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2. Start the engine.
- Check that the 4WD vehicle information display warning message turns off. If the warning message in the vehicle information display stays on, have the sys-
tem checked. It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
3. Apply the parking brake, depress the brake pedal and move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position.
4. With the brake pedal depressed, move the 4WD shif t switch to the desired mode.
- Be sure to wait until the transfer gear change completes before shif ting the shif t lever from the N (Neutral) position.
*2: While changing in and out of 4LO, the ignition switch must be in the ON position and the vehicle's engine must be running for a shif t to take place and for the
4WD shif t and 4LO position indicators to be operable. Otherwise, the shif t will not take place and no indicators will be on or flashing.
*3: Make sure the transfer 4LO position indicator turns on when you shif t the 4WD shif t switch to 4LO. The
indicator light will also turn on when 4LO is selected. For additional information, refer to “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system” in this section.
5-108Starting and driving
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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 pushed and
turned to select 4LO.
WARNING
• When parking, apply the parking
brake before stopping the engine
and make sure that the 4WD shif t in-
dicator is on and the Automatic
Transmission Park (ATP) warning
light goes off. Otherwise, the vehicle
could unexpectedly move even if the
A/T is in the P (Park) position. •
The 4LO indicator 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 4LO indicator is blink-
ing, 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 posi-
tion. 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 A/T gears (M1 or
M2) 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 may
blink even when the 4WD shif t switch
is shif ted. Af ter driving for a while
you can change the 4WD transfer
case between 4H and 4LO.
When driving on rough roads,
• Set the 4WD shif t switch to 4H or 4LO.
• Drive carefully according to the road sur- face conditions.
Starting and driving5-109
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When the vehicle is stuck,
• Set the 4WD shif t switch to 4H or 4LO.
• Place stones or wooden blocks under thetires to free the vehicle.
• Use the Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock) system (if so equipped). For addi-
tional information, refer to “Electronic
locking rear differential (E-lock) system” in
this section.
• If it is difficult to free the vehicle, rock the vehicle back and forth between reverse
and drive gears.
• If the vehicle is stuck deep in mud, place stones or wooden blocks under the tires.
Then try the recovery procedures above.
Tire chains may be effective.
CAUTION
• Do not spin the tires excessively. Tires
will sink deep into the mud, making it
difficult to free the vehicle.
• Avoid shif ting gears with the engine
running at high speeds as this may
cause malfunction.
4WD shif t switch operations
• Shif t the 4WD shif t switch to either the 2WD, 4H or 4LO position, depending on
driving conditions.
• If the 4WD shif t switch is operated
while making a turn, accelerating or
decelerating or if the key switch is
turned off while in the 4H or 4LO, you
may feel a jolt. This is not abnormal.
• You may hear some noise as the sys-
tem shif ts or engages. This is not ab-
normal.
CAUTION
• When driving straight, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to the 2WD or 4H posi-
tion. Do not move the 4WD shif t
switch when making a turn or
reversing.
• Do not shif t the 4WD shif t switch
while driving on steep downhill
grades. Use the engine brake and low
automatic transmission gears (M1 or
M2) for engine braking.
• Do not operate the 4WD shif t switch
with the rear wheels spinning.
• Before placing the 4WD shif t switch
in the 4H position from 2WD, ensure
the vehicle speed is less than 62 mph
(100 km/h). Failure to do so can dam-
age the 4WD system.
• Never shif t the 4WD shif t switch be-
tween 4LO and 4H while driving.
LSD2463
5-110Starting and driving
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4WD shif t indicator
The 4WD shif t indicator is located in the
vehicle information display.
While the engine is running, the 4WD shif t
indicator will illuminate the position se-
lected by the 4WD shif t switch.
•The 4WD shif t indicator may come on
while shif ting from one drive mode to
the other. When the shif ting is com-
pleted, the 4WD shif t indicator will stay
on.
• If the 4WD vehicle information display warning message comes on, the 4WD in-
dicator goes out.
CAUTION
• If the 4WD shif t indicator indication
changes to 2WD when the 4WD shif t
switch is shif ted to the 4H position at
low ambient temperatures, the 2WD
mode may be being engaged due to
malfunctioning drive system. If the
indicator does not return to normal
and the 4WD vehicle information dis-
play warning message comes on,
have the system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Warning message
Warning message Warning message
comes on when:
Vehicle information
display
4WD Error: See Owner’s Manual There is a malfunction
in the 4–Wheel Drive system
FRT & RR tire size differ- ence: See Owner’s Manual The difference in wheel
rotation is large
CAUTION
• If the warning message comes on
during operation or rapidly af ter
stopping the vehicle for a while, have
your vehicle checked as soon as pos-
sible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
• Shif ting between 4H and 4LO is not
recommended when the 4WD warn-
ing message turns on.
