When the power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, there will
be no power assist for the steering, but you
will still have control of the vehicle. At this
time, greater steering effort is required to
operate the steering wheel, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
For additional information, refer to “Power
steering” in the “Starting and driving” sec-
tion of this manual.
Seat belt warning light andchime
The light and chime remind you to fasten
your seat belts. The light illuminates when-
ever the ignition switch is placed in the ON
or START position and remains illuminated
until the driver’s seat belt is fastened.
The seat belt warning light may also illumi-
nate if the front passenger’s seat belt is not
fastened when the front passenger’s seat
is occupied.
For additional information, refer to “Seat
belts” in the “Safety—Seats, seat belts and
supplemental restraint system” section of
this manual.
Supplemental air bagwarning light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
or START position, the supplemental air
bag warning light illuminates for about
7 seconds and then turns off. This means
the system is operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the
front air bag, side air bag, curtain air bag,
and pretensioner seat belt systems need
servicing:
∙
The supplemental air bag warning light re-
mains on af ter approximately 7 seconds.
∙ The supplemental air bag warning light flashes intermittently.
∙ The supplemental air bag warning light does not come on at all.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for these services.
Unless checked and repaired, the supple-
mental restraint system (air bag system)
and/or the pretensioner(s) may not func-
tion properly. For additional information, re-
fer to “Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS)” in the “Safety—Seats, seat belts and
supplemental restraint system” section of
this manual.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning
light is on, it could mean that the front
air bag, side air bag, curtain air bag
and/or pretensioner systems will not
operate in an accident. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle checked as soon as possible. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
INDICATOR LIGHTS
This vehicle has various indicator lights
that may illuminate to indicate a system
status. For additional information, refer to
the specific light in this section.
Automatic Transmission position indicator light (A/T
models only)
When the ignition switch is in the ON posi-
tion, this indicator light shows the shif t le-
ver position. For additional information, re-
fer to “Driving the vehicle” in the “Starting
and driving” section of this manual.
Instruments and controls2-11
CRUISE indicator light (if soequipped)
The light comes on when the CRUISE
ON/OFF switch is pushed. The light goes
out when the CRUISE ON/OFF switch is
pushed again. When the CRUISE indicator
light comes on, the cruise control system is
operational.
For additional information, refer to “Cruise
control” in the “Starting and driving” section
of this manual.
Front fog light indicatorlight (if so equipped)
The front fog light indicator light illumi-
nates when the front fog lights are on. For
additional information, refer to “Front fog
lights” in this section.
Front passenger air bagstatus light
The front passenger air bag status
light
will be lit and the passenger front
air bag will be off depending on how the
front passenger seat is being used.
For additional information, refer to “Front
passenger air bag and status light” in the
“Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemen-
tal restraint system” section of this manual.
High beam indicator light
(blue)
This blue light comes on when the head-
light high beams are on and goes out when
the low beams are selected.
The high beam indicator light also comes
on when the passing signal is activated.
Malfunction Indicator Light(MIL)
If this indicator light comes on steady or
blinks while the engine is running, it may
indicate a potential emission control mal-
function.
The
may also come on steady if the
fuel-filler cap is loose or missing or if the
vehicle runs out of fuel. Check to make sure
the fuel-filler cap is installed and closed
tightly and that the vehicle has at least 3 gal
(11.4 L) of fuel in the fuel tank.
Af ter a few driving trips, the
light
should turn off if no other potential emis-
sion control system malfunction exists.
If this indicator light comes on steady for
20 seconds and then blinks for 10 seconds
when the engine is not running, it indicates
that the vehicle is not ready for an emission
control system inspection/maintenance test. For additional information, refer to
“Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance
(I/M) test” in the “Technical and consumer
information” section of this manual.
Operation
The MIL will come on in one of two ways:
∙ MIL on steady — An emission control system malfunction has been de-
tected. Check the fuel-filler cap if the
LOOSE FUEL CAP warning appears in
the trip computer. If the fuel-filler cap is
loose or missing, tighten or install the
cap and continue to drive the vehicle.
The
light should turn off af ter a
few driving trips. If the
light does
not turn off af ter a few driving trips, have
the vehicle inspected. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service. You do not need to have
your vehicle towed to the dealer.
∙ MIL blinking — An engine misfire has been detected which may damage the
emission control system. To reduce or
avoid emission control system dam-
age:
– Do not drive at speeds above 45 mph (72 km/h).
2-12Instruments and controls
NISSAN does not record key numbers so it
is very important to keep track of your key
number plate.
A key number is only necessary when you
have lost all keys and do not have one to
duplicate from. If you still have a key, it can
be duplicated without knowing the key
number.
NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM KEYS
You can only drive your vehicle using the
keys which are registered to the NISSAN
Vehicle Immobilizer System components
in your vehicle.
A mechanical key can be used for all the
locks.
Never leave the keys in the vehicle.
Additional or replacement keys:
If you still have a key, the key number is not
necessary when you need extra NISSAN
Vehicle Immobilizer System keys. Your ex-
isting key can be duplicated without know-
ing the key number. As many as four
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System keys
can be used with one vehicle. You should
bring all NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer Sys-
tem keys that you have to a NISSAN dealerfor registration. This is because the regis-
tration process will erase the memory of all
key codes previously registered into the
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System. Af ter
the registration process, these compo-
nents will only recognize keys coded into
the NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System
during registration. Any key that is not
given to the dealer at the time of registra-
tion will no longer be able to start your
vehicle.CAUTION
Do not allow the immobilizer system
key, which contains an electrical tran-
sponder, to come into contact with wa-
ter or salt water. This could affect sys-
tem function.
