2018 NISSAN PATHFINDER transmission

6Term of “tubeless” or “tube type”
Indicates whether the tire requires
an inner tube (“tube type”) or not
(“tubeless”).
7The word “radial”
The word “radial” is shown if the tire
has radial structure.
8Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
Other Tire-related Terminology
In addition to the many terms that
are defined throughout this section,
Intended Outboard Sidewall is (1) the
sidewall that contains a whitewall,
bears white lettering or bears
manufacturer, brand, and/or model
name molding that is higher or
deeper than the same molding on
the other sidewall of the tire, or (2)
the outward facing sidewall of an
asymmetrical tire that has a particu-
lar side that must always face out-
ward when mounted on a vehicle.
TYPES OF TIRES
WARNING
∙ When changing or replacing tires, be sure all four tires are of the same type
(i.e., Summer, All Season or Snow) and
construction. A NISSAN dealer may be
able to help you with information
about tire type, size, speed rating and
availability.
∙ Replacement tires may have a lower speed rating than the factory
equipped tires, and may not match
the potential maximum vehicle
speed. Never exceed the maximum
speed rating of the tire.
∙ Replacing tires with those not origi- nally specified by NISSAN could affect
the proper operation of the low tire
pressure warning system. ∙ 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.
8-32Do-it-yourself

∙ When replacing a wheel without theTPMS 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 this service.
∙ Replacing tires with those not origi- nally specified by NISSAN could affect
the proper operation of the TPMS.
∙ The TPMS sensor may be damaged if it is not handled correctly. Be careful
when handling the TPMS sensor.
∙ When replacing the TPMS sensor, the ID registration may be required. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for ID registration.
∙ Do not use a valve stem cap that is not specified by NISSAN. The valve stem
cap may become stuck.
∙ Be sure that the valve stem caps are correctly fitted. Otherwise the valve
may be clogged up with dirt and
cause a malfunction or loss of
pressure. ∙ Do not install a damaged or deformed
wheel or tire even if it has been re-
paired. Such wheels or tires could
have structural damage and could fail
without warning.
∙ The use of retread tires is not recommended.
∙ For additional information regarding tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty In-
formation Booklet.
Four-wheel drive models
CAUTION
Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted
or radial), 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 will
cause excessive tire wear and may
damage the transmission, transfer case
and differential gears.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is recom-
mended that all four tires be replaced with
tires of the same size, brand, construction
and tread pattern. The tire pressure and wheel alignment should also be checked
and corrected as necessary. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
Wheel balance
Unbalanced wheels may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Even with regular use,
wheels can get out of balance. Therefore,
they should be balanced as required.
Wheel balance service should be per-
formed with the wheels off the vehicle.
Spin balancing the wheels on the vehicle
could lead to mechanical damage.
∙ For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety In-
formation” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information Booklet.
Care of wheels
∙ Wash the wheels when washing the ve- hicle to maintain their appearance.
∙ Clean the inner side of the wheels when the wheel is changed or the underside
of the vehicle is washed.
∙ Do not use abrasive cleaners when washing the wheels.
8-36Do-it-yourself

secondary latch keeps the hood from
opening when the primary latch is re-
leased.
When driving in areas using road salt or
other corrosive materials, check lubrica-
tion frequently.
Lights*:Clean the headlights on a regular
basis. Make sure that the headlights, stop
lights, tail lights, turn signal lights, and other
lights are all operating properly and in-
stalled securely. Also check headlight aim.
Road wheel nuts (lug nuts)*: When check-
ing the tires, make sure no wheel nuts are
missing, and check for any loose wheel
nuts. Tighten if necessary.
Tire rotation*: Tires should be rotated ev-
ery 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
Tires*: Check the pressure with a gauge
of ten and always prior to long distance
trips. If necessary, adjust the pressure in all
tires, including the spare, to the pressure
specified. Check carefully for damage, cuts
or excessive wear.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
transmitter components: Replace the
TPMS transmitter grommet seal, valve core
and cap when the tires are replaced due to
wear or age. Wheel alignment and balance:
If the ve-
hicle should pull to either side while driving
on a straight and level road, or if you detect
uneven or abnormal tire wear, there may
be a need for wheel alignment. If the steer-
ing wheel or seat vibrates at normal high-
way speeds, wheel balancing may be
needed.
For additional information regarding tires,
refer to “Important Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information” (Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.
Windshield: Clean the windshield on a
regular basis. Check the windshield at least
every six months for cracks or other dam-
age. Have a damaged windshield repaired
by a qualified repair facility.
Windshield wiper blades*: Check for
cracks or wear if they do not wipe properly.
Inside the vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should
be checked on a regular basis, such as
when performing scheduled maintenance,
cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Accelerator pedal: Check the pedal for
smooth operation and make sure the pedal does not catch or require uneven
effort. Keep the floor mat away from the
pedal.
Brake pedal:
Check the pedal for smooth
operation. If the brake pedal suddenly goes
down further than normal, the pedal feels
spongy or the vehicle seems to take longer
to stop, have your vehicle checked imme-
diately. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service. Keep the
floor mat away from the pedal.
Brakes: Check that the brakes do not pull
the vehicle to one side when applied.
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) P (Park) position mechanism: On a
fairly steep hill check that the vehicle is held
securely with the shif t lever in the P (Park)
position without applying any brakes.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake
operation regularly. The vehicle should be
securely held on a fairly steep hill with only
the parking brake applied. If the parking
brake needs adjustment, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
Seats: Check seat position controls such
as seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc., to
ensure they operate smoothly and all
Maintenance and schedules9-3

