2017 NISSAN PATHFINDER 4WD

●Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. Off-road vehicles can
tip over sideways much more easily
than they can forward or backward.
● Many hills are too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you may stall. If
you drive down them, you may not be
able to control your speed. If you drive
across them, you may roll over.
● Do not shift gears while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
● Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a drop-off
or other hazard that could cause an
accident.
● If your engine stalls or you cannot make
it to the top of a steep hill, never at-
tempt to turn around. Your vehicle could
tip or roll over. Always back straight
down in R (Reverse) gear and apply
brakes to control your speed.
● Heavy braking going down a hill could
cause your brakes to overheat and fade,
resulting in loss of control and an acci-
dent. Apply brakes lightly and use a low
gear to control your speed. ●
Unsecured cargo can be thrown around
when driving over rough terrain. Prop-
erly secure all cargo so it will not be
thrown forward and cause injury to you
or your passengers.
● Secure heavy loads in the cargo area as
far forward and as low as possible. Do
not equip the vehicle with tires larger
than specified in this manual. This could
cause your vehicle to roll over.
● Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel when driving off-road.
The steering wheel could move sud-
denly and injure your hands. Instead
drive with your fingers and thumbs on
the outside of the rim.
● Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers have
their seat belts fastened.
● Always drive with the floor mats in place
as the floor may become hot.
● Lower your speed when encountering
strong crosswinds. With a higher center
of gravity, your NISSAN is more affected
by strong side winds. Slower speeds
ensure better vehicle control. ●
Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires, even with 4WD
engaged.
● For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
● Do not attempt to test a 4WD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer
(such as the dynamometers used by
some states for emissions testing) , or
similar equipment even if the other two
wheels are raised off the ground. Make
sure you inform test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with 4WD
before it is placed on a dynamometer.
Using the wrong test equipment may
result in drivetrain damage or unex-
pected vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage or per-
sonal injury.
● When a wheel is off the ground due to
an unlevel surface, do not spin the
wheel excessively.
Starting and driving5-9

●Keep your engine tuned up.
● Follow the recommended scheduled main-
tenance.
● Keep the tires inflated to the correct pres-
sure. Low tire pressure increases tire wear
and lowers fuel economy.
● Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Im-
proper alignment increases tire wear and
lowers fuel economy.
● Use the recommended viscosity engine oil.
For additional information, refer to “Engine
oil and oil filter recommendations” in the
“Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual.4X4–I SYSTEM OPERATION
WARNING
●Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires. Accelerating
quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or
sudden braking may cause loss of con-
trol, even with Intelligent 4WD engaged.
●
For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any drive or
reverse position with the engine running.
Doing so may result in drivetrain damage
or unexpected vehicle movement which
could result in serious personal injury or
vehicle damage.
● Do not attempt to test a 4WD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer
(such as the dynamometers used by
some states for emissions testing) or
similar equipment even if the other 2
wheels are raised off the ground. Make
sure that you inform the test facility
personnel that your vehicle is equipped
with 4WD before it is placed on a dyna-
mometer. Using the wrong test equip-
ment may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement which
could result in serious personal injury
or vehicle damage.
CAUTION
●Do not operate the engine on a free
roller when any of the wheels are
raised.
● If you use the free roller, rotate 4 wheels
with the same speed without raising
any wheels.
● If a 4WD warning message is displayed
while driving there may be a malfunc-
tion in the 4WD system. Reduce the
vehicle speed immediately and have
your vehicle checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
as soon as possible.
● If the 4WD high temperature message is
displayed while you are driving, pull off
the road in a safe area, and idle the
engine. The driving mode will change to
2WD to prevent the 4WD system from
malfunctioning. If the warning message
turns off, you can drive again.
● If the incorrect tire size message is dis-
played while you are driving, pull off the
road in a safe area with the engine
idling. Check that all tire sizes are the
same, that the tire pressure is correct
and that the tires are not excessively
worn.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY INTELLIGENT 4WD (if so equipped)
5-62Starting and driving

●If a warning message continues to be
displayed after the above operations,
have your vehicle checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
4WD shift switch
The 4WD system is used to select the 2WD,
AUTO or LOCK mode depending on the driving
conditions.
Turn the 4WD mode switch, located on the cen-
ter console, to select 2WD, AUTO, or LOCK.
● 2WD – Turn the 4WD mode switch to the
2WD position. The 2WD indicator light in
the vehicle information display illuminates.
● AUTO – Turn the 4WD mode switch to the
neutral (AUTO) position. The 4WD AUTO
indicator light in the vehicle information dis-
play illuminates. ●
LOCK – To engage the LOCK mode, turn
the 4WD mode switch to the LOCK posi-
tion. The switch will return to the AUTO
position automatically and the 4WD LOCK
indicator light in the vehicle information dis-
play illuminates. To disengage the LOCK
mode, turn the switch to the LOCK position
again. The switch will return to the AUTO
position automatically, and the 4WD LOCK
indicator light turns into the AUTO indicator
light. The LOCK mode will automatically be
canceled when the ignition switch is turned
to the OFF position.
LSD2496
Starting and driving5-63

