•If the engine of the vehicle stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep grade, never at-
tempt to turn around. Your vehicle could tip or
roll over. Always drive backwards and straight
down in R (reverse) gear.
Never drive backwards with the shift lever in N
(Neutral) and/or with the clutch depressed and
using the brake as this could result in loss of
control.
•Heavy braking down a hill could cause your
brakes to overheat and fade, resulting in loss of
control and an accident. Apply the brakes lightly
and use a low gear to control your vehicle speed.
•Unsecured cargo can be thrown around when
driving over rough terrain. Properly secure it so
that it will not be thrown forwards and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
•To avoid raising the centre of gravity excessively,
do not exceed the rated capacity of the roof rack/
gear bin (where fitted) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the luggage area as
far forwards and as low as possible. Do not equip
the vehicle with tyres larger than specified. This
could cause your vehicle to roll over.
•Accelerating quickly, sharp steering manoeuvres
or sudden braking may cause loss of control.
•Do not drive beyond the performance of the
tyres, even with 4WD. Sudden acceleration,
steering or braking may result in loss of control
and could cause the vehicle to become stuck.
•If at all possible, avoid sharp turning manoeuvres,
particularly at high speeds. Your 4WD vehicle
has a higher centre of gravity than a 2WD ve-
hicle and can tip over more easily. The vehicle is
not designed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional 2WD models any more than low
sports cars are designed to perform satisfacto-
rily under off-road conditions. Failure to operate
this vehicle correctly could result in loss of con-
trol and/or a rollover accident.
•Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel when driving off-road. The steering wheel
could jerk and injure your hands. Instead, drive
with your fingers 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 become very hot. Particular care
should be taken if you are barefoot.
•Lower your speed when encountering strong
crosswinds. With its higher centre of gravity your
NISSAN is more affected by gusty side winds.
Slower speeds ensure better vehicle control.
•Be sure to check the brakes immediately after
driving in mud or water as specified in “Wet
brakes” later in this section.
•Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud
or water as deep as the wheel hub, more fre-quent maintenance may be required. For details,
refer to the separately provided Warranty Infor-
mation and Maintenance Booklet.
•Rinse the underside of the vehicle with fresh
water after driving through mud or sand. Re-
move any brush or sticks that are trapped.
•Install the same size of winter tyres on all four (4)
wheels (such as studless tyres) or install snow
chains to the front wheels when driving on slip-
pery roads (e.g. after a snowfall) and drive care-
fully using 4WD.
•Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you
get out of the vehicle and it rolls forwards, back-
wards or sideways, you could be injured.
Starting and driving5-29
•Do not strike or damage the areas around the
multi-sensing lane camera unit. Do not touch the
camera lens or remove the screw located on the
camera unit. If the camera unit is damaged due
to an accident, contact a NISSAN dealer or
qualified workshop.The cruise control system allows driving at constant
speeds without keeping your foot on the accelerator
pedal.
WARNING
•The cruise control system ONLY maintains a
constant vehicle speed, it does not replace
the driver.
•Always observe the posted speed limits and
do not set the speed above them.
•Do not use the cruise control system when
driving under the following conditions. Doing
so could cause a loss of vehicle control and
result in an accident.
– When it is not possible to keep the vehicle
at a constant speed
– When driving in heavy traffic
– When driving in traffic that varies speed
– When driving in windy areas
– When driving on winding or hilly roads
– When driving on slippery (rain, snow, ice,
etc.) roads
CAUTION
On manual transmission models, do not shift into
N (Neutral) without depressing the clutch pedal
when the cruise control is set. Should this occur,
depress the clutch pedal and turn the cruise con-
trol main switch off immediately. Failure to do so
may cause engine damage.When the cruise control system is on the speed lim-
iter cannot be operated.
The cruise control system operation switches are
located on the steering wheel (right side).
The cruise control system operating condition is
shown in the vehicle information display.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE
CONTROL
•The cruise control system will be automatically
cancelled when there is a malfunction. Have the
system checked by a NISSAN dealer or quali-
fied workshop.
•To properly set the cruise control system, per-
form the steps as described in “Setting a cruis-
ing speed” later in this section.
CRUISE CONTROL (where fitted)
5-36Starting and driving
Passing another vehicle
Depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate. After
releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle will re-
turn to the previously set speed.
