CHECKING LIGHTS
With all doors closed, apply the parking brake,
fasten the seat belts and place the ignition switch
in the ON position without starting the engine.
The following lights (if so equipped) will come on:
or,,,,
The following lights (if so equipped) will come on
briefly and then go off:
or,(red) ,,
,,,,
If any light does not come on or operate in a way
other than described, it may indicate a burned out
bulb and/or a system malfunction. Have the sys-
tem checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING LIGHTS
This vehicle has various warning lights that may
illuminate to indicate a potential problem. For
additional information, refer to the specific light in
this section.
orAnti-lock BrakingSystem (ABS)
warning light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the ABS warning light illuminates and
then turns off. This indicates the ABS is opera-
tional.
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the
engine is running or while driving, it may indicate
the ABS is not functioning properly. Have the
system checked. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
If an ABS malfunction occurs, the anti-lock func-
tion is turned off. The brake system then operates
normally but without anti-lock assistance. For
additional information, refer to “Brake system” in
the “Starting and driving” section of this manual.
orBrake warning light
This light functions for both the parking brake and
the foot brake systems.
Parking brake indicator
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, this light comes on when the parking
brake is applied. Low brake fluid warning light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the light warns of a low brake fluid level.
If the light comes on while the engine is running,
with the parking brake not applied, stop the ve-
hicle and perform the following:
1. Check the brake fluid level. Add brake fluid as necessary. For additional information, re-
fer to “Brake fluid” in the “Do-it-yourself”
section of this manual.
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the warning system checked. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this ser-
vice.
WARNING
●Your brake system may not be working
properly if the warning light is on. Driv-
ing could be dangerous. If you judge it
to be safe, drive carefully to the nearest
service station for repairs. Otherwise,
have your vehicle towed because driv-
ing it could be dangerous.
● Pressing the brake pedal with the en-
gine stopped and/or a low brake fluid
level may increase your stopping dis-
tance and braking will require greater
pedal effort as well as pedal travel.
Instruments and controls2-13
WARNING
●The air conditioner cooling function op-
erates only when the engine is running.
● Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assistance
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should also not be left alone. They
could accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent operation of
the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to
people or animals.
● Do not use the recirculation mode for
long periods as it may cause the interior
air to become stale and the windows to
fog up. NOTE:
● Odors from inside and outside the vehicle
can build up in the air conditioner unit. Odor
can enter the passenger compartment
through the vents.
● When parking, set the heater and air condi-
tioner controls to turn off air recirculation to
allow fresh air into the passenger compart-
ment. This should help reduce odors inside
the vehicle.
HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER
(manual)
Monitor, climate, audio, phone and voice recognition systems4-17
5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ..................5-2
Three-way catalyst ..............................5-2
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ..........5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover . . ..................5-6
Off-road recovery ...............................5-7
Rapid air pressure loss ..........................5-7
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ................5-8
Ignition switch (if so equipped) ......................5-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
(if so equipped) ................................5-9
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ...........5-9
Manual transmission (if so equipped) ............5-10
Ignition switch positions ........................ 5-11
Push-button ignition switch (if so equipped) .........5-11
Operating range ............................... 5-12
Push-button ignition switch positions . . . .........5-12
Emergency engine shut off .....................5-13
NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery discharge .......5-13
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System .............5-14
Before starting the engine ......................... 5-14
Starting the engine (models without NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system) ........................... 5-15Starting the engine (models with NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system)
........................... 5-16
Driving the vehicle ................................ 5-17
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
(if so equipped) ............................... 5-17
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ..........5-21
Manual transmission (if so equipped) ............5-26
Parking brake .................................... 5-27
Cruise control (if so equipped) . . ...................5-28
Precautions on cruise control ...................5-28
Cruise control operations .......................5-29
Break-in schedule ................................ 5-30
Fuel efficient driving tips ........................... 5-30
Increasing fuel economy ........................... 5-31
Parking/parking on hills ............................ 5-32
Power steering ................................... 5-33
Brake system .................................... 5-34
Brake precautions ............................. 5-34
Anti-lock Braking
System (ABS)................. 5-34
Brake assist .................................. 5-35
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system
(if so equipped) .................................. 5-36
Brake force distribution ........................ 5-37
Cold weather driving .............................. 5-38
WARNING
●Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assistance
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should also not be left alone. They
could accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent operation of
the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to
people or animals.
● Properly secure all cargo to help pre-
vent it from sliding or shifting. Do not
place cargo higher than the seatbacks.
