mountains and other external influ-
ences. Intermittent changes in reception quality
normally are caused by these external influences.
Using a cellular phone in or near the ve-
hicle may influence radio reception quality.
Radio reception
Your NISSAN radio system is equipped with
state-of-the-art electronic circuits to enhance ra-
dio reception. These circuits are designed to
extend reception range, and to enhance the qual-
ity of that reception.
However there are some general characteristics
of both FM and AM radio signals that can affect
radio reception quality in a moving vehicle, even
when the finest equipment is used. These char-
acteristics are completely normal in a given re-
ception area, and do not indicate any malfunction
in your NISSAN radio system.Reception conditions will constantly change be-
cause of vehicle movement. Buildings, terrain,
signal distance and interference from other ve-
hicles can work against ideal reception. De-
scribed below are some of the factors that can
affect your radio reception.
FM RADIO RECEPTION
Range: FM range is normally limited to 25 - 30
miles (40 - 48 km) , with monaural (single chan-
nel) FM having slightly more range than stereo
FM. External influences may sometimes interfere
with FM station reception even if the FM station is
within 25 miles (40 km) . The strength of the FM
signal is directly related to the distance between
the transmitter and receiver. FM signals follow a
line-of-sight path, exhibiting many of the same
characteristics as light. For example they will
reflect off objects.
Fade and drift: As your vehicle moves away from
a station transmitter, the signals will tend to fade
and/or drift.
Static and flutter: During signal interference from
buildings, large hills or due to antenna position
(usually in conjunction with increased distance
from the station transmitter) static or flutter can
be heard. This can be reduced by adjusting the
treble control to reduce treble response.Multipath reception: Because of the reflective
characteristics of FM signals, direct and reflected
signals reach the receiver at the same time. The
signals may cancel each other, resulting in mo-
mentary flutter or loss of sound.
AM RADIO RECEPTION
AM signals, because of their low frequency, can
bend around objects and skip along the ground.
In addition, the signals can be bounced off the
ionosphere and bent back to earth. Because of
these characteristics, AM signals are also sub-
ject to interference as they travel from transmitter
to receiver.
Fading: Occurs while the vehicle is passing
through freeway underpasses or in areas with
many tall buildings. It can also occur for several
seconds during ionospheric turbulence even in
areas where no obstacles exist.
Static: Caused by thunderstorms, electrical
power lines, electric signs and even traffic lights.
AUDIO SYSTEM
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1. PRESET ABC button
2. Display
3. CD button
4. CD eject button
5. CD insert slot
6. MENU button
7. AUDIO button
8. Station select buttons
9. SEEK/TRACK button
10. PWR/VOL control knob
11. BAND select button
FM-AM RADIO WITH COMPACT
DISC (CD) PLAYER (if so equipped)
PWR/VOL control knob
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position,
then push the PWR/VOL control knob. If you
listen to the radio with the engine not running,
turn the key to the ACC position. The mode (radio
or CD) that was playing immediately before the
system was turned off resumes playing.
When no CD is loaded, the radio comes on.
Pushing the PWR/VOL control knob again turns
the system off.
Turn the PWR/VOL control knob to the right to
increase volume or to the left to decrease volume.
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Compact disc (CD) player operation
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position,
and carefully insert the compact disc into the slot
with the label side up. The compact disc is auto-
matically pulled into the slot and starts to play.
If the radio is already operating, it automatically
turns off and the compact disc begins to play.
CAUTION
Do not force a compact disc into the CD
insert slot. This could damage the CD
and/or CD changer/player.
CD button
When the CD button is pushed with a compact
disc loaded and the radio playing, the radio turns
off and the compact disc starts to play.
Track up/down, FF/REV
(rewind) buttons
Track up/down
When the
button is pushed and released
while the compact disc is playing, the selection
following the present one starts to play from the
beginning. Push the
button several times to
skip several selections. Each time the button is
pushed, the CD advances 1 additional selection.
The number appears in the display window.(When the last selection on the compact disc is
skipped, the first selection is played.)
When the
button is pushed and released, the
selection being played returns to the beginning.
Push the
button several times to skip back
several selections. Each time the button is
pushed, the CD moves back 1 selection.
If the play pattern is in MIX mode when the
orbutton is pushed the next selection will be
chosen at random.
FF (Fast Forward)/REV (Reverse)
When the
orbutton is pushed and held
while the compact disc is playing, the compact
disc plays at an increased speed while fast for-
warding or rewinding. When the button is re-
leased, the compact disc returns to normal play
speed.
MENU
When the
button is pushed while the com-
pact disc is playing, the play pattern changes as
follows:
RPT:The current selection is repeated.
MIX:Selections are played at random, not fol-
lowing the sequence on the compact disc. The
same program may be repeated twice. If the
button is pushed in the MIX mode, selections will
be chosen at random.Blank(no symbol): All selections are played
repeatedly in sequence.
When a new compact disc is inserted, the
play pattern automatically changes to ALL.
CD EJECT button
When the
button is pushed with a com-
pact disc loaded, the compact disc ejects.
When the
button is pushed while the com-
pact disc is playing, the compact disc ejects and
the system turns off.
If the compact disc ejects and is not re-
moved within 10 seconds, it is pulled back
into the slot.
DISC indicator light
This light
comes on when a compact disc
is loaded into the player.
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1. Disc loading button
2. SEEK/TRACK button
3. CD select button
4. Band select buttons
5. CD insert slot
6. CD eject button
7. Radio manual tuning buttons
8. RPT MIX/PTY button
9. CLOCK button
10. AUDIO button
11. TRAVEL PRESET button
12. Station select buttons
13. RDS button
14. SCAN button
15. PRESET SCAN button
16. ON·OFF/VOL control knob
17. PRESET ABC button
FM-AM RADIO WITH COMPACT
DISC (CD) CHANGER (if so
equipped)
PWR/VOL control knob
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position,
then push the PWR/VOL control knob. If you
listen to the radio with the engine not running,
turn the key to the ACC position. The mode (radio
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3. Press the SEEK or SCAN button to search
for the next station with the selected PTY.
The SCAN icon flashes when the SCAN
button is pressed. The radio continues to
seek or scan until a radio station is found
matching the selected PTY
4. Press the PTY button again to cancel the
PTY SEEK mode.
Compact disc (CD) player operation
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position.
CAUTION
cDo not force a compact disc into the CD
insert slot. This could damage the CD
and/or CD changer/player.
cTrying to load a CD with the CD door
closed could damage the CD and/or CD
changer.
CD button
When the CD button is pressed with a compact
disc loaded and the radio playing, the radio turns
off and the last used compact disc starts to play.
CD loading
Press the LOAD button to start CD loading
mode.
The following sequence will occur:
1. Thegreenindicator on the lowest available
disc select button will start blinking. (Same
as preset memory button.) The display
shows“Please Wait”.
2. The display changes to“Insert Disc”for a
maximum of 15 seconds.
3. During the 15 second interval, insert the
disc. The display changes to“Loading
Disc”.4. The CD will play after the disc is set to a play
position.
5. The indicator changes fromblinking green
tosolid greenand the display changes to
show the Disc number icon, Disc number,
Track number and Elapsed time.
All disc loading
1. Press and hold the LOAD button until the
radio beeps (>1.5 seconds) .
2. Thegreenindicator on the lowest available
disc select button will start blinking. (Same
as preset memory button.) The display
shows“Please Wait”.
3. The display changes to“Insert Disc”for a
maximum of 15 seconds.
4. During the 15 second interval, insert the
disc. The display changes to“Loading
Disc”.
5. The indicator changes fromblinking green
tosolid green.