The set speed value
j5 will flash until the vehicle
returns to the previously set speed.
Cancelling the cruise control system
To cancel a set speed limit, push the CANCEL
switchj1.
The cruise control symbolj4 and the set speed
valuej5 disappear from the top of the vehicle infor-
mation display.
The cruise control system will also be cancelled
automatically by any of the following:
•Pressing the footbrake pedal.
•Pressing the clutch pedal.
•Shifting the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position.
First depress clutch pedal
•If the vehicle slows down more than approxi-
mately 12 km/h (8 MPH) below the set speed.
Resuming a previous cruising speed
If the cruising speed has been cancelled, the last
set speed value will be stored in the cruise control
system memory. This cruising speed can be reacti-
vated by pressing the RES (Resume) switch
jA
upwards.
If the vehicle speed is less than a minimum set
speed, it will not be possible to resume to thecruising speed.
Pressing the CANCEL switch prevents resuming
to the previous cruising speed.
Turn the cruise control system off
The cruise control system will be turned off when
one of the following operations is performed:
•Push the cruise control main “ON/OFF” switchj2 . The cruise control symbolj4 and the set
speed valuej5 will turn off in the combination
meter display
•Push the speed limiter main “ON/OFF” switchj3 . The cruise control system information in the
combination meter will be replaced with the
speed limiter information. For details see “Speed
limiter (where fitted)” later in this section.
•When the vehicle is stopped and the ignition is
turned to the off position.
Turning off the cruise control system will erase
the cruise control system memory.The speed limiter allows you to set the desired ve-
hicle speed limit. While the speed limiter is acti-
vated, you can perform normal braking and accel-
eration, but the vehicle will not exceed the set speed.
When the vehicle reaches the set speed limit or if
the set speed limit is lower than the actual vehicle
speed, the accelerator pedal will not work until the
vehicle speed drops below the set speed limit.
When the actual vehicle speed exceeds the set
speed, an audible warning will be heard a short time
after the set speed is exceeded and driver interven-
tion is not detected.
When the speed limiter is on the cruise control sys-
tem cannot be operated.WARNING
•The speed limiter will not automatically brake
the vehicle to the set speed limit.
•Always observe posted speed limits. Do not
set the speed above them.
•Always confirm the setting status of the speed
limiter in the vehicle information display.
•When the speed limiter is set, avoid hard ac-
celeration to reach the set limit to ensure that
the system can limit the speed of the vehicle
correctly.
SPEED LIMITER (where fitted)
5-38Starting and driving
WARNING
•Do not park the vehicle over flammable mate-
rials, such as dry grass, waste paper, or rags.
They may ignite and cause a fire.
•Safe parking procedures require that:
– The parking brake is applied.
– The shift lever is placed in an appropriate
gear for manual transmission models.
– The shift lever is placed in the P (Park)
position for XTRONIC transmission (CVT)
models.
Failure to follow the above recommenda-
tions could cause the vehicle to move un-
expectedly or roll away and result in an
accident.
•Never leave the engine running while the ve-
hicle is unattended.
•Do not leave children or adults who would
normally require the support of others alone
in your vehicle. Pets should also not be left
alone either. On hot, sunny days, tempera-
tures in a closed vehicle could quickly be-
come high enough to cause severe or possi-
bly fatal injuries to people or animals.
•Manual transmission models:
Depress the clutch pedal and place the shift le-
ver in the R (Reverse) position. When parking on
an uphill gradient, place the shift lever in the 1st
(Low gear) position.
•XTRONIC transmission models:
Fully depress the brake pedal and move the shift
lever to the P (Park) position.
WARNING
Make sure that the shift lever has been pushed
as far forward as it can go and cannot be moved
without depressing the button on the shift lever
handle.
NSD338LHD models
PARKING
Starting and driving5-43
You may hear a sound when the steering wheel
is operated quickly. However, this is not a mal-
function.
If the electric power steering warning light
illu-
minates while the engine is running, it may indicate
the electric power steering system is not functioning
properly and may need servicing. Have the electric
power steering system checked by a NISSAN dealer
or qualified workshop. (See “ Power steering warn-
ing light” in the “2. Instruments and controls” sec-
tion.)
