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 driving5-87
WARNING
∙ Never rely solely on the hill start assistsystem to prevent the vehicle from
moving backward on a hill. Always
drive carefully and attentively. De-
press the brake pedal when the ve-
hicle is stopped on a steep hill. Be es-
pecially careful when stopped on a hill
on frozen or muddy roads. Failure to
prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
wards may result in a loss of control of
the vehicle and possible serious injury
or death.
∙ The hill start assist system is not de- signed to hold the vehicle at a stand-
still 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 may not prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards on
a hill under all load or road conditions.
Always be prepared to depress the
brake pedal to prevent the vehicle
from rolling backwards. Failure to do
so may result in a collision or serious
personal injury. When the vehicle is stopped on a hill, the hill
start assist system automatically keeps
the brakes applied. This helps prevent the
vehicle from rolling backward in the time it
takes the driver to release the brake pedal
and apply the accelerator.
Hill start assist will operate automatically
under the following conditions:
∙ The shif t lever is moved to a forward or reverse gear.
∙ The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake.
∙ The hill grade is above 10%.
The maximum holding time is two sec-
onds. Af ter two seconds the vehicle will be-
gin to roll back and hill start assist will stop
operating completely.
Hill start assist will not operate when the
shif t lever is moved to N (Neutral) or P (Park)
or on a flat and level road.
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
de-icer through the key hole. If the lock
becomes frozen, heat the key before in-
serting it into the key hole, or use the
NISSAN Intelligent Key®.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
temperature will drop below 32°F (0°C),
check the antifreeze to assure proper win-
ter protection. For additional information,
refer to “Engine cooling system” in the “Do-
it-yourself ” section of this manual.
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the
battery fluid may freeze and damage the
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency,
the battery should be checked regularly.
For additional information, refer to “Battery”
in the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this
manual.
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-92Starting and driving
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road andaway from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Move the shif t lever to P
(Park).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the ve- hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
∙ Make sure the parking brake is se-curely applied and the shif t lever is
shif ted into P (Park).
∙ 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 pro-
fessional 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.
LCE2142
6-4In case of emergency
In order to maintain the appearance of
your vehicle, it is important to take proper
care of it.
To protect the paint surfaces, wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:∙ Af ter a rainfall to prevent possible dam- age from acid rain.
∙ Af ter driving on coastal roads.
∙ When contaminants such as soot, bird droppings, tree sap, metal particles or
bugs get on the paint surface.
∙ When dust or mud builds up on the sur- face.
Whenever possible, store or park your ve-
hicle inside a garage or in a covered area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park in
a shady area or protect the vehicle with a
body cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint sur-
face when putting on or removing the
body cover.WASHING
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly us-
ing a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or
general purpose dishwashing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
CAUTION
∙ Do not use car washes that use acid in the detergent. Some car washes, es-
pecially brushless ones, use some
acid for cleaning. The acid may react
with some plastic vehicle compo-
nents, causing them to crack. This
could affect their appearance, and
also could cause them not to function
properly. Always check with your car
wash to confirm that acid is not used.
∙ Do not wash the vehicle with strong household soap, strong chemical de-
tergents, gasoline or solvents.
∙ Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun- light or while the vehicle body is hot,
as the surface may become
water-spotted. ∙ Avoid using tight-napped or rough
cloths, such as washing mitts. Care
must be taken when removing
caked-on dirt or other foreign sub-
stances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
clean water.
Inside edges, seams and folds on the
doors, hatches and hood are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of road salt. There-
fore, these areas must be cleaned regularly.
Take care that the drain holes in the lower
edge of the door are open. Spray water
under the body and in the wheel wells to
loosen the dirt and wash away road salt.
A damp chamois can be used to dry the
vehicle to avoid water spots.
WAXING
Regular waxing protects the paint surface
and helps retain new vehicle appearance.
Polishing is recommended to remove
built-up wax residue and to avoid a weath-
ered appearance before re-applying wax.
A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choosing
the proper product.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care