When the doors are locked using one of the
following methods, the doors cannot be
opened using the inside or outside door
handles. The doors must be unlocked to
open the doors.
WARNING
∙ Always have the doors locked while
driving. Along with the use of seat
belts, this provides greater safety in
the event of an accident by helping to
prevent persons from being thrown
from the vehicle. This also helps keep
children and others from unintention-
ally opening the doors, and will help
keep out intruders.
∙ Before opening any door, always look for and avoid oncoming traffic.
DOORS
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-3
∙ When parking, ensure that people orinflammable materials are kept away
from the exhaust pipe.
CAUTION
∙ Do not use leaded gasoline. Depositsfrom leaded gasoline will seriously re-
duce the three-way catalyst’s ability
to help reduce exhaust pollutants.
∙ Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc- tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep
driving if the engine misfires, or if no-
ticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are de-
tected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
∙ Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
∙ Do not race the engine while warming it up.
∙ Do not push or tow your vehicle to start the engine.
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 driving5-3
∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, coolant, brake and clutch fluid (if so
equipped), and windshield-washer fluid
as frequently as possible, or at least
whenever you refuel.
∙ Check that all windows and lights are clean.
∙ Visually inspect tires for their appear- ance and condition. Also check tires for
proper inflation.
∙ Lock all doors.
∙ Position seat and adjust head re- straints.
∙ Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
∙ Fasten seat belts and ask all passen- gers to do likewise.
∙ Check the operation of warning lights when the key is turned to the ON posi-
tion. For additional information, refer to
“Warning lights, indicator lights and au-
dible reminders” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual. 1. Apply the parking brake.
2.
Automatic transmission:
Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out
of the P (Park) position and into any
of the other gear positions if the ig-
nition switch is placed in the OFF po-
sition or if the key is removed from
the ignition switch.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
Manual transmission:
Move the shif t lever to N (Neutral). De-
press the clutch pedal to the floor
while cranking the engine.
3. Crank the engine with your foot off
the accelerator pedal by placing the
ignition switch in the START position.
Release the key when the engine
starts. If the engine starts, but fails to
run, repeat the above procedure.
∙ If the engine is very hard to start in extremely cold weather or when re-
starting, depress the accelerator
pedal a little (approximately 1/3 to the floor) and hold it and then crank the
engine. Release the key and the ac-
celerator pedal when the engine
starts.
∙ If the engine is very hard to start be- cause it is flooded, depress the accel-
erator pedal all the way to the floor
and hold it. Crank the engine for
5-6 seconds. Af ter cranking the en-
gine, release the accelerator pedal.
Crank the engine with your foot off
the accelerator pedal by placing the
ignition in the START position. Re-
lease the key when the engine starts.
If the engine starts, but fails to run,
repeat the above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, turn the key off and wait
10 seconds before cranking again, oth-
erwise the starter could be damaged.
4. Allow the engine to idle for at least 30 seconds af ter starting. Do not race
the engine while warming it up. Drive at
moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-8Starting and driving
CAUTION
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. Thethree-way catalyst may be damaged.
∙ Automatic Transmission (AT) models and Manual Transmission (MT) cannot
be push-started or tow-started. At-
tempting to do so may cause trans-
mission damage.
∙ For Manual Transmission (MT) mod- els, never try to start the vehicle by
towing it. When the engine starts, the
forward surge could cause the vehicle
to collide with the tow vehicle. If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by a
red high temperature warning light),
or if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc. take the following
steps.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicle overheats. Doing so could cause en-
gine damage or a vehicle fire.
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is com- ing out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, ap- ply the parking brake and move the
shif t lever to N (Neutral) (manual trans-
mission) or to P (Park) (automatic trans-
mission).
Do not stop the engine. 2. Turn off the air conditioner (if so
equipped). Open all the windows, move
the heater or air conditioner tempera-
ture control to maximum hot and fan
control to high speed.
3. 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.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. 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 emergency6-13
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.6. 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 res-
ervoir tank if necessary. Have your ve-
hicle repaired. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this ser-
vice. When towing your vehicle, all Provinces in
Canada and local regulations for towing
must be followed. Incorrect towing equip-
ment could damage your vehicle. Towing
instructions 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.
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” in the “Technical and consumer in-
formation” 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
6-14In case of emergency
7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior................................ 7-2
Washing ...................................... 7-2
Waxing ....................................... 7-2
Removing spots .............................. 7-3
Underbody ................................... 7-3
Glass ......................................... 7-3
Aluminum alloy wheels (if so equipped) ....... 7-3
Chromeparts................................ 7-3
Tire dressings ................................ 7-3
Cleaning interior ................................. 7-4 Air fresheners
................................ 7-5
Floor mats (if so equipped) ................... 7-5
Seatbelts ....................................7-6
Corrosion protection ............................ 7-7
Most common factors contributing to
vehicle corrosion ............................. 7-7
Environmental factors influence the
rate of corrosion .............................. 7-7
Protect your vehicle from corrosion .......... 7-7