• When the warning message comes
on, the 2WD mode may be engaged
even if the 4WD shif t switch is in 4H.
Be especially careful when driving. If
corresponding parts are malfunc-
tioning, the 4WD mode will not be en-
gaged even if the 4WD shif t switch is
shif ted.
• Do not drive the vehicle in the 4H or
4LO position on dry hard surface
roads. Driving on dry, hard surfaces in
4H or 4LO may cause unnecessary
noise, tire wear and increased fuel
consumption.
If the 4WD warning message turns on
when you are driving on dry hard sur-
face roads:
– In the 4H position, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to 2WD.
LSD2328
Starting and driving5-111
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–In the 4LO position, stop the ve-
hicle, move the automatic trans-
mission shif t lever to the N (Neu-
tral) position with the brake pedal
depressed, and shif t the 4WD shif t
switch to 2WD.
• If the warning message is still on af-
ter the above operation, have your
vehicle checked as soon as possible.
It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
• The transfer case may be damaged if
you continue driving with the warn-
ing message on. The E-Lock system can provide additional
traction and should only be used when a
vehicle has become or is becoming stuck.
This system operates by electronically
“locking” the two rear drive wheels to-
gether, allowing them to turn at the same
speed. The system is used when it is not
possible to free a stuck vehicle even when
using the 4LO position (4-Wheel Drive ve-
hicles).
When added traction is required, activate
the E-Lock system by pushing the switch
on. For additional information, refer to
“Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system switch” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual. Once the
system fully engages, the indicator light in
the instrument panel will remain on. When
the system is activated, both rear wheels
will engage, providing added traction.
The rear wheels may momentarily slip or
move to engage the system, and the sys-
tem will only engage up to approximately 4
mph (7 km/h). Once the vehicle is free, the
system should be turned off and driving
resumed.
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is dis-
abled and the ABS warning light illumi-
nates when the E-Lock system is on.WARNING
• Never leave the E-Lock system on
when driving on paved or hard-
surfaced roads. Turning the vehicle
may result in the rear wheels slipping
and result in an accident and per-
sonal injury. Af ter using the E-Lock
system to free the vehicle, turn the
system off.
• Use the E-Lock system only in an
emergency when it is not possible to
free a stuck vehicle even when using
4LO. Never use the E-Lock system on
a slippery road surface such as snow
or ice surface. Using the E-Lock sys-
tem when driving in these road con-
ditions may cause unexpected
movement of the vehicle during en-
gine braking, accelerating or turning,
which may result in an accident and
serious personal injury.
• Observe the above warnings. Other-
wise, loss of normal steering control
may result. This may result in an ac-
cident and serious personal injury.
ELECTRONIC LOCKING REAR
DIFFERENTIAL (E-Lock) SYSTEM (if
so equipped)
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CAUTION
• Af ter using the E-Lock system, or
during normal driving, turn the
switch off to prevent possible dam-
age to the drivetrain components
from extended use.
• Avoid quick starts while the E-Lock
system is in operation. Otherwise,
the drivetrain components could be
damaged.
• When the E-Lock system is in opera-
tion, turning the vehicle becomes dif-
ficult. This can be dangerous, espe-
cially at high speeds. Doing so could
damage the drivetrain components.
• Do not operate the E-Lock system
when the vehicle is turning or when
one side wheel is rotating. Otherwise,
the drivetrain components could be
damaged.
• The E-Lock system operates only
when the engine is running.
• In 4H mode, the E-Lock system does
not operate when the E-Lock system
switch is turned to the ON position.
(The E-Lock system indicator light
will flash.) •
Observe the above cautions. Other-
wise, loss of normal steering control
may result.
When the ignition switch is in the OFF posi-
tion, the ECO management display ap-
pears.
1Previous 5 times (History)
2Current fuel economy
3Best fuel economy
The result of ECO evaluation is displayed 30
seconds af ter the ignition switch is placed
in the ON position and the vehicle is driven
at least 1/3 miles (500 meters).
1The average fuel economy for the pre-
vious 5 times will be displayed.
LSD2472
ECO DRIVE REPORT (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-113
Page 447 of 657
2The average fuel economy since the
last reset will be displayed.
3The best fuel economy of the past his-
tory will be displayed.
The ECO Drive Report can be set to be ON
or OFF.
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).
Failure to do so could cause the ve-
hicle to move unexpectedly or roll
away and result 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.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
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•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 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. 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.
POWER STEERING
Starting and driving5-115