vehicle speed allowing the driver to con-
centrate on steering while reducing the
burden of brake and accelerator operation.
• When additional braking is required onsteep downhill roads, activate the hill de-
scent control system by pushing the
switch on. For additional information, re-
fer to “Hill descent control switch” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this
manual.
• Once the system is activated, the indica- tor light will remain on in the instrument
panel. For additional information, refer to
“Hill descent control system ON indicator
light” in the “Instruments and controls”
section of this manual.
If the accelerator or brake pedal is de-
pressed while the hill descent control sys-
tem is on, the system will stop operating
temporarily. As soon as the accelerator or
brake pedal is released, the hill descent
control system begins to function again if
the hill descent control operating condi-
tions are fulfilled.
For the best results, when descending
steep downhill grades, the hill descent con-
trol switch should be on and the shif t lever
in 2 (Second gear) or 1 (Low gear) for engine
braking.WARNING
• Never rely solely on the hill start as-
sist system to prevent the vehicle
from moving backward on a hill. Al-
ways drive carefully and attentively.
Depress the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped on a steep hill. Be
especially careful when stopped on a
hill on frozen or muddy roads. Failure
to prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards may result in a loss of
control of the vehicle and possible
serious injury or death.
• The hill start assist system is not de-
signed to hold the vehicle at a stand-
still on a hill. Depress the brake pedal
when the vehicle is stopped on a
steep hill. Failure to do so may cause
the vehicle to roll backwards and
may result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
• The hill start assist may not prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards
on a hill under all load or road condi-
tions. Always be prepared to depress
the brake pedal to prevent the ve-
hicle from rolling backwards. Failure
to do so may result in a collision or
serious personal injury. When the vehicle is stopped on a hill, the hill
start assist system automatically keeps
the brakes applied. This helps prevents the
vehicle from rolling backward in the time it
takes the driver to release the brake pedal
and apply the accelerator.
Hill start assist will operate automatically
under the following conditions:
• The shif t lever is moved to a forward or
reverse gear.
• The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake.
The maximum holding time is 2 seconds.
Af ter 2 seconds the vehicle will begin to roll
back and hill start assist will stop operating
completely.
Hill start assist will not operate when the
shif t lever is moved to N (Neutral) or P (Park)
or on a flat and level road.
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM (if so
equipped)
5-38Starting and driving
•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 steer-
ing maneuvers.
• Do not use the cruise control on slip-
pery roads.
• Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep snow
clear of the exhaust pipe and from
around your vehicle.ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (if so
equipped)
Engine block heaters are used to assist
with cold temperature starting.
The engine block heater should be used
when the outside temperature is 20°F (-7°C)
or lower.
WARNING
• Do not use your engine block heater
with an ungrounded electrical sys-
tem or a 2-pronged adapter. You can
be seriously injured by an electrical
shock if you use an ungrounded
connection.
• Disconnect and properly store the
engine block heater cord before
starting the engine. Damage to the
cord could result in an electrical
shock and can cause serious injury.
• Use a heavy-duty 3-wire, 3-pronged
extension cord rated for at least 10 A.
Plug the extension cord into a
Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) pro-
tected, grounded 110-VAC outlet.
Failure to use the proper extension
cord or a grounded outlet can result
in a fire or electrical shock and cause
serious personal injury. To use the engine block heater:
1. Turn the engine off.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the engine
block heater cord.
3. Plug the engine block heater cord into a grounded 3-wire, 3-pronged extension
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, de-
pending 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.
Starting and driving5-41
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
– Rapidly push the push-button ignitionswitch three consecutive times in less
than 1.5 seconds, or
– Push and hold the push-button ignition switch for more than 2 seconds.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with TPMS. It moni-
tors tire pressure of all tires except the
spare. When the low tire pressure warning
light is lit, and the CHECK TIRE PRES (pres-
sure) warning message is displayed in the
odometer, one or more of your tires is sig-
nificantly under-inflated. If the vehicle is be-
ing 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 addi-
tional information, refer to “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible reminders” in
the “Instruments and Controls” section,
and “Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” in the “Starting and driving” section
of this manual.
WARNING
• Radio waves could adversely affect
electric medical equipment. Those
who use a pacemaker should contact
the electric medical equipment
manufacturer for the possible influ-
ences before use. •
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates 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.
Driving 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 serious personal in-
jury. Check the tire pressure for all
four tires. Adjust the tire pressure to
the recommended COLD tire pres-
sure shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label to turn the low tire
pressure warning light OFF. If the
light still illuminates while driving af-
ter adjusting the tire pressure, a tire
may be flat or the TPMS may be mal-
functioning. If you have a flat tire, re-
place it with a spare tire as soon as
possible. If no tire is flat and all tires
are properly inflated, have the ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF FLAT TIRE
In case of emergency6-3
The wheel nuts must be kept tightened to
specification at all times. It is recom-
mended that wheel nuts be tightened to
specifications at each lubrication interval.
Adjust tire pressure to the COLD pressure.
COLD pressure: Af ter vehicle has been
parked for 3 hours or more or driven less
than 1 mile (1.6 km).
COLD tire pressures are shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label lo-
cated in the driver's door opening.
5. Securely store the jacking equipment inthe vehicle and the flat tire under the
vehicle. For additional information about
storing the flat tire, refer to “Getting the
spare tire and tools” in this section.
WARNING
• Always make sure that the spare tire
and jacking equipment are properly
secured af ter use. Such items can be-
come dangerous projectiles in an ac-
cident or sudden stop.
•
The spare tire is designed for emer-
gency use. For additional information,
refer to “Wheels and tires” in the “Do-
it-yourself ” section of this manual.
To start your engine with a booster battery,
the instructions and precautions below
must be followed.
