2012 NISSAN XTERRA Owners Manual

This unit measures terrestrial magnetism and in-
dicates heading direction of vehicle.
With the ignition switch in the ON position, press
the
button as described in the fallowing
chart to activate various features of the automatic
anti-glare rearview mirror.
Push and hold
the
button for about: Feature:
(Push button again for about 1 sec-
ond to change settings)
1 second Compass display toggles on/off
8 seconds Automatic anti-glare/indicator light
toggles on/off
11 seconds Compass zone can be changed to
correct false compass readings
13 seconds Compass enters calibration mode
For more information about the automatic anti-
glare feature, refer to “Automatic anti-glare rear-
view mirror” in the “Pre-driving checks and ad-
justments” section.
COMPASS DISPLAY
Push thebutton for about 1 second when
the ignition key is in the ON position to toggle the
compass direction display
1on or off. The dis-
play will indicate the direction of the vehicle’s
heading.
N: North
E: East
S: South
W: West
If the “CAL” or “C” icon is illuminated in the
compass display, calibrate the compass by driv-
ing the vehicle in three complete circles at less
than 5 MPH (8 km/h) . You can also calibrate the compass by driving
your vehicle on your everyday route. The com-
pass will be calibrated once it has tracked three
complete circles.
WIC0904
COMPASS DISPLAY (if so equipped)
2-10Instruments and controls

Zone variation change procedure
The difference between magnetic north and geo-
graphical north is known as variance. In some
areas, this difference can sometimes be great
enough to cause false compass readings. Follow
these instructions to set the variance for your
particular location if this happens:1. Press and hold the
button for about
11 seconds. The current zone number will
appear in the display. Release the button.
2. Find your current location on the zone map. Refer to the illustration.
3. Press the
button repeatedly to toggle
through the zone numbers until the desired
number appears in the display. Once you
have selected a zone number, the display
will show a compass direction within a few
seconds.
Inaccurate compass direction
The compass display is equipped with automatic
correction function. If the correct direction is not
shown, follow this procedure. 1. With the display turned on, press and hold the
button for about 13 seconds. The
“CAL” icon in the compass display will illu-
minate.
WIC0355
Instruments and controls2-11

2. Calibrate the compass by driving the vehiclein three complete circles at a maximum
speed of 5 MPH (8 km/h) .
3. After completing the circles, the display should return to normal.
CAUTION
●Do not install a ski rack, antenna, etc.,
which are attached to the vehicle by
means of a magnet. They affect the op-
eration of the compass.
● When cleaning the mirror, use a paper
towel or similar material dampened
with glass cleaner. Do not spray glass
cleaner directly on the mirror as it may
cause the liquid cleaner to enter the
mirror housing.
2-12Instruments and controls

orAnti-lock Braking System (ABS)
warning lightLow windshield-washer fluid warning light
(if so equipped)Hill descent control system on indicator light
(if so equipped)
Automatic transmission oil temperature warning
light (if so equipped)Seat belt warning light and chimeMalfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
Automatic transmission park warning light
(model)Supplemental air bag warning lightOverdrive off indicator light (A/T models only)
orBrake warning lightAutomatic transmission position indicator light
(A/T models only)Security indicator light
Charge warning lightCruise main switch indicator lightSlip indicator light
Door open warning lightCruise set switch indicator lightTransfer 4LO position indicator light
(model)
Engine oil pressure warning lightElectronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system on indicator light (if so equipped)Turn signal/hazard indicator lights
4WD warning light (model)4WD shift indicator light (model)Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) OFF indicator
light
Low fuel warning lightFront passenger air bag status light
Low tire pressure warning lightHigh beam indicator light (Blue)
WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS AND
AUDIBLE REMINDERS
Instruments and controls2-13

