2018 NISSAN ALTIMA engine overheat

CAUTION
If the gauge indicates coolant tempera-
ture near the hot (H) end of the normal
range, reduce vehicle speed to decrease
temperature. If the gauge is over the
normal range, stop the vehicle as soon
as safely possible. If the engine is over-
heated, continued operation of the ve-
hicle may seriously damage the engine.
For additional information, refer to “If
your vehicle overheats” in the “In case
of emergency ” section of this manual
for immediate action required.
FUEL GAUGE
The gauge indicates theapproximatefuel
level in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly during brak-
ing, turning, acceleration, or going up or
down hills.
The gauge needle returns to 0 (Empty) af-
ter the ignition switch is placed in the OFF
position.
The low fuel warning message shows in
the vehicle information display when the
amount of fuel in the tank is getting low. Refill the fuel tank before the gauge reg-
isters 0 (Empty).
The
indicates that the fuel-filler
door is located on the driver’s side of the
vehicle.
CAUTION
∙ If the vehicle runs out of fuel, theMalfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may
come on. Refuel as soon as possible.
Af ter a few driving trips, the
light
should turn off. If the light remains on
af ter a few driving trips, have the ve-
hicle inspected. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
∙ For additional information, refer to “Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)” in
this section.
LIC2222
2-6Instruments and controls

WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use
the seat heater if you or the occupants
cannot monitor elevated seat tempera-
tures or have an inability to feel pain in
body parts that contact the seat. Use of
the seat heater by such people could
result in serious injury.
CAUTION
∙ The battery could run down if the seatheater is operated while the engine is
not running.
∙ Do not use the seat heater for ex- tended periods or when no one is us-
ing the seat.
∙ Do not put anything on the seat which insulates heat, such as a blanket,
cushion, seat cover, etc. Otherwise,
the seat may become overheated.
∙ Do not place anything hard or heavy on the seat or pierce it with a pin or
similar object. This may result in dam-
age to the heater.
∙ Any liquid spilled on the heated seat should be removed immediately with
a dry cloth.
∙ When cleaning the seat, never use gasoline, benzine, thinner, or any
similar materials.
∙ If any malfunctions are found or the heated seat does not operate, turn
the switch off and have the system
checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. The front seats are warmed by built-in
heaters.
1. Place the ignition switch in the ON po- sition.
2. Push the LO or HI position of the switch, as desired. The indicator light in the
switch will illuminate.
The heater is controlled by a thermo-
stat, automatically turning the heater
on and off. The indicator light will re-
main on as long as the switch is on.
3. When the seat is warmed or before you leave the vehicle, be sure to push the
switch to turn it off.
LIC3037
HEATED SEAT SWITCHES (if so
equipped)
Instruments and controls2-41

CAUTION
∙ The outlet and plug may be hot duringor immediately af ter use.
∙ Only certain power outlets are de- signed for use with a cigarette lighter
unit. Do not use any other power out-
let for an accessory lighter. For addi-
tional information, it is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer.
∙ Do not use with accessories that ex- ceed a 12 volt, 120W (10A) power draw. ∙ Do not use double adapters or more
than one electrical accessory.
∙ Use power outlets with the engine running to avoid discharging the ve-
hicle battery.
∙ Avoid using power outlets when the air conditioner, headlights, or rear
window defroster is on.
∙ Before inserting or disconnecting a plug, be sure the electrical accessory
being used is turned OFF.
∙ Push the plug in as far as it will go. If good contact is not made, the plug
may overheat or the internal tem-
perature fuse may open.
∙ When not in use, be sure to close the cap. Do not allow water or any other
liquid to contact the outlet.
Center Console
LIC3752LDI2758
EXTENDED STORAGE SWITCH
2-44Instruments and controls

∙ A visible mist may be seen coming fromthe ventilators in hot, humid conditions
as the air is cooled rapidly. This does not
indicate a malfunction.
∙ If the engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates engine coolant tem-
perature over the normal range, turn
the air conditioner off. For additional
information, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emer-
gency ” section of this manual.
AIR FLOW CHARTS
The following charts show the button and
dial positions for MAXIMUM AND QUICK
heating, cooling or defrosting. The air re-
circulation button should always be in
the OFF position for heating and defrost-
ing.
LHA3787
Monitor, climate, audio, phone and voice recognition systems4-17

∙ Do not stop or park the vehicle overflammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire.
CAUTION
∙ Do not use leaded gasoline. Depositsfrom leaded gasoline will seriously re-
duce the three-way catalyst’s ability
to help reduce exhaust pollutants.
∙ Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc- tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep
driving if the engine misfires, or if no-
ticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are de-
tected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
∙ Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
∙ Do not race the engine while warming it up. ∙ Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check all your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunc-
tion indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale af ter replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Starting and driving5-3

∙ HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NOCURB
C:
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position.WARNING
∙ If the engine is not running or isturned off while driving, the power as-
sist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
∙ When the power steering warning light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, there will be no power assist for
the steering. You will still have control
of the vehicle, but the steering will be
much harder to operate. Have the
power steering system checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
The power steering system is designed to
provide power assistance while driving to
operate the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated re-
peatedly or continuously while parking or
driving at a very low speed, the power as-
sist for the steering wheel will be reduced.
This is to prevent overheating of the power
steering system and protect it from getting
damaged. While the power assist is re-
duced, steering wheel operation will be-
come heavy. If the steering wheel opera-
tion is still performed, the power steering
may stop and the power steering warning
light will illuminate. In a safe location, stop the engine and place the ignition switch in
the OFF position. The temperature of the
power steering system will go down af ter a
period of time and the power assist level
will return to normal af ter starting the en-
gine. The power steering warning light will
go off. Avoid repeating such steering wheel
operations that could cause the power
steering system to overheat.
You may hear a noise from the front of the
vehicle when the steering wheel is oper-
ated. This is a normal operational noise
and is not a malfunction.
If the 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 servic-
ing. Have the power steering system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
When the power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, the
power assist for the steering will cease op-
eration but you will still have control of the
vehicle. At this time, greater steering efforts
are required to operate the steering wheel,
especially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
POWER STEERING
5-80Starting and driving

The brake system has two separate hy-
draulic 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 pres-
sure on the brake pedal will be required to
stop the vehicle and stopping distance 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 downshif t 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, becareful when braking, accelerating or
downshif ting. Abrupt braking or ac-
celerating 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 as-
sist for the brakes will not work. Brak-
ing 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 lon-
ger 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 parking brake shoes and/or drums/rotors are replaced,
in order to assure the best braking perfor-
mance.
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
techniques. It can help maintain ve-
hicle control during braking on slip-
pery surfaces. Remember that stop-
ping distances on slippery surfaces
will be longer than on normal sur-
faces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances 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 af- fect braking effectiveness.
BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-81

6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch..................6-2
First aid kit (if so equipped) ......................6-2
Emergency engine shut off ......................6-3
Flat tire ..........................................6-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)........................................6-3
Changing a flat tire ...........................6-4 Jump starting
.................................. 6-10
Push starting ................................... 6-12
If your vehicle overheats ........................6-12
Towing your vehicle ............................ 6-13
Towing recommended by NISSAN ...........6-13
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck
vehicle) ...................................... 6-14