2020 NISSAN ALTIMA Owner´s Manual

RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS
Rapid air pressure loss or a “blow-out” can
occur if the tire is punctured or is damaged
due to hitting a curb or pothole. Rapid air
pressure loss can also be caused by driving
on under-inflated tires.
Rapid air pressure loss can affect the han-
dling and stability of the vehicle, especially
at highway speeds.
Help prevent rapid air pressure loss by
maintaining the correct air pressure and
visually inspecting the tires for wear and
damage. For additional information, refer
to “Wheels and tires” in the “Do-it-yourself ”
section of this manual. If a tire rapidly loses
air pressure or “blows-out” while driving,
maintain control of the vehicle by following
the procedure below. Please note that this
procedure is only a general guide. The ve-
hicle must be driven as appropriate based
on the conditions of the vehicle, road and
traffic.
WARNING
The following actions can increase the
chance of losing control of the vehicle if
there is a sudden loss of tire air pres-
sure. Losing control of the vehicle may
cause a collision and result in personal
injury.
∙ The vehicle generally moves or pullsin the direction of the flat tire.
∙ Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
∙ Do not rapidly release the accelerator pedal.
∙ Do not rapidly turn the steering wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe location off the road and away from
traffic if possible. 5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradu-
ally stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and contact a roadside emergency
service to change the tire. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Changing a
flat tire” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alco-
hol or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream
reduces coordination, delays reaction
time and impairs judgement. Driving
af ter drinking alcohol increases the
likelihood of being involved in an acci-
dent injuring yourself and others. Addi-
tionally, if you are injured in an accident,
alcohol can increase the severity of the
injury.
5-10Starting and driving

NISSAN is committed to safe driving. How-
ever, you must choose not to drive under
the influence of alcohol. Every year thou-
sands of people are injured or killed in
alcohol-related collisions. Although the lo-
cal laws vary on what is considered to be
legally intoxicated, the fact is that alcohol
affects all people differently and most
people underestimate the effects of alco-
hol.
Remember, drinking and driving don’t mix!
That is true for drugs (over-the-counter,
prescription) and illegal drugs, too. Don’t
drive if your ability to operate your vehicle is
impaired by alcohol, drugs, or some other
physical condition.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your NISSAN is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving in
deep water or mud as your NISSAN is
mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a
conventional off-road vehicle.
Remember that 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) mod-
els are less capable than All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) models for rough road driving and
extrication when stuck in deep snow or
mud, or the like.Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
∙ Spinning the front wheels on slippery
surfaces may cause the AWD warning
message to display and the AWD sys-
tem to automatically switch from the
AWD to the 2WD mode. This could re-
duce the traction. Be especially care-
ful when towing a trailer (AWD
models).
∙ Drive carefully when off the road and avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle
should be seated with their seat belt
fastened. This will keep you and your
passengers in position when driving
over rough terrain.
∙ Do not drive across steep slopes. In- stead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road ve-
hicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward. ∙ Many hills are too steep for any ve-
hicle. If you drive up them, you may
stall. If you drive down them, you may
not be able to control your speed. If
you drive across them, you may roll
over.
∙ Do not shif t gears while driving on downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
∙ Stay alert when driving to the top of a hill. 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.
Starting and driving5-11

∙ Unsecured cargo can be thrownaround 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.
∙ Exceeding the roof rack capacity can raise the center of gravity excessively
and affect the handling and stability
of the vehicle.
∙ 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.
∙ Always drive with the floor mats in place as the floor may become hot. ∙ 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 AWD
engaged.
∙ For AWD 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 an AWD
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 AWD 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.
∙ When a wheel is off the ground due to an unlevel surface, do not spin the
wheel excessively.
∙ 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 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.
5-12Starting and driving

∙ Failure to operate this vehicle cor-rectly could result in loss of control
and/or a rollover accident.
∙ Always use tires of the same type, size, brand, construction (bias, bias-
belted, or radial), and tread pattern on
all four wheels. Install tire chains on
the front wheels when driving on slip-
pery roads and drive carefully.
∙ Be sure to check the brakes immedi- ately af ter driving in mud or water. For
additional information, refer to “Brake
precautions” in this section.
∙ Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it
rolls forward, backward or sideways,
you could be injured.
∙ Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud or water as deep as the
wheel hub, more frequent mainte-
nance may be required. For additional
information, refer to “Maintenance
under severe operating conditions” in
the “Maintenance and schedules” sec-
tion of this manual.WARNING
Do not operate the push-button igni-
tion switch while driving the vehicle ex-
cept in an emergency. (The engine will
stop when the ignition switch is pushed
three consecutive times in quick suc-
cession or the ignition switch is pushed
and held for more than 2 seconds.) If the
engine stops while the vehicle is being
driven, this could lead to a crash and
serious injury.
When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal, the ignition
switch will illuminate.
Push the ignition switch center:∙ Once to change to ON.
∙ Two times to change to OFF.
The ignition switch will automatically re-
turn to the LOCK position when any door is
either opened or closed with the switch in
the OFF position.
LSD2645
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-13

