The computer has a built-in diagnostic feature
that tests the system each time you start the
engine and move the vehicle forward or in
reverse at a slow speed. When the self-test
occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel
a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is normal and
is not an indication of a malfunction.
WARNING
.The VDC system is designed to help
improve driving stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
by careless or dangerous driving
techniques. Reduce vehicle speed
and be especially careful when driv-
ing and cornering on slippery sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs,
stabilizer bars, bushings and
wheels are not NISSAN recom-
mended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC
system may not operate properly.
This could adversely affect vehicle
handling performance, and the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are extre-
mely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
VDC warning light
may illumi-
nate.
. If engine control related parts are
not NISSAN recommended or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC
warning light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked
corners, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the VDC warn-
ing light
may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
. When driving on an unstable sur-
face such as a turntable, ferry,
elevator or ramp, the VDC warning
light
may illuminate. This is not
a malfunction. Restart the engine
after driving 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 VDC warn- ing light
may illuminate.
. The VDC system is not a substitute
for winter tires or tire chains on a
snow covered road.
Starting and driving5-139
6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch .............................................. 6-2
Roadside assistance program ............................................... 6-2
Emergency engine shut off ..................................................... 6-3
Flat tire ........................................................................\
................. 6-3Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .................. 6-3
Changing a flat tire ............................................................. 6-4
Jump starting ........................................................................\
... 6-12
Push starting ........................................................................\
... 6-14 If your vehicle overheats ...................................................... 6-14
Towing your vehicle .............................................................. 6-16
Towing recommended by NISSAN ........................... 6-17
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ............... 6-19
Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) manual shifting
(4WD models) ....................................................................... 6-20
When 4WD warning light illuminates ....................... 6-20
Operating procedure ..................................................... 6-21
6-2In case of emergency
SIC2574
Push the switch on to warn other drivers when
you must stop or park under emergency condi-
tions. All turn signal lights will 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 high-
way 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
hazard warning flasher lights are
on.
The flasher can be actuated with the ignition
switch in any position.
When an impact that could activate the supple-
mental air bags is detected, the hazard warning
flasher lights blink automatically. If the hazard
warning flasher switch is pushed twice, the
hazard warning flashers will turn off.
WARNING
Do not turn the hazard warning flasher
switch to off until you can make sure
that it is safe to do so. Also, the hazard
flasher warning may not blink automa-
tically depending on the force of im-
pact.
Some state laws may prohibit the use of
the hazard warning flasher switch while
driving. In the event of a roadside emergency, Roadside
Assistance Service is available to you. Please
refer to your Warranty Information Booklet (U.S.)
or Warranty & Roadside Assistance Information
Booklet (Canada) for details.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
SWITCH
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
To shut off the engine in an emergency situation
while driving, perform the following procedure:
.Rapidly push the push-button ignition switch
3 consecutive times in less than 1.5
seconds, or
. Push and hold the push-button ignition
switch for more than 2 seconds.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) . It monitors tire
pressure of all tires except the spare. When
the low tire pressure warning light is lit and the
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE warning appears in
the vehicle information display, one or more of
your tires is significantly under-inflated. If the
vehicle is being driven with low tire pressure, the
TPMS will activate and warn you of it by the low
tire pressure warning light. This system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h) . For more
details, see “Warning lights, indicator lights and
audible reminders” (P.2-10) , “TIRE PRESSURE
information” (P.4-10) and “Tire Pressure Mon-
itoring System (TPMS)” (P.5-5) .
WARNING
.If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates or LOW PRESSURE in-
formation is displayed on the moni-
tor screen while driving, avoid
sudden steering maneuvers or
abrupt braking, reduce vehicle
speed, pull off the road to a safe
location and stop the vehicle as soon as possible. Driving with un-
der-inflated tires may permanently
damage the tires and increase the
likelihood of tire failure. Serious
vehicle damage could occur and
may lead to an accident and could
result in serious personal injury.
Check the tire pressure for all four
tires. Adjust the tire pressure to the
recommended COLD tire pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label to turn the low
tire pressure warning light OFF. If
the light still illuminates while driv-
ing after adjusting the tire pressure,
a tire may be flat. If you have a flat
tire, replace it with a spare tire as
soon as possible.
. Since the spare tire is not equipped
with the TPMS, when a spare tire is
mounted or a wheel is replaced, the
TPMS will not function and the low
tire pressure warning light will flash
for approximately 1 minute. The
light will remain on after 1 minute.
Have your tires replaced and/or
TPMS system reset as soon as
possible. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for these
services.
In case of emergency6-3
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF FLAT TIRE
SCE0877
WARNING
Always follow the instructions below.
Failure to do so could result in damage
to the charging system and cause
personal injury.
1. Remove the engine compartment cover, if necessary. See “Engine compartment check
locations” (P.8-3).
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle
*A, position the two vehicles (*Aand*B)
to bring their batteries into close proximity to
each other. Do not allow the two vehicles to touch.
3. Apply parking brake. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position. Switch off all unne-
cessary electrical systems (light, heater, air
conditioner, etc.) .
4. Remove vent caps on the battery (if so equipped) . Cover the battery with a firmly
wrung out moist cloth
*Cto reduce
explosion hazard.
5. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as illustrated (
*1?*2?*3?*4).
CAUTION
.Always connect positive (+) to posi-
tive (+) and negative ( í) to body
ground (as illustrated) — not to the
battery.
. Make sure the jumper cables do not
touch moving parts in the engine
compartment and that clamps do
not contact any other metal.
6. Start the engine of the booster vehicle
*Aand let it run for a few minutes.
7. Keep the engine speed of the booster vehicle
*Aat about 2,000 rpm, and start
the engine of the vehicle being jump started
*B.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged
for more than 10 seconds. If the engine
does not start right away, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait 10 seconds before trying again.
