5-148Starting and driving
The computer has a built-in diagnostic
feature that tests the system each time
you start the engine and move the vehicle
forward or in reverse at a slow speed.
When the self-test occurs, you may hear a
“clunk” noise and/or feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and is not an
indication of a malfunction.
WARNING
.The VDC system is designed to
help improve driving 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 sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s sus-
pension. If suspension parts such
as shock absorbers, struts,
springs, stabilizer bars, bushings
and wheels are not NISSAN re-
commended for your vehicle or
are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate
properly. This could adversely
affect vehicle handling perfor-
mance, and the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as
brake pads, rotors and calipers
are not NISSAN recommended or
are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate
properly and the VDC warning
light
may illuminate.
. If engine control related parts are
not NISSAN recommended or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC
warning light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely in-
clined surfaces such as higher
banked corners, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
VDC warning light
may illumi-
nate. Do not drive on these types
of roads.
. When driving on an unstable sur-
face such as a turntable, ferry,
elevator or ramp, the VDC warn-
ing light
may illuminate. This
is not a malfunction. Restart the
engine after 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 VDC
warning light
may illuminate. .
The VDC system is not a substi-
tute for winter tires or tire chains
on a snow covered road.
The chassis control is an electric control
module that includes the following func-
tions:
.Intelligent Trace Control
. Intelligent Engine Brake
. Active Ride Control
INTELLIGENT TRACE CONTROL
This system senses driving based on the
driver’s steering and acceleration/braking
patterns, and controls brake pressure at
individual wheels to aid tracing at corners
and help smooth vehicle response.
Intelligent Trace Control can be set to ON
(enabled) or OFF (disabled) through the
Vehicle Information Display “Settings”
page. See “Vehicle information display”
(P.2-19) for more information.
When the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
OFF switch is used to turn off the VDC
system, the Intelligent Trace Control is
also turned off.
JVS0403X
When the Intelligent Trace Control is
operated and the “Chassis Control” mode
is selected in the trip computer, the
Intelligent Trace Control graphics are
shown in the vehicle information display.
(See “Trip computer” (P.2-39).)
If the chassis control warning message
appears in the vehicle information dis-
play, it may indicate that the Intelligent
Trace Control is not functioning properly.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service. (See
“Vehicle information display warnings
and indicators” (P.2-31).)
WARNING
The Intelligent Trace Control may not
be effective depending on the driv-
ing condition. Always drive carefully
and attentively.
When the Intelligent Trace Control is
operating, you may feel a pulsation in
the brake pedal and hear a noise. This is
normal and indicates that the Intelligent
Trace Control is operating properly.
Even if the Intelligent Trace Control is set
to OFF, some functions will remain on to
assist the driver (for example, avoidance
Starting and driving5-149
CHASSIS CONTROL
5-150Starting and driving
scenes).
INTELLIGENT ENGINE BRAKE (Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models)
The Intelligent Engine Brake function
adds subtle deceleration by controlling
CVT gear ratio, depending on the corner-
ing condition calculated from driver’s
steering input and plural sensors. This
benefit to easier traceability and less
workload of adjusting speed with braking
at corners.
The Intelligent Engine Brake also adds
subtle deceleration with gear ratio con-
trol according to driver’s brake pedal
operation.
The Intelligent Engine Brake can be set to
ON (enabled) or OFF (disabled) through
the Vehicle Information Display “Settings”
page. See “Vehicle information display”
(P.2-19) for more information.
JVS0403X
When the Intelligent Engine Brake is
operated at corners and the “Chassis
Control” mode is selected in the trip
computer, the Intelligent Engine Brake
graphics are shown in the vehicle infor-
mation display. See “Trip computer” (P.2-
39) for more information.
If the chassis control warning message
appears in the vehicle information dis-
play, it may indicate that the Intelligent
Engine Brake is not functioning properly.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
The Intelligent Engine Brake may not
be effective depending on the driv-
ing condition. Always drive carefully
and attentively.
When the Intelligent Engine Brake is
operating, the needle of the tachometer
will rise up and you may hear an engine
noise. This is normal and indicates that
the Intelligent Engine Brake is operating
properly.
ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL
This system senses upper body motion
based on wheel speed information and
controls engine torque and four wheel
brake pressure to enhance ride comfort
in effort to restrain uncomfortable upper
body movement. This system come into
effect above 25 MPH (40 km/h). When the
VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the
VDC system, the Active Ride Control is
also turned off.
JVS0398X
When the brake control of the Active Ride
Control is operated and the “Chassis
Control” mode is selected in the trip
computer, the Active Ride Control gra-
phics are shown in the vehicle informa-
tion display. See “Trip computer” (P.2-39)
for more information.
