
∙ Do not use the cruise control (if soequipped) on slippery roads.
∙ Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow
clear of the exhaust pipe and from
around your vehicle.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (if so
equipped)
Engine block heaters are used to assist
with cold temperature starting.
∙ Engine block heaters should be used when the outside temperature is 0ºF
(-17ºC) or lower.
∙ Engine block heaters run continuously while plugged into the correct voltage
electrical outlet.
WARNING
∙ Do not use your engine block heaterwith an ungrounded electrical system
or a 2-pronged adapter. You can be
seriously injured by an electrical
shock if you use an ungrounded
connection. ∙ Disconnect and properly store the en-
gine block heater cord before starting
the engine. Damage to the cord could
result in an electrical shock and can
cause serious injury.
∙ Use a heavy-duty 3-wire, 3-pronged extension cord rated for at least 10 A.
Plug the extension cord into a Ground
Fault Interrupt (GFI) protected,
grounded 110-VAC outlet. Failure to
use the proper extension cord or a
grounded outlet can result in a fire or
electrical shock and cause serious
personal injury.
To use the engine block heater: 1. Turn the engine off.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the engine block heater cord.
3. Plug the engine block heater cord into a grounded 3-wire, 3-pronged exten-
sion cord.
4. Plug the extension cord into a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) protected,
grounded 110-volt AC (VAC) outlet.
5. The engine block heater must be plugged in for at least 2–4 hours, de-
pending on outside temperatures, to properly warm the engine coolant. Use
an appropriate timer to turn the engine
block heater on.
6. Before starting the engine, unplug and properly store the cord to keep it away
from moving parts.
NOTE:
When using the engine block heater (if so
equipped) on an Applied Vehicle (engine
block heater is plugged in): ∙ Vehicle should be parked on a level
surface.
Or
∙ If a level surface is not available, the
vehicle should be parked with the
front of the truck lower than the rear
(nose down).
CAUTION
Use of the engine block heater when
parked with the front of the vehicle
higher than the rear (5 degrees or more)
may cause the engine block heater to
become damaged and/or inoperative.
Starting and driving5-71

Do not attempt to start the engine by
pushing.
CAUTION
∙ Automatic transmission models can-not be push-started or tow-started.
Attempting to do so may cause trans-
mission damage.
∙ Three way catalyst equipped models should not be started by pushing
since the three way catalyst may be
damaged.
∙ Never try to start the vehicle by tow- ing it; when the engine starts, the for-
ward surge could cause the vehicle to
collide with the tow vehicle.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicleoverheats. Doing so could cause en-
gine damage or a vehicle fire.
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never remove the radiator or coolant
reservoir cap while the engine is still
hot. When the radiator or coolant res-
ervoir cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is com- ing out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge
reading), or if you feel a lack of engine
power, detect abnormal noise, etc. take the
following steps: 1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, ap- ply the parking brake and move the
shif t lever to P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maxi-
mum hot and fan control to high
speed. 3. If engine overheating is caused by
climbing a long hill on a hot day, run the
engine at a fast idle (approximately
1,500 rpm) until the temperature gauge
indication returns to normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for steam or coolant escaping from the
radiator before opening the hood. If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off
the engine. Do not open the hood fur-
ther until no steam or coolant can be
seen.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling
fan is running. The radiator hoses and
radiator should not leak water. If cool-
ant is leaking, the water pump belt is
missing or loose, or the cooling fan
does not run, stop the engine.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-15

WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or
the engine cooling fan. The engine cool-
ing fan can start at any time.7. Af ter the engine cools down, check the coolant level in the engine coolant res-
ervoir tank with the engine running. Add
coolant to the engine coolant reservoir
tank if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service. When towing your vehicle, all jurisdictional
and local regulations for towing must be
followed. Incorrect towing equipment
could damage your vehicle. Towing in-
structions are available from a NISSAN
dealer. Local service operators are gener-
ally familiar with the applicable laws and
procedures for towing. To assure proper
towing and to prevent accidental damage
to your vehicle, NISSAN recommends hav-
ing a service operator tow your vehicle. It is
advisable to have the service operator
carefully read the following precautions:
WARNING
∙ Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
∙ Never get under your vehicle af ter it has been lif ted by a tow truck.
∙ If your vehicle has front recovery hooks as original factory equipment,
do not remove or modif y them. If it
was not equipped with front recovery
hooks, do not install them. Either ac-
tion could affect proper operation of
the front air bag system resulting in
injury or death.
CAUTION
∙ When towing, make sure that thetransmission, axles, steering system
and powertrain are in working condi-
tion. If any of these conditions apply,
dollies or a flatbed tow truck must be
used.
∙ Always attach safety chains before towing.
For additional information, refer to "Flat
towing for 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) vehicle" or
"Flat towing for 4-Wheel Drive (4WD) ve-
hicle" in the "Technical and consumer infor-
mation" section of this manual.
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends towing your vehicle
based upon the type of drivetrain. For addi-
tional information, refer to the diagrams in
this section to ensure that your vehicle is
properly towed.
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
6-16In case of emergency

