2004 NISSAN PATHFINDER warning

Shift lock releaseIf the battery charge is low, the select lever may
not be moved from the P position even with the
brake pedal depressed and the select lever
button pushed.
To move the select lever, remove the shift lock
cover using a flat-bladed screwdriver, and push
the shift lock release button and select lever
button with the parking brake securely applied
and the brake pedal firmly depressed. The select
lever can be moved to N (Neutral).
To push the shift lock release button, follow the
procedure as illustrated.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P (Park) have
your NISSAN dealer check the automatic trans-
mission system as soon as possible.
WARNING
If the selector lever cannot be moved
from the P position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is de-
pressed, the stop lights may not work.
Malfunctioning stop lights could cause
an accident injuring yourself and others.
Accelerator downshift
— In D position —For rapid passing or hill climbing, fully depress
the accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into second gear or first gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
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MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Shifting
WARNING

Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.

Do not over-rev the engine when
shifting to a lower gear. This may
cause a loss of control or enginedamage.
To change gears, or when up shifting or down
shifting, depress the clutch pedal fully, shift into
the appropriate gear, then release the clutch
slowly and smoothly.
To ensure smooth gear changes, fully depress
the clutch pedal before operating the shift lever.
If the clutch pedal is not fully depressed before
the transmission is shifted, a gear noise may be
heard. Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and shift to 2nd, 3rd
and 4th up to 5th gear in sequence according to
the vehicle speed.
You cannot shift directly from 5th gear into
Reverse. First shift into the Neutral position, then
into Reverse.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into Reverse
or 1st, shift to Neutral, then release the clutch
pedal. Fully depress the clutch pedal again and
shift into Reverse or 1st. If your vehicle is
equipped with four wheel drive, see “Using four
wheel drive” later in this section.
Suggested up-shift speedsThe table below provides suggested speed
ranges for shifting into a higher gear. These
suggestions relate to fuel economy and vehicle
performance. Actual shift ranges should be ad-
justed for specific road conditions, weather con-
ditions and individual driving habits.
Two wheel drive models and four wheel drive
models (2H and 4H position)
MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)

Four wheel drive model (4L position)
MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 8 (13)
2nd to 3rd 12 (20)
3rd to 4th 20 (32)
4th to 5th 22 (36)
Suggested maximum speed in each
gearDownshift to a lower gear if the engine is not
running smoothly, or if you need to accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested speed
(shown below) in any gear. For level road driving,
use the highest gear suggested for that speed.
Always observe posted speed limits, and drive
according to the road conditions which will
ensure safe operation. Do not overrev the engine
when shifting to a lower gear as it may cause
engine damage or loss of vehicle control.
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4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning
light goes out.
WARNING

Be sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving. Failure to do
so can cause brake failure and lead
to an accident.

Do not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.

Do not use the gear shift in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully en-
gaged.

Do not leave children unattended in a
vehicle. They could release the park-
ing brake and cause an accident.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when driv-
ing under the following conditions:

when it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed.

in heavy traffic or in traffic that varies
in speed.

on winding or hilly roads.

on slippery roads (rain, snow, ice,
etc.)

in very windy areas.
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle
control and result in an accident.
CAUTION
On manual transmission models, do not
shift into N(Neutral) without depressing
the clutch pedal when the cruise control
is set. Should this occur, depress the
clutch pedal and turn the main switchoff immediately. Failure to do so may
cause engine damage.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE
CONTROL
If the engine coolant temperature becomes
excessively high, the cruise control system
will automatically be canceled.

If the cruise control system malfunctions, it
cancels automatically. The SET indicator light
in the instrument panel then blinks to warn
the driver.

If the SET indicator light blinks, turn the
cruise control main switch off and have the
system checked by your NISSAN dealer.

The SET indicator light may blink when the
cruise control main switch is turned on while
pushing the RES/ACCEL, COAST/
SET, or CANCEL switch (located on the
steering wheel). To properly set the cruise
control system, perform the preceding steps
in the order indicated.
CRUISE CONTROL (if so
equipped)
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leave the windows closed to reduce drag.

