∙ Stay alert when driving to the top of ahill. At the top there could be a drop-
off or other hazard that could cause
an accident.
∙ If your engine stalls or you cannot make it to the top of a steep hill, never
attempt to turn around. Your vehicle
could tip or roll over. Always back
straight down in R (Reverse) gear and
apply brakes to control your speed.
∙ Heavy braking going down a hill could cause your brakes to overheat and
fade, resulting in loss of control and
an accident. Apply brakes lightly and
use a low gear to control your speed.
∙ Unsecured cargo can be thrown around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure all cargo so it will
not be thrown forward and cause in-
jury to you or your passengers.
∙ Secure heavy loads in the cargo area as far forward and as low as possible.
Do not equip the vehicle with tires
larger than specified in this manual.
This could cause your vehicle to roll
over. ∙ Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel when driving off-road.
The steering wheel could move sud-
denly and injure your hands. Instead
drive with your fingers and thumbs on
the outside of the rim.
∙ Before operating the vehicle, ensure that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
∙ Lower your speed when encountering strong crosswinds. With a higher cen-
ter of gravity, your NISSAN is more af-
fected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
∙ Do not drive beyond the performance capability of the tires, even with 4WD
engaged.
∙ For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not at- tempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shif t the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result
in serious vehicle damage or personal
injury. ∙ Do not attempt to test a 4WD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamometers
used by some states for emissions
testing) or similar equipment even if
the other two wheels are raised off the
ground. Make sure you inform test fa-
cility personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with 4WD before it is placed
on a dynamometer. Using the wrong
test equipment may result in drive-
train damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in seri-
ous vehicle damage or personal
injury.
∙ Accelerating quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
∙ If at all possible, avoid sharp turning maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN 4WD vehicle has
a higher center of gravity than a pas-
senger car. The vehicle is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly could
result in loss of control and/or a roll-
over accident.
5-10Starting and driving
ENGINE PROTECTION MODE
The engine has an engine protection mode
to reduce the chance of damage if the
coolant temperature becomes too high
(for example, when climbing steep grades
in high temperatures with heavy loads,
such as when towing a trailer). When the
engine temperature reaches a certain
level:∙ The engine coolant temperature gauge will move toward the H position.
∙ Engine power may be reduced.
∙ The air conditioning cooling function may be automatically turned off for a
short time (the blower will continue to
operate).
Engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will decrease. Vehicle speed
can be controlled with the accelerator
pedal, but the vehicle may not accelerate at
the desired speed. The transmission will
downshif t or upshif t as it reaches pre-
scribed shif t points. You can also shif t
manually.
As driving conditions change and engine
coolant temperature is reduced, vehicle
speed can be increased using the accel- erator pedal, and the air conditioning cool-
ing function will automatically be turned
back on.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may
also come on if the engine coolant tem-
perature is not reduced or the air condi-
tioning cooling function does not turn back
on. If
only it remains on, you do not need to
have your vehicle towed, but have it in-
spected soon. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. For
additional information, refer to “Malfunc-
tion Indicator Light (MIL)” in the “Instru-
ments and controls” section of this manual.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced en-
gine power and vehicle speed. The re-
duced speed may be lower than other
traffic, which could increase the chance
of a collision. Be especially careful when
driving. If the vehicle cannot maintain a
safe driving speed, pull to the side of the
road in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation. For
additional information, refer to “If your
vehicle overheats” in the “In case of
emergency ” section of this manual.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause
serious damage to the engine almost
immediately. Such damage is not cov-
ered by warranty. Turn off the engine as
soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (A/T)
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive). Always
depress the brake pedal until shif ting
is completed. Failure to do so could
cause you to lose control and have an
accident.
∙ Cold engine idle speed is high, so use caution when shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
∙ Never shif t to either the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is re-
versing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-17
∙ HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NOCURB
C:
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position. The power assisted steering uses a hy-
draulic pump, driven by the engine, to as-
sist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks,
you will still have control of the vehicle.
However, much greater steering effort is
needed, especially in sharp turns and at
low speeds.
