SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
∙To clean the seat belt webbing, apply
a mild soap solution or any solution rec-
ommended for cleaning upholstery or
carpet. Then wipe with a cloth and allow
the seat belts to dry in the shade. Do not
allow the seat belts to retract until they
are completely dry.
∙ If dirt builds up in the shoulder belt
guide of the seat belt anchors, the
seat belts may retract slowly. Wipe the
shoulder belt guide with a clean, dry
cloth.
∙ Periodically check to see that the seat
belt and the metal components, such
as buckles, tongues, retractors, flexible
wires and anchors, work properly. If
loose parts, deterioration, cuts or other
damage on the webbing is found, the
entire seat belt assembly should be re-
placed.
WARNING
Do not allow children to play with the
seat belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking Re-
tractor (ALR) mode seat belts. If the seat
belt becomes wrapped around a child’s
neck with the ALR mode activated, the
child can be seriously injured or killed if
the seat belt retracts and becomes
tight. This can occur even if the vehicle
is parked. Unbuckle the seat belt to re-
lease the child. If the seat belt cannot be
unbuckled or is already unbuckled, re-
lease the child by cutting the seat belt
with a suitable tool (such as a knife or
scissors) to release the seat belt.
Children need adults to help protect
them. They need to be properly re-
strained.
In addition to the general information in
this manual, child safety information is
available from many other sources, includ-
ing doctors, teachers, government traffic
safety offices, and community organiza-
tions. Every child is different, so be sure to
learn the best way to transport your child. There are three basic types of child re-
straint systems:
∙ Rear-facing child restraints
∙ Forward-facing child restraints
∙ Booster seats
The proper restraint depends on the child’s
size. Generally, infants up to about 1 year
and less than 20 lbs. (9 kg) should be placed
in rear-facing child restraints. Forward-
facing child restraints are available for chil-
dren who outgrow rear-facing child re-
straints and are at least 1 year old. Booster
seats are used to help position a vehicle
lap/shoulder belt on a child who can no
longer use a forward-facing child restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special pro-
tection. The vehicle’s seat belts may not
fit them properly. The shoulder belt may
come too close to the face or neck. The
lap belt may not fit over their small hip
bones. In an accident, an improperly fit-
ting seat belt could cause serious or fa-
tal injury. Always use appropriate child
restraints.
CHILD SAFETY
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-25
A booster seat should be used until the
child can pass the seat belt fit test below:∙ Are the child’s back and hips against the vehicle seatback?
∙ Is the child able to sit without slouch- ing?
∙ Do the child’s knees bend easily over the front edge of the seat with feet flat
on the floor?
∙ Can the child safely wear the seat belt (lap belt low and snug across the hips
and shoulder belt across mid-chest
and shoulder)?
∙ Is the child able to use the properly ad- justed head restraint/headrest?
∙ Will the child be able to stay in position for the entire ride? If you answered no to any of these ques-
tions, the child should remain in a booster
seat using a three-point type seat belt. NOTE:
Laws in some communities may follow
different guidelines. Check local and
state regulations to confirm your child is
using the correct restraint system before
traveling.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on any
seat and do not allow a child in the
cargo area. The child could be seriously
injured or killed in a sudden stop or
collision.
LRS2690
Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-27
5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving..........5-4
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ..............5-4
Three-way catalyst ...........................5-5
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)........................................5-5
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions ..................................5-9
Avoiding collision and rollover ................5-9
Off-roadrecovery ............................5-9
Rapid air pressure loss ......................5-10
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ...........5-11
Driving safety precautions ....................5-11
Ignition switch (if so equipped) ..................5-13
Continuously Variable Transmission .........5-13
Key positions ................................ 5-14
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System .........5-14
Push-button ignition switch (if so equipped) ....5-15
Operating range ............................. 5-16
Push-button ignition switch positions .......5-16
Emergency engine shut off ..................5-17
NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery
discharge (if so equipped) ...................5-17
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System .........5-18
Before starting the engine ......................5-18Starting the engine (models without NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system)
........................5-19
Starting the engine (models with NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system) ........................5-20
Remote Engine Start (if so equipped) ........5-21
Driving the vehicle .............................. 5-21
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) ........................................ 5-21
Parking brake .................................. 5-27
Pedal type ................................... 5-27
Switch type (models with electronic
parking brake system) .......................5-27
Automatic brake hold (if so equipped) ..........5-30
How to activate/deactivate the
automatic brake hold function ..............5-31
How to use the automatic brake hold
function ..................................... 5-32
SPORT mode switch ............................ 5-33
ECO mode switch .............................. 5-33
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(if
so equipped) ................................. 5-34
LDW system operation ......................5-35
How to enable/disable the LDW system .....5-36
LDW system limitations ......................5-37
If the Easy-Fill Tire Alert is not working, use a
tire pressure gauge.
ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than
passenger cars to make them capable of
performing in a variety of on-pavement
and off-road applications. This gives them
a higher center of gravity than ordinary ve-
hicles. An advantage of higher ground
clearance is a better view of the road, allow-
ing you to anticipate problems. However,
they are not designed for cornering at the
same speeds as conventional 2-wheel
drive vehicles any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform satis-
factorily under off-road conditions. If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns at high speeds.
