Before driving a loaded vehicle, confirm
that you do not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for your
vehicle. See “Measurement of Weights”
later in this section.
Also check tires for proper inflation pres-
sures. See the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion label.LOADING TIPSThe GVW must not exceed GVWR or
GAWR as specified on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification la-
bel.
Do not load the front and rear axle to
the GAWR. Doing so will exceed the
GVWR.
WARNING
Properly secure all cargo with
ropes or straps to help prevent
it from sliding or shifting. Donot place cargo higher than the
seatbacks. In a sudden stop or
collision, unsecured cargo
could cause personal injury.
Do not load your vehicle any
heavier than the GVWR or the
maximum front and rear
GAWRs. If you do, parts of your
vehicle can break, tire damage
could occur, or it can change
the way your vehicle handles.
This could result in loss of con-
trol and cause personal injury.
Overloading not only could
shorten the life of your vehicle
and the tire, but can also cause
unsafe vehicle handling and
long braking distances. This
may cause a premature tire fail-
ure, which could result in a se-
rious accident and personal in-
jury. Failures caused by over
loading are not covered by thevehicle’s warranty.
MEASUREMENT OF WEIGHTSSecure loose items to prevent weight
shifts that could affect the balance of
your vehicle. When the vehicle is loaded,
drive to a scale and weigh the front and
the rear wheels separately to determine
axle loads. Individual axle loads should
not exceed either of the gross axle weight
ratings (GAWR). The total of the axle
loads should not exceed the gross ve-
hicle weight rating (GVWR). These rat-
ings are given on the vehicle certification
label. If weight ratings are exceeded,
move or remove items to bring all weights
below the ratings.
9-16
Technical and consumer information
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
Roadster model:
Do not tow a trailer with your vehicle.
Coupe model:
Your new vehicle was designed to be used
primarily to carry passengers and cargo. Re-
member that towing a trailer places additional
loads on your vehicle’s engine, drive train, steer-
ing, braking and other systems.
A NISSAN Towing Guide (U.S. only) is available
on the website at www.nissanusa.com. This
guide includes information on trailer towing ca-
pability and the special equipment required for
proper towing.
WARNING
Overloading or improper loading of a
trailer and its cargo can adversely affect
vehicle handling, braking and perfor-
mance and may lead to accidents.
CAUTION
Do not tow a trailer or haul a heavy
load for the first 500 miles (800 km).Your engine, axle or other parts
could be damaged.
For the first 500 miles (800 km) that
you tow a trailer, do not drive over 50
mph (80 km/h) and do not make
starts at full throttle. This helps the
engine and other parts of your ve-
hicle wear in at the heavier loads.
MAXIMUM LOAD LIMITS
Maximum trailer loadsNever allow the total trailer load to exceed 1,000
lb(454 kg). The total trailer load equals trailer
weight plus its cargo weight. Towing loads
greater than 1,000 lb(454 kg) or using improper
towing equipment could adversely affect vehicle
handling, braking and performance.
The ability of a vehicle to tow a trailer is not only
related to the maximum trailer loads, but also the
places you plan to tow. Tow weights appropriate
for level highway driving may have to be reduced
on very steep grades or in low traction situations
(for example, on slippery boat ramps).
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from im-
proper towing procedures are not cov-
ered by NISSAN warranties.
TOWING A TRAILER
Technical and consumer information
9-17
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
the proper equipment and to have it
installed.
Trailer 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 tipsBe certain a 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 condition;
check for improper tongue load, overload,
worn suspension or other possible causes of
these conditions.Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shifts while driving.
Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half.
Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, vehicle
tire pressure, trailer light operation, and trailer
wheel lug nuts every time you attach a trailer
to the vehicle.
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 a vehicle at a moderate speed.
Some states or provinces have specificspeed limits for vehicles that are towing
trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
When 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
up slowly. If possible, have someone guide
you when you are backing up.
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 a vehicle is equipped with automatic
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 going up 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
9-20
Technical and consumer information
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
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 TRANSMISSIONAlways 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.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
TreadwearThe treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics
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 this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking trac-
tion tests, and does not include accel-
eration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.Temperature A, B and CThe temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus-
tained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADING
9-22
Technical and consumer information
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, under-inflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combi-
nation, can cause heat build-up and
possible tire failure.Your NISSAN vehicle is covered by the following
emission warranties.
For US:
Emission Defects Warranty
Emissions Performance Warranty
(See Warranty Information Booklet for de-
tails.)
For Canada:
Emission Control System Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found with
other vehicle warranties in your Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet that comes with your NISSAN
vehicle. If you did not receive a Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet, or it has become lost, you may
obtain a replacement by writing to:
Nissan North America, Inc.
Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 685003
Franklin, TN 37068-5003
Nissan Canada Inc.
5290 Orbitor Drive
Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4Z5
If you believe that your vehicle has a
defect which could cause a crash or
could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying
NISSAN.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it
may open an investigation, and if it
finds that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in in-
dividual problems between you, your
dealer, or NISSAN.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the
Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free at
1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-
9153); go to http://www.safercar.gov;
or write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC
20590. You can also obtain other in-
formation about motor vehicle safety
from http://www.safercar.gov.
You may notify NISSAN by contacting
our Consumer Affairs Department, toll- EMISSIONCONTROL SYSTEM
WARRANTYREPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
(US only)Technical and consumer information
9-23
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
free, at 1-800-NISSAN-1 (1-800-647-
7261).
Due to legal requirements in some states/
areas, your vehicle may be required to be in what
is called the “ready condition” for an Inspection/
Maintenance (I/M) test of the emission control
system.
The vehicle is set to the “ready condition” when
it is driven through certain driving patterns.
Usually, the “ready condition” can be obtained
by ordinary usage of the vehicle.
If a powertrain system component is repaired or
the battery is disconnected, the vehicle may be
reset to a not “ready condition”. Before taking
the I/M test, check the vehicle’s inspection/
maintenance test readiness condition. Turn the
ignition switch ON without starting the engine. If
the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) comes on
steady for 20 seconds and then blinks for 10
seconds, the I/M test condition is “not ready”. If
the MIL does not blink after 20 seconds, the I/M
test condition is “ready”.
If the MIL indicates the vehicle is in a “not ready”
condition, drive the vehicle through the following
pattern to set the vehicle to the ready condition.
If you cannot or do not want to perform the
driving pattern, a NISSAN dealer can conduct it
for you.
WARNING
Always drive the vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner according to traffic
conditions and obey all traffic laws.
1. Start the engine. Allow the engine to idle until
the engine coolant temperature gauge needle
points between the C and H (normal operat-
ing temperature).
2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h),
then quickly release the accelerator pedal
completely and keep it released for at least
10 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for a
moment, then drive the vehicle at a speed of
53 to 60 MPH (86 to 96 km/h) for at least 9
minutes.
4. Stop the vehicle. Leave the engine running.
5. Accelerate the vehicle to 35 MPH (55 km/h)
and maintain the speed for 20 seconds.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 at least 10 times.
7. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h)
and maintain the speed for at least 3 minutes.
8. Stop the vehicle. Place the automatic trans-
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST (US
only)
9-24
Technical and consumer information
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
10 Index
A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ........................... 5-21
Advanced air bag system........................................ 1-35
Air bag system
Advanced air bag system ................................. 1-35
Front passenger air bag and status light ..... 1-36
Side and curtain (See supplemental side
air bag and curtain side-impact air bag
system) .................................................................. 1-39
Air bag warning labels ............................................. 1-42
Air bag warning light .................................... 1-43, 2-14
Air cleaner housing filter.......................................... 8-18
Air conditioner
Air conditioner operation ..................................... 4-9
Air conditioner service ............................. 4-9, 4-12
Air conditioner specification label .................. 9-11
Air conditioning system refrigerant and
lubricant recommendations ..................... 4-12, 9-6
Heater and air conditioner (automatic)............ 4-9
Alarm, How to stop alarm (see vehicle security
system) ......................................................................... 2-19
Alcohol, drugs and driving......................................... 5-6
Anchor point location, Top tether strap .............. 1-24
Antenna ........................................................................ 4-30
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ........................... 5-21
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning
light ............................................................................... 2-11Appearance care
Exterior appearance care .................................... 7-2
Interior appearance care ..................................... 7-5
Audible reminders ..................................................... 2-17
Audio operation precautions .................................. 4-14
Audio system .............................................................. 4-12
Steering wheel audio controls ........................ 4-29
Autochanger
Compact Disc (CD) ........................................... 4-26
Automatic
Anti-glare inside mirror ...................................... 3-26
Automatic adjusting function (front
windows)............................................................... 2-40
Automatic passenger seatback tilt
function......................................................... 1-5, 3-17
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) ................ 8-12
Driving with automatic transmission ..... 5-7, 5-10
Avoiding collision and rollover .................................. 5-5
B
Battery .......................................................................... 8-15
Battery saver system ......................................... 2-25
Keyfob.................................................................... 8-24
Before starting the engine ......................................... 5-9
Belts (See drive belts) ............................................. 8-16
Bluetooth
Hands-Free Phone System .............. 4-31
Booster seats ............................................................. 1-25Brake
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) .................... 5-21
Brake and clutch fluid ....................................... 8-13
Brake fluid............................................................. 8-13
Brake system ....................................................... 5-21
Parking brake operation .................................... 5-15
Warning light ....................................................... 2-12
Break-in schedule ..................................................... 5-18
Brightness control, Instrument panel ................... 2-26