When the electric power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, the power assis-
tance for the steering will cease operation. You will
still have control of the vehicle. However, greater
steering effort is needed, especially in sharp turns
and at low speeds.The brake system has two separate hydraulic cir-
cuits. If one circuit malfunctions, two wheels will still
have braking ability.BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brake
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum or vacuum from an engine-driven pump. If
the engine stops or the drive belt is broken, 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.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through wa-
ter, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your brak-
ing 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 pressing 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.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the
brake linings and pads faster and reduce fuel
economy performance.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the brakes
from overheating, reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before going down a slope or long downhillgradient. Overheated brakes may reduce braking
performance and could result in loss of vehicle con-
trol.
CAUTION
While driving on a slippery surface, be careful
when braking, accelerating or downshifting.
Abrupt braking actions or sudden acceleration
could cause the wheels to skid and result in an
accident.
Be aware that brakes will fade if repeated heavy
brake applications are made.
Driving uphill
When starting on a steep gradient, it is sometimes
difficult to operate the brake or both the brake and
clutch (MT models). Use the parking brake to hold
the vehicle. Do not slip the clutch (MT models).
When ready to start, make sure that the shift lever is
in an appropriate forward or reverse driving posi-
tion, slowly release the parking brake while depress-
ing the accelerator pedal and releasing the clutch
(MT models) or depressing the accelerator pedal
(XTRONIC transmission models). If your vehicle has
an electric parking brake, this will automatically re-
lease when you depress the accelerator pedal and
release the clutch (MT models) or depress the ac-
celerator pedal (XTRONIC transmission models).
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-58Starting and driving
8Maintenance and do-it-yourselfMaintenance and do-it-yourself
Maintenance requirements ....................................... 8-2
Scheduled maintenance...................................... 8-2
General maintenance .......................................... 8-2
Where to go for service ...................................... 8-2
General maintenance ............................................... 8-2
Explanation of general maintenance items ........... 8-2
Maintenance precautions ......................................... 8-4
Engine compartment ................................................ 8-5
Engine cooling system ............................................. 8-6
Checking engine coolant level............................. 8-6
Changing engine coolant .................................... 8-6
Engine oil................................................................. 8-8
Checking engine oil level .................................... 8-8
Changing engine oil ............................................ 8-9
Changing engine oil filter .................................... 8-10
Protect the environment ...................................... 8-12
Fuel filter (Diesel engine models) ............................. 8-13
Draining water .................................................... 8-13
Bleeding the fuel system ..................................... 8-13
XTRONIC Continuously variable transmission
(CVT) fluid ............................................................... 8-13
Brakes ..................................................................... 8-13
Checking parking brake ...................................... 8-13
Checking brake pedal......................................... 8-13
Brake booster ..................................................... 8-14
Brake and clutch fluid .............................................. 8-14
Window washer fluid/headlight cleaner fluid
(where fitted) ........................................................... 8-15
Battery..................................................................... 8-16
Vehicle battery .................................................... 8-16Jump-starting ...................................................... 8-18
Integrated keyfob/Intelligent Key battery
replacement........................................................ 8-18
Drive belts ............................................................... 8-20
Spark plugs (Petrol engine models).......................... 8-21
Air duct removal....................................................... 8-21
Air cleaner filter........................................................ 8-23
Viscous paper type ............................................. 8-23
Dry paper type (where fitted) .............................. 8-23
Wiper blades ........................................................... 8-24
Cleaning ............................................................. 8-24
Front window wiper replacement ........................ 8-24
Back door window wiper replacement ................ 8-24
Windscreen washer nozzle ................................. 8-25
Fuses ...................................................................... 8-25
Passenger compartment ..................................... 8-25
Engine compartment ........................................... 8-26
Lights ...................................................................... 8-27
Headlights .......................................................... 8-28
Exterior lights ...................................................... 8-29
Interior lights....................................................... 8-29
Light locations .................................................... 8-30
Wheels and tyres ..................................................... 8-33
Tyre inflation pressure......................................... 8-33
Types of tyres ..................................................... 8-33
Snow chains....................................................... 8-34
Tyre rotation ....................................................... 8-34
Tyre wear and damage ....................................... 8-35
Tyre age ............................................................. 8-35
Changing tyres and wheels................................. 8-35
Lights*:
Clean the headlights on a regular basis. Make sure
that the headlights, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal
lights, and other lights are all operating properly and
installed securely. Also check headlight aim.
Tyres*:
Check the pressure with a gauge periodically when
at a service station (including the spare) and adjust
to the specified pressure if necessary. Check care-
fully for damage, cuts or excessive wear.