In a sudden stop or collision, unsecured
cargo could cause personal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
●Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless carbon
monoxide. Carbon monoxide is danger-
ous. It can cause unconsciousness or
death. ●
If you suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering the vehicle, drive with all win-
dows fully open, and have the vehicle
inspected immediately.
● Do not run the engine in closed spaces
such as a garage.
● Do not park the vehicle with the engine
running for any extended length of time.
● Keep the rear vent windows, doors and
trunk lids (if so equipped) closed while
driving, otherwise exhaust gases could
be drawn into the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with one of
these open, follow these precautions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Turn the air recirculation mode off and set the fan speed control to the
highest level to circulate the air.
● The exhaust system and body should be
inspected by a qualified mechanic
whenever:
a. The vehicle is raised for service.
b. You suspect that exhaust fumes are entering into the passenger
compartment. c. You notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust system.
d. You have had an accident involving damage to the exhaust system, un-
derbody, or rear of the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
●The exhaust gas and the exhaust sys-
tem are very hot. Keep people, animals
or flammable materials away from the
exhaust system components.
● 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.
CAUTION
●Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline will seriously re-
duce the three-way catalyst’s ability to
help reduce exhaust pollutants.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING
5-2Starting and driving
●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, NO
CURB:
3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
so the vehicle will move away from the cen-
ter of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK posi- tion and remove the key (if so equipped)/
NISSAN Intelligent Key® (if so equipped) .
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.
● When the power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running,
there will be no power assist for the
steering. You will still have control of
the vehicle, but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
The power steering system is designed to pro-
vide power assist while driving to operate the
steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated repeatedly
or continuously while parking or driving at a very
low speed, the power assist for the steering
wheel will be reduced. This is to prevent over-
heating of the power steering system and protect
it from getting damaged. While the power assist
is reduced, steering wheel operation will become
heavy. When the temperature of the power steer-
ing system goes down, the power assist level will
return to normal. Avoid repeating such steering wheel operations that could cause the power
steering system to overheat.
You may hear a sound when the steering wheel is
operated quickly. However, this is not a malfunc-
tion.
If the electric power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may indicate
the power steering system is not functioning
properly and may need servicing. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
When the electric power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running, there will be
no power assist for the steering, but you will still
have control of the vehicle. At this time, greater
steering effort is required to operate the steering
wheel, especially in sharp turns and at low
speeds.
For additional information, refer to “Power steer-
ing warning light” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual.
POWER STEERING
Starting and driving5-33
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be
required to stop the vehicle and stopping dis-
tance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the
brake pads faster, and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear 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, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking or accel-
erating 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.
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 the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing 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 brake shoes and/or
drums/rotors are replaced, in order to assure the
best brake performance. This procedure is described in the vehicle service
manual. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)
WARNING
●
The ABS is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting from
careless or dangerous driving tech-
niques. It can help maintain vehicle con-
trol during braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping distances on
slippery surfaces will be longer than on
normal surfaces even with ABS. Stop-
ping 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 ve-
hicle 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.
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-34Starting and driving
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) . It monitors tire pres-
sure of all tires except the spare. When the low
tire pressure warning light is lit, and the CHECK
TIRE PRES (pressure) warning message is dis-
played in the odometer, 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 additional information, refer to
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible re-
minders” in the “Instruments and controls” sec-
tion, and “Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” in the “Starting and driving” section of
this manual.
WARNING
●Radio waves could adversely affect
electric medical equipment. Those who
use a pacemaker should contact the
electric medical equipment manufac-
turer for the possible influences before
use. ●
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates 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 under-
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 in-
jury. Check the tire pressure for all four
tires. Adjust the tire pressure to the
recommended COLD tire pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion label to turn the low tire pressure
warning light OFF. 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 approxi-
mately 1 minute. The light will remain
on after 1 minute. Have your tires re-
placed and/or TPMS system reset as
soon as possible. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for these
services. ●
Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pressure
sensors.
● Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by NISSAN could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions be-
low:
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. Shift the Automatic Transmission
(A/T) or the Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion (CVT) models into P (Park) or the
Manual Transmission (M/T) model into R
(Reverse) .
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.
FLAT TIRE
In case of emergency6-3
6. Have all passengers get out of the vehicleand 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 Transmis-
sion (A/T) or the Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) models is shifted
into P (Park) , or the Manual Transmis-
sion (M/T) model into R (Reverse) .
● 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 profes-
sional road assistance.
A. Blocks
B. Flat tire
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks at 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.
Getting the spare tire and tools
Open the trunk. Lift the floorboard1.
To remove the jack, collapse the jack from the
storage location. If necessary, remove the spare
tire first to easily access the jack.
LCE2142
LCE2020
6-4In case of emergency