2021 NISSAN MAXIMA tow

•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. If the steering wheel opera-
tion is still performed, the power steering
may stop and the power steering warning
light will illuminate. In a safe location, stop the engine and push the ignition switch to
the OFF position. The temperature of the
power steering system will go down af ter a
period of time and the power assist level
will return to normal af ter starting the en-
gine. The power steering warning light will
go off. Avoid repeating such steering wheel
operations that could cause the power
steering system to overheat.
You may hear a noise from the front of the
vehicle when the steering wheel is oper-
ated. This is a normal operational noise
and 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.
POWER STEERING
5-112Starting and driving

6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch..................6-2
Emergency engine shut off ......................6-2
Flat tire ..........................................6-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) .......................................6-3
Changing a flat tire ...........................6-4
Jump starting ...................................6-9 Push starting
.................................... 6-11
If your vehicle overheats .........................6-11
Towing your vehicle ............................ 6-12
Towing recommended by NISSAN ...........6-12
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck
vehicle) ...................................... 6-13

CAUTION
• Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models cannot be push-
started or tow-started. Attempting
to do so may cause transmission
damage.
• Do not push start this vehicle. The
three-way catalyst may be
damaged. 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.
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 radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor 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. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. (If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off
the engine.) Do not open the hood fur-
ther until no steam or coolant can be
seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan
is running. The radiator hoses and radia-
tor should not leak water. If coolant is
leaking, the water pump belt is missing
or loose, 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 con-
tact with, or get caught in, engine belts
or the engine cooling fan. The engine
cooling fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-11

6. Af ter the engine cools down, check thecoolant level in the engine coolant res-
ervoir tank with the engine running. Add
coolant to the engine coolant reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle re-
paired. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service. When towing your vehicle, all State (Provin-
cial in Canada) and local regulations for
towing must be followed. Incorrect towing
equipment could damage your vehicle.
Towing instructions are available from a
NISSAN dealer. Local service operators are
generally familiar with the applicable laws
and procedures for towing. To assure
proper towing and to prevent accidental
damage to your vehicle, NISSAN recom-
mends having a service operator tow your
vehicle. It is advisable to have the service
operator carefully read the following
precautions:
WARNING
• Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
• Never get under your vehicle af ter it
has been lif ted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
• When towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering system
and powertrain are in working condi-
tion. If any of these conditions apply,
dollies or a flatbed tow truck must be
used.
• Always attach safety chains before
towing.
For information about towing your vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle (RV), see “Flat
towing” (P. 10-18).
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends towing your vehicle
based upon the type of drivetrain. For addi-
tional information, refer to the diagrams in
this section to ensure that your vehicle is
properly towed.
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
6-12In case of emergency

Two-Wheel Drive models with
Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT)
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flatbed
truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
• Never tow CVT models with the front
wheels on the ground or four wheels
on the ground (forward or back-
ward), as this may cause serious and
expensive damage to the transmis-
sion. If it is necessary to tow the ve-
hicle with the rear wheels raised al-
ways use towing dollies under the
front wheels.
• When towing CVT models with the
rear wheels on the ground or on tow-
ing dollies: –
Place the ignition switch in the
OFF position, and secure the
steering wheel in a straight-ahead
position with a rope or similar de-
vice. Never secure the steering
wheel by placing the ignition
switch in the LOCK position. This
may damage the steering lock
mechanism (for models with a
steering lock mechanism).
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a
stuck vehicle)
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious per-
sonal injury or death when recovering a
stuck vehicle:
• Contact a professional towing ser-
vice to recover the vehicle if you have
any questions regarding the recov-
ery procedure.
• Tow chains or cables must be at-
tached only to main structural mem-
bers of the vehicle.
• Do not use the vehicle tie-downs to
tow or free a stuck vehicle.LCE2369
In case of emergency6-13

