
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 hydraulic pump electric
power steering warning light illumi-
nates with the engine running, the
power assist for the steering will
cease operation. You will still have
control of the vehicle, but the steer-
ing will be much harder to operate.
The hydraulic pump electric power steering
system is designed to provide power assistance
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
overheating of the hydraulic pump electric
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
performed, the power steering may stop and the hydraulic pump electric power steering warning
light will illuminate. Stop the engine and push
the ignition switch to the OFF position. The
temperature of the hydraulic pump electric
power steering system will go down and the
power assist level will return to normal after
starting the engine. The hydraulic pump electric
power steering warning light will go off. Avoid
repeating such steering wheel operations that
could cause the hydraulic pump electric power
steering system to overheat.
You may hear a noise from the front of the
vehicle when the steering wheel is operated.
This is not a malfunction.
If the hydraulic pump electric power steering
warning light illuminates while the engine is
running, it may indicate the hydraulic pump
electric power steering system is not functioning
properly and may need servicing. Have the
hydraulic pump electric power steering system
checked by a NISSAN dealer.
When the hydraulic pump electric power steer-
ing warning light illuminates with the engine
running, the power assist for the steering will
cease operation but you will still have control of
the vehicle. At this time, greater steering efforts
are required to operate the steering wheel,
especially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be
required to stop the vehicle and the stopping
distance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake and pads faster
and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result in
loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
.
While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
Starting and driving5-29
HYDRAULIC PUMP ELECTRIC
POWER STEERING SYSTEM BRAKE SYSTEM

5-32Starting and driving
keep the vehicle on the steered path.
. You may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal
and hear a noise or vibration from under the
hood. This is normal and indicates that the
VDC system is working properly.
. Adjust your speed and driving to the road
conditions.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warning
light” (P.2-16).
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the VDC
warning light
illuminates in the instrument
panel. The VDC system automatically turns off.
The VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the VDC
system. The VDC off indicator light
illuminates to indicate the VDC system is off.
When the VDC switch is used to turn off the
system, the VDC system still operates to prevent
one drive wheel from slipping by transferring
power to a non slipping drive wheel. The VDC
warning light
flashes if this occurs. All other
VDC functions are off, and the VDC warning
light
will not flash. The VDC system is
automatically reset to on when the ignition
switch is placed in the off position then back
to the on position.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warning
light” (P.2-16) and “Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) off indicator light” (P.2-18).
The computer has a built-in diagnostic feature that tests the system each time you start the
engine and move the vehicle forward or in
reverse at a slow speed. When the self-test
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
the driver maintain 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 driving and cornering on slip-
pery surfaces and always drive care-
fully.
. 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-

6-2In case of emergency
SIC2574
Push the switch on to warn other drivers when
you must stop or park under emergency condi-
tions. All turn signal lights will flash.
WARNING
.If stopping for an emergency, be
sure to move the vehicle well off the
road.
. Do not use the hazard warning
flashers while moving on the high-
way unless unusual circumstances
force you to drive so slowly that
your vehicle might become a hazard to other traffic.
. Turn signals do not work when the
hazard warning flasher lights are
on.
The flasher can be actuated with the ignition
switch in any position.
Some state laws may prohibit the use of
the hazard warning flasher switch while
driving.
When an impact that could activate the supple-
mental air bags is detected, the hazard warning
flasher lights blink automatically. If the hazard
warning flasher switch is pushed, the hazard
warning flashers will turn off.
WARNING
Do not turn the hazard warning flasher
switch to off until you can make sure
that it is safe to do so. Also, the hazard
flasher warning may not blink automa-
tically depending on the force of im-
pact. To shut off the engine in an emergency situation
while driving perform the following procedure:
.
Rapidly push the push-button ignition switch
3 consecutive times in less than 1.5
seconds, or
. Push and hold the push-button ignition
switch for more than 2 seconds.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
SWITCH EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF

.Whenever working on or near a
battery, always wear suitable eye
protectors (for example, goggles or
industrial safety spectacles) and
remove rings, metal bands, or any
other jewelry. Do not lean over the
battery when jump starting.
. Do not attempt to jump start a
frozen battery. It could explode
and cause serious injury.
. Your vehicle has an automatic en-
gine cooling fan. It could come on at
any time. Keep hands and other
objects away from it.
SCE0969
WARNING
Always follow the instructions below.
Failure to do so could result in damage
to the charging system and cause
personal injury.
1. If the booster battery is in another vehicle
*B, position the two vehicles (*Aand*B)
to bring their batteries into close proximity to
each other.
Do not allow the two vehicles to touch. 2. Apply the parking brake. Move the shift lever
to the P (Park) position. Switch off all
unnecessary electrical systems (lights, hea-
ter, air conditioner, etc.).
3. Remove vent caps on the battery (if so equipped) . Cover the battery with a firmly
wrung out moist cloth to reduce explosion
hazard.
4. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as illustrated (
*1?*2?*3?*4).
If the battery is discharged, the ignition
switch cannot be moved from the OFF
position. Connect the jumper cables to
the booster vehicle
*Bbefore pushing
the ignition switch.
CAUTION
. Always connect positive (+) to posi-
tive (+) and negative (−) to body
ground (for example, as illustrated) ,
not to the battery.
. Make sure the jumper cables do not
touch moving parts in the engine
compartment and that the cable
clamps do not contact any other
metal.
In case of emergency6-11

