2010 NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID engine

WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
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.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. ●
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:CAUTION
If you move the shift selector to the P
(Park) position before blocking the
wheels and applying the parking brake,
transmission damage could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks ab-
sorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park) .
6. Turn off the engine.
Technical and consumer information9-21

To drive away:1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
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. ● While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and shift to a lower gear. Avoid long or
repeated use of the brakes when descend-
ing a hill, as this reduces their effectiveness
and could cause overheating. Shifting to a
lower gear instead provides “engine brak-
ing” and reduces the need to brake as fre-
quently.
● If the engine coolant temperature rises to a
high temperature, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this owner’s manual.
● Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances. ●
Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
● For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice 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 caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling.
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 ve-
hicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering or applying 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 bal- anced as described earlier in this section.
● 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.
● Downshift 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.
● NISSAN recommends that the cruise con-
trol not be used while towing a trailer.
9-22Technical and consumer information

If you believe that your vehicle has a de-
fect which could cause a crash or could
cause injury or death, you should immedi-
ately inform the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addi-
tion 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 be-
come involved in individual problems be-
tween you, your dealer, or NISSAN.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Ve-
hicle 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, D.C. 20590.
You can also obtain other information
about motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov.
You may notify NISSAN by contacting our
Consumer Affairs Department, toll-free, at
1-800-NISSAN-1.Always check with local I/M testing requirements
for Hybrid vehicles before taking your vehicle for
testing.
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 12-volt 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. 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 your
vehicle does not pass an I/M test the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) may not come on. Contact a
NISSAN dealer to prepare the vehicle for re-
testing.This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re-
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa-
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand-
ing how a vehicle’s systems performed. 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 understand-
ing 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
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS (US
only) READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TESTEVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
Technical and consumer information9-25

10 Index
12-volt battery.................8-15
A
Air bag
(See supplemental restraint system) .....1-34
Air bag system Front (See supplemental front impact
air bag system) ...............1-42
Air bag warning light ...........1-49, 2-15
Air cleaner housing filter ............8-17
Air conditioner Air conditioner service ...........4-22
Air conditioner specification label .....9-11
Air conditioner system refrigerant and
oil recommendations .............9-6
Heater and air conditioner controls . . . .4-20
Servicing air conditioner ..........4-22
Alarm system
(See vehicle security system) .........2-25
Anchor point locations .............1-21
Antenna .....................4-85
Anti-lock brake warning light ..........2-10
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ........5-21
Armrests .....................1-5
Audible reminders ...............2-17
Audio system ..................4-22
Bluetooth audio..............4-78
Compact disc (CD)
player ..........4-40, 4-46, 4-52, 4-58 FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
player
....................4-38
FM/AM/SAT radio with CD/DVD player . .4-48
FM/AM/SAT radio with compact disc
(CD) player .................4-42
Audio System iPod Player .............4-66, 4-68
Music Box hard-disk drive audio
system ....................4-71
Audio system Radio ....................4-22
Audio System Settings ...................4-49
Audio system USB interface ............4-60, 4-62
Autolight switch .................2-30
Automatic Automatic power window switch .....2-42
Transmission selector lever lock
release ....................5-13
Automatic
anti-glare inside mirror .......3-24
Automatic door locks ..............3-6
AUX jack .................4-41, 4-47
B
Battery Charge warning light ........2-11, 2-13
Before starting the vehicle ...........5-10
Belt (See drive belt) ..............8-15
Block heater Engine ....................5-25 Bluetooth
audio................4-78
Bluetooth hands-free phone
system .................4-86, 4-101
Booster seats ..................1-31
Brake Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ......5-21
Brake fluid ..................8-13
Brake light (See stop light) .........8-25
Brake system ................5-19
Brake warning light .........2-10, 2-12
Brake wear indicators ........2-17, 8-19
Parking brake operation ..........5-14
Self-adjusting brakes ............8-19
Brakes ......................8-19
Break-in schedule ...............5-17
Brightness control Instrument panel ..............2-32
Brightness/contrast button ...........4-12
Bulb check/instrument panel ..........2-9
Bulb replacement ................8-25
C
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ...................9-2
Car phone or CB radio .............4-85
Cargo (See vehicle loading information) . . .9-12
CD care and cleaning .............4-81
CD player
(See audio system) . . . .4-40, 4-46, 4-52, 4-58
Child restraint with top tether strap ......1-21
Child restraints .......1-16,
1-16, 1-17, 1-19

