
WARNING
cPositioning of the heating or air condi-
tioning controls and display controls
should not be done while driving in or-
der that full attention may be given to
the driving operation.
cDo not disassemble or modify this sys-
tem. If you do, it may result in accidents,
fire, or electrical shock.
cDo not use this system if you notice any
abnormality, such as a frozen screen or
lack of sound. Continued use of the
system may result in accident, fire or
electric shock.
cIn case you notice any foreign object in
the system hardware, spill liquid on it,
or notice smoke or smell coming from
it, stop using the system immediately
and contact your nearest NISSAN
dealer. Ignoring such conditions may
lead to accidents, fire or electrical
shock.
When you use this system, make sure the engine
is running.
If you use the system with the engine not
running (ignition ON or ACC) for a long
time, it will use up all the battery power,
and the engine will not start.Reference symbols:
“ENTER”button — This is a button on the con-
trol panel.
LHA0458
CONTROL PANEL BUTTONS (if so
equipped)
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RADIO
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position
and press the PWR (power)/VOL (volume) knob
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.
SATELLITE RADIO RECEPTION (if so
equipped)
When the satellite radio is first installed or the
battery has been replaced, the satellite radio may
not work properly. This is not a malfunction. Wait
more than 10 minutes with satellite radio ON and
AUDIO SYSTEM
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Station memory operation
Each preset mode (A, B or C) has 6 presets,
capable of storing any combination of AM, FM,
SAT (if so equipped ) and FM RDS stations.
Press the PRESET ABC button to change be-
tween the presets:
A!B!C
The radio displays icon A, B or C to indicate
which set of presets is active.
To store a radio station in a preset:
1. Select the desired preset by pressing PRE-
SET ABC.
2. Select the desired AM, FM or SAT (if so
equipped) station band.
3. Tune to the desired station.
4. Press the desired station select button
(>1.5 seconds) .
5. A beep will sound indicating memorization is
complete.
6. Other station select buttons can be set in
the same manner.
If the battery cable is disconnected, or if the radio
fuse opens, the radio memory is canceled. In that
case, reset the desired stations.Preset Scan
Pressing the Preset Scan button (<1.5 seconds)
scans the permanent preset memory that is se-
lected (A, B or C) from1-6for5seconds.
All Preset Scan
Pressing the Preset Scan button (>1.5 seconds)
scans all the permanent preset memory banks (A,
BandC)from1-6for5seconds.
Canceling Preset Scan mode
Pressing the Preset Scan (P.SCAN) button again
will cancel the Preset Scan mode.
Speed Sensitive Control Volume (SSV) (if
so equipped)
Your vehicle has Speed Sensitive Control Vol-
ume (SSV) for audio. The audio volume changes
as the driving speed changes.
Press the AUDIO button until the display shows
“SSV”.Press TUNE/FF-REV (
or)
to change between:
Off!Low!Mid!High
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.
FF (Fast Forward) , REW
(Rewind) buttons
When the TUNE/FF-REV (
or) but-
ton is pressed while the compact disc is playing,
the compact disc plays at an increased speed
while fast forwarding or rewinding. When the
button is released, the compact disc returns to
normal play speed.
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The FM stereo indicator ST will glow during FM
stereo reception. When the stereo broadcast
signal is weak, the radio will automatically change
from stereo to monaural reception.
TUNE/FF—REV
WARNING
The radio should not be tuned while driv-
ing so full attention may be given to ve-
hicle operation.
Use the
andbuttons for manual
tuning. To move quickly through the channels,
hold the tuning buttons down.
SEEK tuning
Push SEEK/TRACK (
or) . SEEK
tuning begins from low to high frequencies or
high to low frequencies, depending on which
button is pressed, and stops at the next broad-
casting station. If using the up button, once the
highest broadcasting station is reached, the ra-
dio continues in the SEEK mode at the lowest
broadcasting station. If using the down button,
once the lowest broadcasting station is reached,
the radio continues in the SEEK mode at the
highest broadcasting station.SCAN tuning
Push the SCAN button. SCAN illuminates in the
display window. SCAN tuning begins from low to
high frequencies. SCAN tuning stops for 5 sec-
onds at each broadcasting station that has suffi-
cient signal strength. When scanning, SCAN
blinks in the display. Pushing the SCAN button
again during this 5 second period stops SCAN
tuning and the radio remains tuned to that station.
