1-20Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
the child could be seriously in-
jured or killed in a collision or a
sudden stop.
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
.To clean the seat belt webbing, apply
a mild soap solution or any solution
recommended for cleaning upholstery
or carpets. Then wipe with a cloth and
allow the seat belts to dry in the
shade. Do not allow the seat belts to
retract until they are completely dry.
. If dirt builds up in the shoulder belt
guide of the seat belt anchors, the
seat belts may retract slowly. Wipe the
shoulder belt guide with a clean, dry
cloth.
. Periodically check to see that the
seat belt and the metal components,
such as buckles, tongues, retractors,
flexible wires and anchors, work prop-
erly. If loose parts, deterioration, cuts
or other damage on the webbing is
found, the entire seat belt assembly
should be replaced.
WARNING
Do not allow children to play with the
seat belts. Most seating positions are
equipped with Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) mode seat belts. If
the seat belt becomes wrapped
around a child’s neck with the ALR
mode activated, the child can be
seriously injured or killed if the seat
belt retracts and becomes tight. This
can occur even if the vehicle is
parked. Unbuckle the seat belt to
release the child. If the seat belt can
not be unbuckled or is already un-
buckled, release the child by cutting
the seat belt with a suitable tool
(such as a knife or scissors) to
release the seat belt.
Children need adults to help protect
them.
They need to be properly restrained.
In addition to the general information in
this manual, child safety information is
available from many other sources, in-
cluding doctors, teachers, government
traffic safety offices, and community or-
ganizations. Every child is different, so be
sure to learn the best way to transport
your child. There are three basic types of child
restraint systems:
.
Rear-facing child restraint
. Forward-facing child restraint
. Booster seat
The proper restraint depends on the
child’s size. Generally, infants up to about
1 year and less than 20 lbs (9 kg) should
be placed in rear-facing child restraints.
Forward-facing child restraints are avail-
able for children who outgrow rear-facing
child restraints and are at least 1 year old.
Booster seats are used to help position a
vehicle lap/shoulder belt on a child who
can no longer use a forward-facing child
restraint.
WARNING
Infants and children need special
protection. The vehicle’s seat belts
may not fit them properly. The
shoulder belt may come too close
to the face or neck. The lap belt may
not fit over their small hip bones. In
an accident, an improperly fitting
seat belt could cause serious or fatal
injury. Always use appropriate child
restraints.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces or
CHILD SAFETY
1-22Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
.Is the child able to use the properly
adjusted head restraint/headrest?
. Will the child be able to stay in position
for the entire ride?
JVR0473X
If you answered no to any of these
questions, the child should remain in a
booster seat using a three-point type
seat belt.
NOTE:
Laws in some communities may follow
different guidelines. Check local and
state regulations to confirm your child
is using the correct restraint system
before traveling.
WARNING
Never let a child stand or kneel on
any seat and do not allow a child in
the cargo area. The child could be
seriously injured or killed in a sudden
stop or collision.
5-10Starting and driving
AVOIDING COLLISION AND ROLL-
OVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a
safe and prudent manner may result
in loss of control or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid exces-
sive speed, high speed cornering, or
sudden steering maneuvers, because
these driving practices could cause you
to lose control of your vehicle. As with
any vehicle, a loss of control could
result in a collision with other vehicles
or objects, or cause the vehicle to roll-
over, particularly if the loss of control
causes the vehicle to slide sideways. Be
attentive at all times, and avoid driving
when tired. Never drive when under the
influence of alcohol or drugs (including
prescription or over-the-counter drugs
which may cause drowsiness). Always
wear your seat belt as outlined in “Seat
belts” (P.1-13) of this manual, and also
instruct your passengers to do so.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers. In a rollover
crash, an unbelted or improperly belted person is significantly more likely to be
injured or killed than a person properly
wearing a seat belt.
ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly high-
er rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than
passenger cars to make them capable of
performing in a variety of on-pavement
and off-road applications. This gives them
a higher center of gravity than ordinary
cars. An advantage of higher ground
clearance is a better view of the road,
allowing you to anticipate problems.
However, they are not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as conven-
tional passenger cars any more than low-
slung sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions. If
at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, particularly at high speeds. As
with other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control or vehicle rollover. Seat
belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers. In a rollover crash,
an unbelted or improperly belted person
is significantly more likely to be injured or
killed than a person properly wearing a
seat belt.Be sure to read “Driving safety precau-
tions” (P.5-12).
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
If the right side or left side wheels leave
the road surface, maintain control of the
vehicle by following the procedure below.
Please note that this procedure is only a
general guide. The vehicle must be driven
as appropriate based on the conditions of
the vehicle, road and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering
wheel with both hands and try to hold
a straight course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow
the vehicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while the
vehicle speed is reduced. Do not
attempt to drive the vehicle back onto
the road surface until vehicle speed is
reduced.