Precautions on child
restraints.........1-17, 1-23, 1-28, 1-31
Top tether strap anchor point locations . .1-21
Child safety rear door lock ............3-6
Chimes, audible reminders ...........2-17
Cleaning exterior and interior ...........7-2
Clock ...................4-39, 4-44
(models with navigation system) .......4-8
(models without navigation system) . . . .4-39
Clock set ..................4-8, 4-39
C.M.V.S.S. certification label ..........9-10
Cold weather driving ..............5-24
Compact disc (CD)
player ............4-40, 4-46, 4-52, 4-58
Compass display .................2-6
Console box ...................2-38
Console light ...................2-45
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) Transmission selector lever lock release . .5-13
Control panel buttons ...............4-2
Brightness/contrast button .........4-12
Enter button ..................4-2
Setting button .................4-6
Controls Heater and air conditioner controls .....4-20
Coolant Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changing engine coolant ...........8-9
Checking engine coolant level ........8-8
Checking inverter coolant level .......8-10
Corrosion protection ...............7-6
Cruise control ..................5-15
Cup holders ...................2-37 D
Daytime running light system (Canada only) . .2-31
Defroster switch Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .....................2-29
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player .......4-57
Dimensions and weights .............9-8
Dimmer switch for instrument panel ......2-32
Display controls (see control panel buttons) . .4-2
Door locks .....................3-4
Drive belt .....................8-15
Driving Cold

weather driving ............5-24
Driving with Electronically controlled
Continuously Variable Transmission
(eCVT) ....................5-11
Precautions when starting and driving . . . .5-2
E
Economy - fuel ..................5-17
Electronically controlled Continuously Variable
Transmission (eCVT) Driving with Electronically controlled
Continuously Variable Transmission
(eCVT) ....................5-11
Electronically controlled Continuously
Variable Transmission (eCVT) fluid .....8-13
Emission control information label .......9-10
Emission control system warranty .......9-24
Energy flow ...................HEV-4
Energy/fuel history ...............HEV-5 Engine
Block heater .................5-25
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changing engine coolant ...........8-9
Changing engine oil .............8-11
Changing engine oil filter ..........8-12
Checking engine coolant level ........8-8
Checking engine oil level ..........8-10
Engine compartment check locations . . . .8-7
Engine cooling system ............8-8
Engine oil ...................8-10
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . . .9-5
Engine oil pressure warning light ......2-12
Engine oil viscosity ..............9-5
Engine serial number ............9-10
Engine specifications .............9-7
Enter button ....................4-2
Event data recorders ..............9-25
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .........5-2
Eyeglass case ..................2-36
F
Flashers
(See hazard warning flasher switch) ......2-33
Flat tire .......................6-2
Floor mat positioning aid .............7-6
Fluid Brake fluid ..................8-13
Capacities
and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Electronically controlled Continuously
Variable Transmission (eCVT) fluid .....8-13
Engine coolant .................8-8
10-2