Tyre rotation*:
Tyres should be rotated every 10,000 km (6,000
miles) for Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models and
5,000 km (3,000 miles) for Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)
models. However, the timing for tyre rotation may
vary according to your driving habits and road sur-
face conditions.
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
transmitter components (where fitted):
Replace the TPMS transmitter grommet seal, valve
core and cap when the tyres are replaced due to
wear or age.
Wheel alignment and balance:
If the vehicle pull to either side while driving on a
straight and level road, or if you detect uneven or
abnormal tyre wear, there may be a need for wheel
alignment. If the steering wheel or seat vibrates at
normal highway speeds, wheel balancing may be
needed.Wheel nuts:
When checking the tyres, make sure no wheel nuts
are missing, and check for any loose wheel nuts.
Tighten if necessary.
Windscreen:
Clean the windscreen on a regular basis. Check the
windscreen at least every six months for cracks or
other damage. Have a damaged windscreen re-
paired by a qualified repair facility.
Wiper blades*:
Check for cracks or wear if they do not wipe prop-
erly.
Under the bonnet and vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
checked periodically, e.g. each time you check the
engine oil or refuel.
Battery*:
Check if the green indicator on the top of the main-
tenance free battery is visible. If it is not visible,
replace the battery as soon as possible.
Vehicles operated in high temperatures or under
severe conditions, check the fluid level frequently.
Brake and clutch fluid level*:
Make sure that the brake and clutch fluid level is
between the MAX and MIN lines on the reservoir.
Engine coolant level*:
Check the coolant level when the engine is cold.Engine drive belts*:
Make sure that the drive belts are not frayed, worn,
cracked or oily.
Engine oil level*:
Check the level after parking the vehicle on a level
surface and turning off the engine.
Fluid leaks:
Check under the vehicle for fuel, oil, water or other
fluid leaks after the vehicle has been parked for a
while. Water dripping from the air conditioner after
use is normal. If you should notice any leaks or if
petrol fumes are evident, check for the cause and
have it corrected immediately.
Window washer fluid*:
Check that there is adequate fluid in the tank.
Inside the vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
checked on a regular basis, such as when perform-
ing periodic maintenance, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Accelerator pedal:
Check the pedal for smooth operation and make
sure that the pedal does not catch or require uneven
effort. Keep the floor mats away from the pedal.
Brake pedal*:
Check the pedal for smooth operation. If the brake
pedal suddenly goes down further than normal, the
pedal feels spongy or the vehicle seems to take
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-3
With the engine running, check the distance be-
tween the upper surface of the pedal and the metal
floor. If it is out the range listed, see a NISSAN
dealer or qualified workshop.
Depressing force of 490 N (50 kg, 110 lb)
183.7 – 193.7 mm (7.23 – 7.63 in.)
Self-adjusting brakes
Your vehicle is equipped with self-adjusting brakes.
The disc-type brakes self-adjust every time the brake
pedal is applied.
BRAKE BOOSTER
Check the brake booster function as follows:
1. With the engine off, depress and release the
footbrake pedal several times. When the foot-
brake pedal movement (distance of travel) re-
mains the same from one pedal application to the
next, continue on to the next step.
2. While depressing the footbrake pedal, start the
engine. The pedal height should drop a little.
3. With the footbrake pedal depressed, stop the
engine. Keep the pedal depressed for about 30
seconds. The pedal height should not change.
4. Run the engine for 1 minute without depressing
the footbrake pedal, then turn it off. Depress the
footbrake pedal several times. The pedal travel
distance will decrease gradually with each de-
pression as the vacuum is released from the
booster.If the brakes do not operate properly, have the
brakes checked by a NISSAN dealer or qualified
workshop.
jALHD models
jBRHD models
WARNING
•Use only new fluid. Old, inferior, or contami-
nated fluid may damage the brake and clutch
systems. The use of improper fluids can dam-
age the brake system and affect the vehicle’s
stopping ability.
•Clean the filler cap before removing.
•Brake and clutch fluids are poisonous and
should be stored carefully in marked contain-
ers out of the reach of children.
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the fluid level
is between the MIN
j2 and MAXj1 lines or the
brake warning light comes on, add fluid up to the
MAX line.
NDI1038
BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID
8-14Maintenance and do-it-yourself