2020 NISSAN ARMADA overheating

5-18Starting and driving
If:
1. The engine coolant temperature is notreduced.
2. The air conditioning cooling function does not turn back ON.
3. The engine oil pressure warning light
illuminates or engine coolant
temperature gauge does not return
to the normal range from the H
position, this may indicate a malfunc-
tion. Move the vehicle off the road to a
safe area and allow the engine to cool.
If after checking the oil and coolant,
the
remains on or engine coolant
temperature does not return to the
normal range, do not continue to
drive. It is recommended you contact
a NISSAN dealer.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may also come ON. You do not need to
have your vehicle towed, unless it re-
mains on, but have it inspected soon. It is
recommended you contact a NISSAN
dealer for this service. See “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible reminders”
(P.2-10).
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced
engine power and vehicle speed.
The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If the
vehicle cannot maintain a safe driv-
ing speed, pull to the side of the road
in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation.
See “If your vehicle overheats” (P.6-
14).
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 covered by warranty. Turn off the
engine as soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehi-
cle is electronically controlled by a trans-
mission control module to produce
maximum efficiency and smooth opera-
tion.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. Follow these proce-
dures for maximum vehicle performance
and driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal and push the shift lever
button before shifting the shift lever to
the R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) or
Manual shift mode position. Be sure the
vehicle is fully stopped before attempting
to shift the shift lever.
This automatic transmission model is
designed so that the foot brake pedal
must be depressed before shifting from
P (Park) to any drive position while the
ignition switch position is ON.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is pushed to the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position.

5-92Starting and driving
I-DC SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limita-
tions of the I-DC system. Failure to
operate the vehicle in accordance
with these system limitations could
result in serious injury or death.
.This system will not adapt auto-
matically to road conditions. Do
not use the system on roads with
sharp curves, or on icy roads, in
heavy rain or in fog.
. The I-DC system will not apply
brake control while the driver’s
foot is on the accelerator pedal.
. As there is a performance limit to
the distance control function,
never rely solely on the I-DC
system. This system does not
correct careless, inattentive or
absent-minded driving, or over-
come poor visibility in rain, fog, or
other bad weather. Decelerate
the vehicle speed by depressing
the brake pedal, depending on
the distance to the vehicle ahead
and the surrounding circum-
stances in order to maintain a
safe distance between vehicles. .
The system may not detect the
vehicle in front of you in certain
road or weather conditions. To
avoid accidents, never use the I-
DC system under the following
conditions:
— On roads with sharp curves
— On slippery road surfaces
such as on ice or snow, etc.
— On off-road surfaces such as on sand or rock, etc.
— During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
— When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the system sensor
— On steep downhill roads (fre- quent braking may result in
overheating the brakes)
— On repeated uphill and down- hill roads
— When towing a trailer or other vehicle
. In some road or traffic conditions,
a vehicle or object can unexpect-
edly come into the sensor detec-
tion zone and cause automatic
braking. You may need to control
the distance from other vehicles
using the accelerator pedal. Al- ways stay alert and avoid using
the I-DC system when it is not
recommended in this section.
The radar sensor will not detect the
following objects:
. Stationary and slow moving vehicles
. Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
. Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
. Motorcycles traveling offset in the
travel lane
The following are some conditions in
which the sensor cannot detect the
signals:
. When the snow or road spray from
traveling vehicles reduces the sensor’s
visibility
. When excessively heavy baggage is
loaded in the rear seat or the luggage
room of your vehicle

function correctly.
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes when-
ever the stopping effect of the parking
brake is weakened or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drums/ro-
tors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This will cause over-
heating of the brakes, wearing out the
brake and pads faster and reduce gas
mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce
speed and downshift 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 sur-
face, be careful when braking,
accelerating or downshifting. Abrupt braking or accelerating
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 assist for the brakes will
not work. Braking will be harder.
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking
force than a conventional brake booster
even with light pedal force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to
assist braking operation and is not a
collision warning or avoidance de-
vice. It is the driver’s responsibility to
stay alert, drive safely and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) is a sophisticated device,
but it cannot prevent accidents
resulting from careless or dan-
gerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control dur-
ing braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping dis-
tances on slippery surfaces will
be longer than on normal sur-
Starting and driving5-131
BRAKE ASSIST