4WD modeWheels driven4WD mode indicator
light Use conditions
2WD Front only – This mode
is used when driving on
a normal road *1 2WD
For driving on dry paved
roads.
AUTO Distribution of torque to
the front and rear
wheels changes auto-
matically depending on
road conditions
encountered. This re-
sults in improved driving
stability. AUTO
For driving on paved or
slippery roads.
LOCK 4-Wheel Drive *2 *3
LOCKFor driving on rough
roads.
*1 The 2WD mode may change to the 4WD mode automatically depending on the driving conditions.
*2 The LOCK mode will change to the AUTO mode automatically when the vehicle has been driven at
a high speed. The 4WD LOCK indicator light turns into the AUTO indicator light.
*3 The LOCK mode will automatically be canceled when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF
position.
4WD shift tips
●
If the 4WD mode switch is operated while
making a turn, accelerating or decelerating,
or if the ignition switch is turned off while in
the AUTO or LOCK mode, you may feel a
jolt. This is normal.
● The oil temperature of power train parts will
increase if the vehicle is continuously oper-
ated under conditions where the difference
between the front and rear wheels is large
(wheel slip) , such as when driving the ve-
hicle on rough roads through sand or mud or
when freeing a stuck vehicle. In these cases,
the 4WD mode changes to the 2WD mode
to protect the powertrain parts.
● Brake distance in the 4WD mode is the
same as 2WD.
5-64Starting and driving

CAUTION
●Depending on the driving condition, the
4WD mode may automatically change
from 2WD to 4WD even when the 2WD
mode is selected. If this occurs while
driving, the 4WD mode indicator light
will not illuminate.
● Do not start the engine with the 4WD
mode switch in any mode in the follow-
ing cases:
– when the vehicle is placed on a fre- eroller or jacking up the vehicle with
the front tires raised and the rear
tires on the ground.
– when towing the vehicle with the rear tires raised from the ground.
● Operate the 4WD mode switch only
when driving straight. Do not operate
the 4WD mode switch when making a
turn or backing up.
● Do not operate the 4WD mode switch
with the front wheel spinning.
● Engine idling speed is high while warm-
ing up the engine. Be especially careful
when starting or driving on slippery sur-
faces with the 4WD mode switch set in
the AUTO mode.
4WD mode indicator lights
The 2WD, 4WD AUTO and LOCK mode indica-
tor lights are located in the vehicle information
display.
The 4WD mode indicator lights will display the
mode selected by the 4WD mode switch while
the engine is running.
The 4WD AUTO indicator light illuminates when
selecting the AUTO mode.
The 4WD LOCK indicator light illuminates when
selecting the LOCK mode and the 2WD indicator
light illuminates when selecting the 2WD mode.
Starting and driving5-65

●When driving on extremely inclined sur-
faces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly and the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. Do not drive on
these types of roads.
● When driving on an unstable surface
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a mal-
function. Restart the engine after driv-
ing 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
indicator may flash or both
the
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
● The VDC system is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
WARNING
●Never rely solely on the hill descent
control system to control vehicle speed
when driving on steep downhill grades.
Always drive carefully and attentively
when using the hill descent control sys-
tem and decelerate the vehicle speed by
depressing the brake pedal if neces-
sary. Be especially careful when driving
on frozen, muddy or extremely steep
downhill roads. Failure to control ve-
hicle speed may result in a loss of con-
trol of the vehicle and possible serious
injury or death.
● The hill descent control may not control
the vehicle speed on a hill under all load
or road conditions. Always be prepared
to depress the brake pedal to control
vehicle speed. Failure to do so may re-
sult in a collision or serious personal
injury.
The hill descent control system can only be acti-
vated when the 4WD LOCK switch is engaged. The hill descent control system helps maintain
vehicle speed when driving under 15 mph
(25 km/h) on steeper downhill grades. Hill de-
scent control is useful when engine braking alone
cannot control vehicle speed. Hill descent con-
trol applies the vehicle brakes to control vehicle
speed allowing the driver to concentrate on
steering while reducing the burden of brake and
accelerator operation.
If the hill descent control light is blinking, the hill
descent control is engaged; however, the hill de-
scent control will not control the vehicle speed.
●
Once the system is activated, the indicator
light will remain on in the instrument panel.
For additional information, refer to “Hill de-
scent control system on indicator light” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this
manual.
If the accelerator or brake pedal is depressed
while the hill descent control system is on, the
system will stop operating temporarily. As soon
as the accelerator or brake pedal is released, the
hill descent control system begins to function
again if the hill descent control operating condi-
tions are fulfilled.
For the best results, when descending steep
downhill grades, the hill descent control switch
should be ON and the shift lever in L (Low gear)
for engine braking.
HILL DESCENT CONTROL SYSTEM (if
so equipped)
5-72Starting and driving

Four-wheel drive models
NISSAN recommends that towing dollies be
used when towing your vehicle or place the ve-
hicle on a flatbed truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
Never tow 4WD models with any of the
wheels on the ground as this may cause
serious and expensive damage to the
powertrain.
LCE2237
In case of emergency6-13

CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and applythe parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than
10 minutes for the oil to drain back into
the oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Re- insert it all the way. 5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil
level. It should be between the H (High) and
L (Low) marksB. This is the normal oper-
ating oil level range. If the oil level is below
the L (Low) mark
A, remove the oil filler cap
and pour recommended oil through the
opening. Do not fill oil level above H
(High) mark
C.
6. Recheck the oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil
maintenance intervals or during the
break-in period, depending on the severity
of operating conditions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly. Op-
erating the engine with an insufficient
amount of oil can damage the engine, and
such damage is not covered by warranty.
LDI3014WDI0214
ENGINE OIL
8-6Do-it-yourself