Black plate (309,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury. (AWD models)
. When a wheel is off the ground due
to an unlevel surface, do not spin
the wheel excessively.
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your vehicle has a higher
center of gravity than a conventional
passenger car. The vehicle is not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
cars. Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover accident.
. Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias-
belted or radial) , and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install tire chains
on the front wheels when driving on
slippery roads and drive carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes imme-
diately after driving in mud or water.
See “BRAKE SYSTEM” later in this section for wet brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle
and it rolls forward, backward or
sideways, you could be injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as deep
as the wheel hub, more frequent
maintenance may be required. See
the maintenance information in the
“NISSAN Service and Maintenance
Guide”.
. Spinning the front wheels on slip-
pery surfaces may cause the AWD
warning light to flash and the AWD
system to automatically switch from
the AWD mode to the 2WD mode.
This could reduce traction. Be espe-
cially careful when towing a trailer.
(AWD models)
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except
in an emergency. (The engine will stop
when the ignition switch is pushed 3
consecutive times or the ignition switch
is pushed and held for more than 2
seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead
to a crash and serious injury.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the selector lever to
the P (Park) position.INTELLIGENT KEY SYSTEMThe Intelligent Key system can operate the
ignition switch without taking the Intelligent
Key out from your pocket or purse. The
operating environment and/or conditions may
affect the Intelligent Key system operation.
CAUTION
. Be sure to carry the Intelligent Key
with you when operating the vehi-
cle.
. Never leave the Intelligent Key in-
side the vehicle when you leave thePUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving
5-9
Black plate (313,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
so may cause damage to the equip-
ment.
. Make sure the Intelligent Key is in
the correct direction when inserting
it to the key port. The engine may
not start if it is in the incorrect
direction.
. Remove the Intelligent Key from the
key port after the ignition switch is
pushed to the OFF position. .
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid and window washer fluid as
frequently as possible, or at least whenever
you refuel.
. Check that all windows and lights are clean.
. Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seats and adjust head restraints/
headrests.
. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
. Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
. Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position. (See “WA RNING/INDICATOR
LIGHTS AND AUDIBLE REMINDERS” in
the “2. Instruments and controls” section.) 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the selector lever is in either of the above
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal and push the
ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push and
release the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal with the ignition switch in
any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and
while holding, crank the engine. Release
the accelerator pedal when the engine
starts.
. If the engine is very hard to start
because it is flooded, depress the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor
and hold it. Push the ignition switch to
the ON position to start cranking the
engine. After 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch
to OFF. After cranking the engine,
release the accelerator pedal. Crank
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving
5-13
Black plate (317,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
seconds. Then place the ignition switch
back in the ON position. The vehicle should
return to its normal operating condition. If
it does not return to its normal operating
condition, have a NISSAN dealer check the
transmission and repair if necessary.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation
occurs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could
increase the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If ne-
cessary, pull to the side of the road at a
safe place and allow the transmission
to return to normal operation, or have it
repaired if necessary.
SSD0693
Shift lock releaseIf the battery charge is low or discharged, the
selector lever may not be moved from the P
(Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the selector lever button pushed.
To move the selector lever, perform the following
procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCKposition.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock release cover
*A
using a suitable tool.
4. Push down the shift lock release
*B
using a suitable tool.
5. Push the selector lever button
*C
and move
the selector lever to the N (Neutral) position
*D
while holding down the shift lock
release.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
Replace the removed shift lock release cover
after the operation.
If the selector lever cannot be moved out of the
P (Park) position, have a NISSAN dealer check
the CVT system as soon as possible.
WARNING
If the selector lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position while the
engine is running and the brake pedal
is depressed, the stop lights may not
work. Malfunctioning stop lights could
cause an accident injuring yourself and
others.
Starting and driving
5-17
Black plate (318,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
WARNING
.Be sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving. Failure to
do so can cause brake failure and
lead to an accident.
. Do not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.
. Do not use the gear shift in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
. Do not leave children unattended in
a vehicle. They could release the
parking brake and cause an acci-
dent.
SPA2331
To apply: Fully depress the parking brake pedal*1.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake
*2.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
*1
and
the parking brake will be released.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE CON-
TROL.If the cruise control system malfunctions, it
will cancel automatically. The CRUISE in-
dicator light on the meter panel will then
blink to warn the driver.
. If the engine coolant temperature becomes
excessively high, the cruise control system
will cancel automatically.
. If the CRUISE indicator light blinks, turn the
cruise control main switch off and have the
system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
. The CRUISE indicator light may blink when
the cruise control main switch is turned ON
while pushing the RESUME/ACCELERATE,
SET/COAST or CANCEL switch. To prop-
erly set the cruise control system, perform
the following procedures.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when
driving under the following conditions:
.when it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed
. in heavy traffic or in traffic that
varies in speed
. on winding or hilly roads
PARKING BRAKE CRUISE CONTROL5-18
Starting and driving
Black plate (322,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
SSD0418
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) LOCK
SWITCH OPERATIONSThe AWD LOCK switch located on the lower
side of the instrument panel. This switch is used
to select the AUTO or LOCK mode depending
on the driving conditions.
Each time you push the lower part of the switch*A
, the AWD mode will switch:
AUTO ?LOCK ?AUTO.
LOCK modeThe AWD LOCK indicator light
will
illuminate.
AUTO modeThe AWD LOCK indicator light will turn off.AWD
mode Wheel driven AWD
LOCK
indica-
tor lightUse condi-
tions
AUTO Distribution of tor-
que to the front and
rear wheels changes
automatically, de-
pending on road
conditions encoun-
tered
[100:0]
↔[50:50].
This results in im-
proved driving stabi-
lity.*1 Turns
off.
For driving
on paved
or slippery
roads
LOCK All-wheel drive*2, *3 AWD
LOCK
For driving
on rough
roads
*1: When the rotation difference between the
front and rear wheels is large, the AWD
mode may change from AUTO to LOCK for
a while, however, this is not a malfunction. *2: LOCK mode will change to AUTO mode
automatically when the vehicle has been
driven at a high speed. The AWD LOCK
indicator light turns off.
*3: LOCK mode will automatically be cancelled when the ignition switch is placed in the OFF
position.
. If the AWD LOCK switch is operated while
accelerating or decelerating, or if the ignition
switch is turned off, you may feel a jolt. This
is normal.
. The oil temperature of power train parts will
increase if the vehicle is continuously
operated under conditions where the differ-
ence in rotation between the front and rear
wheels is large (wheel slip) , such as when
driving the vehicle on rough roads through
sand, mud or freeing a stuck vehicle. In
these cases, the AWD warning light blinks
rapidly and the AWD mode changes to
2WD to protect the powertrain parts. If you
stop driving with the engine idling and wait
until the warning light stops blinking, the
AWD returns to the AUTO mode.
5-22
Starting and driving
Black plate (323,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
WARNING
.When driving straight, shift the AWD
LOCK switch to AUTO. Do not oper-
ate the AWD LOCK switch when
making a turn or backing up.
. Do not operate the AWD LOCK
switch with the front wheel spin-
ning.
. Engine idling speed is high while
warming up the engine. Be espe-
cially careful when starting or driv-
ing on slippery surfaces.
. When turning the vehicle in LOCK
mode on paved roads, you may feel
a braking effect. This is a normal
condition of the AWD model.
SSD0336B
AWD WARNING LIGHTThe AWD warning light is located in the meter.
The AWD warning light illuminates when the
ignition switch is pushed to the ON position. It
turns off soon after the engine is started. If any malfunction occurs in the AWD system
while the engine is running, the warning light will
come on.
The warning light may blink rapidly (about twice
per second) while trying to free a stuck vehicle
due to high powertrain oil temperature. The
driving mode may change to 2WD. The AUTO
mode may change to the LOCK mode before the
warning light blinks. If the warning light blinks
rapidly during operation, stop the vehicle with
the engine idling in a safe place immediately.
Then if the light turns off after a while, you can
continue driving.
A large difference between the diameters of
front and rear wheels will make the warning light
blink slowly (about once per two seconds) . Pull
off the road in a safe area, and idle the engine.
Check that all tire sizes are the same, tire
pressure is correct and tires are not worn.
CAUTION
.
If the warning light remains on after
the above operation, have your
vehicle checked by a NISSAN dealer
as soon as possible.
. If the warning light comes on while
driving there may be a malfunction
in the AWD system. Reduce the
vehicle speed and have your vehicle
Starting and driving
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Black plate (324,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
checked by a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible.
. The powertrain may be damaged if
you continue driving with the warn-
ing light blinking.
. Never drive on dry hard surface
roads in the LOCK mode, as this
will overload the powertrain and
may cause a serious malfunction.
SSD0488
WARNING
.Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
. Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be set
and the transmission placed into P
(Park) . Failure to do so could cause
the vehicle to move unexpectedly or
roll away and result in an accident.
Make sure the selector lever has
been pushed as far forward as it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
. Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
. Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could un-
knowingly activate switches or con-
trols. Unattended children could
become involved in serious acci-
dents.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) position.PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-24
Starting and driving
Black plate (326,1)
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
or accelerating could cause the
wheelstoskidandresultinan
accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
Wet brakesWhen the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your
braking distance will be longer and the vehicle
may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly tapping the brake pedal to heat-up
the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to
normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds
until the brakes function correctly.PARKING BRAKE BREAK-INBreak in the parking brake shoes whenever the
stopping effect of the parking brake is weakened
or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or
drums/rotors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual and can be performed by a
NISSAN dealer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving
techniques. It can help maintain
vehicle control during braking on
slippery surfaces. Remember that
stopping distances on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal
surfaces even with ABS. Stopping
distances may also be longer on
rough, gravel or snow covered
roads, or if you are using tire chains.
Alwaysmaintainasafedistance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Ultimately, the driver is responsible
for safety.
. Tire type and condition may also
affect braking effectiveness.
— When replacing tires, install the
specified size of tires on all four
wheels.
— When installing a spare tire, make sure that it is the proper
size and type as specified on the Tire and Loading Information
label. See “TIRE AND LOADING
INFORMATION LABEL” in the “9.
Technical and consumer infor-
mation” section of this manual.
— For detailed information, see “WHEELS AND TIRES” in the
“8. Maintenance and do-it-your-
self” section of this manual.
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) controls
the brakes so the wheels do not lock during hard
braking or when braking on slippery surfaces.
The system detects the rotation speed at each
wheel and varies the brake fluid pressure to
prevent each wheel from locking and sliding. By
preventing each wheel from locking, the system
helps the driver maintain steering control and
helps to minimize swerving and spinning on
slippery surfaces.
Using the systemDepress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Depress the brake pedal with firm steady
pressure, but do not pump the brakes. The
ABS will operate to prevent the wheels from
locking up. Steer the vehicle to avoid obstacles.
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Starting and driving