or equivalent with the proper mixture. (For
additional information on the proper mix-
ture for your area, refer to “Engine cooling
system” in the “Do-it-yourself ” section of
this manual.)
NOTE:
Mixing any other type of coolant or the
use of non-distilled water may reduce
the recommended service interval of the
coolant.
Engine oil and oil filter:Replace engine oil
and oil filter at the specified intervals. For
recommended oil grade and viscosity, refer
to “Recommended fluids/lubricants and
capacities” in the “Technical and consumer
information” section of this manual.
Engine valve clearance*: Inspect only if
valve noise increases. Adjust valve clear-
ance if necessary.
Evaporative emissions control vapor
lines*: Check vapor lines for leaks or loose-
ness. Tighten connections or replace parts
as necessary.
Fuel lines*: Check the fuel hoses, piping
and connections for leaks, looseness, or
deterioration. Tighten connections or re-
place parts as necessary. Spark plugs:
Replace at specified intervals.
Install new plugs of the same type as origi-
nally equipped.
CHASSIS AND BODY
MAINTENANCE:
Brake lines and cables: Visually inspect for
proper installation. Check for chafing,
cracks, deterioration, and signs of leaking.
Replace any deteriorated or damaged
parts immediately.
Brake pads and rotors: Check for wear,
deterioration and fluid leaks. Replace any
deteriorated or damaged parts immedi-
ately.
Exhaust system: Visually inspect the ex-
haust pipes, muffler and hangers for leaks,
cracks, deterioration, and damage. Tighten
connections or replace parts as necessary.
In-cabin microfilter: Replace at specified
intervals. When driving for prolonged peri-
ods in dusty conditions, replace the filter
more frequently.
Propeller shaf t(s): Check for damage,
looseness, and grease leakage. Steering gear and linkage, axle and sus-
pension parts, drive shaf t boots:
Check
for damage, looseness, and leakage of oil
or grease. Under severe driving conditions,
inspect more frequently.
Tire rotation: Tires should be rotated every
5,000 miles (8,000 km) according to the in-
structions under “Explanation of general
maintenance items” in this section. When
rotating tires, check for damage and un-
even wear. Replace if necessary.
Transmission fluid/oil, differential oil: Vi-
sually inspect for signs of leakage at speci-
fied intervals.
If towing a trailer, using a camper or car-top
carrier, or driving on rough or muddy roads,
replace the CVT fluid every 60,000 miles
(96,000 km) or request the dealer to inspect
the fluid deterioration data using a CON-
SULT. If the deterioration data is more than
210000, replace the CVT fluid.
9-6Maintenance and schedules

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be slightly different. When refilling, follow the procedure
described in the “Do-it-yourself ” section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Fluid typeCapacity (approximate) Recommended Fluids/Lubricants
Metric
Measure US
Measure Imperial
Measure
Fuel 74 L19-1/2 gal 16-1/4 gal • For additional information, refer to “Fuel recommendation” in
this section.
Engine oil*
Drain and refill
* For additional
information, refer to “En-
gine oil” in the “Do-it-
yourself ” section of this
manual. With oil filter
change 4.8 L
5-1/8 qt 4-1/4 qt • Genuine “NISSAN Motor Oil 0W-20 SN” is recommended.
• If the above motor oil is not available, use an equivalent mo-
tor oil that matches the above grade and viscosity. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Engine oil and oil filter recommen-
dations” in this section.
Without oil filter
change 4.5 L
4-3/4 qt 4 qt
Engine coolant
with reservoir 9.8 L
2-5/8 gal 2-1/8 gal • Pre-diluted Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) or equivalent
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid ———• Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3
• NISSAN recommends using Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3
(or equivalent) ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix with other
fluids. Using fluids that are not equivalent to Genuine NISSAN
CVT Fluid NS-3 may damage the CVT. Damage caused by the
use of fluids other than as recommended is not covered un-
der NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Differential gear oil ———• Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid Super Semi-synthetic
API GL-5, Viscosity SAE 75W-90
• The use of differential gear oil other than the specified may
cause vehicle malfunctions and result in non-warranty vehicle
repairs.
Transfer fluid ———• Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid super GL-5 80W-90 or
equivalent conventional (non-synthetic) oil
RECOMMENDED FLUIDS/
LUBRICANTS AND CAPACITIES
10-2Technical and consumer information