The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch cannot be placed in the OFF
position until the shif t lever is moved to the
P (Park) position.
When the ignition switch cannot be placed
in the OFF position, proceed as follows:1. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) posi- tion.
2. Push the ignition switch. The ignition switch position will change to the ON
position.
3. Push the ignition switch again to the OFF position.
The shif t lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
If the battery of the vehicle is discharged,
the ignition switch cannot be moved
from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for opera-
tion are displayed on the vehicle informa-
tion display. For additional information, re-
fer to “Vehicle information display” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this
manual.
OPERATING RANGE
The Intelligent Key functions can only be
used when the Intelligent Key is within the
specified operating range.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost
discharged or strong radio waves are pres-
ent near the operating location, the Intelli-
gent Key system’s operating range be-
comes narrower and may not function
properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operating
range, it is possible for anyone, even some-
one who does not carry the Intelligent Key, to
push the ignition switch to start the engine.
The operating range of the engine start
function is inside of the vehicle
1.
∙ The luggage area is not included in the operating range, but the Intelligent Key
may function.
∙ If the Intelligent Key is placed on the instrument panel or inside the glove
box, storage bin or door pocket, the In-
telligent Key may not function.
∙ If the Intelligent Key is placed near the door or window outside the vehicle, the
Intelligent Key may function.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in
this position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it
is pushed to the ON position while carrying
the Intelligent Key.
The ignition switch will lock when any door
is opened or closed with the ignition
switched off.
LSD2089
5-14Starting and driving

ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
ON has a battery saver feature that will
place the ignition switch in the OFF posi-
tion, if the vehicle is not running, af ter some
time under the following conditions:∙ All doors are closed.
∙ The shif t lever is in P (Park).
The battery saver feature will be canceled if
any of the following occur: ∙ Any door is opened.
∙ The shif t lever is moved out of the P (Park) position.
∙ The ignition switch changes position.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the igni-
tion switch in the ON position when the
engine is not running for an extended
period. This can discharge the battery. OFF
The ignition switch is in the OFF position
when the engine is turned off using the
ignition switch. No lights will illuminate on
the ignition switch.
AUTO ACC:
With the vehicle in the P (Park) position, the
Intelligent Key with you and the ignition
switch placed from the ON position to the
OFF position, the radio can still be used for
a period of time, or until the driver’s door is
opened.
Af ter a period of time, functions such as
radio, navigation, and Bluetooth® Hands-
Free Phone System may be restarted by
pressing the POWER button/VOLUME con-
trol knob or the key fob unlock button. For
additional information, refer to the sepa-
rate NissanConnect® Owner’s Manual.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
∙ Rapidly push the ignition switch three consecutive times in less than 1.5 sec-
onds, or
∙ Push and hold the ignition switch for more than 2 seconds.
Starting and driving5-15

NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY®
BATTERY DISCHARGE
If the battery of the NISSAN Intelligent Key®
is discharged or environmental conditions
interfere with the Intelligent Key operation,
start the engine according to the following
procedure:1. Place the shif t lever in the P (Park) posi- tion.
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intel- ligent Key as illustrated. (A chime will
sound.) Af ter step 3 is performed, when the
ignition switch is pushed without de-
pressing the brake pedal, the ignition
switch position will change to the ON
position.
4. Push the ignition switch while depress- ing the brake pedal within 10 seconds
af ter the chime sounds. The engine will
start.
NOTE: ∙ When the ignition switch is pushed to
the ON position or the engine is
started by the above procedure, the
Intelligent Key battery discharge in-
dicator appears in the vehicle infor-
mation display even when the Intelli-
gent Key is inside the vehicle. This is
not a malfunction. To turn off the In-
telligent Key battery discharge indi-
cator, touch the ignition switch with
the Intelligent Key again.
∙ If the Intelligent Key battery dis-
charge indicator appears, replace the
battery as soon as possible. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Battery
replacement” in the “Do-it-yourself ”
section of this manual.
NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System
will not allow the engine to start without
the use of the registered key.
If the engine fails to start using a registered
key (for example, when interference is
caused by another registered key, an auto-
mated toll road device or automatic pay-
ment device on the key ring), restart the
engine using the following procedure:
1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON po- sition for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position, and wait approximately
10 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the device (which may have caused the in-
terference) separate from the regis-
tered key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, NISSAN
recommends placing the registered key on
a separate key ring to avoid interference
from other devices.
SSD0860
5-16Starting and driving

∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, 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 headrests/head restraints.
∙ Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
∙ Fasten seat belts and ask all passen- gers to do likewise.
∙ Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is pushed to
the ON position. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Warning lights, indicator
lights and audible reminders” in the “In-
struments and controls” section of this
manual. 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition. Depress the brake pedal and
push the ignition switch to start the
engine.
To start the engine immediately, push
and release the ignition switch while
depressing the brake pedal with the
ignition switch in any position.
∙ 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 while holding, crank the en-
gine. Release the accelerator 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. Push the ignition switch
to the ON position to start cranking
the engine. Af ter 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch to the LOCK position. Af ter
cranking the engine, release the ac-
celerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator
pedal by depressing the brake pedal
and pushing the ignition switch to
start the engine. If the engine starts,
but fails to run, repeat the above pro-
cedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, push the ignition switch
to the OFF position and wait 10 seconds
before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up:
Allow the engine to idle for at least
30 seconds af ter starting. Do not race
the engine while warming it up. Drive at
a moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold
weather, keep the engine running for a
minimum of 2 to 3 minutes before
shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time
may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17