Engine oil...................8-10
Inverter coolant ................8-9
F.M.V.S.S. certification label ...........9-10
Front air bag system
(See supplemental restraint system) ......1-42
Front seats .....................1-2
Fuel Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Fuel economy ................5-17
Fuel gauge ...................2-5
Fuel octane rating ...............9-4
Fuel recommendation .............9-3
Fuel-filler door and cap ...........3-21
Fuel-filler door lock opener lever ......3-21
Fuses .......................8-19
Fusible links ...................8-21
G
Garage door opener, HomeLink Universal
Transceiver ....................2-47
Gascap .....................3-21
Gauge Fuel gauge ...................2-5
High voltage battery status meter . .2-5, HEV-4
Odometer ...................2-4
Power meter .............2-4, HEV-4
Speedometer .................2-4
Trip odometer .................2-4
General maintenance ...............8-2
Glove box .....................2-38
Glove box lock ..................2-38
Grocery hooks ..................2-39 H
Hands-free phone system,
Bluetooth ................4-86, 4-101
Hazard warning flasher switch .........2-33
Headlight and turn signal switch ........2-29
Headlight control switch ............2-29
Headlights ....................8-24
Heated seats ...................2-34
Heater Heater
and air conditioner controls .....4-20
Heater operation ...............4-20
High voltage battery status meter . . . .2-5, HEV-4
High voltage components ...........HEV-8
HomeLink Universal Transceiver ........2-47
Hood release ...................3-18
Horn .......................2-33
Hybrid System Energy flow .................HEV-4
Energy/fuel history .............HEV-5
Stops operating while driving .........6-6
Vehicle does not start .............6-7
Hybrid vehicle characteristics .........HEV-9
I
Ignition Switch Push-Button Ignition Switch .........5-7
Immobilizer system ..........2-26, 3-3, 5-9
Important vehicle information label .......9-10
In-cabin microfilter ................8-17
Increasing fuel economy .............5-17 Indicator lights and audible reminders
(See warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders)
.....................2-9
Inside automatic anti-glare mirror ........3-24
Inside mirror ...................3-24
Instrument brightness control ..........2-32
Instrument panel dimmer switch ........2-32
Intelligent Key system Key operating range ..............3-9
Key operation ................3-10
Mechanical key ................3-3
Remote keyless entry operation .......3-13
Troubleshooting guide ............3-17
Warning signals ...............3-17
Interior light ....................2-45
Interior trunk lid release .............3-20
Inverter Checking inverter coolant level .......8-10
Inverter cooling system ............8-9
iP

od Player ................4-66, 4-68
ISOFIX child restraints .............1-19
J
Jump starting ...................6-7
K
Keyfob battery replacement ...........8-23
Keyless entry With Intelligent Key system
(See Intelligent Key system) .........3-13
Keys, For Intelligent Key system .........3-2
10-3

L
Labels Air conditioner specification label .....9-11
C.M.V.S.S. certification label ........9-10
Emission control information label .....9-10
Engine serial number ............9-10
F.M.V.S.S. certification label .........9-10
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-11
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate . .9-9
Warning labels (for SRS) ..........1-48
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
System ......................1-19
License plate Installing the license plate ..........9-11
Light Air bag warning light .........1-49, 2-15
Brake light (See stop light) .........8-25
Bulb check/instrument panel .........2-9
Bulb replacement ..............8-25
Charge warning light .........2-11, 2-13
Console light .................2-45
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-29
Headlight control switch ..........2-29
Headlights ..................8-24
Interior light ..................2-45
Light bulbs ..................8-24
Low tire pressure warning light .......2-13
Low washer fluid warning light .......2-24
Passenger air bag and status light .....1-43
Personal lights ................2-46
Security indicator light ............2-17
Spotlights (See map light) .........2-46
Trunk light ..................2-46 Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders
...................2-9
Lights Map lights ..................2-46
Lock Child safety rear door lock ..........3-6
Door locks ...................3-4
Fuel-filler door lock opener lever ......3-21
Glove

