
5-136Starting and driving
For four-wheel drive
If you install snow tires, they must also be
the same size, brand, construction and
tread pattern on all four wheels.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following
items be carried in the vehicle during
winter:
.A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to
remove ice and snow from the win-
dows 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
snowdrifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
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” under these
conditions. Try to avoid driving
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
downshifting too fast, the drive
wheels will lose even more trac-
tion.
. 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.
. Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads.
. Snow can trap dangerous ex-
haust gases under your vehicle.
Keep snow clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around your vehi-
cle.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (if so
equipped)
Engine block heaters are used to assist in
cold temperature starting.
The engine block heater should be used
when the outside temperature is 20°F
(−7°C) or lower.
To use the engine block heater
1. Turn the engine off.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the en-
gine block heater cord.
3. Plug the engine block heater cord into a grounded 3-wire, 3-pronged exten-
sion cord.
4. Plug the extension cord into a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) protected,
grounded 110-volt AC (VAC) outlet.
5. The engine block heater must be plugged in for at least 2 - 4 hours,
depending on outside temperatures,
to properly warm the engine coolant.
Use an appropriate timer to turn the
engine block heater on.
6. Before starting the engine, unplug and properly store the cord to keep it
away from moving parts.

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 CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE warning appears in the vehicle
information display, one or more of your
tires is significantly 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 “Low
tire pressure warning light” (P.2-15) and
“Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)”
(P.5-5).
WARNING
.If the low tire pressure warning
light illuminates or Low Pressure
information is displayed on the
monitor screen 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
In case of emergency6-3
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF FLAT TIRE

6-16In case of emergency
When towing your vehicle, all State (Pro-
vincial in Canada) and local regulations
for towing must be followed. Incorrect
towing equipment could damage your
vehicle. Towing instructions are available
from a NISSAN dealer. Local service op-
erators are familiar with the applicable
laws and procedures for towing. To
assure proper towing and to prevent
accidental damage to your vehicle,
NISSAN recommends that you have 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 after
it has been lifted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
.When towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering sys-
tem and powertrain are in work-
ing condition. If any of these
conditions apply, dollies or a
flatbed tow truck must be used. .
Always attach safety chains be-
fore towing.
For information about towing your vehi-
cle behind a recreational vehicle (RV), see
“Flat towing” (P.10-29).
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE

SCE0925
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (rear) wheels off
the ground or place the vehicle on a flat
bed truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
.Never tow automatic transmis-
sion models with the rear wheels
on the ground or four wheels on
the ground (forward or back- ward), as this may cause serious
and expensive damage to the
transmission. If it is necessary to
tow the vehicle with the front
wheels raised, always use towing
dollies under the rear wheels.
. When towing rear wheel drive
models with the front wheels on
the ground or on towing dollies:
Place the ignition in the ACC or ON
position, and secure the steering
wheel in a straight-ahead posi-
tion with a rope or similar device.
In case of emergency6-17

VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a stuck
vehicle)
WARNING
.Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
. Do not spin your tires at high
speed. This could cause them to
explode and result in serious in-
jury. Parts of your vehicle could
also overheat and be damaged.
Pulling a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use a tow strap or other device
designed specifically for vehicle recovery.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions for the recovery device.
Attach the tow strap to the towing hook.
CAUTION
.Tow chains or cables must be
attached only to the main struc-
tural members of the vehicle or
the towing hooks. Otherwise, the
vehicle body will be damaged.
. Use the towing hook only to free
a vehicle stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc. Never tow the vehicle
for a long distance using only the
towing hook.
. The towing hook is under tre-
mendous force when used to free
a stuck vehicle. Never pull the
hook at an angle.
. Always pull the cable straight out
from the front or rear of the
vehicle.
. Pulling devices should be routed
so they do not touch any part of
the suspension, steering, brake or
cooling systems.
. Pulling devices such as ropes or
canvas straps are not recom-
mended for use in vehicle towing
or recovery.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstruc-
tions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear an area around the front tires. 4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and
backward.
.Shift back and forth between R(Reverse) and D (Drive).
.Apply the accelerator as little as possible to maintain the rocking
motion.
.Release the accelerator pedal be-
fore shifting between R and D.
.Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH(55 km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few tries, contact a professional tow-
ing service to remove the vehicle.
In case of emergency6-19

