• Keep your engine tuned up.
• Follow the recommended scheduledmaintenance.
• Keep the tires inflated to the correct pres- sure. Low tire pressure increases tire
wear and lowers fuel economy.
• Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Im- proper alignment increases tire wear and
lowers fuel economy.
• For vehicles equipped with
, use 4H
or 4L position only when necessary.
4-Wheel Drive operation lowers fuel
economy.
• Use the recommended viscosity engine oil. For additional information, see “Engine
oil and oil filter recommendations”
(P. 10-7).
WARNING
• For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shif t the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result
in serious vehicle damage or per-
sonal injury.
• Do not attempt to test a 4WD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamom-
eters used by some states for emis-
sions 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 4WD
before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment
may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.CAUTION
• Do not drive the vehicle in the 4H or
4LO position on dry hard surface
roads. Driving on dry, hard surfaces in
4H or 4LO may cause unnecessary
noise, tire wear and increased fuel
consumption.
If the 4WD vehicle information dis-
play warning message turns on
when you are driving on dry hard sur-
face roads:
– In the 4H position, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to 2WD.
– In the 4LO position, stop the ve-
hicle, move the shif t lever to the N
(Neutral) position with the brake
pedal depressed, and shif t the
4WD shif t switch to 2WD.
• If the vehicle information display
warning message is still on af ter the
above operation, have your vehicle
checked as soon as possible. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMYUSING 4–WHEEL DRIVE (4WD)
(if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-109
TRANSFER CASE SHIFTING
PROCEDURES
The part time 4WD system provides 3 posi-
tions (2WD, 4H and 4LO), so you can select
the desired drive mode according to the
driving conditions.
2WD or 4WD shif t procedure:
4WD Shif t
Switch Position Wheels Driven Indicator
Use conditions 4WD shif t procedure
4WD shif t Transfer 4LO position
2WD
Rear wheels
For driving on dry, paved roads
(Economy drive) Move the 4WD switch.
2WD <—> 4H
4WD shif t indicator will indicate that the
transfer shif t position is engaged.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO MOVE THE SHIFT
LEVER TO THE N (NEUTRAL) POSITION IN
THIS OPERATION. PERFORM THIS OPERA-
TION WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT.
4H
Four wheels
For driving on rocky, sandy or
snow-covered roads
N (Neutral)
*1
May blink N (Neutral) disengages the au-
tomatic transmission (A/T) me-
chanical parking lock, which
will allow the vehicle to roll. Do
not leave the transfer shif t po-
sition in N (Neutral).*2 1. Stop the vehicle.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, move
the shif t lever to the N (Neutral)
position.
3. With the brake pedal depressed,de- press and turn the 4WD shif t switch to
4LO or 4H.
THE TRANSFER CASE DOES NOT ENGAGE
BETWEEN 4H AND 4LO (OR 4LO TO 4H)
UNLESS YOU HAVE FIRST STOPPED THE
VEHICLE, DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL
AND MOVED THE SHIFT LEVER TO N (NEU-
TRAL).*3
4LO
Four wheels
Illuminated For use when maximum power
and traction is required (for ex-
ample, on steep grades or
rocky, sandy, muddy roads)
5-110Starting and driving
*1: Before moving the shif t lever from N
(Neutral), wait until the 4LO indicator stays
on steady. This indicates that the 4WD shif t
procedure is completed and the transfer
gear is correctly set in the 4LO position. If
the vehicle is shif ted into gear before the
indicator is on steady, the transfer gear
may grind, not engage correctly or stay in
the N (Neutral) position.
- If the 4WD vehicle information display
warning message illuminates, perform the
following procedure to return the transfer
case to correct operating condition.
1. Turn off the engine by placing the ignition
switch in the OFF position.
2. Start the engine.
- Check that the 4WD vehicle information
display warning message turns off. If the
warning message in the vehicle informa-
tion display stays on, have the system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
3. Apply the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal and move the shif t lever to the
N (Neutral) position.
4. With the brake pedal depressed, move
the 4WD shif t switch to the desired mode.- Be sure to wait until the transfer gear
change completes before shif ting the shif t
lever from the N (Neutral) position.
*2: While changing in and out of 4LO, the
ignition switch must be in the ON position
and the vehicle's engine must be running
for a shif t to take place and for the 4WD
shif t and 4LO position indicators to be op-
erable. Otherwise, the shif t will not take
place and no indicators will be on or
flashing.
*3: Make sure the transfer 4LO position in-
dicator turns on when you shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to 4LO. The
indicator light
will also turn on when 4LO is selected. For
additional information, see “Vehicle Dy-
namic Control (VDC) system” (P. 5-121).
When the 4LO position is selected, the VDC
system is disabled and the VDC off indica-
tor light illuminates, see “Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) OFF indicator light”(P. 2-18).