6. When it is safe to do so, gradually turn the steering wheel until both tires
return to the road surface. When all
tires are on the road surface, steer the
vehicle to stay in the appropriate
driving lane.
.Before operating the vehicle, en-
sure that the driver and all pas-
sengers have their seat belts
fastened.
. Always drive with the floor mats
in place as the floor may became
hot.
. Lower your speed when encoun-
tering strong crosswinds. With a
higher center of gravity, your
vehicle is more affected by strong
side winds. Slower speeds ensure
better vehicle control.
. Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires,
even with AWD engaged.
. For AWD equipped vehicles, do
not attempt to raise two wheels
off the ground and shift the
transmission to any drive or re-
verse position with the engine
running. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel
dynamometer (such as the dy-
namometers used by some
states for emissions testing), or similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off
the ground. 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
equipment may result in drive-
train damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground
due to an unlevel surface, do not
spin the wheel excessively (AWD
model).
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steer-
ing maneuvers or sudden braking
may cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp
turning maneuvers, particularly
at high speeds. Your vehicle has
a higher center of gravity than a
conventional passenger car. The
vehicle is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger cars.
Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover acci-
dent. .
Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial), and tread
pattern on all four wheels. Install
traction devices on the front
wheels when driving on slippery
roads and drive carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes im-
mediately after driving in mud or
water. See “Brake system” (P.5-
155) for wet brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on
steep hills. If you get out of the
vehicle and it rolls forward, back-
ward or sideways, you could be
injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as
deep as the wheel hub, more
frequent maintenance may be
required. See the maintenance
schedule shown in the “9. Main-
tenance and schedules” section.
. Spinning the front wheels on
slippery surfaces may cause the
AWD warning message to display
and the AWD system to automa-
tically switch from the AWD mode
to the 2WD mode. This could
reduce traction. Be especially
careful when towing a trailer
Starting and driving5-13
5-156Starting and driving
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking
force than a conventional brake booster
even with light pedal force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to
assist braking operation and is not a
collision warning or avoidance de-
vice. It is the driver’s responsibility to
stay alert, drive safely and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) is a sophisticated device,
but it cannot prevent accidents
resulting from careless or dan-
gerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control dur-
ing braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping dis-
tances on slippery surfaces will
be longer than on normal sur- faces even with ABS. Stopping
distances 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 vehicle in front
of you. Ultimately, the driver is
responsible for safety.
. Tire type and condition may also
affect braking effectiveness.
— When replacing tires, install
the specified size of tires on
all four wheels.
— When installing a spare tire, make sure that it is the proper
size and type as specified on
the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion label. See “Tire and Load-
ing Information label” (P.10-11)
of this manual.
— For detailed information, see “Wheels and tires” (P.8-25) of
this manual.
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) con-
trols the brakes so the wheels do not lock
during hard braking or when braking on
slippery surfaces. The system detects the
rotation speed at each wheel and varies
the brake fluid pressure to prevent each
wheel from locking and sliding. By pre- venting each wheel from locking, the
system helps the driver maintain steering
control and helps to minimize swerving
and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Depress the brake pedal with firm steady
pressure, but do not pump the brakes.
The ABS will operate to prevent the
wheels from locking up. Steer the vehicle
to avoid obstacles.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing
so may result in increased stopping
distances.
Self-test feature
The ABS includes electronic sensors, elec-
tric pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a
computer. The computer has a built-in
diagnostic feature that tests the system
each time you start the engine and move
the vehicle at a low speed in forward or
reverse. When the self-test occurs, you
may hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel a
pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion. If the computer senses a malfunc-
BRAKE ASSIST
5-158Starting and driving
The computer has a built-in diagnostic
feature that tests the system each time
you start the engine and move the vehicle
forward or in reverse at a slow speed.
When the self-test occurs, you may hear a
“clunk” noise and/or feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and is not an
indication of a malfunction.
WARNING
.The VDC system is designed to
help improve driving stability but
does not prevent accidents due
to abrupt steering operation at
high speeds or by careless or
dangerous driving techniques.
Reduce vehicle speed and be
especially careful when driving
and cornering on slippery sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s sus-
pension. If suspension parts such
as shock absorbers, struts,
springs, stabilizer bars, bushings
and wheels are not NISSAN re-
commended for your vehicle or
are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate
properly. This could adversely
affect vehicle handling perfor-
mance, and the slip indicator light
may illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as
brake pads, rotors and calipers
are not NISSAN recommended or
are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate
properly and the slip indicator
light
may illuminate.
