CHECKING LIGHTS
With all doors closed, apply the parking brake,
fasten the seat belts and place the ignition switch
in the ON position without starting the engine.
The following lights (if so equipped) will come on:
,,,,
The following lights (if so equipped) come on
briefly and then go off:
,
If any light fails to come on or operate in a way
other than described, it may indicate a burned-
out bulb and/or a system malfunction. Have the
system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
Some indicators and warnings are also displayed
in the trip computer located to the right of the
speedometer. For additional information, refer to
“Meters and gauges” in this section.
WARNING LIGHTS
Anti-lock Braking System(ABS) warning light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the ABS warning light illuminates and
then turns off. This indicates the ABS is opera-
tional. 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. For
additional information, refer to
Brake systemin
the Starting and driving section.
Brake 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. For additional information, re-
fer to “Brake fluid” in the “Maintenance 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.
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 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
placed in the ON position.
Engine oil pressure warning
light
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.
2-8Instruments and controls
Adjust the air flow direction of the vents by open-
ing, closing or rotating.
WARNING
●The air conditioner cooling function op-
erates only when the engine is running.
● Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assistance
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should also not be left alone. They
could accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent operation of
the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to
people or animals.
● Do not use the recirculation mode for
long periods as it may cause the interior
air to become stale and the windows to
fog up. NOTE:
● Odors from inside and outside the vehicle
can build up in the air conditioner unit. Odor
can enter the passenger compartment
through the vents.
● When parking, set the heater and air condi-
tioner controls to turn off air recirculation to
allow fresh air into the passenger compart-
ment. This should help reduce odors inside
the vehicle.
Side vents
SAA3126
HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER
(manual) (Type A) (if so equipped)
Display screen, heater, air conditioner, audio and phone systems4-9
WARNING
●The air conditioner cooling function op-
erates only when the engine is running.
● Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assistance
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should also not be left alone. They
could accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent operation of
the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to
people or animals.
● Do not use the recirculation mode for
long periods as it may cause the interior
air to become stale and the windows to
fog up.
NOTE: ● Odors from inside and outside the vehicle
can build up in the air conditioner unit. Odor
can enter the passenger compartment
through the vents. ●
When parking, set the heater and air condi-
tioner controls to turn off air recirculation to
allow fresh air into the passenger compart-
ment. This should help reduce odors inside
the vehicle.
HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER
(manual) (Type B) (if so equipped)
Display screen, heater, air conditioner, audio and phone systems4-17
5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ..................5-2
Three-way catalyst ..............................5-2
Avoiding collision and rollover . . ..................5-3
Off-road recovery ...............................5-3
Rapid air pressure loss ..........................5-4
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ................5-4
Ignition switch .....................................5-5
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ...........5-5
Manual transmission (if so equipped) .............5-6
Ignition switch positions .........................5-6
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System ..............5-7
Before starting the engine ..........................5-7
Starting the engine ................................5-7
Driving the vehicle .................................5-8
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ...........5-8
Manual transmission (if so equipped) ............5-13
Parking brake .................................... 5-14
Cruise control (if so equipped) .....................5-15
Precautions on cruise control . . .................5-15
Cruise control operations .......................5-15Break-in schedule
................................ 5-16
Fuel efficient driving tips ........................... 5-17
Increasing fuel economy ........................... 5-18
Parking/parking on hills ............................ 5-19
Power steering ................................... 5-20
Brake system .................................... 5-21
Brake precautions ............................. 5-21
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) .................5-21
Brake assist .................................. 5-22
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system .............5-23
Brake force distribution ........................ 5-24
Cold weather driving .............................. 5-25
Freeing a frozen door lock ......................5-25
Antifreeze ..................................... 5-25
Battery ....................................... 5-25
Draining of coolant water .......................5-26
Tire equipment ................................ 5-26
Special winter equipment .......................5-26
Driving on snow or ice ......................... 5-26
Engine
block heater ............................ 5-26
WARNING
●Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assistance
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should also not be left alone. They
could accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent operation of
the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to
people or animals.
● Properly secure all cargo to help pre-
vent it from sliding or shifting. Do not
place cargo higher than the seatbacks.
In a sudden stop or collision, unsecured
cargo could cause personal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
● Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless carbon
monoxide. Carbon monoxide is danger-
ous. It can cause unconsciousness or
death. ●
If you suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering the vehicle, drive with all win-
dows fully open, and have the vehicle
inspected immediately.
● Do not run the engine in closed spaces
such as a garage.
● Do not park the vehicle with the engine
running for any extended length of time.
● Keep the rear vent windows, doors and
trunk lids (if so equipped) closed while
driving, otherwise exhaust gases could
be drawn into the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with one of
these open, follow these precautions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Turn the air recirculation mode off and set the fan speed control to the
highest level to circulate the air.
● The exhaust system and body should be
inspected by a qualified mechanic
whenever:
a. The vehicle is raised for service.
b. You suspect that exhaust fumes are entering into the passenger
compartment. c. You notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust system.
d. You have had an accident involving damage to the exhaust system, un-
derbody, or rear of the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
●The exhaust gas and the exhaust sys-
tem are very hot. Keep people, animals
or flammable materials away from the
exhaust system components.
● Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
● When parking, ensure that people or
inflammable materials are kept away
from the exhaust pipe.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING
5-2Starting 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. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position and remove the key.
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. When the temperature of the power steer-
ing system goes down, the power assist level will
return to normal. Avoid repeating such steering
wheel operations that could cause the power
steering system to overheat. You may hear a sound when the steering wheel is
operated quickly. However, this is not a malfunc-
tion.
If the electric power steering warning light
PS
illuminates 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, refer to “Power steer-
ing warning light” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual.
POWER STEERING
5-20Starting and driving
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
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 stopping dis-
tance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the
brake 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, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking or accel-
erating could cause the wheels to skid
and result in an accident.
● If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the brakes will not work. Braking will be
harder.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your
braking distance will be longer and the vehicle
may pull to one side during braking.
To dry the 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.
Parking brake break-in
Break-in the parking brake shoes whenever the
stopping effect of the parking brake is weakened
or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or
drums/rotors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance. This procedure is described in the Vehicle ser-
vice manual and can be preformed by a NISSAN
dealer..
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)
WARNING
●
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a
sophisticated device, but it cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from careless
or dangerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control during
braking on slippery surfaces. Remem-
ber that stopping distances on slippery
surfaces will be longer than on normal
surfaces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances 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 respon-
sible for safety.
● Tire type and condition may also affect
braking effectiveness.
– When replacing tires, install the specified size of tires on all four
wheels.
BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-21
Push the switch on to warn other drivers when
you must stop or park under emergency condi-
tions. All turn signal lights 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 highway 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 haz-
ard warning flasher lights are on. The flashers will operate with the ignition switch
placed in any position.
Some jurisdictions may prohibit the use of
the hazard warning flasher switch while
driving.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions be-
low:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and
away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Shift the automatic transmission (A/T)
or the models into P (Park) or the manual
transmission (M/T) model into R (Reverse) .
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and to signal professional road assistance person-
nel that you need assistance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle and stand in a safe place, away from traffic
and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
●Make sure the parking brake is securely
applied and the automatic transmission
(A/T) models is shifted into P (Park) , or
the manual transmission (M/T) model
into R (Reverse) .
LIC0394
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
SWITCH FLAT TIRE
6-2In case of emergency