6-12In case of emergency
5. Start the engine of the booster vehicle*Band let it run for a few minutes.
6. Keep the engine speed of the booster vehicle
*Bat about 2,000 rpm, and start
the engine of the vehicle
*Abeing jump
started.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged
for more than 10 seconds. If the engine
does not start right away, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait 10 seconds before trying again.
7. After starting your engine, carefully discon- nect the negative cable and then the positive
cable (
*4?*3?*2?*1).
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover
the vent holes as it may be contaminated
with corrosive acid. Do not attempt to start the engine by pushing.
CAUTION
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models cannot be push-started
or tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
CAUTION
.
Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle
fire.
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radiator
cap while the engine is still hot.
When the radiator cap is removed,
pressurized hot water will spurt out,
possibly causing serious injury.
. Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading) , or if
you feel a lack of engine power, detect abnormal
noise, etc., take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air conditioner
temperature control to maximum hot and fan
control to high speed.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS

SCE0976
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flat bed truck as
illustrated.
CAUTION
.Never tow Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) models with
the front wheels on the ground or
four wheels on the ground (forward
or backward) , as this may cause serious and expensive damage to
the drivetrain. If it is necessary to
tow the vehicle with the rear wheels
raised, always use towing dollies
under the front wheels.
. When towing CVT models with the
front wheels on towing dollies:
— Push the ignition switch to the
ACC or ON position, and secure
the steering wheel in a straight-
ahead position with a rope or
similar device.
— Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position. .
When towing a CVT model with the
rear wheels on the ground (if you do
not use towing dollies): Always
release the parking brake.
In case of emergency6-15

When performing any inspection or mainte-
nance work on your vehicle, always take care
to prevent serious accidental injury to yourself or
damage to the vehicle. The following are general
precautions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
.Park the vehicle on a level surface,
apply the parking brake securely
and block the wheels to prevent
the vehicle from moving. Move the
shift lever to P (Park) .
. Be sure the ignition switch is in the
OFF or LOCK position when per-
forming any parts replacement or
repairs.
. If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from moving
fans, belts and any other moving
parts.
. It is advisable to secure or remove
any loose clothing and remove any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
. Always wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle. .
If you must run the engine in an
enclosed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape.
. Never get under the vehicle while it
is supported only by a jack. If it is
necessary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
. Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from fuel tank and the
battery.
. The fuel filter or fuel lines should be
serviced by a NISSAN dealer be-
cause the fuel lines are under high
pressure even when the engine is
off.
CAUTION
.Do not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn the engine
off and wait until it cools down.
. Avoid direct contact with used en-
gine oil and coolant. Improperly
disposed engine oil, and engine
coolant and/or other vehicle fluids
can damage the environment. Al- ways conform to local regulations
for disposal of vehicle fluid.
. Never leave the engine or the CVT
related component harnesses dis-
connected while the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
. Never connect or disconnect the
battery or any transistorized com-
ponent while the ignition switch is
in the ON position.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic engine cooling fan. It may
come on at any time without warn-
ing, even if the ignition key is in the
OFF position and the engine is not
running. To avoid injury, always
disconnect the negative battery
cable before working near the fan.
This “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
gives instructions regarding only those items
which are relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is also
available. (See “Owner’s manual/service manual
order information” (P.9-28) .)
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties or excessive emissions, and could
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-5
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS

JUMP STARTING
If jump starting is necessary, see “Jump starting”
(P.6-10) . If the engine does not start by jump
starting, the battery may have to be replaced.
Contact a NISSAN dealer.CAUTION
.Do not ground accessories directly
to the battery terminal. Doing so will
bypass the variable voltage control
system and the vehicle battery may
not charge completely.
. Use electrical accessories with the
engine running to avoid discharging
the vehicle battery.
The variable voltage control system measures
the amount of electrical discharge from the
battery and controls voltage generated by the
generator.
JVM0172X
1. Drive belt auto-tensioner
2. Alternator
3. Air conditioner compressor
4. Crankshaft pulley
WARNING
Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF
or LOCK position before servicing drive
belt. The engine could rotate unexpect-
edly.
1. Visually inspect the belt for signs of unusual wear, cuts, fraying or looseness. If the belt is
in poor condition or loose, have it replaced
or adjusted by a NISSAN dealer.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-15
VARIABLE VOLTAGE CONTROL
SYSTEM DRIVE BELT