WARNING
• If done incorrectly, jump starting can
lead to a battery explosion, resulting
in severe injury or death. It could also
damage your vehicle.
• Explosive hydrogen gas is always
present in the vicinity of the battery.
Keep all sparks and flames away
from the battery.
• Do not allow battery fluid to come
into contact with eyes, skin, clothing
or painted surfaces. Battery fluid is a
corrosive sulfuric acid solution which
can cause severe burns. If the fluid
should come into contact with any-
thing, immediately flush the con-
tacted area with water.
• Keep battery out of the reach of
children.
• The booster battery must be rated at
12 volts. Use of an improperly rated
battery can damage your vehicle. •
Whenever working on or near a bat-
tery, always wear suitable eye pro-
tectors (for example, goggles or in-
dustrial safety spectacles) and
remove rings, metal bands, or any
other jewelry. Do not lean over the
battery when jump starting.
• Do not attempt to jump start a frozen
battery. It could explode and cause
serious injury.
• The automatic engine cooling fan (if
so equipped) may come on at any
time without warning, even if the ig-
nition switch is in the OFF position
and the engine is not running. To
avoid injury, keep hands and other
objects away from it.
JUMP STARTING
In case of emergency6-11
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
The dry paper type filter element may be
cleaned and reused. Replace it according
to the maintenance log shown in the
"Maintenance and schedules" section of
this manual. When replacing the filter, wipe
the inside of the air cleaner filter housing
and the cover with a damp cloth.
To remove the VQ38DD air cleaner filter:
1Unlatch the clips and remove the air
cleaner cover. Remove the air cleaner
filter.
WARNING
• Operating the engine with the air
cleaner removed can cause you or
others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops the
flame if the engine backfires. If it isn't
there, and the engine backfires, you
could be burned. Do not drive with
the air cleaner removed, and be care-
ful when working on the engine with
the air cleaner removed.
• Never pour fuel into the throttle body
or attempt to start the engine with
the air cleaner removed. Doing so
could result in serious injury.
IN-CABIN MICROFILTER
The in-cabin microfilter restricts the entry
of airborne dust and pollen particles and
reduces some objectionable outside
odors. The filter is located behind the glove
box. For additional information on change
intervals, refer to the "Maintenance and
schedules" section of this manual.
To replace the filter, perform the following
procedure:
1. Open the glove box and press in on the sides so that it will open completely al-
lowing it to hang by the cord.
LDI3523LDI0442
AIR CLEANER
Do-it-yourself8-17
Electric trailer brake controller
Trailers equipped with electric brakes may
require the installation of an af termarket
trailer brake controller.
A Genuine NISSAN jumper harness is avail-
able that is specifically designed to be used
when installing an af termarket brake con-
troller.
Install the af termarket electric trailer brake
controller according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
Pre-towing tips
• Be certain your vehicle maintains a levelposition when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if
it has an abnormal nose-up or nose-
down condition; check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes of either condi-
tion.
• Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t while driving.
• Keep the cargo load as low as possible in the trailer to keep the trailer center of
gravity low. • Load the trailer so approximately 60% of
the trailer load is in the front half and 40%
is in the back half. Also make sure the load
is balanced side to side.
• Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve- hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation,
and trailer wheel lug nuts every time you
attach a trailer to the vehicle.
• Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to all federal, state or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
• Determine the overall height of the ve- hicle and trailer so the required clearance
is known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding
of the vehicle's behavior, you should prac-
tice turning, stopping and backing up in an
area which is free from traffic. Steering sta-
bility and braking performance will be
somewhat different than under normal
driving conditions.
• Always secure items in the trailer to pre-vent load shif t while driving.
• Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or lock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched. • Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
• Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
• Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
• When backing up, hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want
the trailer to go. Make small corrections
and back up slowly. If possible, have
someone guide you when you are back-
ing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if you
must do so:CAUTION
If you move the shif t lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the
wheels and applying the parking brake,
transmission damage could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. Af ter the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the
blocks absorb the vehicle load.
10-34Technical and consumer information
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shif t the transmission into P (Park).
6. Make sure the
indicator light (if so
equipped) indicates the transfer case is
in 4H, 4L, or 2H and that the ATP light is
off. If the
indicator light is flashing,
or the ATP light is ON, make sure the
transmission is in P (Park) (A/T) and turn
the 4WD switch to 2WD or 4H. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Automatic
transmission park warning light” in the
“Instruments and controls” section and
“Using 4-wheel drive (4WD)” in the “Start-
ing and driving” section of this manual.
7. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shif t the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal. 7. Have someone retrieve and store the
blocks.
• While going downhill, the weight of the trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may
decrease overall stability. Therefore, to
maintain adequate control, reduce your
speed and shif t to a lower gear. Avoid
long or repeated use of the brakes when
descending a hill, as this reduces their
effectiveness and could cause overheat-
ing. Shif ting to a lower gear instead pro-
vides “engine braking” and reduces the
need to brake as frequently.
• If the engine coolant temperature rises to a high temperature, refer to “If your ve-
hicle overheats” in the “In case of emer-
gency” section of this manual.
• Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal circumstances.
• Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle's first 500 miles (805 km).
•
For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h).
• Have your vehicle serviced more of ten than at intervals specified. For additional
information, refer to “Maintenance
Schedules” in the “Maintenance and
schedules” section of this manual. • When making a turn, your trailer wheels
will be closer to the inside of the turn than
your vehicle wheels. To compensate for
this, make a larger than normal turning
radius during the turn.
• Crosswinds and rough roads will ad- versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When be-
ing passed by larger vehicles, be pre-
pared for possible changes in crosswinds
that could affect vehicle handling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to
sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions
allow. This combination will help stabilize
the vehicle
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering or applying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the brakes and pull to the side of the
road in a safe area.
Technical and consumer information10-35