If the chassis control warning message
appears in the vehicle information dis-
play, it may indicate that the Active Ride
Control is not functioning properly. Have
the system checked as soon as possible.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
When the Active Ride Control is operating,
you may hear noise and sense slightdeceleration. This is normal and indicates
that the Active Ride Control is operating
properly.
Starting and driving5-151
apply additional paint near the sonar
sensors.
Do not strike or damage the area around
the sonar sensors. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer if the area
around the sonar sensors is damaged
due to a collision.FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing,
apply deicer through the key hole. If the
lock becomes frozen, heat the key before
inserting it into the key hole, or use the
Intelligent Key system or the remote
keyless entry key fob.
ANTI-FREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that
the outside temperature will drop below
32°F (0°C), check the anti-freeze to assure
proper winter protection. For additional
information, see “Engine cooling system”
(P.8-4).
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, see “Battery”
(P.8-11).
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
anti-freeze, drain the cooling system,
including the engine block. Refill before
operating the vehicle. For details, see
“Engine cooling system” (P.8-4).
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to
provide superior performance on dry
pavement. However, the performance of
these tires will be substantially reduced 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 you consult a
NISSAN dealer for the tire type, size, speed
rating and availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads,
studded 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 snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of
non-studded snow tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see
“Tire chains” (P.8-36) of this manual.
Starting and driving5-157
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch ......................................... 6-2
Roadside assistance program ........................................... 6-2
Emergency engine shut off (models with push-
button ignition switch) ............................................................. 6-3
Flat tire ........................................................................\
.......................... 6-3Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ........... 6-3
Changing a flat tire .............................................................. 6-4 Jump starting ........................................................................\
......... 6-9
Push starting ........................................................................\
........ 6-11
If your vehicle overheats .................................................... 6-11
Towing your vehicle ............................................................... 6-13
Towing recommended by NISSAN ..................... 6-14
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ...... 6-16
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the fol-
lowing procedure:
.Rapidly push the push-button ignition
switch 3 consecutive times in less
than 1.5 seconds, or
. Push and hold the push-button igni-
tion switch for more than 2 seconds.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). It
monitors tire pressure of all tires except
the spare. When the low tire pressure
warning light is lit, and the “Tire Pressure
Low - Add Air” warning message is
displayed in the vehicle information dis-
play, one or more of your tires is sig-
nificantly under-inflated. If the vehicle is
being driven with low tire pressure, the
TPMS will activate and warn you of it by
the low tire pressure warning light. This
system will activate only when the vehicle
is driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25
km/h). For more details, see “Warning
lights, indicator lights and audible remin-
ders” (P.2-10) and “Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing System (TPMS)” (P.5-5).
WARNING
.If the low tire pressure warning
light illuminates while driving,
avoid sudden steering maneu-
vers or abrupt braking, reduce
vehicle speed, pull off the road
to a safe location and stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Driv-
ing with under-inflated tires may
permanently damage the tires and increase the likelihood of tire
failure. Serious vehicle damage
could occur and may lead to an
accident and could result in ser-
ious personal injury. Check the
tire pressure for all four tires.
Adjust the tire pressure to the
recommended COLD tire pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label to turn the low
tire pressure warning light OFF. If
the light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire
pressure, a tire may be flat. If
you have a flat tire, replace it with
a spare tire as soon as possible.
. Since the spare tire is not
equipped with the TPMS, when a
spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, the TPMS will not
function and the low tire pressure
warning light will flash for ap-
proximately 1 minute. The light
will remain on after 1 minute.
Have your tires replaced and/or
TPMS system reset as soon as
possible. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for these
services.
. Replacing tires with those not
originally specified by NISSAN
could affect the proper operation
In case of emergency6-3
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF (models
with push-button ignition switch)FLAT TIRE
6-4In case of emergency
of the TPMS.
. Do not inject any tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction
of the tire pressure sensors.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instruc-
tions below.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road
and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
4. Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park)
position.
Manual Transmission (MT) models:
Move the shift lever to the R (Reverse)
position.
5. Turn off the engine.
6. Raise the hood to warn other traffic, and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance. 7. Have all passengers get out of the
vehicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
.Make sure the parking brake is
securely applied and the Manual
Transmission is shifted into R
(Reverse), or the CVT into P (Park).
. Never change tires when the ve-
hicle is on a slope, ice or slippery
areas. This is hazardous.
. Never change tires if oncoming
traffic is close to your vehicle.
Wait for professional road assis-
tance.
MCE0001A
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocksat both the front
and back of the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the flat tire to prevent the vehicle
from moving when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the
vehicle may move and result in
personal injury.