Station memory operation
Each preset mode (A, B or C) has 6 presets,
capable of storing any combination of AM, FM,
SAT (if so equipped ) and FM RDS stations.
Press the PRESET ABC button to change be-
tween the presets:
A!B!C
The radio displays icon A, B or C to indicate
which set of presets is active.
To store a radio station in a preset:
1. Select the desired preset by pressing PRE-
SET ABC.
2. Select the desired AM, FM or SAT (if so
equipped) station band.
3. Tune to the desired station.4. Press the desired station select button
(>1.5 seconds) .
5. A beep will sound indicating memorization is
complete.
6. Other station select buttons can be set in
the same manner.
If the battery cable is disconnected, or if the radio
fuse opens, the radio memory is canceled. In that
case, reset the desired stations.
Radio data system (RDS):
RDS stands for Radio Data System, and is a data
information service transmitted by some radio
stations on the FM band (not AM band) and/or
SAT radio encoded within a regular radio broad-
cast. Currently, most RDS stations are in large
cities, but many stations are now considering
broadcasting RDS data.
RDS can display:
cStation call sign, such as “WHFR 98.3”.
cStation name, such as “The Groove”.
cMusic or programming type such as “Clas-
sical”, “Country”, or “Rock”.
If the station broadcasts RDS information, the
RDS icon is displayed.
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satellite radio service subscription is active. Sat-
ellite radio is not available in Alaska, Hawaii and
Guam.
If a compact disc is playing when the FM, AM or
SAT radio select button is pushed, the compact
disc will automatically be turned off and the last
radio station played will come on.
The FM stereo indicator ST will glow during FM
stereo reception. When the stereo broadcast
signal is weak, the radio will automatically change
from stereo to monaural reception.
TUNE (Tuning):
WARNING
The radio should not be tuned while driv-
ing so full attention may be given to ve-
hicle operation.
To manually tune the radio, push the TUNE button
(
or) or turn the tuning knob to right
or left.
To move quickly through the channels, hold either
the
orbutton down for more than
1.5 seconds.
SEEK tuning:
Push the SEEK/TRACK button (
or)
for less than 1.5 seconds to tune from high to low
or low to high frequencies and stop at the next
broadcasting station.
SCAN tuning
Push the SCAN button. SCAN illuminates in the
display window. SCAN tuning begins from low to
high frequencies. SCAN tuning stops for 5 sec-
onds at each broadcasting station that has suffi-
cient signal strength. When scanning, SCAN
blinks in the display. Pushing the SCAN button
again during this 5 second period stops SCAN
tuning and the radio remains tuned to that station.
Station memory operations:
18 stations can be set for the FM, AM and SAT
(Satellite-if so equipped) radio to the A, B and C
preset button in any combination of FM, AM or
SAT stations.
1. Choose preset channel A, B or C using the
preset select button.
2. Select the desired FM, AM or SAT station
band.3. Tune to the desired station using manual,
SEEK or SCAN tuning. Push and hold any of
the desired station memory buttons (1 – 6)
until a beep sound is heard.
4. The channel indicator will then come on and
the sound will resume. Memorizing is now
complete.
5. Other buttons can be set in the same man-
ner.
If the battery cable is disconnected, or if the fuse
blows, the radio memory will be canceled. In that
case, reset the desired stations.
Radio data system (RDS):
RDS stands for Radio Data System, and is a data
information service transmitted by some radio
stations on the FM band (not AM band) and/or
SAT radio encoded within a regular SAT broad-
cast. Currently, most RDS stations are in large
cities, but many stations are now considering
broadcasting RDS data.
RDS can display:
cStation call sign, such as “WHFR 98.3”.
cStation name, such as “The Groove”.
cMusic or programming type such as “Clas-
sical”, “Country” or “Rock”.