In case of emergency6-13
6-20In case of emergency
Rocking a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back- ward.
.Shift back and forth between R (Reverse)and D (Drive) .
.Apply the accelerator as little as possibleto maintain the rocking motion.
.Release the accelerator pedal before
shifting between R and D.
.Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH (55 km/h) .
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few tries, contact a professional towing service
to remove the vehicle. This section describes the procedure for manu-
ally shifting the vehicle into the 4WD mode (4L
position) in case of an emergency.
WHEN 4WD WARNING LIGHT ILLU-
MINATES
If the 4WD warning light illuminates while
driving, there may be a malfunction in the
4WD system. Stop the vehicle and have the
vehicle checked as soon as possible. It is
recommended you contact a NISSAN dealer
for this service. (See “NISSAN all-mode 4WD
Š”
(P.5-123) .)
When the vehicle is stuck on an uneven road
(desert, mud, etc.) and the 4WD warning light is
illuminated, be sure to place the 4WD shift
switch in the 4L position. If only the rear wheels
are spinning, this means that the transfer has not
switched to the 4L position electrically.
If this situation occurs, contact a dealer or road
assistance service for help. If an immediate
service is not available, perform the following
procedure to switch to the 4L position manually
and free the vehicle.
CAUTION
Only perform this procedure in an
emergency. If the vehicle is driven for a long period
of time over a long distance with a
component detached, foreign material
such as water, sand, etc. may enter from
the opening and this may cause a
malfunction in the drivetrain system.
After freeing a vehicle that has become
stuck, it is recommended you contact a
NISSAN dealer for inspection and re-
pair.
WARNING
.
Ensure your safety before perform-
ing the operations. The vehicle may
move unexpectedly.
. Place the ignition switch in the OFF
position, apply the parking brake
and let the vehicle cool down.
. Do not perform the following proce-
dure immediately after driving the
vehicle. Parts such as exhaust com-
ponents, the transmission, etc. are
very hot and may cause a burn
injury.
. Make sure that the parts that will be
operated as well as related parts
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4WD)
MANUAL SHIFTING (4WD models)
7-4Appearance and care
washing with water, wipe clean with a dry, soft
cloth and dry completely. When there is
chemical or tire wax, or dirt such as an antifreeze
agent on the surface, wash them with water as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
.The surfaces of the wheels use a
different coating process than typi-
cal aluminum alloy wheels. Do not
use aluminum alloy wheel cleaners
or abrasive cleaners to clean the
wheels. Using such cleaners could
damage the wheel surfaces.
. Do not use an automatic car wash if
the vehicle is equipped with bright
wheels. The wheel coating may be
damaged.
. Do not use a brush to wash the
wheels if the vehicle is equipped
with bright wheels. The wheel coat-
ing may be damaged.
CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
TIRE DRESSING
NISSAN does not recommend the use of tire
dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating to
the tires to help reduce discoloration of the
rubber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires, it
may react with the coating and form a com-
pound. This compound may come off the tire
while driving and stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
.Use a water-based tire dressing. The coat-
ing on the tire dissolves more easily with an
oil-based tire dressing.
. Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help
prevent it from entering the tire tread/
grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove) .
. Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry
towel. Make sure the tire dressing is
completely removed from the tire tread/
grooves.
. Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by tire dressing manufacturer. Occasionally remove loose dust from the interior
trim, plastic parts and seats using a vacuum
cleaner or soft bristled brush. Wipe the vinyl and
leather surfaces with a clean, soft cloth dam-
pened in mild soap solution, then wipe clean
with a dry soft cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in order to
maintain the appearance of the leather.
Before using any fabric protector, read the
manufacturer’s recommendations. Some fabric
protectors contain chemicals that may stain or
bleach the seat material.
Use a cloth dampened only with water, to clean
the meter and gauge lens.
WARNING
Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifica-
tion sensors. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.
CLEANING INTERIOR
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions ........................................................ 8-2
Engine compartment check locations .................................. 8-3VK56VD engine ................................................................... 8-3
Engine cooling system ............................................................. 8-4 Checking engine coolant level ......................................... 8-5
Changing engine coolant .................................................. 8-5
Engine oil ........................................................................\
............ 8-6 Checking engine oil level .................................................. 8-6
Changing engine oil and filter .......................................... 8-6
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ..................................... 8-8
Power steering fluid .................................................................. 8-8
Brake fluid ........................................................................\
........... 8-9
Window washer fluid ............................................................ 8-10
Battery ........................................................................\
............... 8-11 Jump starting ..................................................................... 8-13
Variable voltage control system .......................................... 8-13
Drive belts ........................................................................\
........ 8-13
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
..... 8-14 Replacing spark plugs .................................................... 8-14
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
........ 8-15 Windshield wiper blades ..................................................... 8-16
Cleaning ........................................................................\
... 8-16
Replacing ........................................................................\
. 8-16
Rear window wiper blades ................................................. 8-17
Brakes ........................................................................\
.............. 8-17 Self-adjusting brakes .................................................... 8-17
Brake pad wear warning .............................................. 8-17
Brake booster ................................................................. 8-18
Fuses ........................................................................\
................ 8-18 Engine compartment ..................................................... 8-19
Passenger compartment .............................................. 8-20
Intelligent Key battery replacement ................................... 8-21
Lights ........................................................................\
................ 8-24
Headlights ........................................................................\
8-25
Exterior and interior lights ............................................ 8-26
Wheels and tires ................................................................... 8-30
Tire pressure ................................................................... 8-30
Tire labeling ..................................................................... 8-34
Types of tires ................................................................... 8-36
Tire chains ....................................................................... 8-36
Changing wheels and tires .......................................... 8-37