As with other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result in
loss of control or vehicle rollover. In a roll-
over crash, an unbelted person is signifi-
cantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
For additional information, refer to “Driving
safety precautions” in this section.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner may result in loss
of control or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden
steering maneuvers, because these driving
practices could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle.
As with any vehicle, loss of control could
result in a collision with other vehicles or
objects or cause the vehicle to roll over,
particularly if the loss of control causes
the vehicle to slide sideways.
Be attentive at all times, and avoid driving
when tired. Never drive when under the in-
fluence of alcohol or drugs (including pre-
scription or over-the-counter drugs which
may cause drowsiness). Always wear your
seat belt as outlined in the “Safety – Seats,
seat belts and supplemental restraint sys-
tem” section of this manual, and also in-
struct your passengers to do so. Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers.
In a rollover crash,
an unbelted or improperly belted person
is significantly more likely to be injured
or killed than a person properly wearing
a seat belt.
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
While driving, the right side or lef t side
wheels may unintentionally leave the road
surface. If this occurs, maintain control of
the vehicle by following the procedure be-
low. Please note that this procedure is only
a general guide. The vehicle must be driven
as appropriate based on the conditions of
the vehicle, road and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
Starting and driving5-9
∙ Failure to operate this vehicle cor-rectly could result in loss of control
and/or a rollover accident.
∙ Always use tires of the same type, size, brand, construction (bias, bias-
belted, or radial), and tread pattern on
all four wheels. Install tire chains on
the front wheels when driving on slip-
pery roads and drive carefully.
∙ Be sure to check the brakes immedi- ately af ter driving in mud or water. For
additional information, refer to “Brake
precautions” in this section.
∙ Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it
rolls forward, backward or sideways,
you could be injured.
∙ Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud or water as deep as the
wheel hub, more frequent mainte-
nance may be required. For additional
information, refer to “Maintenance
under severe operating conditions” in
the “Maintenance and schedules” sec-
tion of this manual.WARNING
Never remove or turn the key to the
LOCK position while driving. The steer-
ing wheel will lock (for models with a
steering lock mechanism). This may
cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle and could result in serious ve-
hicle damage or personal injury.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION
The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch cannot be turned to the
LOCK position until the shif t lever is moved
to the P (Park) position.
∙ When moving the ignition switch to the LOCK position, make sure the shif t lever
is in the P (Park) position.
∙ When removing the key from the igni- tion switch, make sure the shif t lever is
in the P (Park) position.
LIC2717
IGNITION SWITCH (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-13
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.
– When installing a spare tire, make sure 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) includes
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 for-
ward 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 malfunction. If the
computer senses a malfunction, it switches
the ABS off and illuminates the ABS warning
light on the instrument panel. The brake sys-
tem then operates normally but without
anti-lock assistance.
5-148Starting and driving
∙ When driving on extremely inclinedsurfaces such as higher banked cor-
ners, the VDC system may not operate
properly and the
indicator may
flash or both the
andindi-
cator lights may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
∙ When driving on an unstable surface such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a
malfunction. Restart the engine af ter
driving onto a stable surface.
∙ If wheels or tires other than the NISSAN recommended ones are used,
the VDC system may not operate
properly and the
indicator may
flash or both the
andindi-
cator lights may illuminate.
∙ The VDC system is not a substitute for winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION
During braking while driving through turns,
the system optimizes the distribution of
force to each of the four wheels depending
on the radius of the turn.
WARNING
∙ The VDC system is designed to helpthe driver maintain stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
by careless or dangerous driving
techniques. Reduce vehicle speed and
be especially careful when driving and
cornering on slippery surfaces and al-
ways drive carefully.
∙ Do not modif y the vehicle’s suspen- sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs, sta-
bilizer bars, bushings and wheels are
not NISSAN recommended for your
vehicle or are extremely deteriorated,
the VDC system may not operate
properly. This could adversely affect
vehicle handling performance, and
the
indicator may flash or both
the
andindicator lights
may illuminate. ∙ If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly and both
the
and theindicator
lights may illuminate.
∙ If engine control related parts are not NISSAN recommended or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, both the
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
∙ When driving on extremely inclined surfaces such as higher banked cor-
ners, the VDC system may not operate
properly and the
indicator may
flash or both the
andindi-
cator lights may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
∙ When driving on an unstable surface such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
indicator may flash or
both the
andindicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a
malfunction. Restart the engine af ter
driving onto a stable surface.
Starting and driving5-151
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. Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires on wet or dry surfaces may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow
tires.
3. Tire chains may be used. For additional information, refer to “Tire chains” in the
“Do-it-yourself ” section of this manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
∙ A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to re- move ice and snow from the windows
and wiper blades.
∙ A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the jack to give it firm support.
∙ A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow- drif ts.
∙ Extra washer fluid to refill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
∙ Wet ice (32°F, 0°C and freezing rain),very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip” un-
der these conditions. Try to avoid driv-
ing on wet ice until the road is salted
or sanded.
∙ Whatever the condition, drive with caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating or down-
shif ting too fast, the drive wheels will
lose even more traction.
∙ Allow more stopping distance under these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
∙ Allow greater following distances on slippery roads.
∙ Watch for slippery spots (glare ice). These may appear on an otherwise
clear road in shaded areas. If a patch
of ice is seen ahead, brake before
reaching it. Try not to brake while on
the ice, and avoid any sudden steering
maneuvers.
Starting and driving5-157