6-14In case of emergency
8. After starting your engine, carefullydisconnect the negative cable and
then the positive cable (
???).
9. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to
cover the vent holes as it may be
contaminated with corrosive acid.
10. Put the battery cover on. Do not attempt to start the engine by
pushing.CAUTION
.
Automatic transmission models
cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
. Three way catalyst equipped
models should not be started by
pushing since the three way cat-
alyst may be damaged.
. Never try to start the vehicle by
towing it; when the engine starts,
the forward surge could cause
the vehicle to collide with the
tow vehicle.
CAUTION
.Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle
fire.
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radia-
tor cap or coolant reservoir cap
while the engine is still hot. When
the radiator cap or coolant reser-
voir cap is removed, pressurized
hot water will spurt out, possibly
causing serious injury.
. Do not open the hood if steam is
coming 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, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the heater and air condi- tioner. Open all the windows, move
the heater or air conditioner tempera-
ture control to maximum hot and fan
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS

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 (approxi-
mately 1,500 rpm) until the tempera-
ture 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
further 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 get-
ting 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 or the cooling fan does
not run, stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands,
hair, jewelry or clothing to come into
contact with, or get caught in, engine
belts or the engine cooling fan. The
engine cooling fan can start at any
time.
7. After the engine cools down, check the coolant level in the reservoir tank
with the engine running. Add coolant
to the reservoir tank if necessary. Have
your vehicle repaired. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
In case of emergency6-15

JVM0733X
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is cold. If the coolant
level is below MIN
, open the reservoir
tank cap and add coolant up to the MAX
level. If the reservoir tank is empty,
check the coolant level in the radiator
when the engine is cold. If there is
insufficient coolant in the radiator, fill the
radiator with coolant up to the filler
opening and also add it to the reservoir
tank up to the MAX level
.
Tighten the cap securely after adding
engine coolant.
If the cooling system requires coolant
frequently, have it checked. It is recom- mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
It is recommended that major cooling
system repairs be performed by a NISSAN
dealer. The service procedures can be
found in the appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual.
Improper servicing can result in re-
duced heater performance and engine
overheating.
WARNING
.
To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never change the cool-
ant when the engine is hot.
. Never remove the radiator cap or
coolant reservoir cap when the
engine is hot. Serious burns could
be caused by high pressure fluid
escaping from the radiator.
. Avoid direct skin contact with
used coolant. If skin contact is
made, wash thoroughly with soap
or hand cleaner as soon as pos-
sible.
. Keep coolant out of reach of
children and pets. Engine coolant must be disposed of
properly. Check your local regulations.
Do-it-yourself8-5

rating, or if you hear steady spark knock
while holding a steady speed on level
roads, it is recommended you have a
NISSAN dealer correct the condition.
Failure to correct the condition is mis-
use of the vehicle, for which NISSAN is
not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing will result in
knocking, after-run or overheating. This
in turn may cause excessive fuel con-
sumption or damage to the engine. If any
of the above symptoms are encountered,
have your vehicle checked. It is recom-
mended 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
no cause for concern, because you get
the greatest fuel benefit when there is
light spark knock for a short time under
heavy engine load.
JVT0342X
API certification markAPI service symbol
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER RE-
COMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality, and viscosity engine oil to ensure
satisfactory engine life and performance,
see “Capacities and recommended fluids/
lubricants” (P.10-2). 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 Standar-dization 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.
Oil additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
oil additives. The use of an oil additive is
not necessary when the proper oil type is
used and maintenance intervals are fol-
lowed.
Oil which may contain foreign matter or
has been previously used should not be
used.
Technical and consumer information10-5

10-18Technical and consumer information
towing. For example, towing a heavy
trailer in high outside temperatures on
graded roads can affect engine perfor-
mance and cause overheating. The trans-
mission high fluid temperature and
engine protection mode, which helps
reduce the chance of transmission and
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
engine power and vehicle speed.
The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If the
vehicle cannot maintain a safe driv-
ing speed, pull to the side of the road
in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation.
See “If your vehicle overheats” (P.6-
14).
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from im-
proper towing procedures is not
covered by NISSAN warranties.
STI0542
Tongue load
When using a weight carrying or a weight
distributing hitch, keep the tongue load
between 10 to 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 allow for proper tongue load.