
The transfer case 4WD shif t switch is used
to select either 2WD or 4WD depending on
the driving conditions. There are three
types of drive modes available, 2WD, 4H and
4LO.
The 4WD shif t switch electronically controls
the transfer case operation. Rotate the
switch to move between each mode, 2WD,
4H and 4LO.
To change into or out of 4LO, the vehicle
MUST be stationary, move the shif t lever
to N (Neutral), and depress the brake
pedal. The switch must be depressed
and turned when changing into or out of
4LO.
WARNING
• When parking, apply the parking
brake before stopping the engine
and make sure that the 4WD shif t in-
dicator light is on and the ATP warn-
ing light goes off. Otherwise, the ve-
hicle could unexpectedly move even
if the A/T is in the P (Park) position. •
The transfer 4LO position indicator
light must stop blinking and remain
illuminated or turn off before shif ting
the transmission into gear. If the shif t
lever is shif ted from the N (Neutral)
position to any other gear when the
transfer 4LO position indicator light
is blinking, the vehicle may move
unexpectedly.
CAUTION
• Never shif t the 4WD shif t switch be-
tween 4LO and 4H while driving.
• The 4H position provides greater
traction. Avoid excessive speed, as it
will cause increased fuel consump-
tion and higher oil temperatures, and
could damage drivetrain compo-
nents. Speeds over 62 mph (100
km/h) in 4H is not recommended.
• The 4LO position provides maximum
power and traction. Avoid raising ve-
hicle speed excessively, as the maxi-
mum speed is approximately 31 mph
(50 km/h).
•
When driving straight, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to the 2WD or 4H position.
Do not move the 4WD shif t switch
when making a turn or reversing.
• Do not shif t the 4WD shif t switch (be-
tween 2WD and 4H) while driving on
steep downhill grades. Use the en-
gine brake and low gears 2 (Second
gear) or 1 (Low gear), for engine
braking.
• Do not operate the 4WD shif t switch
(between 2WD and 4H) with the rear
wheels spinning.
• Do not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4H or 4LO position. Driv-
ing on dry hard surfaces in 4H or 4LO
may cause unnecessary noise and
tire wear. NISSAN recommends driv-
ing in the 2WD position under these
conditions.
• The 4WD transfer case may not be
shif ted between 4H and 4LO at low
ambient temperatures and the
transfer 4LO position indicator light
may blink even when the 4WD shif t
switch is shif ted. Af ter driving for a
while you can change the 4WD trans-
fer case between 4H and 4LO.
5-26Starting and driving

WARNING
• Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire.
•
Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park). Fail-
ure to do so could cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly or roll away and re-
sult in an accident. Make sure the shif t
lever has been pushed as far forward as
it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
• Never leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
• Do not leave children unattended in-
side the vehicle. They could unknow-
ingly activate switches or controls or
make the vehicle move. Unattended
children could become involved in
serious accidents.
•
To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm day can quickly become high enough to
cause a significant risk of injury or
death to people and pets.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park)
position.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into traffic when parked on an incline, it
is a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
• HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB
OA:
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
• HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
OB:
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
• HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO CURB
OC:
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.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
Starting and driving5-31

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
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet. As
a result, your braking distance will be lon-
ger and the vehicle may pull to one side
during braking.
To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. Do this until
the brakes return to normal. Avoid driving
the vehicle at high speeds until the brakes
function correctly.
Parking brake break-in
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever
the stopping effect of the parking brake is
weakened or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drums/rotors are replaced,
in order to assure the best braking perfor-
mance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM
5-32Starting and driving

•When replacing a wheel without the
TPMS such as the spare tire, the TPMS
will not function and the low tire
pressure warning light will flash for
approximately 1 minute. The light will
remain 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.
• Replacing tires with those not origi-
nally specified by NISSAN could af-
fect the proper operation of the
TPMS.
• 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.
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. Move the shif t lever to P
(Park).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and to signal professional road assistance
personnel that you need assistance.
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 shif t lever is
shif ted 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 traf-
fic is close to your vehicle. Wait for
professional road assistance.
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks at both the front and
back of the wheel diagonally opposite the
flat tire to prevent the vehicle from moving
when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the ve-
hicle may move and result in personal
injury.
LCE2142
A. Blocks
B. Flat tire
6-4In case of emergency

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 two vehicles to touch.
2. Apply the parking brake. Move the shif t lever to P (Park). Switch off all unneces-
sary electrical systems (lights, heater, air
conditioner, etc.). 3. Connect the jumper cables in the se-
quence illustrated (OA,OB,OC,OD).
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 10 seconds. If the engine
does not start right away, place the ig-
nition switch in the OFF position and
wait 3 to 4 seconds before trying again.
6. Af ter starting the engine, carefully dis- connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
LCE2223
6-12In case of emergency

