2004 NISSAN ARMADA towing

cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cLoad the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half.
cCheck your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and
trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a
trailer to the vehicle.
cBe certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tips
In 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 perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cAvoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
cAvoid sharp turns or lane changes.
cAlways drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.cWhen backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
back slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing.
cAlways block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is
not recommended; however, if you must do
so, first block the wheels and apply the park-
ing brake, and then move the transmission
shift selector lever into the P (Park) position.
If you move the shift selector lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the wheels
and applying the parking brake, transmission
damage could occur.
cWhen going down a hill, shift into a lower gear
and use the engine braking effect. When go-
ing up a long grade, downshift the transmis-
sion to a lower gear and reduce speed to
reduce chances of engine overloading and/or
overheating. However, for long steep grades,
do not stay in 1st gear when driving above 35
MPH (56 km/h) or 2nd gear when driving
above 58 MPH (93 km/h) .
cIf the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioner
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented byopening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the HOT position.
cTrailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.
cAvoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
cFor the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
cHave your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
cWhen making a turn, your trailer wheels will
be 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.
cCrosswinds 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 sta-
bilize the vehicle. Never increase speed.
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cBe careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember, the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
cTo maintain engine braking efficiency and
electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
cAvoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
cIncrease your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually
cDo not use cruise control while towing a
trailer.
cSome states or provinces have specific
speed limits for vehicles that are towing trail-
ers. Obey the local speed limits.
cCheck your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
cWhen stopped in traffic for long periods of
time in hot weather, put the vehicle in the P
(Park) position.When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
earlier in this manual.
Tow mode
Tow mode should be used when pulling a heavy
trailer or hauling a heavy load. Press the tow button
to activate the tow mode. The tow indicator in the
instrument panel illuminates when the tow mode is
selected. Press the Tow button again to turn the
tow mode OFF. The Tow mode is automatically
cancelled when the key is turned OFF.
The Tow mode does the following:
cReduces transmissions shifts when pulling a
trailer or hauling a load.
cProvides similar shift feel to driver when the
vehicle is towing.
The Tow mode should be used when the vehicle
and trailer weight is at least 75% of the vehicle’s
GCWR. Tow mode is most useful in the following
driving conditions when towing a heavy trailer or
hauling a heavy load:
cRolling terrain.
cStop and go traffic.
cBusy parking lots.Driving the vehicle in the Tow mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not cause
any damage. However, fuel economy may be
reduced and the transmission/engine driving
characteristics may feel unusual.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
earlier in this manual.
FLAT TOWING
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
cFailure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
cWhenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
Technical and consumer information9-23
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cDO 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 lubrication.
cFor emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
Automatic Transmission
To 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.
WARNING
Do not use this vehicle for snowplowing.
Installing a snowplow may affect vehicle
handling. This may cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle and could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal injury.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 A
Treadwear
Treadwear 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 govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. However,
relative tire performance depends on actual driv-
ing conditions, and may vary significantly due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The 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.
SNOW PLOW UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
9-24Technical and consumer information
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Headlight and turn signal switch......2-25
Ignition switch................5-7
Power door lock switch...........3-4
Rear sonar system off switch.......2-31
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch....................2-24
Rear window wiper and washer
switches...................2-23
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch....................2-30
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-22
T
Tachometer....................2-5
Temperature gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge.....2-5
Theft (Nissan vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start..............2-21, 3-2, 5-8
Three-way catalyst................5-2
Tilting steering wheel..............3-16
Tire
Flat tire....................6-2
Spare tire...................6-3
Tire chains..................8-36
Tire placard.................9-11
Tire pressure................8-30
Tire rotation.................8-37
Types of tires................8-36
Uniform tire quality grading.........9-24
Wheels and tires..............8-30
Wheel/tire size................9-8
Tire pressure
Low tire pressure warning light......2-15
Top tether strap child restraint.........1-59Tow mode switch................2-31
Towing
2-wheel drive models............6-11
4-wheel drive models............6-12
Flat towing..................9-23
Tow truck towing..............6-10
Towing load/specification chart......9-17
Trailer towing................9-15
Transceiver
HomeLinkTUniversal Transceiver.....2-53
Transmission
Driving with automatic transmission.....5-9
Selector lever lock release.........5-13
Travel (See registering your vehicle in
another country).................9-9
Trip odometer...................2-4
Turn signal switch (See headlight and
turn signal switch)............2-25, 2-28
U
Uniform tire quality grading...........9-24
V
Vanity mirror...................3-18
Vehicle dimensions and weights........9-8
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch. . .2-30
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) system. . . .5-26
Vehicle identification...............9-9
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
(Chassis number).................9-9
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate. . . .9-9
Vehicle loading information...........9-12Vehicle recovery..............6-12, 7-2
Vehicle security system.............2-20
Vehicle security system
(Nissan vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start..............2-21, 3-2, 5-8
Ventilators....................4-11
Visors......................3-17
Voltmeter.....................2-7
W
Warning
4WD warning light.............2-15
Air bag warning light.........1-30, 2-16
Anti-lock brake warning light........2-13
Battery charge warning light........2-14
Brake warning light.............2-13
Door open warning light..........2-14
Hazard warning flasher switch.......2-28
Low fuel warning light...........2-15
Low tire pressure warning light......2-15
Low washer fluid warning light.......2-16
Passenger air bag and status light.....1-24
Seat belt warning light...........2-15
Vehicle security system...........2-20
Warning labels (for SRS)..........1-30
Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders..................2-12
Warning lights..................2-12
Washer switch
Rear window wiper and washer
switches...................2-23
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-22
Weights (See dimensions and weights). . . .9-8
Wheels and tires................8-30
10-6
ZREVIEW COPY:Ð2004 Pathfinder Armada
(wzw)
Owners Manual(owners)ÐUSA English(nna)
01/21/04Ðtbrooks
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