2016 NISSAN PATHFINDER tow

Safety chains
Always use suitable safety chains between your
vehicle and the trailer. The safety chains should
be crossed and should be attached to the hitch,
not to the vehicle bumper or axle. The safety
chains can be attached to the bumper if the hitch
ball is mounted to the bumper. Be sure to leave
enough slack in the chains to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical
system, a commercially available power-
type module/converter must be used to
provide power for all trailer lighting. This
unit uses the vehicle battery as a direct
power source for all trailer lights while
using the vehicle tail light, stoplight and
turn signal circuits as a signal source. The
module/converter must draw no more that
15 milliamps from the stop and tail lamp
circuits. Using a module/converter that
exceeds these power requirements may
damage the vehicle’s electrical system.
See a reputable trailer retailer to obtain
the proper equipment and to have it
installed.Trailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. For assistance in hooking up
trailer lights, it is recommended that you contact a
NISSAN dealer or reputable trailer retailer. Ve-
hicles equipped with the optional trailer tow
package are equipped with a 7-pin trailer har-
ness connector. If your trailer is equipped with a
flat 4-pin connector, an adapter will be needed to
connect the trailer lights to the vehicle. Adapters
are available at auto parts stores and hitch retail-
ers.
Trailer brakes
When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1,587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used.
However, most states
require a separate braking system on trailers with
a loaded weight above a specific amount. Make
sure the trailer meets the local regulations and
the regulations where you plan to tow.
Several types of braking systems are available.
Surge Brakes - The surge brake actuator is
mounted on the trailer tongue with a hydraulic line
running to each trailer wheel. Surge brakes are
activated by the trailer pushing against the hitch
ball when the tow vehicle is braking. Hydraulic
surge brakes are common on rental trailers and
some boat trailers. In this type of system, there is
no hydraulic or electric connection for brake op-
eration between the tow vehicle and the trailer. Electric Trailer Brakes -
Electric braking sys-
tems are activated by an electronic signal sent
from a trailer brake controller (special brake-
sensing module) . For additional information, refer
to “Electric trailer brake controller” in this section.
Have a professional supplier of towing equip-
ment make sure the trailer brakes are properly
installed and demonstrate proper brake function
testing.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
Technical and consumer information9-23

2. Locate the jumper harness connector underthe lower portion of the instrument panel.
The connector is taped to the wiring harness
1as indicated.
● The connector is marked with a white tag
with “elec brake conn”. Wire color designation for electric trailer brake
controller jumper harness.
WIRE COLOR
NOTE
RED/GREEN Vehicle stop lamp switch
to trailer brake controller.
BLACK Brake controller ground
(-) .
BROWN/WHITE Trailer brake controller switched output.
RED/BLUE Not used
RED Fused trailer brake con-
troller battery feed (B+) .
3. Peel off the tape and connect the jumper harness to the connector.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Install the aftermarket electric trailer brake controller according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Pre-towing tips
●Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it
has an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition; check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition. ●
Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Keep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
● Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.
● Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and
trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a
trailer to the vehicle.
● Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
● Determine the overall height of the vehicle
and trailer so the required clearance is
known.Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stopping and backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability and braking perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
Connector
LTI2046
Technical and consumer information9-25

●Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched.
● Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
● Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
● When backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
back up slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shift lever to the P (Park)
position before blocking the wheels and
applying the parking brake, transmission
damage could occur. 1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill
side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks ab-
sorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park) .
6. Turn off the engine.
To drive away: 1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks. ●
While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and shift to a lower gear. Avoid long or
repeated use of the brakes when descend-
ing a hill, as this reduces their effectiveness
and could cause overheating. Shifting to a
lower gear instead provides “engine brak-
ing” and reduces the need to brake as fre-
quently.
● If the engine coolant temperature rises to a
high temperature, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this owner’s manual.
● Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.
● Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
● For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h).
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
9-26Technical and consumer information

●When making a turn, your trailer wheels will
be closer to the inside of the turn than your
vehicle wheels. To compensate for this,
make a larger than normal turning radius
during the turn.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway: 1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions allow.
This combination will help stabilize the ve-
hicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering or applying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the brakes and pull to the side of the road in a
safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is bal- anced as described earlier in this section. ●
Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember, the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
● Use the Tow Mode or downshift the trans-
mission to a lower gear for engine braking
when driving down steep or long hills. This
will help slow the vehicle without applying
the brakes.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● NISSAN recommends that the cruise con-
trol not be used while towing a trailer.
● Some states or provinces have specific
regulations and speed limits for vehicles that
are towing trailers. Obey the local speed
limits. ●
Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after
50 miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When launching a boat, don’t allow the wa-
ter level to go over the exhaust tail pipe or
rear bumper.
● Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights
before backing the trailer into the water or
the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, refer to
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion in this manual.
Tow mode
Using tow mode is recommended when pulling a
heavy trailer or hauling a heavy load. Press the
TOW MODE switch to activate tow mode. The
indicator light on the TOW MODE switch illumi-
nates when tow mode is selected. Press the
TOW MODE switch again to turn tow mode off.
Tow mode is automatically cancelled when the
ignition switch is turned off.
Technical and consumer information9-27

