A NISSAN Towing Guide (U.S. only) is available
on the website at www.nissanusa.com. This
guide includes information on trailer towing
capability and the special equipment re-
quired for proper towing.
MAXIMUM LOAD LIMITS
Maximum trailer loads
Never allow the total trailer load to exceed
the value specified in the “Towing load/
specification” chart (P. 10-37). The total
trailer load equals trailer weight plus its
cargo weight.
•When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1,587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used.
The maximum GCWR should not exceed
the value specified in the following “Towing
load/specification” chart (P. 10-37). The GCWR equals the combined weight of
the towing vehicle (including passengers
and cargo) plus the total trailer load. Tow-
ing loads greater than these or using im-
proper towing equipment could adversely
affect vehicle handling, braking and perfor-
mance.
The ability of your vehicle to tow a trailer is
not only related to the maximum trailer
loads, but also the places you plan to tow.
Tow weights appropriate for level highway
driving may have to be reduced for low
traction situations (for example, on slippery
boat ramps).Temperature conditions can also affect
towing. For example, towing a heavy trailer
in high outside temperatures on graded
roads can affect engine performance and
cause overheating. The engine protection
mode, which helps reduce the chance of
engine damage, could activate and auto-
matically decrease engine power. Vehicle
speed may decrease under high load. Plan
your trip carefully to account for trailer and
vehicle load, weather and road conditions.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced en-
gine power and vehicle speed. The re-
duced speed may be lower than other
traffic, which could increase the chance
of a collision. Be especially careful
when driving. If the vehicle cannot
maintain a safe driving speed, pull to
the side of the road in a safe area. Allow
the engine to cool and return to normal
operation. For additional information,
see “If your vehicle overheats” (P. 6-12).
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from im-
proper towing procedures is not cov-
ered by NISSAN warranties.
LTI0161
10-34Technical and consumer information
• Be certain your rearview mirrors conformto all federal, state or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
• Determine the overall height of the ve- hicle and trailer so the required clearance
is known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding
of the vehicle's behavior, you should prac-
tice turning, stopping and backing up in
an area which is free from traffic. Steering
stability and braking performance will be
somewhat different than under normal
driving conditions.
• Always secure items in the trailer to pre-vent load shif t while driving.
• Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or lock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched.
• Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
• Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
• Always drive your vehicle at a moderate speed. • When backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want
the trailer to go. Make small corrections
and back up slowly. If possible, have
someone guide you when you are back-
ing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if you
must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shif t selector to the P
(Park) position before blocking the
wheels and applying the parking brake,
transmission damage could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. Af ter the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the
blocks absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shif t the transmission into P (Park). 6. Make sure the
indicator light (if so
equipped) indicates the transfer case is
in 4H, 4LO, or 2H and that the ATP light is
off. If the
indicator light is flashing,
or the ATP light is ON, make sure the
transmission is in P (Park) (A/T) and turn
the 4WD switch to 2WD or 4H. For addi-
tional information, see “Automatic
transmission park warning light” (P. 2-13)
and “Using 4-wheel drive (4WD)” (P. 5-105).
7. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shif t the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks.
10-52Technical and consumer information
• While going downhill, the weight of thetrailer pushing on the tow vehicle may
decrease overall stability. Therefore, to
maintain adequate control, reduce your
speed and shif t to a lower gear. Avoid
long or repeated use of the brakes when
descending a hill, as this reduces their
effectiveness and could cause overheat-
ing. Shif ting to a lower gear instead pro-
vides “engine braking” and reduces the
need to brake as frequently.
• If the engine coolant temperature rises to a high temperature, see “If your vehicle
overheats” (P. 6-12).
• Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal circumstances.
• Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle's first 500 miles (805 km).
•
For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 mph (80 km/h).
• Have your vehicle serviced more of ten than at intervals specified. For additional
information, see the “Maintenance and
schedules” section of this manual.
