2016 NISSAN PATHFINDER start

6.Plan for the Shortest Route
● Utilize a map or navigation system to de-
termine the best route to save time.
7. Avoid Idling
● Shutting off your engine when safe for
stops exceeding 30–60 seconds saves
fuel and reduces emissions.
8. Buy an Automated Pass for Toll Roads
● Automated passes permit drivers to use
special lanes to maintain cruising speed
through the toll and avoid stopping and
starting.
9. Winter Warm Up
● Limit idling time to minimize impact to fuel
economy.
● Vehicles typically need no more than
30 seconds of idling at start-up to effec-
tively circulate the engine oil before driv-
ing.
● Your vehicle will reach its ideal operating
temperature more quickly while driving
versus idling. 10.
Keeping your Vehicle Cool
● Park your vehicle in a covered parking
area or in the shade whenever possible.
● When entering a hot vehicle, opening the
windows will help to reduce the inside
temperature faster, resulting in reduced
demand on your A/C system. ●
Keep your engine tuned up.
● Follow the recommended scheduled main-
tenance.
● Keep the tires inflated to the correct pres-
sure. Low tire pressure increases tire wear
and lowers fuel economy.
● Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Im-
proper alignment increases tire wear and
lowers fuel economy.
● Use the recommended viscosity engine oil.
For additional information, refer to “Engine
oil and oil filter recommendations” in the
“Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY
5-40Starting and driving

4X4–I SYSTEM OPERATION
WARNING
●Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires. Accelerating
quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or
sudden braking may cause loss of con-
trol, even with Intelligent 4WD engaged.
● For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could result in
serious personal injury or vehicle
damage. ●
Do not attempt to test a 4WD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer
(such as the dynamometers used by
some states for emissions testing) or
similar equipment even if the other 2
wheels are raised off the ground. Make
sure that you inform the test facility
personnel that your vehicle is equipped
with 4WD before it is placed on a dyna-
mometer. Using the wrong test equip-
ment may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement which
could result in serious personal injury
or vehicle damage.
CAUTION
● Do not operate the engine on a free
roller when any of the wheels are
raised.
● If you use the free roller, rotate 4 wheels
with the same speed without raising
any wheels.
● If a 4WD warning message is displayed
while driving there may be a malfunc-
tion in the 4WD system. Reduce the
vehicle speed immediately and have
your vehicle checked. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible. ●
If the 4WD high temperature message is
displayed while you are driving, pull off
the road in a safe area, and idle the
engine. The driving mode will change to
2WD to prevent the 4WD system from
malfunctioning. If the warning message
turns off, you can drive again.
● If the incorrect tire size message is dis-
played while you are driving, pull off the
road in a safe area with the engine
idling. Check that all tire sizes are the
same, that the tire pressure is correct
and that the tires are not excessively
worn.
● If a warning message continues to be
displayed after the above operations,
have your vehicle checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
INTELLIGENT 4WD (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-41

4WD shift switch
The 4WD system is used to select the 2WD,
AUTO or LOCK mode depending on the driving
conditions.
Turn the 4WD mode switch, located on the cen-
ter console, to select 2WD, AUTO, or LOCK.● 2WD – Turn the 4WD mode switch to the
2WD position. The 2WD indicator light in
the vehicle information display illuminates. ●
AUTO – Turn the 4WD mode switch to the
neutral (AUTO) position. The 4WD AUTO
indicator light in the vehicle information dis-
play illuminates.
● LOCK – To engage the LOCK mode, turn
the 4WD mode switch to the LOCK posi-
tion. The switch will return to the AUTO
position automatically and the 4WD LOCK
indicator light in the vehicle information dis-
play illuminates. To disengage the LOCK
mode, turn the switch to the LOCK position
again. The switch will return to the AUTO
position automatically, and the 4WD LOCK
indicator light turns into the AUTO indicator
light. The LOCK mode will automatically be
cancelled when the ignition switch is turned
to the OFF position.
LSD2496
5-42Starting and driving

4WD modeWheels driven4WD mode indicator
light Use conditions
2WD Front only – This mode
is used when driving on
a normal road *1 2WD
For driving on dry paved
roads.
AUTO Distribution of torque to
the front and rear
wheels changes auto-
matically depending on
road conditions
encountered. This re-
sults in improved driving
stability. AUTO
For driving on paved or
slippery roads.
LOCK 4-Wheel Drive *2 *3
LOCKFor driving on rough
roads.
*1 The 2WD mode may change to the 4WD mode automatically depending on the driving conditions.
*2 The LOCK mode will change to the AUTO mode automatically when the vehicle has been driven at
a high speed. The 4WD LOCK indicator light turns into the AUTO indicator light.
*3 The LOCK mode will automatically be cancelled when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF
position.
4WD shift tips
●
If the 4WD mode switch is operated while
making a turn, accelerating or decelerating,
or if the ignition switch is turned off while in
the AUTO or LOCK mode, you may feel a
jolt. This is normal.
● The oil temperature of power train parts will
increase if the vehicle is continuously oper-
ated under conditions where the difference
between the front and rear wheels is large
(wheel slip) , such as when driving the ve-
hicle on rough roads through sand or mud or
when freeing a stuck vehicle. In these cases,
the 4WD mode changes to the 2WD mode
to protect the powertrain parts.
● Brake distance in the 4WD mode is the
same as 2WD.
Starting and driving5-43

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 mode indicator lights
The 2WD, 4WD AUTO and LOCK mode indica-
tor lights are located in the vehicle information
display.
The 4WD mode indicator lights will display the
mode selected by the 4WD mode switch while
the engine is running.
The 4WD AUTO indicator light illuminates when
selecting the AUTO mode.
The 4WD LOCK indicator light illuminates when
selecting the LOCK mode and the 2WD indicator
light illuminates when selecting the 2WD mode.
5-44Starting and driving

WARNING
●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.
● Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park) . Fail-
ure to do so could cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly or roll away and re-
sult in an accident. Make sure the shift
lever has been pushed as far forward as
it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal. ●
Never leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
● To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high enough to
cause a significant risk of injury or
death to people and pets. 1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into
traffic when parked on an incline, it is a good
practice to turn the wheels as illustrated.
● 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.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
Starting and driving5-45

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. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
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 illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may indicate
the power steering system is not functioning
properly and may need servicing. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
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.
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.
POWER STEERING
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-46Starting and driving

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
effect of the parking brake is weakened or when-
ever 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 service
manual. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)
WARNING
●
The ABS is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting from
careless or dangerous driving tech-
niques. It can help maintain vehicle con-
trol during braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping distances on
slippery surfaces will be longer than on
normal surfaces even with ABS. Stop-
ping distances 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 ve-
hicle in front of you. Ultimately, the
driver is responsible for safety.
● Tire type and condition may also affect
braking effectiveness.
– When replacing tires, install the specified size of tires on all four
wheels. – When installing a spare tire, make
sure 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.
Starting and driving5-47