Tow mode includes the following features:● Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shifts
when pulling a trailer or hauling a load up a
grade.
● Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — automati-
cally downshifts when driving down a grade
with a trailer or heavy load to help control
vehicle speed.
Driving the vehicle in the tow mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not cause
any damage. However, fuel economy may be
reduced and the transmission/engine driving
characteristics may feel unusual.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, refer to
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion in this manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR 4–WHEEL
DRIVE VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Never flat tow your 4-wheel drive (4WD)
vehicle.
● DO NOT tow your 4-wheel drive (4WD)
vehicle with any wheels on the ground.
Doing so may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the powertrain.
● For emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR FRONT WHEEL
DRIVE VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
● Never tow your front wheel drive vehicle
with the front tires on the ground. Doing
so may cause serious and expensive
damage to the powertrain.
● DO NOT tow your front wheel drive con-
tinuously variable transmission vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground (flat
towing) . Doing so WILL DAMAGE inter-
nal transmission parts due to lack of
transmission lubrication.
● For emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
Continuously Variable Transmission
To tow a vehicle equipped with a continuously
variable transmission, an appropriate vehicle
dolly MUST be placed under the towed vehicle’s
drive wheels. Alwaysfollow the dolly manufac-
turer’s recommendations when using their prod-
uct.
9-28Technical and consumer information

Infantsandsmallchildren..........1-26
Injured Person................1-20
Largerchildren................1-26
Precautionsonseatbeltusage.......1-17
Pregnant women ...............1-20
Seat belt extenders .............1-24
Seat belt maintenance ............1-24
Seat belts ................1-17,7-6
Three-point type with retractor .......1-20
Seat belt extenders ...............1-24
Seatbeltwarninglight..........1-20,2-14
Seats 2nd row bench seat adjustment ....1-7,1-9
Adjustment ...................1-2
Armrests...................1-10
Automatic drive positioner ..........3-36
Frontseats...................1-2
Heatedseats.............2-40,2-44
Manual front seat adjustment .........1-3
Seats/floor mats ..................7-5
Security indicator light ..............2-16
Security system (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer
System) , engine start ...........2-32,5-13
Security systems Vehicle security system ...........2-31
Self-adjusting brakes ..............8-21
Service manual order form ...........9-32
Servicing air conditioner .............4-55
Sonar Rear system .................5-52
Spark plug replacement .............8-18
Spark plugs ...................8-18
Specifications ...................9-8
Speedometer ...................2-4
Speedometer and odometer ...........2-4
Spotlights(Seemaplight) ...........2-62 SRSwarninglabel................1-66
Starting
Before starting the engine ..........5-14
Jump starting ..............6-9,8-17
Precautions when starting and driving ....5-2
Push starting .................6-11
Starting the engine .............5-14
Starting the engine ...............5-14
Steering Heated steering wheel ...........2-44
Power steering fluid .............8-13
Power steering system ...........5-46
Steeringwheel..................3-31
Steering wheel audio control switch .....4-107
Stoplight.....................8-27
Storage......................2-50
Storagebin....................2-54
Storage tray ...................2-50
Sunglassescase.................2-52
Sunglassesholder................2-52
Sunroof.......................7-4
Sun visors ....................3-32
Supplemental air bag warning labels ......1-66
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-67, 2-14
Supplemental front impact air bag system . . .1-56
Supplemental restraint system Information and warning labels .......1-66
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-49
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system) .........1-49
Switch Autolightswitch...............2-37
Automatic power window switch ......2-58
Foglightswitch ...............2-40
Hazard warning flasher switch ........6-2Headlightandturnsignalswitch......2-36
Headlight control switch
..........2-36
Hilldescentcontrolswitch.........2-45
Instrument brightness control ........2-39
Power door lock switch ............3-6
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .....................