CAUTION
• Do not push start this vehicle. The
three-way catalyst may be
damaged.
• Automatic transmission models can-
not be push-started or tow-started.
Attempting to do so may cause
transmission damage.WARNING
• Do not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could cause
engine 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
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, 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 maximum
hot and fan control to high speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. If steam
or coolant is escaping, turn off the en-
gine. Do not open the hood further 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 radia-
tor should not leak water. If coolant is
leaking, the water pump belt is missing
or loose, 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 con-
tact with, or get caught in, engine belts
or the engine cooling fan. The engine
cooling fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-13

•Properly position the mats in the
floorwell using the floor mat posi-
tioning hook. For additional informa-
tion, refer to "Floor mat installation"
in this section.
• Make sure the floor mat does not in-
terfere with pedal operation.
• Periodically check the floor mats to
make sure they are properly
installed.
• Af ter cleaning the vehicle interior,
check the floor mats to make sure
they are properly installed.
The use of Genuine NISSAN floor mats can
extend the life of your vehicle carpet and
make it easier to clean the interior. Mats
should be maintained with regular clean-
ing and replaced if they become exces-
sively worn.
Floor mat installation
Your vehicle is equipped with floor mat po-
sitioning hook(s). The number and shape of
the floor mat positioning hooks for each
seating position varies depending on the
vehicle. When installing Genuine NISSAN floor mats,
follow the installation instructions provided
with the mat and the following:
1. With the ignition in the OFF position, the
shif t lever in P (Park) position and with
the parking brake fully applied, position
the floor mat in the floorwell so that the
floor mat grommet holes are aligned
with the hook(s).
2. Secure the grommet holes into the hook(s) and ensure that the floor mat is
properly positioned.
3. Make sure the floor mat does not inter- fere with pedal operation. With the igni-
tion still in the OFF position, the shif t le-
ver in the P (Park) position and with the
parking brake applied, fully apply and re-
lease all pedals. The floor mat must not
interfere with pedal operation or prevent
the pedal from returning to its normal
position.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for details about installing the floor
mats in your vehicle. The illustration shows the location of the
floor mat positioning hooks.
SEAT BELTS
The seat belts can be cleaned by wiping
them with a sponge dampened in a mild
soap solution. Allow the belts to dry com-
pletely in the shade before using them. For
additional information, refer to “Seat belt
maintenance” in the “Safety—Seats, seat
belts and supplemental restraint system”
section of this manual.
LAI2042
Positioning hooks
7-6Appearance and care

When performing any inspection or main-
tenance work on your vehicle, always take
care to prevent serious accidental injury to
yourself or damage to the vehicle. The fol-
lowing are general precautions which
should be closely observed.
WARNING
• Park the vehicle on a level surface,
apply the parking brake securely and
block the wheels to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving. Move the shif t le-
ver to P (Park).
• Be sure the ignition switch is in the
OFF or LOCK position when perform-
ing any parts replacement or repairs.
• If you must work with the engine run-
ning, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from moving fans,
belts and any other moving parts.
• It is advisable to secure or remove
any loose clothing and remove any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
• Always wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle.
• If you must run the engine in an en-
closed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape. •
Never get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by a jack. If it is nec-
essary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
• Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from the fuel tank and
battery.
• On gasoline engine models, the fuel
filter or fuel lines should be serviced
because the fuel lines are under high
pressure even when the engine is off.
It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
CAUTION
• Do not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn the engine off
and wait until it cools down.
•
Avoid contact with used engine oil and
coolant. Improperly disposed engine
oil, engine coolant and/or other ve-
hicle fluids can damage the environ-
ment. Always conform to local regula-
tions for disposal of vehicle fluid.
• Never leave the engine or the trans-
mission related component harness
connector disconnected while the ig-
nition switch is in the ON position. •
Never connect or disconnect the bat-
tery or any transistorized compo-
nent while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
This “Do-it-yourself ” section gives instruc-
tions regarding only those items which are
relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A Genuine NISSAN service manual is also
available. For additional information, refer
to “Owner's Manual/Service Manual order
information” in the “Technical and con-
sumer information” section of this manual.
NISSAN recommends the use of Genuine
NISSAN parts or equivalent. The use of parts
that do not meet or exceed NISSAN specifica-
tions, can cause damage to your vehicle, and
have an effect on your warranty coverage. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
parts department who can provide informa-
tion on the proper parts for your vehicle.
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties or excessive emissions, and
could affect warranty coverage. If in doubt
about any servicing, it is recommended
that you have it done by a NISSAN dealer.
NOTE:
If the battery is dead the transmission will
not manually shif t into other positions.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself