2004 NISSAN 350Z wheel

trailer hitch.

To 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.

After the hitch is removed, seal the
bolt holes to prevent exhaust fumes,
water or dust from entering the pas-
senger compartment.

Regularly check that all hitch mount-
ing bolts are securely mounted.
Tire pressures
When towing a trailer, inflate the vehicle tires
to the recommended cold tire pressure indi-
cated on the Tire and Loading Information
label.

Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in accor-
dance with the trailer and tire manufacturers’
specifications.Safety chainAlways use a suitable chain between your ve-hicle and the trailer. The safety chain 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 chain to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lightsTrailer 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 at a point be-
tween the sensor and stop light or light switch.Trailer brakesIf your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.Pre-towing tips
Be 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 unusual nose-up or nose-down con-dition; check for improper tongue load, over-
load, worn suspension or other possible
causes of these conditions.

Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shifts while driving.

Be certain your rear view mirrors conform to
all federal, state and/or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tipsIn order to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stopping and backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability, and braking per-
formance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.

Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.

Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.

Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.

Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.

Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so,
and if your vehicle is equipped with automatic
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Technical and consumer information


04.1.22/Z33-D/V5.0


transmission, first apply the parking brake
and block the wheels, and then move the
transmission selector lever into the P (Park)
position. If you move the selector lever to the
P (Park) position before blocking the wheels
and applying the parking brake, the transmis-
sion may get damaged.

When going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When ascending on a long grade, downshift
the transmission to a lower gear and reduce
speed to reduce chances of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.

If the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the fan con-
trol to high and setting the temperature con-
trol to the HOT position.

Trailer towing consumes more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances.

Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km).

Have your vehicle serviced more often than at
intervals specified in the recommended main-
tenance schedule.

When making a turn, your trailer wheels willbe 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.

Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling. If swaying does occur, firmly
grip the steering wheel, steer straight ahead,
and immediately (but gradually) reduce ve-
hicle speed. This combination will help stabi-
lize the vehicle. Never increase speed.

Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal passing.
Remember the length of the trailer must also
pass the other vehicle before you can safely
change lanes.

To maintain engine braking efficiency and
electrical charging performance, do not use
6th gear (manual transmission) or 5th posi-
tion (automatic transmission).

Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the brakes
to overheat, resulting in reduced braking ef-
ficiency.When towing a trailer, change transmis-
sion oil more frequently. For additional
information, see the “8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section.
Technical and consumer information
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04.1.22/Z33-D/V5.0


Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a ve-
hicle behind a recreational vehicle, such as a
motor home.
CAUTION

Failure to follow these guidelines
can result in severe transmission
damage.

Whenever flat towing your vehicle,
always tow forward, never backward.

DO NOT tow any automatic transmis-
sion vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground (flat towing). Doing so
WILL DAMAGE internal transmission
parts due to lack of transmission lu-
brication.

For emergency towing procedures
see “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section of this manual.AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONTo tow a vehicle equipped with an automatic
transmission, an appropriate vehicle dollyMUST
be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels.Alwaysfollow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Always tow with the manual transmission in
Neutral.

After towing 500 miles, start and idle the
engine with the transmission in Neutral for
two minutes. Failure to idle the engine after
every 500 miles of towing may cause damage
to internal transmission parts.
FLAT TOWING9-20
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04.1.22/Z33-D/V5.0


DOT (Department Of Transportation) Quality
Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature ATreadwearTreadwear grade is a comparative rating based
on tire wear rate when tested under controlled
conditions on specified government 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. How-
ever, relative tire performance depends on actual
driving conditions, and may vary significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.Traction AA, A, B and CThe traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the
tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-crete. 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 CTemperature 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 conditions on a speci-
fied indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause tire material to degener-
ate, reducing tire life. Excessive temperatures
can lead to sudden tire failure. Grade C corre-
sponds to a performance level which all passen-
ger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades A and
B represent higher levels of performance on
laboratory test wheels than the minimum re-
quired by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combi-
nation, can cause heat buildup and pos-
sible tire failure.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADING
Technical and consumer information
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04.1.22/Z33-D/V5.0