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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
Avoiding collision and rollover....................5-3
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving................5-3
Ignition switch.....................................5-4
Automatic transmission..........................5-4
Manual transmission............................5-5
Key positions..................................5-5
Nissan vehicle immobilizer system................5-5
Before starting the engine..........................5-6
Starting the engine................................5-6
Driving the vehicle.................................5-7
Automatic transmission (if so equipped)...........5-7
Manual transmission...........................5-11
Parking brake....................................5-14
Cruise control (if so equipped).....................5-14
Precautions on cruise control...................5-14
Cruise control operations.......................5-15Break-in schedule................................5-16
Increasing fuel economy...........................5-16
Parking/parking on hills............................5-17
Power steering...................................5-18
Brake system....................................5-18
Brake precautions.............................5-18
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) (if so
equipped)....................................5-19
Traction control system (TCS) (if so equipped).......5-20
Cold weather driving..............................5-21
Freeing a frozen door lock......................5-21
Anti-freeze....................................5-21
Battery.......................................5-21
Draining of coolant water.......................5-22
Tire equipment................................5-22
Special winter equipment.......................5-22
Driving on snow or ice.........................5-23
Engine block heater (if so equipped).............5-23
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5 (Fifth):
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
4 (Fourth):
For driving up or down long slopes where engine
braking would be advantageous.
3 (Third) and 2 (Second):
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on downhill
grades.
M1 (First):
Use this position when climbing steep hills slowly
or driving slowly through deep snow, sand or
mud, or for maximum engine braking on steep
downhill grades.
cRemember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than 4
range. This reduces fuel economy.
When shifting up:
Move the selector lever to the + (up) side. (Shifts
to higher range.)
When shifting down:
Move the selector lever to the2(down) side.
(Shifts to lower range.)cThe transmission will automatically down-
shift the gears. (For example, if you select the
3rd range, the transmission will shift down
between the 3rd and 1st gears.)
cMoving the selector lever rapidly to the same
side twice will shift the ranges in succession.
When canceling the manual shift mode:
Return the selector lever to the D position to
return the transmission to the normal driving
mode.
cIn the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear.
This helps maintain driving perfor-
mance and reduces the chance of ve-
hicle damage or loss of control.
cIn the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may shift up automatically to a
higher range than selected if the en-
gine speed is too high. When the ve-
hicle speed decreases, the transmis-
sion automatically shifts down and
shifts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
Shift lock release
If the battery is discharged, the shift selector lever
may not be moved from the P (Park) position even
with the brake pedal depressed.
To move the shift selector lever, release the shift
lock. The shift selector lever can be moved to N
(Neutral) . However, the steering wheel will be
locked unless the ignition switch is turned to the
ON position. This allows the vehicle to be moved
if the battery is discharged.
Type A
LSD0024
5-10Starting and driving
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WARNING
cThe traction control system is designed
to help improve driving stability but
does not prevent accidents due to
abrupt steering operation at high
speeds or by careless or dangerous
driving techniques. Reduce vehicle
speed and be especially careful when
driving and cornering on slippery sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
cIf brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not stan-
dard equipment or are extremely dete-
riorated, the traction control system
may not operate properly and the
indicator light may come on.
cDo not modify the vehicle’s suspension.
If suspension parts such as shock ab-
sorbers, struts, springs and bushings
are not standard equipment or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, the traction con-
trol system may not operate properly
and the
indicator light may come
on.cWhen driving on extremely inclined sur-
faces such as higher banked corners,
the traction control system may not op-
erate properly and the
indicator
light may come on. Do not drive on
these types of roads.
cIf wheels or tires other than the recom-
mended ones are used, the traction
control system may not operate prop-
erly and the
indicator light may
come on.
cThe traction control system is not a sub-
stitute for winter tires or tire chains on a
snow covered road.
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply de-
icer through the key hole. If the lock becomes
frozen, heat the key before inserting it into the key
hole or use the remote keyless entry keyfob (if so
equipped) .
ANTI-FREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the tem-
perature will drop below 32°F (0°C) , check the
anti-freeze to assure proper winter protection.
For details, see “Engine cooling system” in the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of this
manual.
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during extremely
cold weather conditions, the battery fluid may
freeze and damage the battery. To maintain maxi-
mum efficiency, the battery should be checked
regularly. For details, see “Battery” in the “Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section of this
manual.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
Starting and driving5-21
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