CHECKING BULBS
With all doors closed, apply the parking brake
and place the ignition switch in the ON position
without starting the engine. The following lights
will come on:
,or,,,,
The following lights come on briefly and then go
off:
or,,,,,,
,
If any light fails to come on, it may indicate
an open circuit in the electrical system.
Have the system repaired promptly.
WARNING LIGHTS
orAnti-lock BrakingSystem (ABS)
warning light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
warning light illuminates and then turns off. This
indicates the ABS is operational. If the ABS warning light illuminates while the
engine is running, or while driving, it may indicate
the ABS is not functioning properly. Have the
system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
If an ABS malfunction occurs, the anti-lock func-
tion is turned off. The brake system then operates
normally, but without anti-lock assistance. See
“Brake system” in the “Starting and driving” sec-
tion.
Automatic transmission oil
temperature warning light (if so
equipped)
This light comes on when the automatic transmis-
sion oil temperature is too high. If the light comes
on while driving, reduce the vehicle speed as
soon as safely possible until the light turns off.
CAUTION
Continued vehicle operation when the A/T
oil temperature warning light is on may
damage the automatic transmission.
Automatic transmission parkwarning light (
model)
WARNING
● If the ATP light is ON, this indicates that
the automatic transmission P (Park) po-
sition will not function and the transfer
case is in neutral.
● When parking, always make sure that
the 4WD shift indicator light illuminates
and the parking brake is set. Failure to
engage the transfer position in 2WD, 4H
or 4LO could result in the vehicle mov-
ing unexpectedly, resulting in serious
personal injury or property damage.
● Shift the 4WD switch into the 2WD, 4H
or 4LO position again to turn off the ATP
warning light when the shift selector is
in the P position and the ATP warning
light is ON. (Before shifting the 4WD
switch into the 4LO position, move the
shift selector into the N position once,
shift the shift selector into P again and
make sure the ATP warning light is
OFF.)
2-14Instruments and controls

This light indicates that the automatic transmis-
sion parking function is not engaged. If the trans-
fer control is not secured in any drive position
while the shift selector is in the P (Park) position,
the transmission will disengage and the drive
wheels will not lock.
orBrake warning light
This light functions for both the parking brake and
the foot brake systems.
Parking brake indicator
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the light comes on when the parking
brake is applied.
Low brake fluid warning light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the light warns of a low brake fluid level.
If the light comes on while the engine is running
with the parking brake not applied, stop the ve-
hicle and perform the following:1. Check the brake fluid level. Add brake fluid as necessary. See “Brake fluid” in the “Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section of this
manual.
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the warning system checked by a NISSAN
dealer.
WARNING
●Your brake system may not be working
properly if the warning light is on. Driv-
ing could be dangerous. If you judge it
to be safe, drive carefully to the nearest
service station for repairs. Otherwise,
have your vehicle towed because driv-
ing it could be dangerous.
● Pressing the brake pedal with the en-
gine stopped and/or a low brake fluid
level may increase your stopping dis-
tance and braking will require greater
pedal effort as well as pedal travel.
● If the brake fluid level is below the
MINIMUM or MIN mark on the brake
fluid reservoir, do not drive until the
brake system has been checked at a
NISSAN dealer.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning
indicator
When the parking brake is released and the
brake fluid level is sufficient, if both the brake
warning light and the Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) warning light illuminate, it may indicate the
ABS is not functioning properly. Have the brake
system checked, and if necessary, repaired by a
NISSAN dealer promptly. Avoid high-speed driv- ing and abrupt braking. (See “Anti-lock Braking
System (ABS) warning light” in this section.)Charge warning light
If this light comes on while the engine is running,
it may indicate the charging system is not func-
tioning properly. Turn the engine off and check
the generator belt. If the belt is loose, broken,
missing, or if the light remains on, see a NISSAN
dealer immediately.
CAUTION
●
Do not ground electrical accessories
directly to the battery terminal. Doing
so will bypass the variable control sys-
tem and the vehicle battery may not
charge completely. Refer to “Variable
voltage control system” in the “Mainte-
nance and do-it-yourself” section later
in this manual.
● Do not continue driving if the generator
belt is loose, broken or missing.
Door open warning light
This light comes on when any of the doors are not
closed securely while the ignition switch is in the
ON position.
Instruments and controls2-15

