
•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 assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever into 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 CURBO1:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
• HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
O2:
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
O3:
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 po- sition and remove the key.
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.
• When the power steering warning
light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, there will be no power assist for
the steering. You will still have control
of the vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
The power steering system is designed to
provide power assist while driving to oper-
ate the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated re-
peatedly or continuously while parking or
driving at a very low speed, the power as-
sist for the steering wheel will be reduced.
This is to prevent overheating of the power
steering system and protect it from getting
damaged. While the power assist is re-
duced, steering wheel operation will be-
come heavy. When the temperature of the
power steering system goes down, the
power assist level will return to normal.
POWER STEERING
Starting and driving5-97

Avoid repeating such steering wheel op-
erations that could cause the power steer-
ing system to overheat.
You may hear a sound when the steering
wheel is operated quickly. However, this is
not a malfunction.
If the power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the power steering system is not
functioning properly and may need servic-
ing. Have the power steering system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
When the power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, there will
be no power assist for the steering but you
will still have control of the vehicle. At this
time, greater steering effort is required to
operate the steering wheel, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
For additional information, refer to “Power
steering warning light” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.The brake system has two separate hy-
draulic circuits. If one circuit malfunctions,
you will still have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using
engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you
can stop the vehicle by depressing the
brake pedal. However, greater foot pres-
sure on the brake pedal will be required to
stop the vehicle and stopping distance will
be longer.
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, accelerat-
ing or downshif ting. 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.
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.
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-98Starting and driving

4. Start the engine of the booster vehicleand 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.
CAUTION
• Do not push start this vehicle. The
three-way catalyst may be
damaged.
• Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models cannot be push-
started or tow-started. Attempting
to do so may cause transmission
damage. If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by a
(red) high temperature warning light(if
so equipped)), or if you feel a lack of engine
power, detect abnormal noise, etc., take the
following steps.
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 coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is still hot. When
the coolant reservoir cap is removed,
pressurized hot water will spurt out,
possibly causing serious injury.
• Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
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.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-11

Fuel containing MMT
MMT, or methylcyclopentadienyl manga-
nese tricarbonyl, is an octane boosting ad-
ditive. NISSAN does not recommend the
use of fuel containing MMT. Such fuel may
adversely affect vehicle performance, in-
cluding the emissions control system. Note
that while some fuel pumps label MMT
content, not all do, so you may have to
consult your gasoline retailer for more de-
tails.
Af termarket fuel additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
any af termarket fuel additives (for ex-
ample, fuel injector cleaner, octane
booster, intake valve deposit removers,
etc.) which are sold commercially. Many of
these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active sol-
vents or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can
cause persistent, heavy “spark knock.”
(“Spark knock” is a metallic rapping
noise.) If severe, this can lead to engine
damage. If you detect a persistent heavy
spark knock even when using gasoline
of the stated octane rating, or if you hear
steady spark knock while holding a
steady speed on level roads, it is recom-
mended that you have a NISSAN dealer
correct the condition. Failure to correct
the condition is misuse of the vehicle, for
which NISSAN is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in
spark knock, af ter-run and/or overheating,
which may cause excessive fuel consump-
tion or engine damage. If any of the above
symptoms are encountered, have your ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended that 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 not
a cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
Technical and consumer information10-5