2010 INFINITI FX Owners Manual

●The diameter of the threaded shank of the
hitch ball must be matched to the ball mount
hole diameter. The hitch ball shank should
be no more than 1/16 smaller than the hole
in the ball mount.
● The threaded shank of the hitch ball must be
long enough to be properly secured to the
ball mount. There should be at least 2
threads showing beyond the lock washer
and nut.
Sway control device
Sudden maneuvers, wind gusts and buffeting
caused by other vehicles can affect trailer han-
dling. Sway control devices may be used to help
control these affects. If you choose to use one,
contact a reputable trailer hitch supplier to
make sure the sway control device will work
with the vehicle, hitch, trailer and the trailer’s
brake system. Follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer for installing and using the
sway control device.
Class I hitch
Class I trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow
trailers of a maximum weight of 2,000 lb
(907 kg).
Class II hitch
Class II trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow
trailers of a maximum weight of 3,500 lb
(1,588 kg).
CAUTION
● Special hitches which include frame rein-
forcements are required for towing above
2,000 lb (907 kg). Suitable genuine INFINITI
hitches for pickup trucks and sport utility
vehicles are available at an INFINITI retailer.
● The hitch should not be attached to or affect
the operation of the impact-absorbing
bumper.
● Do not use axle-mounted hitches.
● Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system,
brake system, etc. to install a trailer hitch.
● To reduce the possibility of additional dam-
age if your vehicle is struck from the rear,
where practical, remove the hitch and/or re-
ceiver when not in use. After the hitch is
removed, seal the bolt holes to prevent ex-
haust fumes, water or dust from entering the
passenger compartment.
● Regularly check that all trailer hitch mount-
ing 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 manufacturers’ specifications.
Safety chains
Always use a suitable chain between your ve-
hicle and the trailer. The safety chains should
be crossed and should be attached to the hitch,
not to the vehicle bumper or axle. The safety
chains can be attached to the bumper if the
hitch ball is mounted to the bumper. Be sure to
leave enough slack in the chains to permit
turning corners.
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Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical sys-
tem, 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 than 15 milliamps from the stop and tail
lamp circuits. Using a module/converter that
exceeds these power requirements may dam-
age the vehicle’s electrical system. See a repu-
table trailer retailer to obtain the proper equip-
ment and to have it installed.
Trailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. For assistance in hooking up
trailer lights, contact an INFINITI retailer or
reputable trailer retailer.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking sys-
tem, make sure it conforms to federal and/or
local regulations and that it is properly in-
stalled.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system directly to
the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
● Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded 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 turn-
ing, stopping and backing up in an area which
is free from traffic. Steering stability, and brak-
ing performance 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.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. Some states or provinces have spe-
cific speed 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
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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:
CAUTION
If you move the shift selector lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the wheels and
applying the parking brake, transmission dam-
age could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the down- hill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks
absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park).
6. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake. 5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer
are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks.
● 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
opening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the HOT position.
● Trailer towing requires more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances.
● Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km).
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
maintenance schedule in the INFINITI Service
and Maintenance Guide.
● When 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.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly
causing 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) re-
duce vehicle speed. This combination will
help stabilize the vehicle. Never increase
speed.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions
allow. This combination will help stabilize
the vehicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering orapplying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the brakes and pull to the side of the road
in a safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is balanced as described earlier in this sec-
tion.
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●Be 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.
● Down shift the transmission to a lower gear
for engine braking when driving down steep
or long hills. This will help slow the vehicle
without applying the brakes.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● Do not use cruise control while towing a
trailer.
● Some states or provinces have specific regu-
lations and speed limits for vehicles that are
towing trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
● Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When stopped in traffic for long periods of
time in hot weather, put the vehicle in the P
(Park) position. ●
When launching a boat, don’t allow the
water level to go over the exhaust tail pipe or
rear bumper.
● Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights
before backing the trailer into the water or
the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, the transmission fluid
should be changed more frequently. For addi-
tional information, see the “8. 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
● Failure to follow these guidelines can result
in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, always
tow forward, never backward.