. If engine control related parts are
not NISSAN recommended or are
extremely deteriorated, the slip
indicator light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely in-
clined surfaces such as higher
banked corners, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
slip indicator light
may illu-
minate. Do not drive on these
types of roads.
. When driving on an unstable sur-
face such as a turntable, ferry,
elevator or ramp, the slip indica-
tor light
may illuminate. This
is not a malfunction. Restart the
engine after driving onto a stable
surface.
. If wheels or tires other than the
NISSAN recommended ones are
used, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the slip
indicator light
may illuminate. .
The VDC system is not a substi-
tute for winter tires or tire chains
on a snow covered road.
HOW TO TURN OFF THE VDC SYS-
TEM
The vehicle should be driven with the
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system ON
for most driving conditions.
When the vehicle is stuck in mud or snow,
the VDC system reduces the engine out-
put to reduce wheel spin. The engine
speed will be reduced even if the accel-
erator is depressed to the floor. If max-
imum engine power is needed to free a
stuck vehicle, turn the VDC system off.
WAF0521XExample
To turn off the VDC system, perform the
following steps in the vehicle information
display.
1. Push the
button on the
steering wheel until “Settings” appears
and then push the job dial.
2. Use the scroll dial to select “VDC Setting” and then push it.
3. Select “System” and push the scroll dial. The
indicator light will illumi-
nate.
Turn “VDC Setting” back on in the vehicle
information display or restart the engine
to turn on the VDC system.
BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION
During braking while driving through
turns, the system optimizes the distribu-
tion of force to each of the four wheels
depending on the radius of the turn.
WARNING
. The VDC system is designed to
help the driver maintain stability
but does not prevent accidents
due to abrupt steering operation
at high speeds or by careless or
dangerous driving techniques.
Reduce vehicle speed and be
especially careful when driving
and cornering on slippery sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s sus-
pension. If suspension parts such
as shock absorbers, struts,
springs, stabilizer bars, bushings
and wheels are not NISSAN re-
commended for your vehicle or
are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate
properly. This could adversely
affect vehicle handling perfor-
mance, and the
indicator light
may flash or both theandindicator lights may illuminate. .
If brake related parts such as
brake pads, rotors and calipers
are not NISSAN recommended or
are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate
properly and both the
andindicator lights may illumi-
nate.
. If engine control related parts are
not NISSAN recommended or are
extremely deteriorated, both the
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
. When driving on extremely in-
clined surfaces such as higher
banked corners, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
indicator light may flash or
both theandindicator
lights may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
. When driving on an unstable sur-
face such as a turntable, ferry,
elevator or ramp, the
indica-
tor light may flash or both the
andindicator lights may illu-
minate. This is not a malfunction.
Restart the engine after driving
onto a stable surface.
. If wheels or tires other than the
NISSAN recommended ones are
Starting and driving5-159
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to
provide superior performance on dry
pavement. However, the performance of
these tires will be substantially reduced in
snowy and icy conditions. If you operate
your vehicle on snowy or icy roads,
NISSAN recommends the use of MUD &
SNOW or ALL SEASON tires on all four
wheels. It is recommended you consult a
NISSAN dealer for the tire type, size, speed
rating and availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads,
studded tires may be used. However,
some U.S. states and Canadian provinces
prohibit their use. Check local, state and
provincial laws before installing studded
tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of
studded snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of
non-studded snow tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see
“Tire chains” (P.8-32) of this manual.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) model
If you install snow tires, they must also be
the same size, brand, construction and
tread pattern on all four wheels.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following
items be carried in the vehicle during
winter:
.A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to
remove ice and snow from the win-
dows and wiper blades.
. A sturdy, flat board to be placed under
the jack to give it firm support.
. A shovel to dig the vehicle out of
snow-drifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
.Wet ice (32°F, 0°C and freezing
rain), very cold snow or ice can be
slick and very hard to drive on.
The vehicle will have much less
traction or “grip” under these
conditions. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until the road is salted
or sanded. .
Whatever the condition, drive
with caution. Accelerate and slow
down with care. If accelerating or
downshifting too fast, the drive
wheels will lose even more trac-
tion.
. Allow more stopping distance
under these conditions. Braking
should be started sooner than on
dry pavement.
. Allow greater following distances
on slippery roads.
. Watch for slippery spots (glare
ice). These may appear on an
otherwise clear road in shaded
areas. If a patch of ice is seen
ahead, brake before reaching it.
Try not to brake while on the ice,
and avoid any sudden steering
maneuvers.
. Do not use cruise control on
slippery roads.
. Snow can trap dangerous ex-
haust gases under your vehicle.
Keep snow clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around your vehi-
cle.
Starting and driving5-173