
Replacing wheels and tires
When replacing a tire, use the same size, tread
design, speed rating and load carrying capacity
as originally equipped. Recommended types and
sizes are shown in “Wheels and tires” in the
“Technical and consumer information” section of
this manual.
WARNING
●The use of tires other than those recom-
mended or the mixed use of tires of
different brands, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial) , or tread patterns
can adversely affect the ride, braking,
handling, VDC system, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance, tire chain
clearance, speedometer calibration,
headlight aim and bumper height.
Some of these effects may lead to acci-
dents and could result in serious per-
sonal injury.
●If your vehicle was originally equipped
with 4 tires that were the same size and
you are only replacing 2 of the 4 tires ,
install the new tires on the rear axle.
Placing new tires on the front axle may
cause loss of vehicle control in some
driving conditions and cause an acci-
dent and personal injury.●If the wheels are changed for any rea-
son, always replace with wheels which
have the same off-set dimension.
Wheels of a different off-set could
cause premature tire wear, degrade ve-
hicle handling characteristics, affect
the VDC system and/or interference
with the brake discs/drums. Such inter-
ference can lead to decreased braking
efficiency and/or early brake pad/shoe
wear. Refer to “Wheels and tires” in the
“Technical and consumer information”
section of this manual for wheel off-set
dimensions.
●When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, the TPMS will not function
and the low tire pressure warning light
will flash for approximately 1 minute.
The light will remain on after 1 minute.
Contact your NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/or
system resetting.
●Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by NISSAN could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.●Do not install a damaged or deformed
wheel or tire even if it has been re-
paired. Such wheels or tires could have
structural damage and could fail with-
out warning.
●The use of retread tires is not
recommended.
●For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety In-
formation” (US) or “Tire Safety Informa-
tion” (Canada) in the Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet.
Wheel balance
Unbalanced wheels may affect vehicle handling
and tire life. Even with regular use, wheels can get
out of balance. Therefore, they should be bal-
anced as required.
Wheel balance service should be per-
formed with the wheels off the vehicle.
Spin balancing the wheels on the vehicle
could lead to mechanical damage.
●For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty In-
formation Booklet.
8-40Maintenance and do-it-yourself
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks

WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel type Size Offset in (mm)
Steel 15 x 6.5JJ 1.77 (45)
Aluminum and steel 16 x 6.5JJ 1.77 (45)
Aluminum 17 x 7.0JJ 1.97 (50)
Tire size P205/60R15
P205/55R16
P225/45R17
Spare tire T125/70D16
T135/70D17
Technical and consumer information9-9
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks

You may add Class I trailer hitch equipment that
has a 2,000 lb (909 kg) maximum weight rating to
the vehicle, but your vehicle is only capable of
towing the maximum trailer weights shown in the
Towing Load/Specification Chart earlier in this
section.
CAUTION
●Do not use axle-mounted hitches.
●The hitch should not be attached to or
affect the operation of the impact-
absorbing bumper.
●Do not modify the vehicle exhaust sys-
tem, brake system, etc. to install a
trailer hitch.
●To reduce the possibility of additional
damage if your vehicle is struck from
the rear, where practical, remove the
receiver when not in use.
●After the hitch is removed, seal the bolt
holes to prevent exhaust fumes, water
or dust from entering the passenger
compartment.
●Regularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely mounted.
Tire pressures
●When towing a trailer, inflate the ve-
hicle tires to the recommended cold
tire pressure indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
●Trailer tire condition, size, load rating
and proper inflation pressure should
be in accordance with the trailer and
tire manufacturer’s specifications.
Safety chains
Always use suitable safety chains between your
vehicle and the trailer. The safety chains 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 chains to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical
system, a commercially available power-
type module/converter must be used to
provide power for all trailer lighting. This
unit uses the vehicle battery as a direct
power source for all trailer lights while
using the vehicle tail light, stoplight and
turn signal circuits as a signal source. The
module/converter must draw no more
that 15 milliamps from the stop and tail
lamp circuits. Using a module/converter
that exceeds these power requirements
may damage the vehicle’s electrical sys-
tem. See a reputable trailer dealer to ob-
tain the proper equipment and to have it
installed.
Trailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. For assistance in hooking up
trailer lights, contact a NISSAN dealer or repu-
table trailer dealer.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed.
9-22Technical and consumer information
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks

WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used. However, most
states require a separate braking system
on trailers with a loaded weight above a
specific amount. Make sure the trailer
meets the local regulations and the regu-
lations where you plan to tow.
Several types of braking systems are
available.
Surge Brakes - The surge brake actuator
is mounted on the trailer tongue with a
hydraulic line running to each trailer
wheel. Surge brakes are activated by the
trailer pushing against the hitch ball when
the tow vehicle is braking. Hydraulic surge
brakes are common on rental trailers and
some boat trailers. In this type of system,
there is no hydraulic or electric connec-
tion for brake operation between the tow
vehicle and the trailer.Electric Trailer Brakes - Electric braking
systems are activated by an electronic sig-
nal sent from a trailer brake controller
(special brake-sensing module) . If electric
trailer brakes are used, seeElectric trailer
brake controllerin this section.
Have a professional supplier of towing
equipment make sure the trailer brakes
are properly installed and demonstrate
proper brake function testing.
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 abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition; check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition.
●Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
●Keep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
●Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.●Check 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.
●Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
●Determine the overall height of the vehicle
and trailer so the required clearance is
known.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.
●Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
●Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadvert-
ently becoming unlatched.
●Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
●Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
Technical and consumer information9-23
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks

Supplemental air bag warning labels.....1-55
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-55, 2-13
Supplemental front impact air bag system. . .1-47
Supplemental restraint system
Information and warning labels.......1-55
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system....................1-40
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system).........1-40
Supplemental side and curtain side-impact
air bag system..................1-52
Switch
Automatic power window switch.....2-33
Foglightswitch...............2-22
Hazard warning flasher switch.......2-22
Headlight and turn signal switch......2-20
Headlightcontrolswitch..........2-20
Ignition switch................5-7
Power door lock switch...........3-5
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch....................2-19
Turn signal switch..............2-22
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-18
T
Tachometer....................2-4
Temperature gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge.....2-6
Theft (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system) ,
enginestart.............2-17,3-2,5-10
Three-way catalyst................5-2
Tilting steering wheel..............3-26
Tire
Flat tire....................6-2Spare tire................6-3,8-41
Tire and Loading Information label.....9-13
Tire chains..................8-38
Tireplacard.................9-13
Tire pressure................8-31
Tirerotation.................8-38
Types of tires................8-37
Uniform tire quality grading.........9-26
Wheels and tires..............8-31
Wheel/tire size................9-9
Tire pressure
Low tire pressure warning light......2-11
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) . . .5-3
Top tether strap child restraint.........1-23
Towing
Flattowing..................9-25
Towtrucktowing..............6-11
Towing load/specification.........9-21
Trailer towing................9-18
Transmission
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid .....................8-13
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT).............5-12
Driving with manual transmission.....5-17
Selector lever lock release.........5-15
Travel (See registering your vehicle in another
country).....................9-11
Tripbutton ....................4-3
Trip odometer...................2-4
Triptime......................4-5
Trunk access through the rear seat....1-4,1-5
Trunk lid lock opener lever...........3-23
Trunklight....................2-39
Turn signal switch................2-22U
Uniform tire quality grading...........9-26
V
Vanity mirror...................3-26
Vehicle dimensions and weights........9-10
Vehicle identification..............9-11
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
(Chassis number)................9-11
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate . . .9-11
Vehicle loading information...........9-14
Vehicle recovery.............6-12,6-13
Vehicle security system.............2-16
Vehicle security system
(NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start.............2-17,3-2,5-10
Ventilators.....................4-7
W
Warning
Airbagwarninglight.........1-55,2-13
Anti-lock brake warning light........2-9
Battery charge warning light........2-10
Brake warning light..............2-9
Door open warning light..........2-10
Engine oil pressure warning light.....2-10
Hazard warning flasher switch.......2-22
Lowfuelwarninglight ...........2-10
Low tire pressure warning light......2-11
Low washer fluid warning light.......2-12
10-6
REVIEW COPY—2009 Sentra(sen)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
10/27/08—tbrooks