
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 light may flash or
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
the
indicator light may
illuminate. ∙ If engine control related parts are not
NISSAN recommended or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, the
indi-
cator light may illuminate.
∙ When driving on extremely inclined surfaces such as higher banked cor-
ners, the VDC system may not operate
properly and the
indicator light
may flash or 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 light may
flash or illuminate. This is not a mal-
function. 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 light
may flash or illuminate.
∙ The VDC system is not a substitute for winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
de-icer through the key hole. If the lock
becomes frozen, heat the key before in-
serting it into the key hole or use the re-
mote keyless entry key fob.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
temperature will drop below 32°F (0°C),
check the antifreeze to assure proper win-
ter protection. For additional information,
refer to “Engine cooling system” in the “Do-
it-yourself ” section of this manual.
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.
This vehicle is equipped with a sealed
maintenance free battery. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
service.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-34Starting and driving

DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be lef t outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, includ-
ing the engine block. Refill before operating
the vehicle. For additional information, 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 driving5-35

∙ If the low tire pressure warning lightilluminates while driving, avoid sud-
den steering maneuvers 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 per-
manently damage the tires and in-
crease the likelihood of tire failure.
Serious vehicle damage could occur
and may lead to an accident and could
result in serious 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 Infor-
mation label to turn the low tire pres-
sure warning light OFF. If you have a
flat tire, replace it with a spare tire as
soon as possible.
∙ When replacing a wheel without the TPMS such as the spare tire, the TPMS
will not function and the low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash for ap-
proximately 1 minute. The light will re-
main on af ter 1 minute. Have your
tires replaced and/or TPMS system
reset as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for these services. ∙ Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pres-
sure sensors.
∙ Replacing tires with those not origi- nally specified by NISSAN could affect
the proper operation of the TPMS.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
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. Shif t the manual trans-
mission into R (Reverse) or the Continu-
ously Variable Transmission (CVT) into
P (Park).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance. 6. Have all passengers get out of the ve-
hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
∙ Make sure the parking brake is se-curely applied and the manual trans-
mission is shif ted into R (Reverse), or
the Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion (CVT) into P (Park).
∙ Never change tires when the vehicle is on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
∙ Never change tires if oncoming traffic is close to your vehicle. Wait for pro-
fessional road assistance.
In case of emergency6-3

WARNING
Always follow the instructions below.
Failure to do so could result in damage
to the charging system and cause per-
sonal injury.1. If the booster battery is in another ve- hicle, position the 2 vehicles to bring
their batteries near each other.
Do not allow the 2 vehicles to touch.
2. Apply the parking brake. Move the shif t lever to N (Neutral) (manual transmis-
sion) or to P (Park) (Continuously Vari-
able Transmission (CVT)). Switch off all unnecessary electrical systems (lights,
heater, air conditioner, etc.).
3. Connect jumper cables in the se- quence illustrated (
A,B,C,D).
CAUTION
∙ Always connect positive () to posi-tive ( ) and negative () to body
ground (for example, strut mounting
bolt, engine lif t bracket, etc.) — not to
the battery. ∙ Make sure the jumper cables do not
touch moving parts in the engine
compartment and that the cable
clamps do not contact any other
metal.
4. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and let it run for a few minutes.
5. Keep the engine speed of the booster vehicle at about 2,000 rpm, and start
the engine of the vehicle being jump
started.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged
for more than 15 seconds. If the engine
does not start, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait 10 seconds
before trying again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
6. Af ter starting the engine, carefully dis- connect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.LCE2223
6-10In case of emergency

CAUTION
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. Thethree-way catalyst may be damaged.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and manual transmission mod-
els cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
∙ For manual transmission models, 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.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) models cannot be push-started
or tow-started. Attempting to do so
may cause transmission damage. If your vehicle is overheating, indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge
reading (if so equipped) or a red high tem-
perature warning light
(if so
equipped), 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) (Continuously
Variable Transmission).
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. 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 emergency6-11