• When making a turn, your trailer wheels will be closer to the inside of the turn than
your vehicle wheels. To compensate for
this, make a larger than normal turning
radius during the turn. • Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When be-
ing passed by larger vehicles, be pre-
pared for possible changes in crosswinds
that could affect vehicle handling.
Trailer Sway Assist :
To minimize trailer sway, your vehicle may
apply braking to individual wheels based
on input from your vehicle sensors and ve-
hicle speed. Trailer sway control is a func-
tion of the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system and is active when the VDC func-
tion is enabled.
CAUTION
If the VDC-OFF switch is on (meaning
VDC system OFF), the Trailer Sway As-
sist is also disabled
When Trailer Sway Assist is in operation, the
VDC warning light blinks. When vehicle con-
trol is regained, VDC warning light will turn
OFF.
For additional information about the VDC
system, see “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
OFF switch” (P. 2-57) and “Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) system” (P. 5-118). If Trailer Sway Assist activates, do the fol-
lowing:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal
to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions
allow. This combination will help stabilize
the vehicle
CAUTION
Do not try to correct trailer sway by
steering or applying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the brakes and pull to the side of the
road in a safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is balanced. For additional information,
see “Pre-towing tips” (P. 10-51).
NOTE:
Trailer Sway Assist cannot reduce trailer
sway in all situations.
• Be careful when passing other vehicles.Passing while towing a trailer requires
considerably more distance than normal
passing. Remember, the length of the
trailer must also pass the other vehicle
before you can safely change lanes.
Technical and consumer information10-53
• Use the Tow Mode or downshif t thetransmission to a lower gear for engine
braking when driving down steep or long
hills. This will help slow the vehicle without
applying the brakes.
• Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently. This could cause
the brakes to overheat, resulting in re-
duced braking efficiency.
• Increase your following distance to allow for greater stopping distances while tow-
ing a trailer. Anticipate stops and brake
gradually.
• NISSAN recommends that the cruise control (if so equipped) not be used while
towing a trailer.
• While towing a trailer, do not use the fol- lowing systems (if so equipped):–– the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) sys- tem
–– the Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system
– – the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) sys-
tem
– – the Automatic Emergency Braking
(AEB) system
– – the Intelligent Forward Collision Warn-
ing (I-FCW) system
– – the Rear Automatic Braking (RAB) sys-
tem –
– the Moving Object Detection (MOD)
system
– – the Cross Traffic Alert system
–– the Rear Sonar system
• Some states or provinces have specific regulations and speed limits for vehicles
that are towing trailers. Obey the local
speed limits.
• Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness connections, and trailer wheel lug nuts
af ter 50 miles (80 km) of travel and at
every break.
• When launching a boat, don't allow the water level to go over the exhaust tail
pipe or rear bumper.
• Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights before backing the trailer into the
water or the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission oil/
fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see
the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this
manual.Tow mode
Using tow mode is recommended when
pulling a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy
load. Press the TOW MODE switch to acti-
vate tow mode. The indicator light on the
TOW MODE switch illuminates when tow
mode is selected. Press the TOW MODE
switch again to turn tow mode off. Tow
mode is automatically canceled when the
ignition switch is turned off.
Tow mode includes the following features:
• Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shif ts when pulling a trailer or hauling a load up
a grade.
• Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — auto- matically downshif ts when driving down
a grade with a trailer or heavy load to help
control vehicle speed.
Driving the vehicle in the tow mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not
cause any damage. However, fuel
economy may be reduced and the
transmission/engine driving characteris-
tics may feel unusual.
10-54Technical and consumer information
To notif y NISSAN of any safety con-
cerns please contact our Consumer
Information Centre toll free at 1-800-
387-0122.WARNING
A vehicle equipped with 4-Wheel Drive
(4WD) should never be tested using a
two wheel dynamometer (such as the
dynamometers used by some states
for emissions testing), or similar equip-
ment. Make sure you inform the test
facility personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with 4WD before it is placed
on a dynamometer. Using the wrong
test equipment may result in transmis-
sion damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in seri-
ous vehicle damage or personal injury.
