TPMS malfunction
If the TPMS is not functioning properly, the
low tire pressure warning light will flash for
approximately 1 minute when the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position. The
light will remain on af ter 1 minute. Have the
system checked. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
The "TIRE PRES" warning does not appear if
the low tire pressure warning light illumi-
nates to indicate a TPMS malfunction. In-
stead, “TPMS ERROR” will appear in the trip
computer.
For additional information, refer to “Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the
“Starting and driving” section and “Tire
pressure” in the “Do-it-yourself ” section of
this manual.
WARNING
∙Radio waves could adversely affect elec-
tric medical equipment. Those who use
a pacemaker should contact the electric
medical equipment manufacturer for
the possible influences before use.
∙If the light does not illuminate with the
ignition switch placed in the ON position,
have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
∙ If the 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 in-
crease the likelihood of tire failure. Se-
rious vehicle damage could occur and
may lead to an accident and could re-
sult in serious personal injury or
death. Check the tire pressure for all
four tires. Adjust the tire pressure to
the recommended COLD tire pressure
show on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label located in the driver’s
door opening to turn the low tire pres-
sure warning light off. If the light still
illuminates while driving af ter adjust-
ing the tire pressure, a tire may be flat
or the TPMS may be malfunctioning. If
you have a flat tire, replace it with a
spare tire as soon as possible. If no tire
is flat and all tires are properly in-
flated, have the vehicle checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service. ∙ When replacing a wheel without the
TPMS such as the spare tire, the TPMS
will not function and the low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash for ap-
proximately 1 minute. The light will re-
main on af ter 1 minute. Have your
tires replaced and/or TPMS system
reset as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for these services.
∙ Replacing tires with those not origi- nally specified by NISSAN could affect
the proper operation of the TPMS.
CAUTION
∙ The TPMS is not a substitute for theregular tire pressure check. Be sure to
check the tire pressure regularly.
∙ If the vehicle is being driven at speeds of less than 16 mph (25 km/h), the
TPMS may not operate correctly.
∙ Be sure to install the specified size of tires to the four wheels correctly.
2-22Instruments and controls
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 your tires as soon as pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. 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
1 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.Additional information
∙ When replacing a wheel without the TPMS such as the spare tire, the TPMS
does not monitor the tire pressure of
the spare tire.
∙ The TPMS will activate only when the vehicle is driven at speeds above
16 mph (25 km/h). Also, this system may
not detect a sudden drop in tire pres-
sure (for example, a flat tire while driv-
ing).
∙ The low tire pressure warning light does not automatically turn off when the tire
pressure is adjusted. Af ter all your tires
are inflated to the recommended pres-
sure, the vehicle must be driven at
speeds above 16 mph (25 km/h) to acti-
vate the TPMS and turn off the low tire
pressure warning light. Use a tire pres-
sure gauge to check the tire pressure.
∙ The TIRE PRES warning appears in the trip computer when the low tire pres-
sure warning light is illuminated and
low tire pressure is detected. The TIRE
PRES warning turns off when the low
tire pressure warning light turns off.
5-4Starting 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
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, butit 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.
– When replacing tires, install the specified size of tires on all four
wheels.
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-24Starting and driving
– When installing a spare tire, makesure that it is the proper size and
type as specified on the Tire and
Loading Information label. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “Tire
and Loading Information label” in
the “Technical and consumer infor-
mation” section of this manual.
– For additional information, refer to “Wheels and tires” in the “Do-it-
yourself ” section of this manual.
The 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 pre-
vent 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
Anti-lock Braking System 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
distances.
Self-test feature
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) in-
cludes 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 mal-
function. If the computer senses a mal-
function, it switches the ABS off and illumi-
nates the ABS warning light on the
instrument panel. The brake system then
operates normally, but without anti-lock
assistance.
If the ABS warning light illuminates during
the self-test or while driving, have the ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Normal operation
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) oper-
ates at speeds abov e3-6mph(5-
10 km/h). The speed varies according to
road conditions.
When the ABS senses that one or more
wheels are close to locking up, the actuator
rapidly applies and releases hydraulic pres-
sure. This action is similar to pumping the
brakes very quickly. You may feel a pulsa-
tion in the brake pedal and hear a noise
from under the hood or feel a vibration
from the actuator when it is operating. This
is normal and indicates that the ABS is op-
erating properly. However, the pulsation
may indicate that road conditions are haz-
ardous and extra care is required while
driving.
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.
Starting and driving5-25
To turn the system off, the ignition must be
ON and the shif t lever in R (Reverse) or D
(Drive). An indicator light on the switch will
illuminate when the system is turned off. If
the indicator light illuminates when the
system is not turned off, it may indicate a
failure in the sonar system.
Keep the front and rear sonar sensors (lo-
cated on the bumper fascia) free from
snow, ice and large accumulations of dirt
(do not clean the sensors with sharp ob-
jects). If the sensors are covered, it will af-
fect the accuracy of the sonar system.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 re-
mote keyless entry key fob (if so equipped).
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.
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be lef t outside without
anti-freeze, drain the cooling system, in-
cluding the engine block. Refill before oper-
ating the vehicle. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Changing engine coolant” in
the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this manual.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
1. SUMMER tires have a tread designed toprovide superior performance on dry
pavement. However, the performance
of these tires will be substantially re-
duced in snowy and icy conditions. 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
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for the tire
type, size, speed rating and availability
information.