The transfer case 4WD shif t switch is used
to select either 2WD or 4WD depending on
the driving conditions. There are three
types of drive modes available, 2WD, 4H and
4LO. The 4WD shif t switch electronically controls
the transfer case operation. Rotate the
switch to move between each mode, 2WD,
4H and 4LO.
To change into or out of 4LO, the vehicle
MUST be stationary, move the shif t lever
to N (Neutral), and depress the brake
pedal. The switch must be pushed and
turned to select 4LO.
WARNING
• When parking, apply the parking
brake before stopping the engine
and make sure that the 4WD shif t in-
dicator is on and the Automatic
Transmission Park (ATP) warning
light goes off. Otherwise, the vehicle
could unexpectedly move even if the
A/T is in the P (Park) position.
• The 4LO indicator must stop blinking
and remain illuminated or turn off
before shif ting the transmission into
gear. If the shif t lever is shif ted from
the N (Neutral) position to any other
gear when the 4LO indicator is blink-
ing, the vehicle may move
unexpectedly.
Starting and driving5-111
CAUTION
• Never shif t the 4WD shif t switch be-
tween 4LO and 4H while driving.
• The 4H position provides greater
traction. Avoid excessive speed, as it
will cause increased fuel consump-
tion and higher oil temperatures, and
could damage drivetrain compo-
nents. Speeds over 100 km/h (62
mph) in 4H is not recommended.
• The 4LO position provides maximum
power and traction. Avoid raising ve-
hicle speed excessively, as the maxi-
mum speed is approximately 31 mph
(50 km/h).
• When driving straight, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to the 2WD or 4H posi-
tion. Do not move the 4WD shif t
switch when making a turn or
reversing.
• Do not shif t the 4WD shif t switch (be-
tween 2WD and 4H) while driving on
steep downhill grades. Use the en-
gine brake and low A/T gears (M1 or
M2) for engine braking.
• Do not operate the 4WD shif t switch
(between 2WD and 4H) with the rear
wheels spinning. •
Do not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4H or 4LO position. Driv-
ing on dry hard surfaces in 4H or 4LO
may cause unnecessary noise and
tire wear. NISSAN recommends driv-
ing in the 2WD position under these
conditions.
• The 4WD transfer case may not be
shif ted between 4H and 4LO at low
ambient temperatures and the
transfer 4LO position indicator may
blink even when the 4WD shif t switch
is shif ted. Af ter driving for a while
you can change the 4WD transfer
case between 4H and 4LO.
When driving on rough roads:
• Set the 4WD shif t switch to 4H or 4LO.
• Drive carefully according to the road sur- face conditions.
When the vehicle is stuck:
• Set the 4WD shif t switch to 4H or 4LO.
• Place stones or wooden blocks under the tires to free the vehicle.
• Use the Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock) system (if so equipped). For addi-
tional information, see “Electronic locking
rear differential (E-Lock) system” (P. 5-116). • If it is difficult to free the vehicle, rock the
vehicle back and forth between reverse
and drive gears.
• If the vehicle is stuck deep in mud, place stones or wooden blocks under the tires.
Then try the recovery procedures above.
Tire chains may be effective.
CAUTION
• Do not spin the tires excessively. Tires
will sink deep into the mud, making it
difficult to free the vehicle.
• Avoid shif ting gears with the engine
running at high speeds as this may
cause malfunction.
5-112Starting and driving
4WD shif t switch operations
• Shif t the 4WD shif t switch to either the2WD, 4H or 4LO position, depending on
driving conditions.
• If the 4WD shif t switch is operated
while making a turn, accelerating or
decelerating or if the ignition switch is
placed in the OFF position while in the
4H or 4LO, you may feel a jolt. This is not
abnormal.
• You may hear some noise as the sys-
tem shif ts or engages. This is not
abnormal.
CAUTION
• When driving straight, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to the 2WD or 4H posi-
tion. Do not move the 4WD shif t
switch when making a turn or
reversing.
• Do not shif t the 4WD shif t switch
while driving on steep downhill
grades. Use the engine brake and low
automatic transmission gears (M1 or
M2) for engine braking.
• Do not operate the 4WD shif t switch
with the rear wheels spinning.
• Before placing the 4WD shif t switch
in the 4H position from 2WD, ensure
the vehicle speed is less than 62 mph
(100 km/h). Failure to do so can dam-
age the 4WD system.
• Never shif t the 4WD shif t switch be-
tween 4LO and 4H while driving.
4WD shif t indicator
The 4WD shif t indicator is located in the
vehicle information display.
The indicator should turn off within one
second af ter placing the ignition switch in
the ON position.
While the engine is running, the 4WD shif t
indicator will illuminate the position se-
lected by the 4WD shif t switch.
• The 4WD shif t indicator may come on
while shif ting from one drive mode to
the other. When the shif ting is com-
pleted, the 4WD shif t indicator will stay
on.