Due to legal requirements in some states
and Canadian 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 ve-
hicle. If a powertrain system component is re-
paired or the battery is disconnected, the
vehicle may be reset to a “not ready” condi-
tion. Before taking the I/M test, check the
vehicle's inspection/maintenance 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 seconds, the I/M test
condition is “not ready”. If the MIL does not
blink af ter 20 seconds, the I/M test condi-
tion is “ready”. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer to set the “ready con-
dition” or to prepare the vehicle for testing.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
Technical and consumer information10-59
11 Index
A
Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS)
system.....................5-117Aiming control, headlights.........2-49Air bag (See supplemental restraint
system).....................1-53Air bag system
Front (See supplemental front impact
air bag system)
...........1-60, 1-75Air bag warning labels............1-82Air bag warning light.........1-82, 2-16Air bag warning light,
supplemental..............1-82, 2-16Air cleaner...................8-21Air cleaner housing filter..........8-21Air conditionerAir conditioner operation. . . .4-32, 4-38Air conditioner specification label. .10-20Air conditioner system refrigerant
recommendations............10-8Air conditioner system refrigerant and
oil recommendations..........10-8Heater and air conditioner (automatic)
(if so equipped)..............4-37Heater and air conditioner
controls.................. .4-38Servicing air conditioner........4-42Air flow charts................4-33Alarm system (See vehicle security
system).................... .2-37
Anchor point locations...........1-32Antenna....................4-43Anti-lock brake warning light.......2-13Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)......5-116Antifreeze...................5-127Autolight switch...............2-44Automatic
Automatic power window switch. . .2-83Driving with automatic
transmission................5-18Automatic anti-glare inside mirror. . . .3-31Automatic door locks.............3-8Automatic Emergency Braking
(AEB)...................2-17,2-21Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with
Pedestrian Detection............5-80Automatic transmission fluid temperature
gauge......................2-10
B
Battery.................5- 127, 8-16Charge warning light...........2-14Battery replacement............8-27Key fob...................8-27NISSAN Intelligent Key®.........8-27Before starting the engine.........5-16Belt (See drive belt)..............8-19Blind Spot Warning (BSW)..........5-32
Block heater
Engine...................5-128Booster seats................ .1-49Brake
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). . . .5-116Brake fluid.................8-14Brake light (See stop light).......8-32Brake system...............5-115Brake warning light............2-14Brake wear indicators.......2-22,8-23Parking brake operation.........5-23Self-adjusting brakes..........8-23Brake Assist..................5-117Brake fluid...................8-14Brake system................5-115Brakes.....................8-23Break-in schedule.............5-103Brightness controlInstrument panel.............2-50Bulb check/instrument panel.......2-13Bulb replacement..............8-32
C
C.M.V.S.S. certification label........10-18Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants................10-2Car phone or CB radio...........4-88Cargo (See vehicle loading
information)................ .10-22
Cargo light switch...............2-52Check tire pressure..........2-32, 2-34Child restraints.......1-25,1-26,1-28,1-30LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren) System..............1-30Precautions on child
restraints........1-34, 1-40, 1-45, 1-49Top tether strap anchor point
locations.................. .1-32Child safety rear door lock..........3-9Cleaning exterior and interior......7-2,7-4Climate control seat switch.........2-52Cold weather driving............5-127Console light..................2-88Controls
Heater and air conditioner controls. .4-38Heater and air conditioner controls
(manual)...................4-29CoolantCapacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants
...............10-2Changing engine coolant.........8-6Checking engine coolant level......8-6Engine coolant temperature gauge. . .2-8Corrosion protection..............7-7Cruise control.............5-49, 5-50Cup holders..................2-76Curtain side-impact and rollover air
bag........................1-78
D
Daytime Running Light System. . .2-49, 8-30
Digital video disc DVD............4-43Dimensions and weights..........10-11Dimmer switch for instrument panel. . .2-50DisplayInformation display............2-22Door locks................... .3-4Drive belt....................8-19Driving
Cold weather driving...........5-127Driving with automatic