2-35
Rear window wiper and washer
switches ...................2-34
Tow mode switch ..............2-46
Turnsignalswitch..............2-39
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch .....................2-44
T
Tachometer ....................2-5
Temperature gauge Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Theft (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System) ,
engine start ................2-32,5-13
Three-way catalyst ................5-2
Tire Flat tire .....................6-3
Spare tire ................6-4,8-39
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-12
Tire chains ..................8-36
Tire pressure .................8-29
Tire rotation..................8-36
Tires of 4-wheel drive ............8-39
Types of tires .................8-35
Uniform tire quality grading .........9-29
Wheels and tires ............8-29,9-9
Wheel/tire size .................9-9
Tirepressure...................8-29
10-6

Low tire pressure warning light.......2-12
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ....5-3
Top tether strap child restraint .........1-32
Towing 4-wheel drive models ............6-13
Flattowing..................9-28
Towing load/specification ..........9-20
Towtrucktowing...............6-12
Trailer towing .................9-17
Towing a trailer ..................9-17
Tow mode switch ................2-46
Transceiver HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver .......2-63,2-65,2-66,2-66
Transmission Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid......................8-13
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-15
Travel (See registering a vehicle in another
country) ......................9-10
Trip odometer ...................2-4
Turn signal switch ................2-39
U
Uniform tire quality grading ...........9-29
USB interface ..................4-94
Audio file operation ..........4-93,4-95
Video file operation .............4-96
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Connection Port
(models without Navigation System) ......4-93 V
Vanity mirror ...................3-33
Vehicle dimensions and weights .........9-9
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch . . .2-44
Vehicle identification ...............9-10
Vehicle identification number (VIN) .......9-10
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
(Chassis number) ................9-10
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate ....9-10
Vehicle immobilizer system ........2-32,5-13
Vehicle loading information ...........9-13
Vehicle recovery ..............6-14,6-15
Vehicle security system .............2-31
Vehicle security system (NISSAN Vehicle
Immobilizer System) , engine start ....2-32,5-13
Ventilators ....................4-42
Visors.......................3-32
Voice Prompt Interrupt ........4-125, 4-137
Voice recognition system ...........4-148
W
Warning Airbagwarninglight.........1-67,2-14
Anti-lock brake warning light ........2-11
Battery charge warning light ........2-11
Blind Spot Warning (BSW) warning
light......................5-20
Brake warning light .............2-11
Hazard warning flasher switch ........6-2
Loose fuel cap warning ...........2-30 Low fuel warning light
........2-13,2-29
Low tire pressure warning light .......2-12
Low windshield-washer fluid warning
light......................2-29
Passenger air bag and status light .....1-58
Seat belt warning light ........1-20,2-14
Supplemental air bag warning
light ..................1-67,2-14
TPMS ......................2-4
Vehicle security system ...........2-31
Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders ............2-10,2-11,2-15
Warning labels (for SRS) ..........1-66
Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders..............2-10,2-11,2-15 Audiblereminders.......2-10,2-11,2-15
Indicatorlights.........2-10,2-11,2-15
Warning lights .........2-10,2-11,2-15
Warning lights ...........2-10,2-11,2-15
W

arning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders.....................2-10
Washer switch Rear window wiper and washer
switches...................2-34
Weights (See dimensions and weights) .....9-9
Wheels and tires ..............8-29,9-9
Wheel/tire size ...................9-9
When traveling or registering in another
country ......................9-10
Windows .....................2-56
Locking passengers’ windows .......2-57
Power rear windows .............2-58
Power windows ...............2-56
Rear power windows ............2-58
Windshield-washerfluid.............8-15
Windshieldwiperblades............8-19
10-7

If the vehicle is moving, please come to a stop
when it is safe to do so. Check and correct any of
the above conditions. Restart the vehicle and
wait 1 minute.
NOTE:
A system check will be performed during
which the front passenger air bag status
light will remain lit for about 7 seconds
initially.
If the light is still OFF after this, the small adult,
child or child restraint should be repositioned in
the rear seat and the vehicle should be checked
as soon as possible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
3. If the light is OFF with no front passenger
and no objects on the front passenger seat,
the vehicle should be checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible.Other supplemental front-impact air bag
precautions
WARNING
●Do not place any objects on the steering
wheel pad or on the instrument panel.
Also, do not place any objects between
any occupant and the steering wheel or
instrument panel. Such objects may be-
come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury if the front air bags inflate.
●Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will be
hot. Do not touch them; you may se-
verely burn yourself.
●No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the supplemental air bag system. This is
to prevent accidental inflation of the
supplemental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
●Do not make unauthorized changes to
your vehicle’s electrical system, sus-
pension system or front end structure.
This could affect proper operation of
the front air bag system.●Tampering with the front air bag system
may result in serious personal injury.
Tampering includes changes to the
steering wheel and the instrument
panel assembly by placing material
over the steering wheel pad and above
the instrument panel or by installing
additional trim material around the air
bag system.
●Removing or modifying the front pas-
senger seat may affect the function of
the air bag system and result in serious
personal injury.
●Modifying or tampering with the front
passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing mate-
rial on the seat cushion or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat
covers, on the seat that are not specifi-
cally designed to assure proper air bag
operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat
or the seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classification
sensor (weight sensor) .