6. The disc number icon is turned on.
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5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)..................5-2
Three-way catalyst..............................5-2
Low tire pressure warning system
(if so equipped)................................5-3
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions....................................5-4
Avoiding collision and rollover....................5-4
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving................5-5
Driving safety precautions.......................5-5
Ignition switch.....................................5-7
Automatic transmission..........................5-7
Manual transmission............................5-8
Key positions..................................5-8
Before starting the engine..........................5-9
Starting the engine................................5-9
Driving the vehicle................................5-10
Automatic transmission (if so equipped)..........5-10
Manual transmission...........................5-13
Parking brake....................................5-15
Cruise control (if so equipped).....................5-16
Precautions on cruise control...................5-16Cruise control operations.......................5-17
Break-in schedule................................5-18
Increasing fuel economy...........................5-18
Using four wheel drive (4WD)......................5-19
Transfer case shifting procedures...............5-19
Auto-lock free-running hubs............5-20
Parking/parking on hills............................5-22
Power steering...................................5-23
Brake system....................................5-23
Brake precautions.............................5-23
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)..................5-24
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) system
(if so equipped)..................................5-25
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................................5-27
Special winter equipment.......................5-28
Driving on snow or ice.........................5-28
Engine block heater (if so equipped).............5-28
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cDo 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
cDo not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline will seriously re-
duce the three-way catalyst’s ability to
help reduce exhaust pollutants.
cKeep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep driv-
ing if the engine misfires, or if notice-
able loss of performance or other un-
usual operating conditions are
detected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly by a NISSAN dealer.
cAvoid driving with an extremely low fuel
level. Running out of fuel could cause
the engine to misfire, damaging the
three-way catalyst.
cDo not race the engine while warming it
up.
cDo not push or tow your vehicle to start
the engine.
LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING
SYSTEM (if so equipped)
The low tire pressure warning system monitors
tire pressure of all tires (except the spare tire) .
The low tire pressure warning system will activate
only when the vehicle is driven at speeds above
20 MPH (32 km/h) . Also, this system may not
detect a sudden drop in tire pressure (for ex-
ample a flat tire while driving) .
Frequently check the tire pressure and adjust
pressure of each tire properly.
Flat tire warning
If the vehicle is being driven with very low tire
pressure (lower than 27 psi, 190 kPa) , the low
tire pressure warning light comes on and the
chime sounds for about 10 seconds.
For additional information regarding the above
warning, see “Warning/indicator lights and au-
dible reminders” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section.
WARNING
cIf the low tire pressure warning light
comes on while driving, avoid sudden
steering maneuvers or abrupt braking,
reduce vehicle speed, pull off the road
to a safe location and stop the vehicle
as soon as possible. Serious vehicle
damage could occur and may lead to an
accident and could result in serious
personal injury. Check the tire pressure
for all four tires and adjust the pressure
to the COLD tire pressure shown on the
tire placard. If you have a flat tire, re-
place it with a spare tire as soon as
possible. (See “Flat tire” in the “In case
of emergency” section for changing a
flat tire.)
cWhen a spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, tire pressure will not be
indicated and the low tire pressure
warning system will not function. Con-
tact your NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/or
system resetting.
cDo not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pressure
sensors.
Starting and driving5-3
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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
On automatic transmission models, the ignition
lock is designed so the key cannot be turned to
LOCK position and removed until the shift selec-
tor lever is moved to the P (Park) position.
When removing the key from the ignition, make
sure the shift selector lever is in the P (Park)
position.
If the key cannot be turned to the LOCK position,
proceed as follows to remove the key.
1. Move the shift selector lever into the P (Park)
position.2. Turn the ignition key slightly toward the ON
position.
3. Turn the key to the LOCK position.
4. Remove the key.
The shift selector lever is designed so it cannot
moved out of P (Park) and into any of the other
gear positions if the ignition key is turned to OFF
position or if the key is removed from the switch.
The shift selector lever can be moved if the
ignition switch is in the ACC position. This
allows the vehicle to be moved if the bat-
tery is discharged. The shift selector lever
can also be moved if the ignition switch is
in the ON position and the foot brake pedal
is depressed.
There is an OFF position between the
LOCK and ACC positions. The OFF position
is indicated by a “1” on the key cylinder.
When the ignition is in the OFF position,
the steering wheel is not locked.
In order for the steering wheel to be locked, it
must be turned about 1/8 of a turn clockwise
from the straight up position.
To lock the steering wheel, turn the key to
the LOCK position. Remove the key. To
unlock the steering wheel, insert the keyand turn it gently while rotating the steer-
ing wheel slightly right and left.
WARNING
Never remove or turn the key to the LOCK
position while driving. The steering wheel
will lock. This may cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle and could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal injury.
WSD0041
IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-7
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