Black plate (215,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
.Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road
vehicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
. Many hills are too steep for any
vehicle. If you drive up them, you
may stall. If you drive down them,
you may not be able to control your
speed. If you drive across them, you
may roll over.
. Do not shift ranges while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
. Stay alert when driving to the top of
a hill. At the top there could be a
drop-off or other hazard that could
cause an accident.
. If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around. Your
vehicle could tip or roll over. Always
back straight down in R (Reverse)
range. Never back down in N (Neu-
tral) , using only the brake, as this
could cause loss of control. .
Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to overheat
and fade, resulting in loss of control
and an accident. Apply brakes
lightly and use a low range to
control your speed.
. Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough
terrain. Properly secure all cargo
so it will not be thrown forward
and cause injury to you or your
passengers.
. To avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacity of the roof rack (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the
cargo area as far forward and as
low as possible. Do not equip the
vehicle with tires larger than speci-
fied in this manual. This could cause
your vehicle to roll over.
. Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could
move suddenly and injure your
hands. Instead drive with your fin-
gers and thumbs on the outside of
the rim. .
Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
. Always drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may became hot.
. Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your NISSAN is
more affected by strong side winds.
Slower speeds ensure better vehicle
control.
. Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with AWD engaged.
. For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) , or similar equip-
Starting and driving5-9
Condition:
Black plate (216,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
5-10Starting and driving
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. 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 drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground due
to an unlevel surface, do not spin
the wheel excessively (AWD model) .
. 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 traction
devices 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” (P.5-38) 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 model) .
GUID-7AC5D8A9-24F3-4C7B-8F3A-315CFD31A438
WARNING
Never remove or turn the key to the
LOCK position while driving. This may
cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle and could result in serious
vehicle damage or personal injury.
IGNITION SWITCH (models without
Intelligent Key system)
Condition:
Black plate (221,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
4. Push the ignition switch while depressingthe brake pedal within 10 seconds after the
chime sounds. The engine will start.
After step 3 is performed, when the ignition
switch is pushed without depressing the brake
pedal, the ignition switch position will change to
ACC.
NOTE:
. When the ignition switch is pushed to
the ACC or ON position or the engine is
started by the above procedures, the
Intelligent Key system warning light
may blink in yellow even if the Intelli-
gent Key is inside the vehicle. This is
not a malfunction. To stop the warning
light from blinking, touch the ignition
switch with the Intelligent Key again.
. If the Intelligent Key system warning
light in the meter is blinking in green,
replace the battery as soon as possible.
(See “Key battery replacement” (P.8-
22) .)
GUID-99DA8E7B-99CA-40D0-B1AA-E547E7042524.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 seat and adjust head restraints.
. 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 placed in the ON
position. (See “Warning/indicator lights and
audible reminders” (P.2-12) .)GUID-7408FE11-64BC-4759-BC8E-07366732C0C9MODELS WITHOUT INTELLIGENT KEY
SYSTEM
GUID-EE3305AF-5B97-4BAC-B371-E44FE4EBBA1C1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models:
Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed so that it does not
operate unless the selector lever is in either
of the above positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) models:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position. Depress the clutch pedal fully to
the floor.
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the clutch pedal is fully depressed.
3. Crank the engine with your foot off the
accelerator pedal by turning the ignition
switch to START. Release the switch when
the engine starts. If the engine starts, but
fails to run, repeat the above procedure.
.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 hold
it and then crank the engine. Release the
accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
Starting and driving5-15
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Condition:
Black plate (238,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
5-32Starting and driving
GUID-A7F7F37C-BB96-45E4-9A88-BFC0667354EF.Keep your engine tuned up.
. Follow the recommended scheduled main-
tenance.
. Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure. Low tire pressure increases tire
wear and lowers fuel economy.
. Keep the wheels in correct alignment.
Improper alignment increases tire wear and
lowers fuel economy.
. Use the recommended viscosity engine oil.
(See “Engine oil and oil filter recommenda-
tion” (P.9-5) .)GUID-63E39624-CE54-4BBF-8A6D-1FF627669DD9
WARNING
.For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) or similar equip-
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
that you inform the test facility
personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using
the wrong test equipment may re-
sult in drivetrain damage or unex-
pected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
SSD1129
AWD mode switch
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) MODE
SWITCH OPERATIONS
GUID-D1E25B84-9B31-4A3A-B30F-1ACF48815006The All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system is used to
select the 2WD (Two-Wheel Drive) , AWD-V or
AWD mode depending on the driving condi-
tions.
