WAC0610X
TACHOMETER
The tachometer indicates engine speed in
revolutions per minute (RPM).Do not rev
the engine into the red zone
.
CAUTION
When engine speed approaches the
red zone, shift to a higher gear or
reduce engine speed. Operating the
engine in the red zone may cause
serious engine damage.
JVI1296X
ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE
GAUGE
The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature.
The engine coolant temperature is within
the normal range when the gauge needle
points within the zone
shown in the
illustration.
The engine coolant temperature varies
with the outside air temperature and
driving conditions.
CAUTION
If the gauge indicates engine coolant
temperature near the hot (H) end of
the normal range, reduce vehicle
speed to decrease temperature. If
gauge is over the normal range, stop
the vehicle as soon as safely possi-
ble. If the engine is overheated,
continued operation of the vehicle
may seriously damage the engine.
See “If your vehicle overheats” (P.6-
14) for immediate action required.
Instruments and controls2-7
SIC4444
To sound the horn, push the center pad
area of the steering wheel.
WARNING
Do not disassemble the horn. Doing
so could affect proper operation of
the supplemental front air bag sys-
tem. Tampering with the supple-
mental front air bag system may
result in serious personal injury.
WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use
the seat heater if you or the occu-
pants cannot monitor elevated seat
temperatures 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.
CAUTION
.The battery could run down if the
seat heater is operated while the
engine is not running.
. Do not use the seat heater for
extended periods or when no one
is using the seat.
. Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates heat, such as a
blanket, cushion, seat cover, etc.
Otherwise, 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 immedi-
ately with a dry cloth.
. When cleaning the seat, never use
gasoline, 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 recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
Instruments and controls2-53
HORN HEATED SEATS
dry grass, waste paper or rags.
They may ignite and cause a fire.
CAUTION
.Do not use leaded gasoline. De-
posits from leaded gasoline ser-
iously reduce the three-way
catalyst’s ability to help reduce
exhaust pollutants.
. Keep your engine tuned up. Mal-
functions in the ignition, fuel in-
jection, 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 notice-
able loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are
detected. Have the vehicle in-
spected. It is recommended 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,
damaging the three-way catalyst.
. Do not race the engine while
warming it up. .
Do not push or tow your vehicle
to start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion 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 deter-
mine 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 illumi-
nates 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 possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping abil-
ity. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination 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 prop-
erly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure tell-
tale. When the system detects a malfunc-
tion, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then re-
main continuously illuminated. This se-
quence will continue upon subsequent
vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunc-
tion exists. When the malfunction indica-
tor 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, including
the installation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires
or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that
the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.
Starting and driving5-5
5-18Starting and driving
If:
1. The engine coolant temperature is notreduced.
2. The air conditioning cooling function does not turn back ON.
3. The engine oil pressure warning light
illuminates or engine coolant
temperature gauge does not return
to the normal range from the H
position, this may indicate a malfunc-
tion. Move the vehicle off the road to a
safe area and allow the engine to cool.
If after checking the oil and coolant,
the
remains on or engine coolant
temperature does not return to the
normal range, do not continue to
drive. It is recommended you contact
a NISSAN dealer.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may also come ON. You do not need to
have your vehicle towed, unless it re-
mains on, but have it inspected soon. It is
recommended you contact a NISSAN
dealer for this service. See “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible reminders”
(P.2-10).
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced
engine power and vehicle speed.
The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If the
vehicle cannot maintain a safe driv-
ing speed, pull to the side of the road
in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation.
See “If your vehicle overheats” (P.6-
14).
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine
oil pressure warning light on could
cause serious damage to the engine
almost immediately. Such damage is
not covered by warranty. Turn off the
engine as soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehi-
cle is electronically controlled by a trans-
mission control module to produce
maximum efficiency and smooth opera-
tion.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. Follow these proce-
dures for maximum vehicle performance
and driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal and push the shift lever
button before shifting the shift lever to
the R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) or
Manual shift mode position. Be sure the
vehicle is fully stopped before attempting
to shift the shift lever.
This automatic transmission model is
designed so that the foot brake pedal
must be depressed before shifting from
P (Park) to any drive position while the
ignition switch position is ON.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is pushed to the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position.
5-142Starting and driving
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate
hydraulic circuits. If one circuit malfunc-
tions, you will still have braking ability at
two wheels.
You may feel a small click and hear a
sound when the brake pedal is fully
depressed slowly. This is not a malfunc-
tion and indicates that the brake assist
mechanism is operating properly.
Hydraulically-assisted brakes
The hydraulically-assisted brake system is
designed to use a hydraulic pump driven
electrically, to assist braking. If the engine
stops, you can stop the vehicle by de-
pressing the foot brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the foot brake
pedal will be required to stop the vehicle.
The stopping distance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet.
As a result, your braking distance will be
longer and the vehicle may pull to one
side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly tapping 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 brakesfunction correctly.
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes when-
ever the stopping effect of the parking
brake is weakened or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drums/ro-
tors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This will cause over-
heating of the brakes, wearing out the
brake and pads faster and reduce gas
mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce
speed and downshift 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 sur-
face, be careful when braking,
accelerating or downshifting. 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.
BRAKE SYSTEM
6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch ......................................... 6-2
Roadside assistance program ........................................... 6-2
Emergency engine shut off .................................................. 6-3
Flat tire ........................................................................\
.......................... 6-3Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .......... 6-3
Changing a flat tire .............................................................. 6-4
Jump starting ........................................................................\
....... 6-12
Push starting ........................................................................\
......... 6-14 If your vehicle overheats .................................................... 6-14
Towing your vehicle ............................................................... 6-16
Towing recommended by NISSAN ..................... 6-17
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ...... 6-19
Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) manual shifting
(4WD models) ........................................................................\
....... 6-20
When 4WD warning light illuminates ............... 6-20
Operating procedure ..................................................... 6-21
6-14In case of emergency
8. After starting your engine, carefullydisconnect the negative cable and
then the positive cable (
???).
9. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to
cover the vent holes as it may be
contaminated with corrosive acid.
10. Put the battery cover on. Do not attempt to start the engine by
pushing.CAUTION
.
Automatic transmission models
cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
. Three way catalyst equipped
models should not be started by
pushing since the three way cat-
alyst may be damaged.
. Never try to start the vehicle by
towing it; when the engine starts,
the forward surge could cause
the vehicle to collide with the
tow vehicle.
CAUTION
.Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle
fire.
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radia-
tor cap or coolant reservoir cap
while the engine is still hot. When
the radiator cap or coolant reser-
voir 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, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the heater and air condi- tioner. Open all the windows, move
the heater or air conditioner tempera-
ture control to maximum hot and fan
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbing a long hill on a hot day, run
the engine at a fast idle (approxi-
mately 1,500 rpm) until the tempera-
ture gauge indication returns to
normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for steam or coolant escaping from
the radiator before opening the hood.
(If steam or coolant is escaping, turn
off the engine.) Do not open the hood
further until no steam or coolant can
be seen.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent get-
ting burned.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling
fan is running. The radiator hoses and
radiator should not leak water. If cool-
ant is leaking 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
contact with, or get caught in, engine
belts or the engine cooling fan. The
engine cooling fan can start at any
time.
7. After the engine cools down, check the coolant level in the reservoir tank
with the engine running. Add coolant
to the reservoir tank if necessary. Have
your vehicle repaired. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
In case of emergency6-15