transmission................5-18Precautions when starting and
driving................. .5-4, 5-10Driving the vehicle...............5-18Dual power moonroof............2-85
E
Eco Drive Report...............5-113Economy - fuel................5-105Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system.....................5-112Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system switch.................2-59Emergency engine shutoff.......5-15,6-2Emission control information label. . . .10-19Emission control system warranty. . . .10-57Engine
Before starting the engine........5-16Block heater................5-128Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants...............10-2Changing engine coolant.........8-6
Changing engine oil.............8-7Changing engine oil filter.........8-7Checking engine coolant level......8-6Checking engine oil level..........8-7Engine compartment check
locations.................. .8-3Engine coolant temperature gauge. . .2-8Engine cooling system...........8-5Engine oil...................8-7Engine oil and oil filter
recommendation.............10-7Engine oil pressure gauge........2-10Engine oil pressure warning light. . . .2-15Engine oil viscosity.............10-7Engine serial number..........10-18Engine specifications...........10-9Starting the engine............5-16Engine coolant temperature gauge. . . .2-8Engine oil pressure gauge..........2-10Event Data recorders............10-60Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)......5-4Explanation of maintenance items.....9-2Explanation of scheduled maintenance
items...................... .9-5Extended storage switch..........2-68Eyeglass case.................2-75
F
Flashers (See hazard warning flasher
switch)......................6-2Flat tire......................6-3Floor mat positioning aid...........7-6
11-2
FluidBrake fluid..................8-14Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants...............10-2Engine coolant................8-5Engine oil...................8-7Power steering fluid............8-13Windshield-washer fluid.........8-15Fog light switch................2-51Front air bag system (See supplemental
restraint system)............1-60, 1-75Front and rear sonar system.......5-122Front power seat adjustment........1-6Front seats....................1-2Front-door pocket..............2-69FuelCapacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants
...............10-2Fuel economy...............5-105Fuel gauge................. .2-9Fuel octane rating.............10-6Fuel recommendation..........10-4Loose fuel cap warning..........2-32Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) System
Tire pressure................8-35Fuel efficient driving tips..........5-104Fuel gauge................... .2-9Fuel-filler door.................3-25Fuses......................8-24Fusible links..................8-25
G
Garage door opener, HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver........2-89, 2-90, 2-92, 2-93Gauge
Automatic transmission fluid temperature
gauge
.....................2-10Engine coolant temperature gauge. . .2-8Engine oil pressure gauge........2-10Fuel gauge................. .2-9Odometer...................2-7Speedometer.................2-7Tachometer.................2-8Trip odometer................2-7Voltmeter..................2-10General maintenance.............9-2Glove box....................2-72Grocery hooks.................2-79
H
Hazard warning flasher switch........6-2Head restraints.................1-11Headlight aiming control..........2-49Headlight and turn signal switch.....2-43Headlight control switch...........2-43Headlights...................8-29Headlights, aiming control.........2-49Heated rear seats...............2-55Heated seats................. .2-54Heated steering wheel switch.......2-56
Heater
Heater and air conditioner (automatic)
(if so equipped)
...............4-37Heater and air conditioner controls. .4-38Heater operation..........4-30, 4-39Heater and air conditioner (automatic). .4-37Hill descent control switch.........2-58Hill descent control system........5-121Hill start assist system...........5-122HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver........2-89, 2-90, 2-92, 2-93Hood.......................3-25HookLuggage hook...............2-80Horn...................... .2-52
I
Ignition switch
Push-button ignition switch.......5-12Immobilizer system..........2-38, 5-16In-cabin microfilter..............8-21Increasing fuel economy..........5-105Indicator lights and audible reminders
(See warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders)
...................2-13Inside automatic anti-glare mirror.....3-31Instrument brightness control.......2-50Instrument panel.............0-6, 2-4Instrument panel dimmer switch.....2-50Intelligent Around View Monitor.......4-11Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC).......5-51Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA).....5-101
11-3