box lock ................2-38
Power door locks ...............3-5
Trunk lid lock opener lever ..........3-18
Low fuel warning light .......2-13, 2-14, 2-24
Low tire pressure warning light .........2-13
Low washer fluid warning light .........2-24
Luggage (See vehicle loading information) . .9-12
M
Maintenance General maintenance .............8-2
Inside the vehicle ...............8-3
Maintenance precautions ...........8-5
Outside the vehicle ..............8-2
Seat belt maintenance ............1-15
Under the hood and vehicle .........8-4
Malfunction indicator light ............2-16
Manual front seat adjustment ...........1-2
Map lights ....................2-46
Map pocket ....................2-35
Meters and gauges ................2-3
Instrument brightness control ........2-32
Mirror Automatic anti-glare inside mirror ......3-24
Inside mirror .................3-24
Outside mirrors ...............3-25 Vanity mirror
.................3-24
Moonroof .....................2-43
Music Box hard-disk drive audio system . . . .4-71
N
NISSAN Intelligent Key™ .............3-7
NISSAN vehicle immobilizer
system .................2-26, 3-3, 5-9
NISSAN voice recognition system ......4-112
O
Octane rating (See fuel octane rating) ......9-4
Odometer .....................2-4
Oil Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changing engine oil .............8-11
Changing engine oil filter ..........8-12
Checking
engine oil level ..........8-10
Engine oil ...................8-10
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . . .9-5
Engine oil viscosity ..............9-5
Outside mirrors .................3-25
Overheat If your vehicle overheats ...........6-10
Owner’s manual order form ...........9-26
Owner’s manual/service manual order
information ....................9-26
10-4

P
Parking Parking brake operation ...........5-14
Parking/parking on hills ...........5-18
Personal lights ..................2-46
Phone, Bluetooth hands-free
system ..................4-86, 4-101
Power Power door locks ...............3-5
Power outlet .................2-34
Power rear windows .............2-41
Power steering system ...........5-19
Power windows ...............2-40
Rear power windows ............2-41
Power meter ...............2-4, HEV-4
Precautions Maintenance precautions ...........8-5
Precautions on child
restraints .........1-17, 1-23, 1-28, 1-31
Precautions on seat belt usage ........1-9
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-34
Precautions when starting and driving . . . .5-2
Programmable features ..............4-6
Push starting ...................6-10
R
Radio Car phone or CB radio ...........4-85
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
player .....................4-38
FM/AM/SAT radio with CD/DVD player . .4-48 FM/AM/SAT radio with compact disc
(CD) player
..................4-42
Readiness for inspection maintenance
(I/M) test .....................9-25
Rear power windows ..............2-41
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .......................2-29
RearView Monitor ................4-13
Recorders Event data ..................9-25
Refrigerant recommendation ...........9-6
Registering your vehicle in another country . . .9-9
Reporting safety defects (US only) .......9-25
S
Safety Child safety rear door lock ..........3-6
Child seat belts .....1-17,
1-23, 1-28, 1-31
Reporting safety defects (US only) .....9-25
Seat adjustment Front manual seat adjustment ........1-2
Front power seat adjustment .........1-4
Seat belt Child safety ..................1-16
Infants and small children ..........1-16
Injured Person ................1-12
Larger children ................1-17
Precautions on seat belt usage ........1-9
Pregnant women ...............1-12
Seat belt extenders .............1-15
Seat belt maintenance ............1-15
Seat belts ...................1-9
Shoulder belt height adjustment ......1-14
Three-point type with retractor .......1-12Seat belt warning light
..............2-14
Seatback pockets ................2-36
Seats Adjustment ...................1-2
Front seats ...................1-2
Heated seats .................2-34
Manual front seat adjustment .........1-2
Security indicator light ..............2-17
Security system (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer
system) , engine start .........2-26, 3-3, 5-9
Self-adjusting brakes ..............8-19
Service manual order form ...........9-26
Servicing air conditioner .............4-22
Setting button ...................4-6
Shift lock release .................5-13
Shifting Electronically controlled Continuously
Variable Transmission (eCVT) ........5-12
Shoulder belt height adjustment ........1-14
Spark plug replacement .............8-16
Speedometer ...................2-4
Spotlights (See map light) ...........2-46
SRS

warning label ................1-48
Starting Before starting the vehicle .........5-10
Jump starting .................6-7
Precautions when starting and driving . . . .5-2
Push starting .................6-10
Starting the vehicle .............5-10
Steering Power steering system ...........5-19
Stop light .....................8-25
Storage ......................2-35
Sun visors ....................3-23
Sunglasses case .................2-36
Sunglasses holder ................2-36
10-5