● DO NOT tow any automatic transmission ve-
hicle with all four wheels on the ground (flat
towing). Doing so WILL DAMAGE internal
transmission parts due to lack of transmis-
sion lubrication. ●
DO NOT tow an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) ve-
hicle with any of the wheels on the ground.
Doing so may cause serious and expensive
damage to the powertrain.
● For emergency towing procedures refer to
“TOWING RECOMMENDED BY INFINITI” in the
“6. In case of emergency” section of this
manual.
Automatic transmission
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models :
Do not tow an AWD vehicle with any of the
wheels on the ground.
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models :
To tow a vehicle equipped with an automatic
transmission, an appropriate vehicle dolly
MUST be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels. Alwaysfollow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
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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
The 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 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 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 specifiedgovernment 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 traction tests, and
does not include acceleration, cornering, hy-
droplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
TEMPERATURE A, B AND C
The temperature grades 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.
Sustained high temperature can cause the ma-
terial 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 Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A rep-
resent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum re-
quired by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, under-inflation,
or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat build-up and pos-
sible tire failure.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
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Your INFINITI is covered by the following emis-
sion warranties.
For US:
●Emission Defects Warranty
● Emissions Performance Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found with
other vehicle warranties in your Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet that comes with your INFINITI. If
you did not receive a Warranty Information
Booklet, or it has become lost, you may obtain
a replacement by writing to:
● INFINITI Division
Nissan North America, Inc.
Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 685003
Franklin, TN 37068-5003 For Canada:
Emission Control System Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found with
other vehicle warranties in your Warranty and
Roadside Assistance Information that comes
with your INFINITI. If you did not receive a
Warranty and Roadside Assistance Information,
or it has become lost, you may obtain a replace-
ment by writing to:
●
Nissan Canada Inc.
5290 Orbitor Drive
Mississauga, Ontario,
L4W 4Z5If 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 INFINITI.
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 rem-
edy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual problems
between you, your retailer, or INFINITI.
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: Ad-
ministrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington DC 20590. You can
also obtain other information about mo-
tor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov.
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM WARRANTY REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS (US only)
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You may notify INFINITI by contacting our
Consumer Affairs Department, toll-free,
at 1-800-662-6200.A vehicle equipped with All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
should never be tested using a two wheel
dynamometer (such as the dynamometers used
by some states for emissions testing), or similar
equipment. Make sure you inform test facility
personnel that your vehicle is equipped with
AWD before it is placed on a dynamometer.
Using the wrong test equipment may result in
transmission damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.
Due to legal requirements in some states/ areas
or provinces, your vehicle may be required to be
in what is called the “ready condition” for an
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of the emis-
sion 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 condi-
tion. Push the ignition switch to the ON position
without starting the engine. If the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) comes on steady for 20
seconds and then blinks for 10 seconds, the I/Mtest 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, an INFINITI re-
tailer 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 operating temperature).
2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h), then quickly release the accelera-
tor 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 run- ning.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
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5. Accelerate the vehicle to 35 MPH (55km/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 transmission selector lever in the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position.
9. Turn the engine off.
10. Repeat steps 1 through 8 at least one more time.
If step 1 through 7 is interrupted, repeat the
preceding step. Any safe driving mode is ac-
ceptable between steps. Do not stop the engine
until step 7 is completed. This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is
to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an air bag deployment or
hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in
understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems
for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds
or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to
record such data as:
●
How various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
● Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
● How far (if at all) the driver was depressing
the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
● How fast the vehicle was traveling.
● Sounds are not recorded.
These data can help provide a better under-
standing of the circumstances in which crashes
and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle
only if a nontrivial crash situation occurs; no
data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e.g.
name, gender, age and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with
the type of personally identifying data routinely
acquired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip-
ment is required and access to the vehicle or
the EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle
manufacturer and INFINITI retailer, other par-
ties, such as law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the information if
they have access to the vehicle or the EDR. EDR
data will only be accessed with the consent of
the vehicle owner or lessee or as otherwise
required or permitted by law.
EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
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