When driving on rough roads,
.Drive carefully according to the road surface
conditions.
When the vehicle is stuck,
. Place stones or wooden blocks under the
tires to free the vehicle.
. Set the 4WD shift switch to 4H or 4L.
. If it is difficult to free the vehicle, repeat
forward and backward movement to in-
crease the movement.
. If the vehicle is stuck deep in mud, tire
chains may be effective.
CAUTION
.Do not spin the tires excessively.
Tires will sink deep into the mud,
making it difficult to free the vehi-
cle.
. Avoid shifting gears with the engine
running at high speeds as this may
cause malfunction.
SSD1048
4WD SHIFT SWITCH
.Shift the 4WD shift switch to either the
AUTO, 4H or 4L position, depending on
driving conditions.
. With the switch set to the AUTO position,
distribution of torque to the front and rear
wheels changes automatically, depending
on road conditions encountered [ratio; 0 :
100 (2WD) ?50 : 50 (4WD)]. This results
in improved driving stability.
. If the 4WD shift switch is operated
while making a turn, accelerating or
decelerating or if the ignition switch is
placed in the OFF position while in the
AUTO, 4H or 4L, you may feel a jolt. This is not abnormal.
. When the vehicle is stopped after
making a turn, you may feel a slight
jolt after the shift lever is shifted to N
(Neutral) or P (Park) position. This
occurs because the transfer clutch is
released and not because of a mal-
function.
CAUTION
.When driving straight, shift the 4WD
shift switch to the AUTO or 4H
position. Do not move the 4WD shift
switch when making a turn or rever-
sing.
. Do not shift the 4WD shift switch
while driving on steep downhill
grades. Use the engine brake and
low automatic transmission gears
for engine braking.
. Do not operate the 4WD shift switch
with the rear wheels spinning.
. Before placing the 4WD shift switch
in the 4H position from AUTO, en-
sure the vehicle speed is less than
62 MPH (100 km/h) . Failure to do so
can damage the 4WD system.
Starting and driving5-127
5-130Starting and driving
WARNING
.Never rely solely on the hill start
assist system to prevent the vehicle
from moving backward on a hill.
Always drive carefully and atten-
tively. Depress the brake pedal
when the vehicle is stopped on a
steep hill. Be especially careful
when stopped on a hill on frozen
or muddy roads. Failure to prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards
may result in a loss of control of the
vehicle and possible serious injury
or death.
. The hill start assist system is not
designed to hold the vehicle at a
standstill on a hill. Depress the
brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped on a steep hill. Failure to
do so may cause the vehicle to roll
backwards and may result in a
collision or serious personal injury.
. The hill start assist system may not
prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards on a hill under all load
or road conditions. Always be pre-
pared to depress the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards. Failure to do so may
result in a collision or serious per-
sonal injury.
The hill start assist system automatically keeps
the brakes applied to help prevent the vehicle
from rolling backwards in the time it takes the
driver to release the brake pedal and apply the
accelerator when the vehicle is stopped on a hill.
The hill start assist system will operate auto-
matically under the following conditions:
. The transmission is shifted to a forward or
reverse gear.
. The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill
by applying the brake.
The maximum holding time is 2 seconds. After 2
seconds the vehicle will begin to roll back and
the hill start assist system will stop operating
completely.
The hill start assist system will not operate when
the transmission is shifted to the N (Neutral) or P
(Park) position or on a flat and level road.
When the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
warning light illuminates in the meter, the hill
start assist system will not operate. (See
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders” (P.2-10).)
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM
SD1006MA
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.
. Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
. Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could un-
knowingly activate switches or con-
trols. Unattended children could
become involved in serious acci- dents.
. To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of
the vehicle and/or its systems, do
not leave children, people who re-
quire the assistance of others or
pets unattended in your vehicle.
Additionally, the temperature 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.
. Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be applied and the transmission be
placed in the P (Park) position.
Failure to do so could cause the
vehicle to move unexpectedly or roll
away and result in an accident.
. Make sure the automatic transmis-
sion shift lever has been pushed as
far forward as it can go and cannot
be moved without depressing the
foot brake pedal.
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 the street when parked on a sloping drive
way, it is a good practice to turn the wheels
as illustrated..HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:*1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move the
vehicle forward until the curb side wheel
gently touches the curb.
.HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:*2
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, NOCURB:
*3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
Starting and driving5-131
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-132Starting and driving
so the vehicle will move away from the
center of the road if it moves.
4. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position.
SIC4474
The TOW MODE should be used when pulling a
heavy trailer or hauling a heavy load. 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.
Push the TOW MODE switch to activate TOW
MODE. The indicator light on the TOW MODE
switch illuminates when the TOW MODE is
selected. Push the TOW MODE switch again to
turn the TOW MODE OFF.
TOW MODE is automatically canceled when the
ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
SIC4454
For driving or starting the vehicle on snowy
roads or slippery areas, turn the SNOW mode
on.
To turn the SNOW mode on, push the SNOW
mode switch. The SNOW mode indicator light
on the meter panel will illuminate. When the
SNOW mode is activated, engine output is
controlled to avoid wheel spin.
To turn the SNOW mode off, push the switch
and the indicator on the meter panel will turn off.
Turn the SNOW mode off for normal driving and
fuel economy.
TOW MODE SNOW MODE
6-4In case of emergency
.Replacing tires with those not ori-
ginally specified by NISSAN could
affect the proper operation of the
TPMS.
. Do not inject any tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction of
the tire pressure sensors.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below.
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. Move the shift lever to the P (Park)
position.
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 is in the P (Park)
position.
. Never change tires when the vehicle
is on a slope, ice or slippery areas.
This is hazardous.
. Never change tires if oncoming
traffic is close to your vehicle. Wait
for professional road assistance.
MCE0001A
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks*1at both the front and
back of the wheel diagonally opposite the flat
tire to prevent the vehicle from moving when it is
jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the
vehicle may move and result in personal
injury.
6-14In case of emergency
8. After starting your engine, carefully discon-nect the negative cable and then the positive
cable (
*4?*3?*2?*1).
9. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped) . Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover
the vent holes as it may be contaminated
with corrosive acid.
10. Put the battery cover on. Do not attempt to start the engine by pushing.CAUTION
.
Automatic transmission models
cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
. Three way catalyst equipped models
should not be started by pushing
since the three way catalyst may be
damaged.
. Never try to start the vehicle by
towing it; when the engine starts,
the forward surge could cause the
vehicle to collide with the tow
vehicle.
CAUTION
. Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle
fire.
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radiator
cap or coolant reservoir cap while
the engine is still hot. When the
radiator cap or coolant reservoir cap
is removed, pressurized hot water
will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
. Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading) , or if
you feel a lack of engine power, detect abnormal
noise, etc., take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the heater and air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
SCE0925Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (rear) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flat bed truck as
illustrated.
CAUTION
.Never tow automatic transmission
models with the rear wheels on the
ground or four wheels on the
ground (forward or backward) , as this may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the transmission. If
it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with the front wheels raised, always
use towing dollies under the rear
wheels.
. When towing rear wheel drive mod-
els with the front wheels on the
ground or on towing dollies: Place
the ignition in the ACC or ON
position, and secure the steering
wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a rope or similar device.
In case of emergency6-17
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