Use 4H or 4L position only when necessary.
Four wheel drive operation lowers fuel
economy.
2H— (2WD, high range) Only the rear wheels
are driven. Use for driving under the same
conditions as standard 2WD vehicle, or state
dynamometer I/M testing.
4H— (4WD, high range) Four wheels are driven.
Use when driving on roads where it is difficult to
drive in the 2H position (i.e., driving at normal
speeds on snow covered, icy, wet, muddy or
sandy roads).
The 4H position provides greater power
and traction. Avoid excessive speed, as it
will cause increased fuel consumption and
higher oil temperature, and could damage
drivetrain components. Speeds over 50MPH (80 km/h) in 4H are not recom-
mended.
4L— (4WD, low range) Four wheels are driven.
Use when climbing or descending steep hills, or
during driving in sand, mud or deep snow.The
4L position provides maximum power and
traction. Avoid raising vehicle speed exces-
sively, as the maximum recommended
speed is approximately 30 MPH (50 km/h).
N— No wheels are driven. Always keep the
transfer lever out of the N position. Shift the lever
quickly and smoothly when moving across the N
position with the vehicle stopped.
WARNING

When parking the vehicle, apply the
parking brake and shift the transfer
control lever in the 2H, 4H or 4L
position.

Do not leave the transfer control le-
ver in the Nposition. Otherwise, the
vehicle could roll unexpectedly even
if the manual transmission is in any
gear or the automatic transmission in
the P position. If the ATP light is on,
this indicates that the automatic
SSD0128
USING PART TIME FOUR WHEEL
DRIVE (4WD)
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CAUTION

Do not drive the vehicle in the 4H or
4LO position on dry hard surface
roads. Driving on dry hard surface
roads in 4H or 4L may cause unnec-
essary noise, tire wear and increased
fuel consumption.
If the 4WD warning light turns on
when you are driving on dry hard
surface roads

in the AUTO or 4H position, shift
the 4WD shift switch to 2WD.

in the 4LO position, stop the ve-
hicle, move the automatic trans-
mission lever to the Nposition,
and shift the 4WD shift switch to
2WD.
Have your vehicle checked by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.
TRANSFER CASE SHIFTING
PROCEDURESAll mode 4WD system provides 4 positions
(AUTO, 2WD, 4H and 4LO), so you can select
the desired drive mode according to the driving
conditions.
2WD or 4WD shift procedure
USING ALL-MODE FOUR WHEEL
DRIVE (4WD)
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*1:
The transfer 4LO position indicator light
may blink. Stop the vehicle. Be sure to
shift the 4WD shift switch after the auto-
matic transmission lever has been shifted
to the N position. If the indicator light
keeps blinking after the 4WD shift proce-
dure in the previous page, drive slowly
without abrupt maneuvers for a while.
Then the light will turn on or off.

Avoid making a turn or abrupt starts while
shifting to 4LO. Otherwise gears may
grind, damaging the drive system.
*2: Make sure the transfer 4LO position indicator
light turns on when you shift the 4WD shift
switch to 4LO.
The transfer case 4WD shift switch is used to
select either 2WD or 4WD depending on the
driving conditions. There are four types of drive
modes available, AUTO, 2WD, 4H and 4LO.
The 4WD shift switch electronically controls the
transfer case operation. Rotate the switch to
move between each mode, 2WD, AUTO, 4H
and 4LO.
You must push the switch in to select 4LO,
and the vehicle MUST be stationary and
the automatic transmission selector lever
is in the Nposition when changing into or
out of 4LO.
WARNING
When parking, apply the parking brake
before stopping the engine and make
sure that the 4WD shift indicator light is
on and the ATP warning light goes off.
Otherwise, the vehicle could unexpect-
edly move even if the automatic trans-
mission is in the P position.
CAUTION

Never shift the 4WD shift switch be-
tween 4LO and 4H while driving.

The 4H position provides greater
power and traction. Avoid excessive
speed, as it will cause increased fuel
consumption and higher oil tempera-
ture, and could damage drivetrain
components. Speeds over 50 MPH
(80 km/h) in 4H are not recom-
mended.

The 4LO position provides maximum
power and traction. Avoid raising ve-hicle speed excessively, as the maxi-
mum speed is approximately 30 MPH
(50 km/h).

When driving straight, shift the 4WD
shift switch to the 2WD, AUTO or 4H
position. Do not move the 4WD shift
switch when making a turn or revers-
ing.

Do not shift the 4WD shift switch
(between 2WD, AUTO and 4H) while
driving on steep downhill grades. Use
the engine brake.

Do not operate the 4WD shift switch
(between 2WD, AUTO and 4H) with
the rear wheels spinning.

Do not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4H or 4LO position. Driv-
ing on dry hard surfaces in 4H or 4LO
may cause unnecessary noise and
tire wear. We recommend driving in
the 2WD or AUTO position under
these conditions.

Vehicles equipped with a limited slip
differential (LSD) have improved driv-
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come on immediately, make sure the
area around the vehicle is safe, and
drive the vehicle straight, accelerate or
decelerate or move the vehicle in re-
verse, then shift the 4WD shift switch.

If the 4WD warning light comes on, the 4WD
shift indicator light goes out.
CAUTION

When the 4WD shift switch is turned
to the AUTO position at low ambient
temperatures, the 4WD shift indicator
light may show 4H. If this happens,
all four wheels are driven as torque
distribution is in the 4H position. Be
careful as the vehicle may become
difficult to turn. When the vehicle is
driven, the 4WD shift indicator light
should change to AUTO.

If the 4WD shift indicator light indica-
tion changes to 2WD when the 4WD
shift switch is shifted to the AUTO or
4H position at low ambient tempera-
tures, the 2WD mode may be being
engaged due to malfunctioning drivesystem. If the indicator does not re-
turn to normal and the 4WD warning
light comes on, have the system
checked by the nearest NISSAN
dealer.
4WD warning lightThe 4WD warning light is located in the meter.
The 4WD warning light comes on when the key
switch is turned to ON. It turns off soon after the
engine is started.
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If any malfunction occurs in the 4WD system
when the key switch is ON, the warning light will
either remain illuminated or blink.
If the 4WD warning light comes on, the 4WD
indicator light goes out.
High-temperature transfer case oil makes the
warning light blink rapidly (about twice per sec-
ond). If the warning light blinks rapidly during
operation, stop the vehicle in a safe place imme-
diately. Then if the light goes off after a while, you
can continue driving.
A large difference between the diameters of
front and rear wheels will make the warning light
blink slowly (about once per two seconds).
Change the 4WD shift switch into 2WD and do
not drive fast.
CAUTION

If the warning light comes on or
blinks slowly during operation or rap-
idly after stopping the vehicle for a
while, have your vehicle checked by
an authorized NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible.

Shifting between 4H and 4LO is notrecommended when the 4WD warn-
ing light turns on.

When the warning light comes on,
the 2WD mode may be engaged even
if the 4WD shift switch is in AUTO or
4H. Be especially careful when driv-
ing. If corresponding parts are mal-
functioning, the 4WD mode will not
be engaged even if the 4WD shift
switch is shifted.

Do not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4H or 4LO position. Driv-
ing on dry hard surface roads in 4H or
4L may cause unnecessary noise, tire
wear and increased fuel consump-
tion.
If the 4WD warning light turns on
when you are driving on dry hard
surface roads

in the AUTO or 4H position, shift
the 4WD shift switch to 2WD.

in the 4LO position, stop the ve-
hicle, move the automatic trans-
mission lever to the Nposition,and shift the 4WD shift switch to
2WD.

If the warning light is still on after the
above operation, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized NISSAN
dealer as soon as possible.

The transfer case may be damaged if
you continue driving with the warning
light blinking rapidly.
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