WARNING
• Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assistance of
others alone in your vehicle. Pets should
also not be left alone. They could acci-
dentally injure themselves or others
through inadvertent operation of the
vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days, tem-
peratures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause se-
vere or possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
• Properly secure all cargo with ropes or
straps to help prevent it from sliding or
shifting. Do not place cargo higher than
the seatbacks. In a sudden stop or colli-
sion, unsecured cargo could cause per-
sonal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
• Do not breathe exhaust gases; they con-
tain colorless and odorless carbon mon-
oxide. Carbon monoxide is dangerous. It
can cause unconsciousness or death. •
If you suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering the vehicle, drive with all win-
dows fully open, and have the vehicle in-
spected immediately.
• Do not run the engine in closed spaces
such as a garage.
• Do not park the vehicle with the engine
running for any extended length of time.
• Keep the rear vent windows, liftgates,
doors and trunk lids (if so equipped)
closed while driving, otherwise exhaust
gases could be drawn into the passenger
compartment. If you must drive with one
of these open, follow these precautions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the
air recirculation button
to off and the fan control dial to high
to circulate the air.
• If electrical wiring or other cable connec-
tions must pass to a trailer through the
seal on the liftgate or the body, follow
the manufacturer's recommendation to
prevent carbon monoxide entry into the
vehicle.
• The exhaust system and body should be
inspected by a qualified mechanic when-
ever:
a. The vehicle is raised for service. b. You suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering into the passenger
compartment.
c. You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system.
d. You have had an accident involving damage to the exhaust system, un-
derbody, or rear of the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Ex-
haust gases in the three-way catalyst are
burned at high temperatures to help reduce
pollutants.
WARNING
• The exhaust gas and the exhaust system
are very hot. Keep people, animals or
flammable materials away from the ex-
haust system components.
• 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.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING
5-4Starting and driving
• Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle's first500 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 often than at intervals specified in the recommended
maintenance schedule in “Maintenance and
schedules” (P. 9-2).
• 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 adversely affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly
causing vehicle sway. When being passed
by larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect
vehicle handling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions al-
low. This combination will help stabilize
the vehicle
– Do not 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 as described in this section.
• Be careful when passing other vehicles. Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember, the length of the trailer
must also pass the other vehicle before you
can safely change lanes.
• Downshift the transmission 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 reduced
braking efficiency.
• Increase your following distance to allow for greater stopping distances while tow-
ing a trailer. Anticipate stops and brake
gradually.
• INFINITI recommends that the cruise con- trol not be used while towing a trailer.
• 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 frequently. For
additional information, see“ Do-it-yourself”
(P. 8-2).
FLAT TOWING FOR ALL–WHEEL
DRIVE VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is sometimes called flat towing.
This method is sometimes used when towing
a vehicle behind a recreational vehicle, such
as a motor home.
CAUTION
• Failure to follow these guidelines can re-
sult in severe transmission damage.
• Never flat tow your All-wheel drive
(AWD) vehicle.
10-28Technical and consumer information