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions ...................................................... 8-2
Engine compartment check locations ........................ 8-3VK56VD engine ....................................................................... 8-3
Engine cooling system ............................................................. 8-4 Checking engine coolant level .................................... 8-5
Changing engine coolant ................................................ 8-5
Engine oil ........................................................................\
..................... 8-6 Checking engine oil level ................................................. 8-6
Changing engine oil and filter ..................................... 8-6
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ............................. 8-8
Power steering fluid ................................................................... 8-8
Brake fluid ........................................................................\
.................. 8-9
Window washer fluid .............................................................. 8-10
Battery ........................................................................\
........................ 8-11 Jump starting ........................................................................\
. 8-13
Variable voltage control system ................................... 8-13
Drive belts ........................................................................\
................ 8-13
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
............. 8-14 Replacing spark plugs ..................................................... 8-14
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
............... 8-15 Windshield wiper blades ..................................................... 8-16
Cleaning ........................................................................\
........... 8-16
Replacing ........................................................................\
........ 8-16
Rear window wiper blades ............................................... 8-17
Brakes ........................................................................\
........................ 8-17 Self-adjusting brakes ..................................................... 8-17
Brake pad wear warning ............................................ 8-17
Brake booster ...................................................................... 8-17
Fuses ........................................................................\
........................... 8-18 Engine compartment .................................................... 8-18
Passenger compartment ........................................... 8-20
Intelligent Key battery replacement .......................... 8-21
Lights ........................................................................\
.......................... 8-24
Headlights ........................................................................\
...... 8-24
Exterior and interior lights ........................................ 8-26
Wheels and tires ........................................................................\
8-30
Tire pressure ........................................................................\
8-30
Tire labeling ........................................................................\
.. 8-34
Types of tires ....................................................................... 8-36
Tire chains ........................................................................\
...... 8-37
Changing wheels and tires ...................................... 8-37

could affect your warranty coverage.If in
doubt about any servicing, it is recom-
mended you have it done by a NISSAN
dealer.
JVC0965X
VK56VD ENGINE
1. Window washer fluid reservoir
2. Fuse/fusible link holder
3. Engine oil dipstick
4. Power steering fluid reservoir
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir 7. Fuse/fusible link holder
8. Battery
9. Radiator filler cap
10. Engine coolant reservoir
11. Drive belts
12. Air cleaner
Do-it-yourself8-3
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK LOCATIONS

8-8Do-it-yourself
After the operation
1. Install the engine undercover intoposition using the bolts.
2. Lower the vehicle carefully to the ground.
3. Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
WARNING
. Prolonged and repeated contact
with used engine oil may cause
skin cancer.
. Try to avoid direct skin contact
with used oil. If skin contact is
made, wash thoroughly with soap
or hand cleaner as soon as pos-
sible.
. Keep used engine oil out of reach
of children. When checking or replacement is re-
quired, we recommend a NISSAN dealer
for servicing.
CAUTION
.
It is recommended that you use
only Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF.
Do not mix with other fluids.
. Using automatic transmission
fluid (ATF) other than Genuine
NISSAN Matic S ATF may cause
deterioration in driveability and
automatic transmission durabil-
ity, and may damage the auto-
matic transmission. Damage
caused by use of fluids other than
as recommended is not covered
by the NISSAN new vehicle limited
warranty.
SDI1765A
Check the fluid level in the reservoir.
The fluid level should be checked using
the HOT range (
: HOT MAX.,: HOT MIN.)
at fluid temperatures of 122 to 176°F (50 to
80°C) or using the COLD range (
: COLD
MAX.,: COLD MIN.) at fluid temperatures
of 32 to 86°F (0 to 30°C).
If the fluid is below the MIN line, add
Genuine NISSAN PSF or equivalent. Re-
move the cap and fill through the open-
ing.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF)POWER STEERING FLUID