ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE
GAUGE
The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature. The engine coolant tempera-
ture is within the normal range
O1when
the gauge needle points within the zone
shown in the illustration.
The engine coolant temperature varies
with the outside air temperature and driv-
ing conditions.
CAUTION
If the gauge indicates coolant tem-
perature near the hot (H) end of the
normal range, reduce vehicle speed to
decrease temperature. If the gauge is
over the normal range, stop the vehicle
as soon as safely possible. If the engine
is overheated, continued operation of
the vehicle may seriously damage the
engine. For additional information, re-
fer to “If your vehicle overheats” in the
“In case of emergency ” section of this
manual for immediate action required.
FUEL GAUGE
The gauge indicates the approximatefuel
level in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly during brak-
ing, turning, acceleration, or going up or
down hills.
The gauge needle returns to 0 (Empty) af-
ter the ignition switch is placed in the OFF
position.
The low fuel warning message shows in
the vehicle information display when the
amount of fuel in the tank is getting low.
LIC3538LIC2222
2-6Instruments and controls
CAUTION
• The battery could run down if the cli-
mate control seat is operated while
the engine is not running.
• Do not use the climate control seat
for extended periods or when no one
is using the seat.
• Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates heat, such as a blan-
ket, cushion, seat cover, etc. Other-
wise, the seat may become
overheated.
• Do not place anything hard or heavy
on the seat or pierce it with a pin or
similar objects. This may result in
damage to the climate controlled
seat.
• Any liquid spilled on the seat should
be removed immediately with a dry
cloth.
• The climate controlled seat has an air
filter. Do not operate the climate con-
trolled seat without an air filter. This
may result in damage to the system.
• When cleaning the seat, never use
gasoline, benzine, thinner, or any
similar materials. •
If any malfunctions are found or the
climate controlled seat does not op-
erate, turn the switch off and have
the system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use
the seat heater if you or the occupants
cannot monitor elevated seat tem-
peratures or have an inability to feel
pain in those body parts in contact with
the seat. Use of the seat heater by such
people could result in serious injury.
LIC3475
HEATED SEAT SWITCHES (if so
equipped)
2-46Instruments and controls
CAUTION
• The battery could run down if the
seat heater is operated while the en-
gine is not running.
• Do not use the seat heater for ex-
tended periods or when no one is us-
ing the seat.
• Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates heat, such as a blan-
ket, cushion, seat cover, etc. Other-
wise, the seat may become
overheated.
• Do not place anything hard or heavy
on the seat or pierce it with a pin or
similar object. This may result in
damage to the heater.
• Any liquid spilled on the heated seat
should be removed immediately with
a dry cloth.
• When cleaning the seat, never use
gasoline, benzine, thinner, or any
similar materials.
• If any malfunctions are found or the
heated seat does not operate, turn
the switch off and have the system
checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. The front seats are warmed by built-in
heaters.
1. Start the engine.
2. Push the LO or HI position of the switch,
as desired. The indicator light in the
switch will illuminate.
The heater is controlled by a thermostat,
automatically turning the heater on and
off. The indicator light will remain on as
long as the switch is on.
3. When the seat is warmed or before you leave the vehicle, be sure to push the
switch to turn it off.WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use
the seat heater if you or the occupants
cannot monitor elevated seat tem-
peratures or have an inability to feel
pain in body parts that contact the
seat. Use of the seat heater by such
people could result in serious injury.
HEATED REAR SEAT SWITCHES (if so
equipped)
Instruments and controls2-47
CAUTION
• The outlet and plug may be hot dur-
ing or immediately af ter use.
• Only certain power outlets are de-
signed for use with a cigarette lighter
unit. Do not use any other power out-
let for an accessory lighter. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for additional information.
• Do not use with accessories that ex-
ceed a 12 volt, 120W (10A) power draw. •
Do not use double adapters or more
than one electrical accessory.
• Use power outlets with the engine
running to avoid discharging the ve-
hicle battery.
• Avoid using power outlets when the
air conditioner, headlights or rear
window defroster is on.
• Before inserting or disconnecting a
plug, be sure the electrical accessory
being used is turned off.
• Push the plug in as far as it will go. If
good contact is not made, the plug
may overheat or the internal tem-
perature fuse may open.
• When not in use, be sure to close the
cap. Do not allow water or any other
liquid to contact the outlet.
LIC3705
Center Console
LIC3199
Cargo Area
Instruments and controls2-53
WARNING
• The exhaust gas and the exhaust
system are very hot. Keep people,
animals or flammable materials
away from the exhaust system
components.
• 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.
CAUTION
• Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline will seriously
reduce the three-way catalyst's abil-
ity to help reduce exhaust pollutants.
• Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep
driving if the engine misfires, or if no-
ticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are de-
tected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service. •
Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
• Do not race the engine while warm-
ing it up.
• Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper pres- sure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunc-
tion indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
Starting and driving5-5
NISSAN is committed to safe driving. How-
ever, you must choose not to drive under
the influence of alcohol. Every year thou-
sands of people are injured or killed in
alcohol-related collisions. Although the lo-
cal laws vary on what is considered to be
legally intoxicated, the fact is that alcohol
affects all people differently and most
people underestimate the effects of alco-
hol.
Remember, drinking and driving don't mix!
That is true for drugs (over-the-counter,
prescription) and illegal drugs, too. Don't
drive if your ability to operate your vehicle is
impaired by alcohol, drugs, or some other
physical condition.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your NISSAN is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving in
deep water or mud as your NISSAN is
mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a
conventional off-road vehicle.
Remember that 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) mod-
els are less capable than All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) models for rough road driving and
extrication when stuck in deep snow or
mud, or the like.Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
• Spinning the front wheels on slippery
surfaces may cause the AWD warn-
ing message to display and the AWD
system to automatically switch from
the AWD to the 2WD mode. This could
reduce the traction. Be especially
careful when towing a trailer (AWD
models).
• Drive carefully when off the road and
avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle
should be seated with their seat belt
fastened. This will keep you and your
passengers in position when driving
over rough terrain.
• Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road
vehicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
• Many hills are too steep for any ve-
hicle. If you drive up them, you may
stall. If you drive down them, you may
not be able to control your speed. If
you drive across them, you may roll
over. •
Do not shif t gears while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
• Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a drop-
off or other hazard that could cause
an accident.
• If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around. Your
vehicle could tip or roll over. Always
back straight down in R (Reverse)
gear and apply brakes to control your
speed.
• Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to overheat
and fade, resulting in loss of control
and an accident. Apply brakes lightly
and use a low gear to control your
speed.
• Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure all cargo so it
will not be thrown forward and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
• Exceeding the roof rack capacity can
raise the center of gravity excessively
and affect the handling and stability
of the vehicle.
Starting and driving5-11
•HEADED UPHILL WITH CURBOB:
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.
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.
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.
POWER STEERING
5-128Starting and driving
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.
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.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
• The ABS is a sophisticated device, but
it cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving
techniques. It can help maintain ve-
hicle control during braking on slip-
pery surfaces. Remember that stop-
ping distances on slippery surfaces
will be longer than on normal sur-
faces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances may also be longer on rough,
gravel or snow covered roads, or if
you are using tire chains. Always
maintain a safe distance from the ve-
hicle in front of you. Ultimately, the
driver is responsible for safety.
BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-129