Reporting safety defects (US only)................ 9-22
Towing safety....................................................... 9-17
Seat
Belt warning light................................................ 1-23
Lever, Tilting passenger’s seat .......................... 1-7
Seat belt(s)
Child safety .......................................................... 1-25
Infants and small children ................................. 1-25
Injured persons.................................................... 1-26
Larger children .................................................... 1-26
Pre-tensioner seat belt system ....................... 1-19
Precautions on seat belt usage ...................... 1-23
Pregnant women ................................................. 1-26
Seat belt cleaning ................................................. 7-5
Seat belt extenders ............................................ 1-28
Seat belt maintenance ...................................... 1-29
Seat belts ............................................................. 1-23
Three-point type.................................................. 1-26
Seat(s)
Heated seats........................................................ 2-26
Seats ........................................................................ 1-2
Ventilated net seats .............................................. 1-6
Secondary rear hatch release ................................ 3-10
Secondary trunk lid release .................................... 3-13
Security system, Vehicle security system ........... 2-17
Security systems (Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer
System), Engine start ............................................... 2-18
Servicing air conditioner ................................... 4-3, 4-6
Shift lock release ....................................................... 5-12
Shifting
Automatic transmission .............................. 5-6, 5-9
Manual transmission ................................. 5-7, 5-12
Side air bag system (See supplemental side air bag
and curtain air bag system) .................................... 1-17Soft top
Soft top care and cleaning ................................. 7-2
Soft top indicator light ........................... 2-16, 3-22
Soft top operation .............................................. 3-18
Care of the soft top and the vehicle body... 3-27
If the top does not open or close
electrically ............................................................. 3-24
Spark plugs................................................................. 8-17
Speed, Average speed............................................... 2-9
Speed, Speed indicator ............................................. 2-8
Speedometer ................................................................ 2-4
Starting
Before starting the engine .................................. 5-8
Jump starting .......................................................... 6-7
Precautions when starting and driving ............ 5-2
Push starting .......................................................... 6-9
Starting the engine ............................................... 5-8
Steering
Power steering fluid ........................................... 8-13
Power steering system ...................................... 5-19
Tilting steering wheel......................................... 3-15
Stopwatch ..................................................................... 2-9
Storage ........................................................................ 2-29
Stowing golf bags ..................................................... 2-34
Sun visor, Extension ................................................. 3-16
Sunglasses holder .................................................... 2-30
Supplemental air bag warning labels................... 1-20
Supplemental air bag warning light .......... 1-21, 2-14
Supplemental restraint system............................... 1-10
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system.................................................................... 1-10
Supplemental side and curtain air bag
system .......................................................................... 1-17Switch
Hazard warning flasher switch ........................ 2-25
Headlight switch ................................................. 2-23
Ignition switch ........................................................ 5-6
Ignition switch automatic transmission
models ............................................................ 5-6, 5-9
Ignition switch manual transmission
models .......................................................... 5-7, 5-12
Power door lock switch....................................... 3-4
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch..................................................................... 2-21
Traction control system (TCS) off switch .... 2-27
Turn signal switch .............................................. 2-24
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch ... 2-27
T
Tachometer.................................................................... 2-5
Temperature gauge, Engine coolant temperature
gauge .............................................................................. 2-5
Theft (Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System), Engine
start ............................................................................... 2-18
Three way catalyst ....................................................... 5-3
Tilting passenger’s seat ............................................. 1-7
Tilting steering wheel ............................................... 3-15
Tire
Flat tire ..................................................................... 6-2
Low tire pressure warning system........... 5-3, 6-2
Pressure indicator............................................... 2-10
Pressure, Low tire pressure warning light ... 2-13
Uniform tire quality grading .............................. 9-21
Tires
Spare tire .............................................................. 8-36
Tire chains ............................................................ 8-34


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10-5

Tire pressure ........................................................ 8-30
Tire rotation .......................................................... 8-34
Types of tires ....................................................... 8-33
Wheel/tire size ....................................................... 9-9
Wheels and tires ................................................ 8-30
Top
If the top does not open or close
electrically ............................................................. 3-24
Soft top operation .............................................. 3-18
Top latch lever ..................................................... 3-21
Top tether strap child restraint........................ 1-36
Towing
Tow truck towing ................................................ 6-10
Towing a trailer.................................................... 9-16
Towing load/specification chart ...................... 9-16
Towing safety....................................................... 9-17
Traction control system (TCS)............................... 5-22
Traction control system (TCS) off switch ........... 2-27
Trailer towing .............................................................. 9-16
Transceiver, HomeLink
Universal
Transceiver .................................................................. 2-39
Transmission
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) ................ 8-12
Driving with automatic transmission........ 5-6, 5-9
Driving with manual transmission .......... 5-7, 5-12
Transmission selector lever lock release ...... 5-12
Transmitter (See remote keyless entry system) ... 3-4
Traveling or registering your vehicle in another
country ......................................................................... 9-10
Trip computer ............................................................... 2-8
Trip odometer ............................................................... 2-9
Trunk
Interior trunk lid release .................................... 3-12
Secondary trunk lid release ............................. 3-13Turn signal switch ..................................................... 2-24
U
Underbody cleaning .................................................... 7-3
Uniform tire quality grading .................................... 9-21
Up-shift indicator (M/T models) ............................ 5-13
Up-shift indicator setting (rpm) (M/T models) ... 2-10
V
Vanity mirror light ...................................................... 2-38
Vehicle
Dimensions and weights ..................................... 9-9
Identification number (VIN)............................... 9-10
Loading information............................................ 9-14
Recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ................. 6-12
Security system ................................................... 2-17
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch ... 2-27
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) system ........ 5-22
Ventilated net seats..................................................... 1-6
Ventilators ...................................................................... 4-2
Volt meter ...................................................................... 2-7
W
Warning labels, Air bag warning labels .............. 1-20
Warning light
Air bag warning light .............................. 1-21, 2-14
Anti-lock brake warning light ........................... 2-11
Brake warning light ............................................ 2-12
Door open warning light ................................... 2-12
Low tire pressure warning light ...................... 2-13Warning lights ............................................................ 2-11
Warning, Hazard warning flasher switch ............ 2-25
Warning, Low tire pressure warning
system.................................................................... 5-3, 6-2
Warning, Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders ..................................................................... 2-11
Warranty, Emission control system warranty ..... 9-22
Washer switch
Rear window wiper and washer switch........ 2-21
Windshield wiper and washer switch ........... 2-20
Washing ......................................................................... 7-2
Waxing............................................................................ 7-3
Weights (See dimensions and weights) ............... 9-9
Wheel/tire size.............................................................. 9-9
Wheels and tires ....................................................... 8-30
Cleaning aluminum alloy wheels ....................... 7-4
Window washer fluid ............................................... 8-14
Window(s)
Automatic adjusting function ........................... 2-37
Cleaning................................................................... 7-3
Power windows................................................... 2-35
Windshield wiper and washer switch .................. 2-20
Wiper
Rear window wiper and washer switch........ 2-21
Windshield wiper and washer switch ........... 2-20
Wiper blades ....................................................... 8-19
X
Xenon headlights....................................................... 2-22


04.1.22/Z33-D/V5.0

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