The AWD mode indicator lights (
(green) ,) are located in the instrument panel.
The AWD mode indicator lights
(green)
illuminate when the ignition switch is turned to
the ON position. The indicator lights turn off
within 1 second.
The AWD mode indicator lights will display the
mode selected by the AWD mode switch while
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (if so
equipped)
Condition:
Black plate (240,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
5-34Starting and driving
In these cases, the AWD warning light blinks
rapidly and the AWD mode changes to the
2WD mode to protect the power train parts.
If you stop driving with the engine idling and
wait until the warning light stops blinking,
the AWD returns to the AWD-V or AWD
mode.
. Brake distance in the AWD mode is the
same as 2WD.
CAUTION
.Do not start the engine with the
AWD mode switch in any mode in
the following cases:
— when the vehicle is placed on a
free-roller or jacking up the
vehicle with the front tires
raised and the rear tires on the
ground.
— when towing the vehicle with the rear tires raised from the
ground.
. Operate the AWD mode switch only
when driving straight. Do not oper-
ate the AWD mode switch when
making a turn or backing up. .
Do not operate the AWD mode
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 with the
AWD mode switch set in the AWD-V
or AWD mode.
SSD0336-D
AWD WARNING LIGHTGUID-00AD0D7B-4E50-437F-8A9D-C89C8757711FThe AWD warning light located in the instrument
panel illuminates when the ignition switch is
turned 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, or while driving, the
Condition:
Black plate (241,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
warning light will either remain illuminated or
blink.
High-temperature power train oil due to con-
tinuous operation of the vehicle to free a stuck
vehicle makes the warning light blink rapidly
(about twice per second) . The driving mode may
change to the 2WD mode. If the warning light
blinks rapidly during operation, stop the vehicle
with the engine idling in a safe place immedi-
ately. Then if the light goes 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 2 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.
Change the AWD mode switch to the 2WD
mode and do not drive fast.
CAUTION
.If the warning light illuminates while
driving, AWD mode will be changed
to 2WD mode. Reduce the vehicle
speed and have your vehicle
checked by a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible. Be especially
careful when driving. .
The power train may be damaged if
you continue driving with the AWD
warning light blinking rapidly.
Starting and driving5-35
Condition:
Black plate (245,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
GUID-EC3A4D5C-5B0D-4B05-8797-16078A3BB5CFBRAKE ASSISTGUID-4F7C10AE-4D30-42D8-A185-FF61F97693EEWhen the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking force than a
conventional brake booster even with light pedal
force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to assist
braking operation and is not a collision
warning or avoidance device. It is the
driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive
safely and be in control of the vehicle at
all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)GUID-AD934732-3AE5-459A-B8C3-7A014C0C24D9
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.
Always maintain a safe distance
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” (P.9-10) of
this manual.
— For detailed information, see “Wheels and tires” (P.8-30) 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 systemGUID-597530BD-6BA0-4B9D-B015-6FBB8D66C7EEDepress 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.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Self-test featureGUID-A2B20D88-3F8D-458B-A01C-ABFC4E8BBA39The ABS includes electronic sensors, electric
pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a computer. The
computer has a built-in diagnostic feature that
tests the system each time you start the engine
and move the vehicle at a low speed in forward
or reverse. When the self-test occurs, you may
hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and does not
Starting and driving5-39
BRAKE ASSIST
Condition:
Black plate (247,1)
[ Edit: 2012/ 6/ 29 Model: F15-D ]
occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel
a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is normal and
is not an indication of a malfunction.
WARNING
.The VDC system is designed to help
improve driving stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
by careless or dangerous driving
techniques. Reduce vehicle speed
and be especially careful when driv-
ing and cornering on slippery sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs,
stabilizer bars, bushings and
wheels are not NISSAN recom-
mended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC
system may not operate properly.
This could adversely affect vehicle
handling performance, and the VDC
warning light
may illuminate. .
If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are extre-
mely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
VDC warning light
may illumi-
nate.
. If engine control related parts are
not NISSAN recommended or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC
warning light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked
corners, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the VDC warn-
ing light
may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
. When driving on an unstable sur-
face such as a turntable, ferry,
elevator or ramp, the VDC warning
light
may illuminate. This is not
a malfunction. Restart the engine
after driving onto a stable surface.
. If wheels or tires other than the
NISSAN recommended ones are
used, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the VDC warn-
ing light
may illuminate. .
The VDC system is not a substitute
for winter tires or tire chains on a
snow covered road.
Starting and driving5-41
Condition: