2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER check engine light

To lock, close the fuel-filler door securely and
lock the doors.
FUEL-FILLER CAP
WARNING
●Gasoline is extremely flammable and
highly explosive under certain condi-
tions. You could be burned or seriously
injured if it is misused or mishandled.
Always stop the engine and do not
smoke or allow open flames or sparks
near the vehicle when refueling.
● Do not attempt to top off the fuel tank
after the fuel pump nozzle shuts off
automatically. Continued refueling may
cause fuel overflow, resulting in fuel
spray and possibly a fire.
● Use only an original equipment type
fuel-filler cap as a replacement. It has a
built-in safety valve needed for proper
operation of the fuel system and emis-
sion control system. An incorrect cap
can result in a serious malfunction and
possible injury. It could also cause
the
Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL) to come on.
● Never pour fuel into the throttle body to
attempt to start your vehicle. ●
Do not fill a portable fuel container in
the vehicle or trailer. Static electricity
can cause an explosion of flammable
liquid, vapor or gas in any vehicle or
trailer. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death when filling portable fuel
containers:
– Always place the container on the ground when filling.
– Do not use electronic devices when filling.
– Keep the pump nozzle in contact with the container while you are fill-
ing it.
– Use only approved portable fuel con- tainers for flammable liquid.
CAUTION
●Do not use E-15 or E-85 fuel in your
vehicle. For further information see the
“Fuel Recommendation” in the “Techni-
cal and consumer information” section
of this manual. ●
The LOOSE FUEL CAP warning will ap-
pear if the fuel-filler cap is not properly
tightened. It may take a few driving trips
for the message to be displayed. Failure
to tighten the fuel-filler cap properly
after the LOOSE FUEL CAP warning ap-
pears may cause the
Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) to illuminate.
● Failure to tighten the fuel-filler cap
properly may cause the
Malfunc-
tion Indicator Light (MIL) to illuminate.
If the
light illuminates because
the fuel-filler cap is loose or missing,
tighten or install the cap and continue
to drive the vehicle. The
light
should turn off after a few driving trips.
If the
light does not turn off after a
few driving trips, have the vehicle in-
spected by a NISSAN dealer.
● For additional information, see the
“Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)” in
the “Instruments and Controls” section
in this manual.
● If fuel is spilled on the vehicle body,
flush it away with water to avoid paint
damage.
3-28Pre-driving checks and adjustments

supplemental restraint system” section, and
“Tilt/Telescopic Steering” and “Outside mir-
rors” in this section.During this step, do not place the ignition
switch in any position other than ON.
4. Push the SET switch and, within 5 seconds, push the memory switch (1 or 2) .
The indicator light for the pushed memory
switch will come on and stay on for approxi-
mately 5 seconds after pushing the switch.
After the indicator light goes off, the se-
lected positions are stored in the selected
memory (1 or 2) .
If a new memory is stored in the same memory
switch, the previous memory will be deleted.
Linking a keyfob to a stored memory
position
Each keyfob can be linked to a stored memory
position (memory switch 1 or 2) with the follow-
ing procedure. 1. Follow the steps for storing a memory posi- tion.
2. While the indicator light for the memory switch being set is illuminated for 5 sec-
onds, press the
button on the keyfob. The indicator light will blink. After the indica-
tor light goes off, the keyfob is linked to that
memory setting.
With the ignition switch placed in the OFF posi-
tion, press the
button on the keyfob. The
driver’s seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors
will move to the memorized position.
NOTE:
If a new memory position is saved to the
memory switch, the keyfob automatically
re-links.
Procedure for storing the outside
mirror positions for best visibility when
backing up
An outside mirror position for backing up can be
stored for each memory switch (1 and 2):
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Place the ignition in the ON position. (Do not start the engine.)
3. Push the memory switch 1 or 2 fully for at least one second to operate the automatic
drive positioner.
4. Turn the outside mirror control switch to L (Left) .
5. Depress the brake pedal. 6. Move the shift selector to R (Reverse) .
7. Adjust the mirror to the desired viewing po-
sition for backing up by operating the out-
side mirror control switch.
8. Push the SET switch and, within five sec- onds, push the memory switch 1 or 2 se-
lected in step 3.
● The indicator light for the pushed memory
switch will come on and stay on for approxi-
mately five seconds after pushing the
switch. After the indicator light goes off, the
selected mirror position is stored in the se-
lected memory (1 or 2) .
9. Turn the outside mirror control switch to R (Right) . Repeat the above procedure to ad-
just the right mirror position and store in the
selected memory.
● When the driver’s seat and outside mirrors
are not in the memorized position, the out-
side mirror will move with the initial tilt-down
angle.
Seat synchronization function
The seat synchronization function automatically
adjusts the positions of the steering wheel and
outside mirrors when the seat is adjusted using
the power seat switches.
3-36Pre-driving checks and adjustments

NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer system will not
allow the engine to start without the use of the
registered key.
If the engine fails to start using a registered key
(for example, when interference is caused by
another registered key, an automated toll road
device or automatic payment device on the key
ring) , restart the engine using the following pro-
cedure:1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON position for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position, and wait approximately
10 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the device (which may have caused the interference)
separate from the registered key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, NISSAN rec-
ommends placing the registered key on a sepa-
rate key ring to avoid interference from other
devices. ●
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
● Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid, and windshield-washer fluid
as frequently as possible, or at least when-
ever you refuel.
● Check that all windows and lights are clean.
● Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
● Check that all doors are closed.
● Position seat and adjust head restraint.
● 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 posi-
tion. See “Warning/indicator lights and au-
dible reminders” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual. 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift selector to P (Park) or N
(Neutral) . P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to operate if
the shift selector is in any of the driving
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal and push the igni-
tion 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 ex-
tremely cold weather or when restarting,
depress the accelerator pedal a little (ap-
proximately 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 posi-
tion to start cranking the engine. After 5 or
6 seconds, stop cranking by pushing the
ignition switch to LOCK. After cranking
the engine, release the accelerator pedal.
Crank the engine with your foot off the
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-13

5. Press the shift selector buttonCand move
the shift selector to the N (Neutral) position
Dwhile holding down the shift lock release.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location. Replace the removed shift lock re-
lease cover after the operation. If the shift
selector cannot be moved out of the P (Park)
position, have a NISSAN dealer check the
CVT system as soon as possible.
WARNING
If the shift selector 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. Malfunction-
ing stop lights could cause an accident
injuring yourself and others.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch (if so
equipped)
When the O/D OFF switch is pushed with the
shift selector in the D (Drive) position, the
light in the instrument panel illuminates. See
“Overdrive off indicator light” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.
Use the Overdrive off mode when you need im-
proved engine braking. To turn off the Overdrive off mode, push the O/D
OFF switch again. The
indicator light will
turn off.
Each time the engine is started, or when the shift
selector is shifted to any position other than D
(Drive) , the Overdrive off mode will be automati-
cally turned off.
Accelerator downshift
— in D position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion down into a lower gear, depending on the
vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperature with heavy
loads, such as when towing a trailer) , engine
power and, under some conditions, vehicle
speed will be decreased automatically to reduce
the chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelerator
pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed may be
limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme con-
ditions, such as excessive wheel spinning
and subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe
system may be activated. The MIL may
come on to indicate the fail-safe mode is
activated, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” in the “Instrument and controls” sec-
tion. This will occur even if all electrical
circuits are functioning properly. In this
case, place the ignition switch in the OFF
position and wait for 10 seconds. Then
push the switch back to the ON position.
The vehicle should return to its normal op-
erating condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have a
NISSAN dealer check the transmission and
repair if necessary.
Starting and driving5-17

CAUTION
●Depending on the driving condition, the
4WD mode may automatically change
from 2WD to 4WD even when the 2WD
mode is selected. If this occurs while
driving, the 4WD mode indicator light
will not illuminate.
● Do not start the engine with the 4WD
mode switch in any mode in the follow-
ing cases:
– when the vehicle is placed on a fre- eroller 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 4WD mode switch only
when driving straight. Do not operate
the 4WD mode switch when making a
turn or backing up.
● Do not operate the 4WD mode switch
with the front wheel spinning.
● Engine idling speed is high while warm-
ing up the engine. Be especially careful
when starting or driving on slippery sur-
faces with the 4WD mode switch set in
the AUTO mode.
4WD warning light
Warning light Illuminates or
blinks when:
Illuminates There is a mal-
function in the4–wheel drive system
Blinks rap-
idly The power train
oil temperature is abnormally high
Blinks
slowly The difference
in wheel rota- tion is large
The 4WD 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 4WD system when
the ignition switch is in the “ON” position, the
warning light will either remain illuminated or blink.
High-temperature power train oil due to continu-
ous 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. The AUTO mode may change to the
LOCK mode before the warning light blinks. This is
normal. If the warning light blinks rapidly during
operation, stop the vehicle with the engine idling in
a safe place immediately. 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 4WD mode
switch to the 2WD mode and do not drive fast.
CAUTION
●
If the warning light illuminates while
driving, 4WD 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.
● Never drive on dry hard surface roads in
the LOCK mode, as this will overload
the power train and may cause a seri-
ous malfunction.
● The power train may be damaged if you
continue driving with the 4WD warning
light blinking rapidly.
5-24Starting and driving

●HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:A
Turn the wheels into the curb and move the
vehicle forward until the curb side wheel
gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
B
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
C
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
so the vehicle will move away from the cen-
ter of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK posi- tion.
WARNING
●If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be harder to operate.
● When the power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running,
there will be no power assist for the
steering. You will still have control of
the vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked by a NISSAN
dealer.
The power steering system is designed to pro-
vide power assist while driving to operate the
steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated repeatedly
or continuously while parking or driving at a very
low speed, the power assist for the steering
wheel will be reduced. This is to prevent over-
heating of the power steering system and protect
it from getting damaged. While the power assist
is reduced, steering wheel operation will become
heavy. If the steering wheel operation is still per-
formed, the power steering may stop and the
power steering warning light will illuminate. In a
safe location, stop the engine and push the igni-
tion switch to the OFF position. The temperature of the power steering system will go down after a
period of time and the power assist level will
return to normal after starting the engine. The
power steering warning light will go off. Avoid
repeating such steering wheel operations that
could cause the power steering system to over-
heat.
You may hear a noise from the front of the vehicle
when the steering wheel is operated. This is a
normal operational noise and is not a malfunction.
If the electric power steering warning light
PSil-
luminates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the power steering system is not func-
tioning properly and may need servicing. Have
the power steering system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
When the electric power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running, there will be
no power assist for the steering but you will still
have control of the vehicle. At this time, greater
steering effort is required to operate the steering
wheel, especially in sharp turns and at low
speeds.
For additional information see “Power steering
warning light” in the “Instruments and controls”
section.
POWER STEERING
5-26Starting and driving

– When installing a spare tire, makesure 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
“Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section of this manual.
– For detailed information, see “Wheels and tires” in the “Mainte-
nance and do-it-yourself” 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 pre-
vent 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 slip-
pery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down. De-
press the brake pedal with firm steady pressure,
but do not pump the brakes. The ABS will oper-
ate 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
distances.
Self-test feature
The 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 indicate a
malfunction. If the computer senses a malfunc-
tion, it switches the ABS off and illuminates the
ABS warning light on the instrument panel. The
brake system then operates normally, but without
anti-lock assistance.
If the ABS warning light illuminates during the
self-test or while driving, have the vehicle
checked by a NISSAN dealer.
Normal operation
The ABS operates at speeds above3-6MPH(5
- 10 km/h). The speed varies according to road
conditions. When the ABS senses that 1 or more wheels are
close to locking up, the actuator rapidly applies
and releases hydraulic pressure. This action is
similar to pumping the brakes very quickly. You
may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal and hear a
noise from under the hood or feel a vibration from
the actuator when it is operating. This is normal
and indicates that the ABS is operating properly.
However, the pulsation may indicate that road
conditions are hazardous and extra care is re-
quired while driving.
5-28Starting and driving

8 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Maintenance requirements..........................8-2
General maintenance ..............................8-2
Explanation of general maintenance items .........8-2
Maintenance precautions ...........................8-5
Engine compartment check locations ................8-6
Engine cooling system .............................8-7
Checking engine coolant level ...................8-8
Changing engine coolant ........................8-8
Engine oil .........................................8-9
Checking engine oil level ........................8-9
Changing engine oil ........................... 8-10
Changing engine oil filter .......................8-11
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) fluid ......8-11
Power steering fluid ............................... 8-12
Brake fluid ....................................... 8-12
Windshield-washer fluid ........................... 8-13
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ...............8-13
Battery .......................................... 8-14
Jump starting ................................. 8-15
Variable voltage control system (if so equipped) . . ....8-16
Drive belt ........................................ 8-16
Spark plugs ...................................... 8-17Replacing spark plugs
......................... 8-17
Air cleaner ....................................... 8-18
In-cabin microfilter ............................. 8-18
Windshield wiper blades .......................... 8-19
Cleaning ..................................... 8-19
Replacing .................................... 8-19
Brakes .......................................... 8-20
Fuses ........................................... 8-21
Engine compartment ........................... 8-22
Passenger compartment .......................8-23
Battery replacement .............................. 8-25
NISSAN Intelligent Key® .......................8-25
Lights ........................................... 8-26
Headlights .................................... 8-26
Fog lights (if so equipped) ......................8-27
Exterior and interior lights .......................8-27
Wheels
and tires ................................. 8-30
Tire pressure . . . ............................... 8-30
Tire labeling ................................... 8-33
Types of tires .................................. 8-36
Tire chains .................................... 8-37
Changing wheels and tires .....................8-37