Engine oil pressure warninglight
This light warns of low engine oil pressure. If the
light flickers or comes on during normal driving,
pull off the road in a safe area, stop the engine
immediately and call a NISSAN dealer or other
authorized repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is not
designed to indicate a low oil level. Use the
dipstick to check the oil level. See “Engine oil” in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause se-
rious damage to the engine almost imme-
diately. Such damage is not covered by
warranty. Turn off the engine as soon as it
is safe to do so.
4WD warning light (
model)
The 4WD warning light comes on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to ON. It turns off soon after
the engine is started. If the engine or vehicle is not functioning properly,
the warning light will either remain illuminated or
blink. See “4WD warning light” in the “Starting
and driving” section.
CAUTION
●
If the warning light comes on or blinks
during operation, have your vehicle
checked by a NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.
● Do not drive on dry hard surface roads
in the 4H or 4LO position. If the 4WD
warning light turns on when you are
driving on dry hard surface roads:
– in the 4H position, shift the 4WD shift switch to 2WD.
– in the 4LO position for automatic transmission models, stop the ve-
hicle and shift the shift selector to
the N (Neutral) position with the
brake pedal depressed and shift the
4WD shift switch to 2WD.
– in the 4LO position for manual trans- mission models, stop the vehicle and
shift the shift selector to the N (Neu-
tral) position with the clutch pedal
depressed and shift the 4WD shift
switch to 2WD, ●
If the warning light is still on after the
above operation, have your vehicle
checked by a NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.
Low fuel warning light
This light comes on when the fuel level in the fuel
tank is getting low. Refuel as soon as it is conve-
nient, preferably before the fuel gauge reaches E
(Empty) . There will be a small reserve of fuel
in the tank when the fuel gauge needle
reaches E (Empty) .
Low tire pressure warning light
Your vehicle is equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that monitors the tire
pressure of all tires except the spare.
The low tire pressure warning light warns of low
tire pressure or indicates that the TPMS is not
functioning properly.
After the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, this light illuminates for about 1 second
and turns off.
2-16Instruments and controls

Low tire pressure warning:
If the vehicle is being driven with low tire
pressure, the warning light will illuminate.
A CHECK TIRE PRES (pressure) warning
message is also displayed in the odometer.
When the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates, you should stop and adjust the
tire pressure of all 4 tires to the recom-
mended COLD tire pressure shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label located
in the driver’s door opening. The low tire
pressure warning light does not automati-
cally turn off when the tire pressure is ad-
justed. After the tire is inflated to the rec-
ommended pressure, the vehicle must be
driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h)
to activate the TPMS and turn off the low
tire pressure warning light. Use a tire pres-
sure gauge to check the tire pressure.
Press the reset button for more than 1 second to
turn off the CHECK TIRE PRES warning mes-
sage. The low tire pressure warning light remains
illuminated until the tires are inflated to the rec-
ommended cold tire pressure. The CHECK TIRE
PRES warning message is displayed each time
the ignition switch is turned on as long as the low
tire pressure warning light remains illuminated.For additional information, see “Check tire pres-
sure warning message” in the “Instruments and
controls” section and “Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)” in the “Starting and driving”
section and in the “In case of emergency” sec-
tion.
TPMS malfunction:
If the TPMS is not functioning properly, the low
tire pressure warning light will flash for approxi-
mately 1 minute when the ignition switch is
placed in the ON position. The light will remain on
after the 1 minute. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN dealer. The CHECK TIRE PRES warn-
ing message is not displayed if the low tire pres-
sure warning light illuminates to indicate a TPMS
malfunction.
For additional information, see “Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the “Starting and
driving” section and “Tire pressure” in the “Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section.
WARNING
●
If the light does not illuminate with the
ignition switch placed in the ON posi-
tion, have the vehicle checked by a
NISSAN dealer as soon as possible. ●
If the light illuminates while driving,
avoid sudden steering maneuvers or
abrupt braking, reduce vehicle speed,
pull off the road to a safe location and
stop the vehicle as soon as possible.
Driving with under-inflated tires may
permanently damage the tires and in-
crease the likelihood of tire failure. Se-
rious vehicle damage could occur and
may lead to an accident and could re-
sult in serious personal injury. Check
the tire pressure for all four tires. Adjust
the tire pressure to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label located
in the driver’s door opening to turn the
low tire pressure warning light OFF. If
the light still comes on while driving
after adjusting the tire pressure, a tire
may be flat. If you have a flat tire, re-
place it with a spare tire as soon as
possible.
Instruments and controls2-17