Two-Wheel Drive models with
manual transmission
NISSAN recommends that towing dollies
be used when towing your vehicle or place
the vehicle on the flatbed truck as illus-
trated.
If you must use a pull behind tow truck put
the manual transmission in N (Neutral).
Your vehicle speed should never exceed
60 mph (97 km/h) when towing your ve-
hicle. Af ter towing 500 miles, start and idle
the engine with the transmission in N (Neu-
tral) for two minutes. Failure to idle the en-gine af ter every 500 miles of towing may
cause damage to the transmission’s inter-
nal parts.
CAUTION
Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
∙ If you have to tow manual transmis-
sion models with the rear wheels on
the ground (if you do not use towing
dollies) or four wheels on the ground:
– Always release the parking brake. – Move the transmission shif t lever
to the N (Neutral) position
– Observe the following restricted towing speeds and distances for
manual transmission models only:
Speed: Below 60 mph (97 km/h)
Distance: Less than 500 miles
(805 km)
When towing long distances or speeds in
excess of 60 mph (97 km/h), remove the
propeller shaf t before towing to prevent
damage to the transmission. For additional
information, it is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer.
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a
stuck vehicle)
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious per-
sonal injury or death when recovering a
stuck vehicle:
∙ Contact a professional towing service to recover the vehicle if you have any
questions regarding the recovery
procedure.
LCE2346
6-14In case of emergency

Relative humidity
Corrosion will be accelerated in areas of
high relative humidity, especially those ar-
eas where the temperatures stay above
freezing and where atmospheric pollution
exists and road salt is used.
Temperature
High temperatures accelerate the rate of
corrosion to those parts which are not well
ventilated.
Air pollution
Industrial pollution, the presence of salt in
the air in coastal areas, or heavy road salt
use accelerates the corrosion process.
Road salt also accelerates the disintegra-
tion of paint surfaces.
PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE FROM
CORROSION
∙ Wash and wax your vehicle of ten tokeep the vehicle clean.
∙ Always check for minor damage to the paint and repair it as soon as possible.
∙ Keep drain holes at the bottom of the doors open to avoid water accumula-
tion. ∙ Check the underbody for accumulation
of sand, dirt or salt. If present, wash with
water as soon as possible.
CAUTION
∙ NEVER remove dirt, sand or other de-bris from the passenger compart-
ment by washing it out with a hose.
Remove dirt with a vacuum cleaner or
broom.
∙ Never allow water or other liquids to come in contact with electronic com-
ponents inside the vehicle as this may
damage them.
Chemicals used for road surface de-icing
are extremely corrosive. They accelerate
corrosion and deterioration of underbody
components such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor pan
and fenders.
In winter, the underbody must be
cleaned periodically.
For additional protection against rust and
corrosion, which may be required in some
areas, it is recommended that you consult
a NISSAN dealer.
7-8Appearance and care

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-4
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
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid (if so equipped) ............................ 8-10
Brake and clutch (if so equipped) fluid ..........8-10
Brake fluid .................................... 8-11
Clutch (if so equipped) fluid ...................8-11
Windshield-washer fluid .........................8-11
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir .............8-11
Battery......................................... 8-13
Jump starting ............................... 8-14
Variable voltage control system
(if so equipped) ................................. 8-15
Drive belt ....................................... 8-15
Spark plugs .................................... 8-16Replacing spark plugs
.......................8-16
Air cleaner ...................................... 8-17
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-17
Cleaning .................................... 8-17
Replacing ................................... 8-18
Brakes.......................................... 8-19
Fuses ........................................... 8-19
Engine compartment .......................8-20
Passenger compartment ....................8-21
Battery replacement ........................... 8-22
Key fob (if so equipped) ......................8-23
NISSAN Intelligent Key® (if so equipped) ......8-24
Lights .......................................... 8-26
Headlights ................................... 8-26
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-27
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-28
Wheels and tires ................................ 8-33
Tir e
pressure ................................ 8-33
Tire labeling ................................. 8-36
Types of tires ................................ 8-39
Tire chains .................................. 8-40
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-41