SSD0972
SONAR SYSTEM OFF SWITCH
The sonar system OFF switch on the lower side
of the instrument panel allows the driver to turn
the sonar system on and off. To turn the sonar
system on and off, the ignition switch must be in
the ON position. The indicator light
*1on the
switch will illuminate when the system is turned
off. If the indicator light flashes when the sonar
system is not turned off, it may indicate a
malfunction in the sonar system.
The sonar system will turn on automatically
under the following conditions.
. When the ignition switch is turned from the
OFF position to the ON position. .
When the shift lever is in the R (Reverse)
position.
. When the vehicle speed is less than 6 MPH
(10 km/h) .
The automatic turning on function can be turned
on and off by pushing the switch for more than 4
seconds.
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.
The power assisted steering uses a hydraulic
pump, driven by the engine, to assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
Starting and driving5-135
POWER STEERING
5-136Starting and driving
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking ability at two wheels.
You may feel a small click and hear a sound
when the brake pedal is fully depressed slowly.
This is not a malfunction and indicates that the
brake assist mechanism is operating properly.
Hydraulically-assisted brakes
The hydraulically-assisted brake system is de-
signed to use a hydraulic pump driven electri-
cally, to assist braking. If the engine stops, you
can stop the vehicle by depressing the foot
brake pedal. However, greater foot pressure on
the foot brake pedal will be required to stop the
vehicle. The stopping distance will be longer.
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 brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly tapping 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
stopping effect of the parking brake is weakened
or whenever 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 you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake and pads faster
and reduce gas mileage.
To help save the brakes 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.
WARNING
.While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
or accelerating 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.
BRAKE SYSTEM
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking force than a
conventional brake booster even with light pedal
force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to assist
braking operation and is not a collision
warning or avoidance device. It is the
driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive
safely and be in control of the vehicle at
all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving
techniques. It can help maintain
vehicle control during braking on
slippery surfaces. Remember that
stopping distances on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal surfaces even with ABS. Stopping
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 vehicle 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. See “Tire and loading
information label” (P.10-12) .
— For detailed information, see “Wheels and tires” (P.8-30) .
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) controls
the brakes so the wheels do not lock during hard
braking or when braking on slippery surfaces.
The system detects the rotation speed at each
wheel and varies the brake fluid pressure to
prevent each wheel from locking and sliding. By preventing each wheel from locking, the system
helps the driver maintain steering control and
helps to minimize swerving and spinning on
slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Depress the brake pedal with firm steady
pressure, but do not pump the brakes. The
ABS will operate to prevent the wheels from
locking up. Steer the vehicle to avoid obstacles.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Self-test feature
The ABS includes electronic sensors, electric
pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a computer. The
computer has a built-in diagnostic feature that
tests the system each time you start the engine
and move the vehicle at a low speed in forward
or reverse. When the self-test occurs, you may
hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and does not
indicate a malfunction. If the computer senses
a malfunction, it switches the ABS off and
Starting and driving5-137
BRAKE ASSIST
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to provide
superior performance on dry pavement. How-
ever, the performance of these tires will be
substantially reduced in snowy and icy condi-
tions. If you operate your vehicle on snowy or icy
roads, NISSAN recommends the use of MUD &
SNOW or ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels.
It is recommended you consult a NISSAN dealer
for the tire type, size, speed rating and
availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow
tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see “Tire
chains” (P.8-36) .
For four-wheel drive
If you install snow tires, they must also be the
same size, brand, construction and tread pattern
on all four wheels.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
.A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove
ice and snow from the windows and wiper
blades.
. A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the
jack to give it firm support.
. A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snowdrifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
.Wet ice (328F, 0 8C and freezing rain) ,
very cold snow or ice can be slick
and very hard to drive on. The
vehicle will have much less traction
or “grip” under these conditions. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until the
road is salted or sanded.
. Whatever the condition, drive with
caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating or down-
shifting too fast, the drive wheels
will lose even more traction. .
Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pave-
ment.
. Allow greater following distances
on slippery roads.
. Watch for slippery spots (glare ice) .
These may appear on an otherwise
clear road in shaded areas. If a
patch of ice is seen ahead, brake
before reaching it. Try not to brake
while on the ice, and avoid any
sudden steering maneuvers.
. Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads.
. Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (if so
equipped)
Engine block heaters are used to assist in cold
temperature starting.
The engine block heater should be used when
the outside temperature is 208F( í78C) or lower.
Starting and driving5-141
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
conditioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbing a long hill on a hot day, run the engine at a
fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpm) until the
temperature gauge indication returns to
normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for steam or coolant escaping from the radiator
before opening the hood. (If steam or
coolant is escaping, turn off the engine.)
Do not open the hood further until no steam
or coolant can be seen.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leaking or
the cooling fan does not run, stop the
engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or
the engine cooling fan. The engine
cooling fan can start at any time.
7. After the engine cools down, check the coolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle re-
paired. It is recommended you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
In case of emergency6-15
SDI2515
To remove the filter, release the lock pins*1and pull the unit upward*2.
The filter element should not be cleaned and
reused. Replace it according to the maintenance
schedule shown in the “9. Maintenance and
schedules” section. When replacing the filter,
wipe the inside of the air cleaner housing and
the cover with a damp cloth.
WARNING
. Operating the engine with the air
cleaner removed can cause you or
others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine backfires. If it
isn’t there, and the engine backfires,
you could be burned. Do not drive
with the air cleaner removed, and be
careful when working on the engine
with the air cleaner removed.
. Never pour fuel into the throttle
body or attempt to start the engine
with the air cleaner removed. Doing
so could result in serious injury.
Do-it-yourself8-15
AIR CLEANER
8-18Do-it-yourself
occasional brake squeak, squeal or other noise
may be heard. Occasional brake noise during
light to moderate stops is normal and does not
affect the function or performance of the brake
system.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.For additional information, see the
maintenance schedule shown in the “9. Main-
tenance and schedules” section.
BRAKE BOOSTER
Check the brake booster function as follows:
1. With the engine off, depress and release the foot brake pedal more than 20 times. When
the foot brake pedal movement (distance of
travel) remains the same from one pedal
application to the next, continue on to the
next step.
2. While depressing the foot brake pedal, start the engine.
3. With the foot brake pedal depressed, stop the engine. Keep the pedal depressed for
about 30 seconds.
4. Run the engine for 1 minute without depressing the foot brake pedal, then turn
it off. Depress the foot brake pedal several
times. The pedal travel distance will de-
crease gradually with each depression as
the hydraulic pressure decreases. If the brakes do not operate properly, have the
brakes checked. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for repair.
SDI2518
SDI2532
FUSES