•Only use devices specifically de-
signed for vehicle recovery and fol-
low the manufacturer's instructions.
• Always pull the recovery device
straight out from the front of the ve-
hicle. Never pull at an angle.
• Route recovery devices so they do
not touch any part of the vehicle ex-
cept the attachment point.
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use a tow strap or other device de-
signed specifically for vehicle recovery. Al-
ways follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tions for the recovery device.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
WARNING
• Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
• Do not spin your tires at high speed.
This could cause them to explode
and result in serious injury. Parts of
your vehicle could also overheat and
be damaged. If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and lef t to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and backward.
• Shif t back and forth between R (Re- verse) and D (Drive).
• Apply the accelerator as little as pos- sible to maintain the rocking motion.
• Release the accelerator pedal before shif ting between R (Reverse) and D
(Drive).
• Do not spin the tires above 35 mph (55 km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed af ter a few tries, contact a professional towing ser-
vice to remove the vehicle.
6-14In case of emergency

2. Once it is released from the shelf, gentlypull the stop light towards the rear seat-
back
O3.
The high-mounted stop light must be
properly reinstalled before driving your
vehicle.
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and
dust film from the glass surfaces. It is nor-
mal for glass to become coated with a film
af ter the vehicle is parked in the hot sun.
Glass cleaner and a sof t cloth will easily
remove this film.
To reinstall the high-mounted stop light,
reverse steps
O3, thenO2.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could dam-
age the electrical conductors, radio an-
tenna elements or rear window defog-
ger elements.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS
Wash the wheels regularly with a sponge
dampened in a mild soap solution, espe-
cially during winter months in areas where
road salt is used. If not removed, road salt
can discolor the wheels.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid
staining or discoloring the wheels:
• Do not use a cleaner that uses strong
acid or alkali contents to clean the
wheels.
• Do not apply wheel cleaners to the
wheels when they are hot. The wheel
temperature should be the same as
ambient temperature.
• Rinse the wheel to completely re-
move the cleaner within 15 minutes
af ter the cleaner is applied.
CHROME PARTS
Clean all chrome parts regularly with a
non-abrasive chrome polish to maintain
the finish.
TIRE DRESSINGS
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a
coating to the tires to help reduce discolor-
ation of the rubber. If a tire dressing is ap-
plied to the tires, it may react with the coat-
ing and form a compound. This compound
may come off the tire while driving and
stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
• Use a water-based tire dressing. The coating on the tire dissolves more easily
than with an oil-based tire dressing.
• Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help prevent it from entering the tire tread/
grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove).
• Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry towel. Make sure the tire dressing is com-
pletely removed from the tire
tread/grooves.
• Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom- mended by the tire dressing
manufacturer.
7-4Appearance and care

For Alcantara® (if so equipped)
Water Soluble StainsStains Not Soluble in Water Resistant Stains
Stain Cleaning Method StainCleaning Method Repeat as Necessary Don’t Know What Caused the Stain?
Fruit juice, jam, jelly,
syrup, ketchup, choco-
late, ice cream and
mustard Use a white towel
damped in lukewarm
water; rinse by dabbing
with a damped white
towel in clean water. Makeup (Lipstick, foun-
dation, mascara, eye
shadow), perfume,
shoe polish, grease or
oil (in general), grass
stainRub with ethyl alcohol
(remember not to rub
too hard), wipe with
water and rinse by
dabbing with clean
water.Repeat treatments as
of ten as necessary.
Even stains that are
not soluble in water
will of ten require to be
treated with water
af terwards.Treat with lukewarm water first, then
rinse by dabbing with clean water. If
the stain begins to dissolve in the
water, repeat the treatment as of ten
as necessary. Allow to dry and if nec-
essary, treat with ethyl alcohol
Blood, eggs, excre-
ment or urine Wipe with water at
room temperature,
rinse with clean water.
AVOID the use of warm
water because it will
make these sub-
stances coagulate.
Chewing gum
Put a plastic bag full of
ice on top of the gum,
when the gum has be-
come hard remove the
pieces, then treat with
ethyl alcohol.
Vinegar, tomato sauce,
coffee or hair gel Pre-treat with lemon
juice, then wipe with
lukewarm water, rinse
by dabbing with clean
water.
7-6Appearance and care