
SMALL CHILDREN
Children that are over 1 year old and weigh at
least 9 kg (20 lbs) should remain in a rear-facing
child restraint as long as possible up to the height
or weight limit of the child restraint. Children who
outgrow the height or weight limit of the rear-
facing child restraint and are at least 1 year old
should be secured in a forward-facing child re-
straint with a harness. Refer to the manufactur-
er’s instructions for minimum and maximum
weight and height recommendations. NISSAN
recommends that small children be placed in
child restraints that comply with Canadian Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards. You should choose a
child restraint that fits your vehicle and always
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for instal-
lation and use.
LARGER CHILDREN
Children should remain in a forward-facing child
restraint with a harness until they reach the maxi-
mum height or weight limit allowed by the child
restraint manufacturer.
Once a child outgrows the height or weight limit
of the harness-equipped forward-facing child re-
straint, NISSAN recommends that the child be
placed in a commercially available booster seat to
obtain proper seat belt fit. For a seat belt to fit
properly, the booster seat should raise the childso that the shoulder belt is properly positioned
across the chest and the top, middle portion of
the shoulder. The shoulder belt should not cross
the neck or face and should not fall off the shoul-
der. The lap belt should lie snugly across the
lower hips or upper thighs, not the abdomen. A
booster seat can only be used in seating posi-
tions that have a three-point type seat belt. The
booster seat should fit the vehicle seat and have
a label certifying that it complies with Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
A booster seat should be used until the child can
pass the seat belt fit test below:
● Are the child’s back and hips against the
vehicle seatback?
● Is the child able to sit without slouching?
● Do the child’s knees bend easily over the
front edge of the seat with feet flat on the
floor?
● Can the child safely wear the seat belt (lap
belt low and snug across the hips and shoul-
der belt across mid-chest and shoulder)?
● Is the child able to use the properly adjusted
head restraint/headrest?
● Will the child be able to stay in position for
the entire ride? If you answered no to any of these questions, the
child should remain in a booster seat using a
three-point type seat belt.
LRS2690
1-18Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

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

– When installing a spare tire, makesure that it is the proper size and type
as specified on the Tire and Loading
Information label. For additional in-
formation, refer to “Tire and Loading
Information label” in the “Technical
and consumer information” section
of this manual.
– For additional information, refer to “Wheels and tires” in the “Mainte-
nance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
The ABS controls the brakes so the wheels do
not lock during hard braking or when braking on
slippery surfaces. The system detects the rota-
tion speed at each wheel and varies the brake
fluid pressure to prevent each wheel from locking
and sliding. By preventing each wheel from lock-
ing, the system helps the driver maintain steering
control and helps to minimize swerving and spin-
ning on slippery 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 above5-10km/h
(3 - 6 mph) . The speed varies according to road
conditions. When the ABS senses that one or more wheels
are close to locking up, the actuator rapidly ap-
plies 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.
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal ex-
ceeds a certain level, the brake assist is activated
generating greater braking force than a conven-
tional 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 driv-
ers responsibility to stay alert, drive safely
and be in control of the vehicle at all times.
5-22Starting and driving

●Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension.
If suspension parts such as shock ab-
sorbers, struts, springs, stabilizer bars,
bushings and wheels are not NISSAN
recommended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly. This could
adversely affect vehicle handling per-
formance, and the
indicator may
flash or both the
andindica-
tor lights may illuminate.
● If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, the VDC system may not
operate properly and both the
and theindicator lights may
illuminate.
● If engine control related parts are not
NISSAN recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, both the
andindicator lights may illuminate. ●
When driving on extremely inclined sur-
faces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly and the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. Do not drive on
these types of roads.
● When driving on an unstable surface
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a mal-
function. Restart the engine after driv-
ing 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
indicator may flash or both
the
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
● The VDC system is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION
During braking while driving through turns, the
system optimizes the distribution of force to each
of the four wheels depending on the radius of the
turn.
WARNING
● The VDC system is designed to help the
driver maintain stability but does not
prevent accidents due to abrupt steer-
ing operation at high speeds or by care-
less or dangerous driving techniques.
Reduce vehicle speed and be especially
careful when driving and cornering on
slippery surfaces and always drive
carefully.
● Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension.
If suspension parts such as shock ab-
sorbers, struts, springs, stabilizer bars,
bushings and wheels are not NISSAN
recommended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly. This could
adversely affect vehicle handling per-
formance, and the
indicator may
flash or both the
andindica-
tor lights may illuminate.
5-24Starting and driving

●If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, the VDC system may not
operate properly and both the
and theindicator lights may
illuminate.
● If engine control related parts are not
NISSAN recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, both the
andindicator lights may illuminate.
● When driving on extremely inclined sur-
faces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly and the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. Do not drive on
these types of roads.
● When driving on an unstable surface
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a mal-
function. Restart the engine after driv-
ing 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
indicator may flash or both
the
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
● The VDC system is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply de-
icer through the key hole. If the lock becomes
frozen, heat the key before inserting it into the key
hole or use the remote keyless entry key fob (if so
equipped) .
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the tem-
perature will drop below 32°F (0°C) , check the
anti-freeze to assure proper winter protection.
For additional information, refer to “Engine cool-
ing system” in the “Maintenance and do-it-
yourself” section of this manual.
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during extremely
cold weather conditions, the battery fluid may
freeze and damage the battery. To maintain maxi-
mum efficiency, the battery should be checked
regularly. For additional information, refer to “Bat-
tery” in the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion of this manual.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
Starting and driving5-25

DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without anti-
freeze, drain the cooling system, including the
engine block. Refill before operating the vehicle.
For additional information, refer to “Changing
engine coolant” in the “Maintenance and do-it-
yourself” section of this manual.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
1. SUMMER tires have a tread designed toprovide superior performance on dry pave-
ment. However, the performance of these
tires will be substantially reduced in snowy
and icy conditions. If you operate your ve-
hicle on snowy or icy roads, NISSAN recom-
mends the use of MUD & SNOW or ALL
SEASON TIRES on all four wheels. Please
consult a NISSAN dealer for the tire type,
size, speed rating and availability informa-
tion.
2. For additional traction on icy roads, studded tires may be used. However, some states
and provinces prohibit their use. Check lo-
cal, state and provincial laws before install-
ing studded tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires on wet or dry surfaces may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow tires. 3. Tire chains may be used. For additional in-
formation, refer to “Tire chains” in the “Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section of this
manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
● A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove
ice and snow from the windows and wiper
blades.
● A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the
jack to give it firm support.
● A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snowdrifts.
● Extra washer fluid to refill the windshield-
washer fluid reservoir.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
● Wet ice (0°C, 32°F and freezing rain) ,
very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip” under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving on
wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded. ●
Whatever the condition, drive with cau-
tion. Accelerate and slow down with
care. If accelerating or downshifting too
fast, the drive wheels will lose even
more traction.
● Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
● Allow greater following distances on
slippery roads.
● Watch for slippery spots (glare ice) .
These may appear on an otherwise
clear road in shaded areas. If a patch of
ice is seen ahead, brake before reach-
ing it. Try not to brake while on the ice,
and avoid any sudden steering
maneuvers.
● Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep snow
clear of the exhaust pipe and from
around your vehicle.ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
Engine block heaters are used to assist with cold
temperature starting.
The engine block heater should be used when
the outside temperature is 20°F (-7°C) or lower.
5-26Starting and driving

Always refer to the proper illustrations for the
correct placement and jack-up points for your
specific vehicle model and jack type.
Carefully read the caution label attached to
the jack body and the following instruc-
tions.1. Loosen each wheel nut 1 or 2 turns by turning counterclockwise with the wheel nut
wrench. Do not remove the wheel nuts
until the tire is off the ground.
2. Place the jack directly under the jack-up point as illustrated so the top of the jack
contacts the vehicle at the jack-up point.
Align the jack head between the 2 notches in the front or the rear as shown. Also fit the
groove of the jack head between the
notches as shown.
The jack should be used on firm and
level ground.
3. To lift the vehicle, securely hold the jack lever and rod with both hands. Carefully raise the
vehicle until the tire clears the ground. Re-
move the wheel nuts, and then remove the
tire.Installing the spare tire
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surface be-
tween the wheel and hub.
2. Carefully put the spare tire on and tighten the wheel nuts finger tight.
3. With the wheel nut wrench, tighten wheel nuts alternately and evenly in the sequence
illustrated (
A,B,C,D) until they are
tight.
4. Lower the vehicle slowly until the tire touches the ground. Then, with the wheel
nut wrench, tighten the wheel nuts securely
LCE2059WCE0048
6-6In case of emergency

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
4-speed automatic transmission fluid (ATF)
(if so equipped) .................................. 8-11
Brake and clutch (if so equipped) fluid ..............8-12
Brake fluid .................................... 8-12
Clutch (if so equipped) fluid ....................8-12
Windshield-washer fluid ........................... 8-13
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ...............8-13
Battery .......................................... 8-13
Jump starting ................................. 8-15
Drive belt ........................................ 8-15
Spark plugs ...................................... 8-16Replacing spark plugs
......................... 8-16
Air cleaner ....................................... 8-17
Air conditioner filter (if so equipped) .............8-17
Windshield wiper blades .......................... 8-17
Cleaning ..................................... 8-17
Replacing .................................... 8-18
Brakes .......................................... 8-19
Fuses ........................................... 8-20
Engine compartment ........................... 8-20
Passenger compartment .......................8-21
Battery replacement .............................. 8-22
Key fob (if so equipped) ........................ 8-23
Lights ........................................... 8-24
Headlights .................................... 8-24
Headlight aim ................................. 8-25
Fog
lights (if so equipped) ...................... 8-28
Exterior and interior lights .......................8-28
Wheels and tires ................................. 8-33
Tire pressure .................................. 8-33
Tire labeling ................................... 8-35
Types of tires .................................. 8-38
Tire chains .................................... 8-39
Changing wheels and tires .....................8-39