Bulbcheck/instrument panel.................................. 2-11
Bulbreplacement ...................................................... 8-25
C
Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants...... 9-2
Car phone or CB radio............................................ 4-31
Cargo (See vehicle loading information)............. 2-33
Cargo net .................................................................... 2-33
Catalytic converter, Three way catalyst ................. 5-3
CD care and cleaning .............................................. 4-29
Child restraints ........................................................... 1-17
Booster seats ...................................................... 1-25
Installation on front passenger seat............... 1-20
Precautions on child restraints........................ 1-17
Top tether strap .................................................. 1-24
Top tether strap anchor point location ......... 1-24
Child safety ................................................................. 1-12
Chimes, Audible reminders..................................... 2-17
Circuit breaker, Fusible link .................................... 8-22
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
Cleaning exterior and interior .......................... 7-2, 7-5
Clock ............................................................................ 2-30
Clutch fluid.................................................................. 8-13
Coat hooks ................................................................. 2-38
Cold weather driving ................................................ 5-25
Command (See Bluetooth
Hands-Free
Phone System)........................................................... 4-37
Compact Disc (CD) changer (See audio
system) ......................................................................... 4-26
Compact Disc (CD) player (See audio
system) ......................................................................... 4-21
Compact spare tire ................................................... 8-38
Console box................................................................ 2-35
Control panel buttons (models with navigation
system) ........................................................................... 4-2
Controls
Control panel buttons (display with
navigation system) ................................................ 4-2
Heater and air conditioner controls
(automatic) .............................................................. 4-9
Steering wheel audio controls ........................ 4-29
Coolant
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants ................................................................. 9-2
Changing engine coolant .................................... 8-9
Checking engine coolant level........................... 8-8
Corrosion protection ................................................... 7-6
Cruise control............................................................. 5-16
Cup holders ................................................................ 2-33
Curtain side-impact air bag system ..................... 1-39
D
Daytime running light system ................................. 2-25Defroster switch, Rear window and outside
mirror defroster switch ............................................. 2-23
Dimensions and weights ............................................ 9-8
Display controls (See control panel buttons),
With navigation system .............................................. 4-2
Door open warning light .......................................... 2-12
Drive belts ................................................................... 8-16
Driving
Cold weather driving ......................................... 5-25
Driving with automatic transmission ..... 5-7, 5-10
Driving with manual transmission .......... 5-7, 5-13
Precautions when starting and driving ............ 5-2
E
Economy, Fuel............................................................ 5-18
Elapsed time ............................................................... 2-10
Emission control information label ........................ 9-10
Emission control system warranty......................... 9-23
Engine
Before starting the engine .................................. 5-9
Break-in schedule............................................... 5-18
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants ................................................................. 9-2
Changing engine coolant .................................... 8-9
Changing engine oil and filter ......................... 8-10
Checking engine coolant level........................... 8-8
Checking engine oil level .................................... 8-9
Coolant temperature gauge ............................... 2-5
Engine block heater ........................................... 5-26
Engine compartment check locations.............. 8-7
Engine cooling system ......................................... 8-8
Engine oil................................................................. 8-9
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation......... 9-5Engine oil viscosity ............................................... 9-5
Engine serial number ......................................... 9-10
Engine specifications ........................................... 9-7
If your vehicle overheats ...................................... 6-9
Oil pressure gauge ............................................... 2-7
Starting the engine ............................................... 5-9
Event data recorders ................................................ 9-25
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide).............................. 5-2
F
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label ............. 9-10
Filter, Air cleaner housing filter .............................. 8-18
Filter, Changing engine oil and filter .................... 8-10
Flashers (See hazard warning flasher switch) ... 2-27
Flat tire............................................................................ 6-2
Flat towing .................................................................. 9-21
Floor mat cleaning ....................................................... 7-5
Fluid
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) ................ 8-12
Brake and clutch fluid ....................................... 8-13
Brake fluid............................................................. 8-13
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants ................................................................. 9-2
Engine coolant ....................................................... 8-8
Engine oil................................................................. 8-9
Power steering fluid ........................................... 8-12
Window washer fluid ......................................... 8-14
FM-AM radio with Compact Disc (CD)
player ............................................................................ 4-19
FM-AM-SAT radio with Compact Disc (CD)
changer ........................................................................ 4-23
Front manual seat adjustment .................................. 1-3
Front passenger air bag and status light ............ 1-36
07.2.9/Z33-D/V5.0
10-2