2. For additional traction on icy roads, studded tires may be used. However,
some U.S. states and Canadian prov-
inces prohibit their use. Check local,
state and provincial laws before install-
ing studded tires.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-32Starting and driving
TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufac-
turers to place standardized infor-
mation on the sidewall of all tires.
This information identifies and de-
scribes the fundamental character-
istics of the tire and also provides the
tire identification number (TIN) for
safety standard certification. The TIN
can be used to identif y the tire in
case of a recall.
1Tire size (example: LT215/65R15 95H)
1. LT: The “LT” indicates the tire isdesigned for light truck vehicles
(not all tires have this informa-
tion).
2. Three-digit number (215): This number gives the width in milli-
meters of the tire from sidewall
edge to sidewall edge. 3. Two-digit number (65): This
number, known as the aspect
ratio, gives the tire’s ratio of
height to width.
4. R: The “R” stands for radial.
5. Two-digit number (15): This num- ber is the wheel or rim diameter
in inches.
ExampleWDI0394
Example
LDI2043
8-36Do-it-yourself
∙ Always use tires of the same type,size, brand, construction and tread
pattern on all four wheels. Failure to
do so may result in a circumference
difference between tires on the front
and rear axles which can cause the
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system
to malfunction resulting in personal
injury or death, excessive tire wear
and may damage the transmission
and differential gears.
∙ For additional information regarding tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty In-
formation Booklet.
All season tires
NISSAN specifies All Season tires on some
models to provide good performance all
year, including snowy and icy road condi-
tions. All Season tires are identified by ALL
SEASON and/or M&S on the tire sidewall.
Snow tires have better snow traction than
All Season tires and may be more appropri-
ate in some areas.
Summer tires
NISSAN specifies summer tires on some
models to provide superior performance on dry roads. Summer tire performance is
substantially reduced in snow and ice.
Summer tires do not have the tire traction
rating “M&S” on the tire sidewall.
If you plan to operate your vehicle in snowy
or icy conditions, NISSAN recommends the
use of SNOW tires or ALL SEASON tires on all
four wheels.
Snow tires
If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to
select tires equivalent in size and load rat-
ing to the original equipment tires. If you do
not, it can adversely affect the safety and
handling of your vehicle.
Generally, snow tires have lower speed rat-
ings than factory equipped tires and may
not match the potential maximum vehicle
speed. Never exceed the maximum speed
rating of the tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the
same size, brand, construction and tread
pattern on all four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads, stud-
ded 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 snowtires on wet or dry surfaces may be poorer
than that of non-studded snow tires.
TIRE CHAINS
Use of tire chains may be prohibited ac-
cording to location. Check the local laws
before installing tire chains. When installing
tire chains, make sure they are the proper
size for the tires on your vehicle and are
installed according to the chain manufac-
turer’s suggestions.
Use only SAE class “S”
chains. Class “S” chains are used on ve-
hicles with restricted tire to vehicle clear-
ance. Vehicles that can use Class “S” chains
are designed to meet the minimum clear-
ances between the tire and the closest ve-
hicle suspension or body component re-
quired to accommodate the use of a
winter traction device (tire chains or
cables). The minimum clearances are de-
termined using the factory equipped tire
size. Other types may damage your vehicle.
Use chain tensioners when recommended
by the tire chain manufacturer to ensure a
tight fit. Loose end links of the tire chain
must be secured or removed to prevent
the possibility of whipping action damage
to the fenders or underbody. If possible,
avoid fully loading your vehicle when using
tire chains. In addition, drive at a reduced
speed. Otherwise, your vehicle may be
Do-it-yourself8-39
Tire wear and damage
1. Wear indicator
2. Location mark
WARNING
∙ Tires should be periodically in- spected for wear, cracking,
bulging or objects caught in the
tread. If excessive wear, cracks,
bulging or deep cuts are found,
the tire(s) should be replaced. ∙ The original tires have built-in
tread wear indicators. When the
wear indicators are visible, the
tire(s) should be replaced.
∙ Tires degrade with age and use. Have tires, including the spare,
over 6 years old checked by a
qualified technician because
some tire damage may not be
obvious. Replace the tires as
necessary to prevent tire failure
and possible personal injury.
∙ Improper service of the spare tire may result in serious per-
sonal injury. If it is necessary to
repair the spare tire, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
∙ For additional information re- garding tires, refer to “Impor-
tant Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information”
(Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.
Replacing wheels and tires
When replacing a tire, use the same size,
tread design, speed rating and load carry- ing capacity as originally equipped. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “Wheels and
tires” in the “Technical and consumer infor-
mation” section of this manual.
WARNING
∙ The use of tires other than those rec-
ommended or the mixed use of tires
of different brands, construction
(bias, bias-belted or radial), or tread
patterns can adversely affect the ride,
braking, handling, Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) system, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance, tire
chain clearance, speedometer cali-
bration, headlight aim and bumper
height. Some of these effects may
lead to accidents and could result in
serious personal injury.
∙
If your vehicle was originally equipped
with four tires that were the same size
and you are only replacing two of the
four tires, install the new tires on the rear
axle. Placing new tires on the front axle
may cause loss of vehicle control in
some driving conditions and cause an
accident and personal injury
∙ If the wheels are changed for any rea- son, always replace with wheels
which have the same off-set dimen-
sion. Wheels of a different off-set
WDI0259
Do-it-yourself8-43