Pre-towing tips
∙ Be certain your vehicle maintains a levelposition when a loaded and/or un-
loaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive the
vehicle if it has an abnormal nose-up or
nose-down condition; check for im-
proper tongue load, overload, worn sus-
pension or other possible causes of ei-
ther condition.
∙ Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t while driving.
∙ Keep the cargo load as low as possible in the trailer to keep the trailer center of
gravity low.
∙ Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the trailer load is in the front half and
40% is in the back half. Also make sure
the load is balanced side to side.
∙ Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, vehicle tire pressure, trailer light opera-
tion, and trailer wheel lug nuts every
time you attach a trailer to the vehicle.
∙ Be certain your rearview mirrors con- form to all federal, state or local regula-
tions. If not, install any mirrors required
for towing before driving the vehicle. ∙ Determine the overall height of the ve-
hicle and trailer so the required clear-
ance is known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding
of the vehicle’s behavior, you should prac-
tice turning, stopping and backing up in an
area which is free from traffic. Steering sta-
bility and braking performance will be
somewhat different than under normal
driving conditions.
∙ Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t while driving.
∙ Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or lock to prevent the coupler from in-
advertently becoming unlatched.
∙ Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
∙ Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
∙ Always drive your vehicle at a moderate speed. ∙ When backing up, hold the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand. Move
your hand in the direction in which you
want the trailer to go. Make small cor-
rections and back up slowly. If possible,
have someone guide you when you are
backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if you
must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shif t lever to the P (Park)
position before blocking the wheels
and applying the parking brake, trans-
mission damage could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. Af ter the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the
blocks absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shif t the transmission into P (Park).
6. Turn off the engine.
10-28Technical and consumer information

To drive away:1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shif t the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks.
∙ While going downhill, the weight of the trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may
decrease overall stability. Therefore, to
maintain adequate control, reduce your
speed and shif t to a lower gear. Avoid
long or repeated use of the brakes
when descending a hill, as this reduces
their effectiveness and could cause
overheating. Shif ting to a lower gear in-
stead provides “engine braking” and re-
duces the need to brake as frequently.
∙ If the engine coolant temperature rises to a high temperature, refer to “If your
vehicle overheats” in the “In case of
emergency” section of this manual. ∙ Trailer towing requires more fuel than
normal circumstances.
∙ Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first 500 miles (805 km).
∙ For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do tow, do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h).
∙ Have your vehicle serviced more of ten than at intervals specified in the recom-
mended Maintenance Schedule in the
“Maintenance and schedules” section of
this manual.
∙ When making a turn, your trailer wheels will be closer to the inside of the turn
than your vehicle wheels. To compen-
sate for this, make a larger than normal
turning radius during the turn.
∙ Crosswinds and rough roads will ad- versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When
being passed by larger vehicles, be pre-
pared for possible changes in cross-
winds that could affect vehicle han-
dling. Do the following if the trailer begins to
sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer
as straight ahead as the road condi-
tions allow. This combination will help
stabilize the vehicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steer- ing or applying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently ap- ply the brakes and pull to the side of the
road in a safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is balanced. For additional information,
refer to “Pre-towing tips” in this section.
∙
Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires
considerably more distance than normal
passing. Remember, the length of the
trailer must also pass the other vehicle
before you can safely change lanes.
∙ Use the Tow Mode or downshif t the transmission to a lower gear for engine
braking when driving down steep or
long hills. This will help slow the vehicle
without applying the brakes.
Technical and consumer information10-29

∙ Avoid holding the brake pedal down toolong or too frequently. This could cause
the brakes to overheat, resulting in re-
duced braking efficiency.
∙ Increase your following distance to al- low for greater stopping distances
while towing a trailer. Anticipate stops
and brake gradually.
∙ NISSAN recommends that the cruise control not be used while towing a
trailer.
∙ Some states or provinces have specific regulations and speed limits for ve-
hicles that are towing trailers. Obey the
local speed limits.
∙ Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness connections, and trailer wheel lug nuts
af ter 50 miles (80 km) of travel and at
every break.
∙ When launching a boat, don’t allow the water level to go over the exhaust tail
pipe or rear bumper.
∙ Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights before backing the trailer into the
water or the trailer lights may burn out. When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, refer
to the “Do-it-yourself ” section in this
manual.
Tow mode
Using tow mode is recommended when
pulling a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy
load. Press the TOW MODE switch to acti-
vate tow mode. The indicator light on the
TOW MODE switch illuminates when tow
mode is selected. Press the TOW MODE
switch again to turn tow mode off. Tow
mode is automatically canceled when the
ignition switch is turned off.
Tow mode includes the following features:
∙ Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shif ts when pulling a trailer or hauling a
load up a grade.
∙ Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — auto- matically downshif ts when driving
down a grade with a trailer or heavy
load to help control vehicle speed. Driving the vehicle in the tow mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not
cause any damage. However, fuel
economy may be reduced and the
transmission/engine driving characteris-
tics may feel unusual.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, refer
to the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this
manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR 4–WHEEL DRIVE
VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is sometimes called flat towing.
This method is sometimes used when
towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home.
10-30Technical and consumer information