LSD2463LSD2328
Starting and driving5-113
• If the 4WD vehicle information displaywarning message comes on, the 4WD
shif t indicator goes out.
CAUTION
If the 4WD shif t indicator indication
changes to 2WD when the 4WD shif t
switch is shif ted to the 4H position at
low ambient temperatures, the 2WD
mode may be being engaged due to
malfunctioning drive system. If the in-
dicator does not return to normal and
the 4WD vehicle information display
warning message comes on, have the
system checked. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
Warning message
Warning message Warning message comes on when:
Vehicle information display
4WD Error: See Owner’s Manual There is a malfunction in the 4–Wheel Drive system
FRT & RR tire size difference: See Owner’s Manual The difference in wheel rotation is large
5-114Starting and driving
The 4WD warning message is located in
the meter. The 4WD warning message
comes on when the ignition switch is
placed in the ON position. It turns off soon
af ter the engine is started. If any malfunc-
tion occurs in the 4WD system when the
ignition switch is ON, the warning message
will either remain illuminated or blink. If the
4WD warning message comes on, the 4WD
shif t indicator goes out. A large difference
between the diameters of front and rear
wheels will make the warning message
blink slowly (about once per two seconds).
Shif t the 4WD shif t switch into 2WD and do
not drive fast.
CAUTION
• If the warning message comes on
during operation or rapidly af ter
stopping the vehicle for a while, have
your vehicle checked as soon as pos-
sible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
• Shif ting between 4H and 4LO is not
recommended when the 4WD
warning message turns on. •
When the warning message comes
on, the 2WD mode may be engaged
even if the 4WD shif t switch is in 4H.
Be especially careful when driving. If
corresponding parts are malfunc-
tioning, the 4WD mode will not be en-
gaged even if the 4WD shif t switch is
shif ted.
• Do not drive the vehicle in the 4H or
4LO position on dry hard surface
roads. Driving on dry, hard surfaces in
4H or 4LO may cause unnecessary
noise, tire wear and increased fuel
consumption.
If the 4WD warning message turns on
when you are driving on dry hard sur-
face roads:
– In the 4H position, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to 2WD.
– In the 4LO position, stop the ve-
hicle, move the automatic trans-
mission shif t lever to the N (Neu-
tral) position with the brake pedal
depressed, and shif t the 4WD shif t
switch to 2WD. •
If the warning message is still on af-
ter the above operation, have your
vehicle checked as soon as possible.
It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
• The transfer case may be damaged if
you continue driving with the
warning message on.
Starting and driving5-115
The E-Lock system can provide additional
traction and should only be used when a
vehicle has become or is becoming stuck.
This system operates by electronically “lock-
ing” the two rear drive wheels together, al-
lowing them to turn at the same speed. The
system is used when it is not possible to free
a stuck vehicle even when using the 4LO
position (4-Wheel Drive vehicles).
When added traction is required, activate
the E-Lock system by pushing the switch
ON. For additional information, see “Elec-
tronic locking rear differential (E-Lock) sys-
tem switch” (P. 2-50). Once the system fully
engages, the indicator light in the instru-
ment panel will remain on. When the sys-
tem is activated, both rear wheels will en-
gage, providing added traction.
The rear wheels may momentarily slip or
move to engage the system, and the sys-
tem will only engage up to approximately 4
mph (7 km/h). Once the vehicle is free, the
system should be turned off and driving
resumed.
The Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) system is dis-
abled and the ABS light illuminates when
the E-Lock system is on. Also, the Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) system is disabled
and the
indicator light illuminates
when the E-Lock system is on.
WARNING
• Never leave the E-Lock system on
when driving on paved or hard-
surfaced roads. Turning the vehicle
may result in the rear wheels slipping
and result in an accident and per-
sonal injury. Af ter using the E-Lock
system to free the vehicle, turn the
system off.
• Use the E-Lock system only when
freeing a stuck vehicle. Try the 4LO
position before using the E-Lock sys-
tem. Never use the E-Lock system on
a slippery road surface such as snow
or ice surface. Using the E-Lock sys-
tem when driving in these road con-
ditions may cause unexpected
movement of the vehicle during en-
gine braking, accelerating or turning,
which may result in an accident and
serious personal injury.
• Observe the above warnings. Other-
wise, loss of normal steering control
may result. This may result in an ac-
cident and serious personal injury.CAUTION
• Af ter using the E-Lock system, turn
the switch OFF to prevent possible
damage to driveline components
from extended use.
•
Do not drive the vehicle at speeds
faster than 12 mph (20 km/h) when the
system is engaged. Doing so could
damage drivetrain components.
•Do not turn on the E-Lock system
while the tires are spinning. Doing so
could damage drivetrain components.
ELECTRONIC LOCKING REAR
DIFFERENTIAL (E-Lock) SYSTEM (if
so equipped)
5-116Starting and driving