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-3
Engine cooling system ..........................8-5
Checking engine coolant level ................8-6
Changing engine coolant .....................8-6
Engine oil ........................................8-7
Checking engine oil level .....................8-7
Changing engine oil ..........................8-8
Changing engine oil filter .....................8-9
Fuel filter (CUMMINS 5.0L) ........................8-11
Fuel filter replacement (stage 1) ...............8-11
Fuel filter replacement (stage 2) ..............8-11
Draining water ............................... 8-11
Fuel system priming .......................... 8-11
Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) .....................8-11
Automatic regeneration ......................8-11
6-speed Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)
(diesel engine only) ............................. 8-12
7-speed Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)
(gasoline engine only) .......................... 8-12
Power steering fluid ............................ 8-12
Brake fluid ...................................... 8-13
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-14
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-14Battery.........................................
8-15
Jump starting ............................... 8-16
Variable voltage control (if so equipped) ........8-17
Drive belt ....................................... 8-17
Spark plugs (gasoline engine only) ..............8-18
Replacing spark plugs .......................8-18
Air cleaner ...................................... 8-19
In-cabin microfilter .......................... 8-19
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-20
Cleaning .................................... 8-20
Replacing ................................... 8-20
Brakes.......................................... 8-21
Fuses ........................................... 8-22
Engine compartment .......................8-22
Passenger compartment ....................8-24
Batter y
replacement ........................... 8-26
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-26
Lights .......................................... 8-28
Headlights ................................... 8-28
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-28
Daytime Running Light (DRL)
(if so equipped) .............................. 8-29
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-31

When performing any inspection or main-
tenance work on your vehicle, always take
care to prevent serious accidental injury to
yourself or damage to the vehicle. The fol-
lowing are general precautions which
should be closely observed.
WARNING
∙ Park the vehicle on a level surface, ap-ply the parking brake securely and
block the wheels to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving. Move the shif t le-
ver to P (Park)
∙ Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF or LOCK position when perform-
ing any parts replacement or repairs.
∙ If you must work with the engine run- ning, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from moving fans,
belts and any other moving parts.
∙ It is advisable to secure or remove any loose clothing and remove any jew-
elry, such as rings, watches, etc. be-
fore working on your vehicle.
∙ Always wear eye protection whenever you work on your vehicle. ∙
The automatic engine cooling fan (if so
equipped) may come on at any time
without warning, even if the ignition
switch is in the OFF position and the
engine is not running. To avoid injury,
always disconnect the negative bat-
tery cable before working near the fan.
∙ If you must run the engine in an en-
closed space such as a garage, be sure
there is proper ventilation for exhaust
gases to escape.
∙ Never get under the vehicle while it is supported only by a jack. If it is neces-
sary to work under the vehicle, sup-
port it with safety stands.
∙ Keep smoking materials, flame and sparks away from the fuel tank and
battery.
∙ Because the fuel lines on gasoline en- gine models are under high pressure
even when the engine is off, it is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for service of the fuel filter or
fuel lines.
CAUTION
∙ Do not work under the hood while theengine is hot. Turn the engine off and
wait until it cools down. ∙
Avoid contact with used engine oil and
coolant. Improperly disposed engine
oil, engine coolant and/or other vehicle
fluids can damage the environment. Al-
ways conform to local regulations for
disposal of vehicle fluid.
∙ Never leave the engine or automatic
transmission related component har-
nesses disconnected while the igni-
tion switch is in the ON position.
∙ Never connect or disconnect the bat- tery or any transistorized component
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
This “Do-it-yourself ” section gives instruc-
tions regarding only those items which are
relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A Genuine NISSAN service manual is also
available. For additional information, refer
to “Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order
information” in the “Technical and con-
sumer information” section of this manual.
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties or excessive emissions, and
could affect warranty coverage. If in doubt
about any servicing, it is recommended
that you have it done by a NISSAN dealer.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself

VK56VD engine (non-XD model)
1. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
2. Fuse box
3. Engine oil dipstick
4. Power steering fluid reservoir
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Air cleaner
8. Fuse/Fusible link box
9. Drive belt location
10. Radiator cap
11. Battery
12. Engine coolant reservoir
LDI3056
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3

VK56VD engine (XD model)
1. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
2. Fuse box
3. Engine oil dipstick
4. Power steering fluid reservoir
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Air cleaner
8. Fuse/Fusible link box
9. Engine coolant reservoir
10. Drive belt location
11. Battery
12. Radiator cap
For additional information on the Cum-
mins 5.0L engine, refer to the “Titan Diesel
Owner’s Manual”.
LDI2973
8-4Do-it-yourself

The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a pre-diluted mixture of 50%
Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) and 50% water to
provide year-round antifreeze and coolant
protection. The antifreeze solution con-
tains rust and corrosion inhibitors. Addi-
tional engine cooling system additives are
not necessary.
WARNING
∙ Never remove the radiator or coolantreservoir cap when the engine is hot.
Wait until the engine and radiator cool
down. Serious burns could be caused
by high pressure fluid escaping from
the radiator. For additional informa-
tion on precautions, refer to “If your
vehicle overheats” found in the “In
case of emergency ” section of this
manual.
∙ The radiator is equipped with a pres- sure type radiator cap. To prevent en-
gine damage, it is recommended that
you use only a Genuine NISSAN radia-
tor cap.
CAUTION
∙ Never use any cooling system addi-tives such as radiator sealer. Additives
may clog the cooling system and
cause damage to the engine, trans-
mission and/or cooling system.
∙ When adding or replacing coolant, it is recommended that you use only
Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equiva-
lent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-
diluted to provide antifreeze protec-
tion to -34° F (-37° C). If additional
freeze protection is needed due to
weather where you operate your ve-
hicle, add Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) concen-
trate following the directions on the
container. If an equivalent coolant
other than Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is used, fol-
low the coolant manufacturer’s in-
structions to maintain minimum anti-
freeze protection to -34° F (-37° C). The use of other types of coolant solu-
tions other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent may damage the engine
cooling system.
∙ The life expectancy of the factory-fill coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km)
or 7 years. Mixing any other type of
coolant other than Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue),
including Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (green), or the use
of non-distilled water may reduce the
life expectancy of the factory-fill cool-
ant. For additional information, refer
to the "Maintenance and schedules"
section of this manual.
For additional information on the Cum-
mins 5.0L engine cooling system, refer to
the “Titan Diesel Owner’s Manual”.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Do-it-yourself8-5