WARNING
If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be harder to operate. The brake system has two separate hy-
draulic circuits. If one circuit malfunctions,
you will still have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will overheat the brakes,
wear out the brake pads faster, and reduce
gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce speed
and downshif t to a lower gear before going
down a slope or long grade. Overheated
brakes may reduce braking performance
and could result in loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
∙ While driving on a slippery surface, be
careful when braking, accelerating or
downshif ting. Abrupt braking or ac-
celerating could cause the wheels to
skid and result in an accident.
∙ If the engine is not running or is turned off while driving, the power as-
sist for the brakes will not work. Brak-
ing will be harder.
POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-55
6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch..................6-2
Emergency engine shut off ......................6-2
Flat tire ..........................................6-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)........................................6-3
Changing a flat tire ...........................6-4
Jump starting .................................. 6-14Push starting
................................... 6-16
If your vehicle overheats ........................6-16
Towing your vehicle ............................ 6-17
Towing recommended by NISSAN ...........6-17
Vehicle recovery
(freeing a stuck vehicle) ......................6-19
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
6-16In case of emergency
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 Genu-
ine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equiva-
lent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-diluted
to provide antifreeze protection to -34°
F (-37° C). If additional freeze protection
is needed due to weather where you
operate your vehicle, add Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) concentrate following the direc-
tions on the container. If an equivalent
coolant other than Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is
used, follow the coolant manufactur-
er’s instructions to maintain minimum
antifreeze 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
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can
cause persistent, heavy “spark knock.”
(“Spark knock” is a metallic rapping
noise.) If severe, this can lead to engine
damage. If you detect a persistent heavy
spark knock even when using gasoline
of the stated octane rating, or if you hear
steady spark knock while holding a
steady speed on level roads, it is recom-
mended that you have a NISSAN dealer
correct the condition. Failure to correct
the condition is misuse of the vehicle, for
which NISSAN is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in
spark knock, af ter-run and/or overheating,
which may cause excessive fuel consump-
tion or engine damage. If any of the above
symptoms are encountered, have your ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for servicing.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is not
a cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATIONS (for gas
engine only)
For diesel engine oil and oil filter recom-
mendations, refer to “Engine oil and oil filter
recommendations” section of the Titan
Diesel Owner’s Manual.
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality and viscosity engine oil to ensure
satisfactory engine life and performance.
For additional information, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities”in this section. NISSAN recommends the
use of an energy conserving oil in order to
improve fuel economy.
Select only engine oils that meet the
American Petroleum Institute (API) certifi-
cation or International Lubricant Standard-
ization and Approval Committee (ILSAC)
certification and SAE viscosity standard.
These oils have the API certification mark
on the front of the container. Oils which do
not have the specified quality label should
not be used as they could cause engine
damage.
LTI2051
Technical and consumer information10-7
Temperature conditions can also affect
towing. For example, towing a heavy trailer
in high outside temperatures on graded
roads can affect engine performance and
cause overheating. The engine protection
mode, which helps reduce the chance of
engine damage, could activate and auto-
matically decrease engine power. Vehicle
speed may decrease under high load. Plan
your trip carefully to account for trailer and
vehicle load, weather and road conditions.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced en-
gine power and vehicle speed. The re-
duced speed may be lower than other
traffic, which could increase the chance
of a collision. Be especially careful when
driving. If the vehicle cannot maintain a
safe driving speed, pull to the side of the
road in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation. For
additional information, refer to “If your
vehicle overheats” in the “In case of
emergency ” section of this manual.
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from im-
proper towing procedures is not cov-
ered by NISSAN warranties.
Tongue load
When using a weight carrying or a weight
distributing hitch, keep the tongue load be-
tween 10 - 15% of the total trailer load or use
the trailer tongue load specified by the
trailer manufacturer. The tongue load
must be within the maximum tongue load
limits shown in the following “Towing
load/specification” chart. If the tongue load
becomes excessive, rearrange cargo to al-
low for proper tongue load.
WTI0160
Technical and consumer information10-39