2017 NISSAN ARMADA Owners Manual

5-124Starting and driving
4WD shift procedure:
SSD1100
*1: The 4LO and 4HI indicator may flash alternately. Stop the vehicle and be sure to turn the 4WD shift switch after the transmission shift lever has been
shifted to the N (Neutral) position. If the indicator keeps flashing after the 4WD shift procedure, drive slowly without abrupt maneuvers for a while. Then
the indicator will illuminate or turn off.
· Avoid making a turn or abrupt starts while shifting to the 4LO position. Otherwise the gears may grind, damaging the drive system.

*2: While changing in and out of the 4LO position, the engine must be running. Otherwise, the shift will not take place and the 4LO indicator will not be on
or flashing.
*3: Make sure that the 4LO indicator turns on when shifting the 4WD shift switch to the 4L position. The Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off indicator light
will also turn on when 4L is selected. (See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system” (P.5-138) .)
Starting and driving5-125

5-126Starting and driving
The 4WD shift switch is used to select the 4WD
mode depending on the driving conditions.
There are 3 types of drive modes available,
AUTO, 4HI and 4LO.
The 4WD shift switch electronically controls the
transfer case operation. Rotate the switch to
move between each mode, AUTO, 4H and 4L.
You must depress the 4WD shift switch to
select 4L, and the vehicle MUST be sta-
tionary and the shift lever in the N (Neutral)
position when changing into or out of 4L.
WARNING
.When parking, apply the parking
brake before stopping the engine
and make sure that the 4WD shift
indicator is on and the ATP warning
light turns off. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle could unexpectedly move even if
the automatic transmission is in the
P (Park) position.
. The 4LO and 4HI indicators must
stop blinking and the 4LO or 4HI
indicator must remain illuminated or
turn off before shifting the trans-
mission into gear. If the shift lever is
shifted from the N (Neutral) position
to any other gear while the 4LO and 4HI indicators are blinking alter-
nately, the vehicle may move unex-
pectedly.
CAUTION
.
Never shift the 4WD shift switch
between 4L and 4H while driving.
. The 4HI position provides greater
traction. Avoid excessive speed, as
it will cause increased fuel con-
sumption and higher oil tempera-
tures, and could damage drivetrain
component. Speeds over 62 MPH
(100 km/h) in 4HI is not recom-
mended.
. The 4LO position provides maxi-
mum traction. Avoid raising vehicle
speed excessively, as the maximum
speed is approximately 31 MPH (50
km/h) .
. 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
(between AUTO and 4H) while driv-
ing on steep downhill grades. Use
the engine brake and low automatic
transmission gears for engine brak-
ing.
. Do not operate the 4WD shift switch
(between AUTO and 4H) with the
rear wheels spinning.
. Do not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4HI or 4LO position.
Driving on dry hard surfaces in 4HI
or 4LO may cause unnecessary
noise and tire wear. NISSAN recom-
mends driving in the AUTO position
under these conditions.
. The 4WD transfer case may not be
shifted between 4HI and 4LO at low
ambient temperatures and the 4LO
and 4HI indicators may blink even
when the 4WD shift switch is
shifted. After driving for a while
you can change the 4WD shift
switch between 4H and 4L.

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

5-128Starting and driving
.Never shift the 4WD shift switch
between 4L and 4H while driving.
. Engine idling speed is high while
warming up the engine. Be espe-
cially careful when starting or driv-
ing on slippery surfaces with the
4WD shift switch in AUTO.
SSD10584WD shift indicator
4WD SHIFT INDICATOR
The 4WD shift indicator is displayed in the
vehicle information display.
The indicator should turn off within 1 second
after placing the ignition switch in the ON
position.
While the engine is running, the 4WD shift
indicator will illuminate the position selected by
the 4WD shift switch. (See the 4WD shift
procedure list shown in the “NISSAN all-mode
4WD
Šsystem” (P.5-123) .)
. The 4WD shift indicator may blink while
shifting from one drive mode to the
other. When the shifting is completed, the 4WD shift indicator will come on. If
the indicator does not come on imme-
diately, make sure the area around the
vehicle is safe, and drive the vehicle
straight, accelerate or decelerate or
move the vehicle in reverse, then shift
the 4WD shift switch.
. If the 4WD warning light comes on, the
4WD shift indicator turns off.
4WD WARNING LIGHT
Warning light Comes on or
blinks when:
Illuminates There is a mal-
function in the 4WD system
Blinks rapidly The transfer case
oil temperature is abnormally high
Blinks slowly The difference in
wheel rotation is large
The 4WD warning light is located in the meter.
The 4WD warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is placed in the ON position. It
turns off soon after the engine is started.
If any malfunction occurs in the 4WD system
when the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the 4WD warning light will either
remain illuminated or blink.

If the 4WD warning light comes on, the 4WD
shift indicator turns off.
High-temperature transfer case oil makes the
4WD warning light blink rapidly (about twice per
second) . If the warning light blinks rapidly during
operation, stop the vehicle in a safe place
immediately. Then if the light turns off after a
while, you can continue driving.
A large difference between the diameters of
front and rear wheels will make the 4WD
warning light blink slowly (about once per two
seconds) . Change the 4WD shift switch to
AUTO and do not drive fast.
CAUTION
.If the 4WD warning light comes on
or blinks slowly during operation or
rapidly after stopping the vehicle for
a while, have your vehicle checked
as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
. Shifting between 4HI and 4LO is not
recommended when the 4WD warn-
ing light turns on.
. When the 4WD warning light comes
on, the 2WD mode may be engaged even if the 4WD shift switch is in
AUTO or 4H. Be especially careful
when driving. If corresponding parts
are malfunctioning, the 4WD mode
will not be engaged even if the 4WD
shift switch is shifted.
. Do not drive the vehicle in the 4HI or
4LO position on dry hard surface
roads. Driving on dry, hard surfaces
in 4HI or 4LO may cause unneces-
sary noise, tire wear and increased
fuel consumption.
If the 4WD warning light turns on
when driving on dry hard surface
roads:
— in the AUTO or 4HI position, shift
the 4WD shift switch to AUTO.
— in the 4LO position, stop the vehicle and shift the transmis-
sion shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position and shift the 4WD shift
switch to AUTO.
. If the 4WD warning light is still on
after the above operation, have your
vehicle checked as soon as possi-
ble. It is recommended you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service. .
The transfer case may be damaged
if you continue driving with the
warning light blinking.
Starting and driving5-129

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