10-16Technical and consumer information
DOT (Department Of Transportation)
Quality Grades: All passenger car tires
must conform to federal safety require-
ments in addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be found where ap-
plicable on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tempera-
ture A
TREADWEAR
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would
wear one and one-half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon ac-
tual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road charac-
teristics and climate.
TRACTION AA, A, B AND C
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B and C. Those grades
represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this
tire is based on straight-ahead brak-
ing traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering, hy-
droplaning, or peak traction charac-
teristics.
TEMPERATURE A, B AND C
The temperature grades A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to
dissipate heat when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of
the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corre-
sponds to a level of performance whichall passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Exces-
sive speed, under-inflation, or exces-
sive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat build-
up and possible tire failure.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
10-18Technical and consumer information
wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/7/
PCDB-BDPP/fc-cp.aspx?lang=fra
(French speakers).
Additional information concerning
motor vehicle safety may be ob-
tained from Transport Canada’s
Road Safety Information Centre at
1-800-333-0371 or online at www.
tc.gc.ca/roadsafety (English speak-
ers) or www.tc.gc.ca/securiterou-
tiere (French speakers).
To notify NISSAN of any safety
concerns please contact our Con-
sumer Information Centre toll free
at 1-800-387-0122.
WARNING
A vehicle equipped with All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) should never be tested
using a two wheel dynamometer
(such as the dynamometers used by
some states for emissions testing),
or similar equipment. Make sure you
inform test facility personnel that
your vehicle is equipped with AWD
before it is placed on a dynam-
ometer. Using the wrong test equip-
ment may result in transmission
damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
Due to legal requirements in some states/
areas or provinces, your vehicle may be
required to be in what is called the “ready
condition” for an Inspection/Maintenance
(I/M) test of the emission control system.
The vehicle is set to the “ready condition”
when it is driven through certain driving
patterns. Usually, the “ready condition”
can be obtained by ordinary usage of
the vehicle.
If a powertrain system component is
repaired or the battery is disconnected,
the vehicle may be reset to a “not ready condition”. Before taking the I/M test,
check the vehicle’s inspection/mainte-
nance test readiness condition. Place the
ignition switch in the ON position without
starting the engine. If the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) comes on steady for
20 seconds and then blinks for 10 sec-
onds, the I/M test condition is “not ready”.
If the MIL does not blink after 20 seconds,
the I/M test condition is “ready”.
It is recommended you visit a NISSAN
dealer to set “ready condition” or to
prepare the vehicle for testing.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
FUEL INFORMATION:
Use unleaded regular gasoline with an
octane rating of at least 87 AKI (Anti-
Knock Index) number (Research octane
number 91).
CAUTION
.Using a fuel other than that spe-
cified could adversely affect the
emission control system, and
may also affect warranty cover-
age.
. Under no circumstances should a
leaded gasoline be used, because
this will damage the three-way
catalyst.
. Do not use E-15 or E-85 fuel in
your vehicle. Your vehicle is not
designed to run on E-15 or E-85
fuel. Using E-15 or E-85 fuel in a
vehicle not specifically designed
for E-15 or E-85 fuel can adversely
affect the emission control de-
vices and systems of the vehicle.
Damage caused by such fuel is
not covered by the NISSAN new
vehicle limited warranty. .
Do not use fuel that contains the
octane booster methylcyclopen-
tadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT). Using fuel containing
MMT may adversely affect vehicle
performance and vehicle emis-
sions. Not all fuel dispensers are
labeled to indicate MMT content,
so you may have to consult your
gasoline retailer for more details.
Note that Federal and California
laws prohibit the use of MMT in
reformulated gasoline.
. U.S. government regulations re-
quire ethanol dispensing pumps
to be identified by a small,
square, orange and black label
with the common abbreviation or
the appropriate percentage for
that region.
For additional information, see “Capaci-
ties and recommended fluids/lubricants”
(P.10-2).
ENGINE OIL RECOMMENDATION:
See “Capacities and recommended fluids/
lubricants” (P.10-2) for engine oil and oil
filter recommendation.
COLD TIRE PRESSURES:
The label is typically located on the driver
side center pillar. For additional informa-
tion, see “Wheels and tires” (P.8-29).
NEW VEHICLE BREAK-IN PROCE-
DURES RECOMMENDATION:
During the first 1,200 miles (2,000 km) of
vehicle use, follow the recommendations
outlined in the “Break-in schedule” (P.5-
119) of this Owner’s Manual. Follow these
recommendations for the future reliability
and economy of your new vehicle.
GAS STATION INFORMATION
