2023 NISSAN FRONTIER automatic transmission

In preparation for the next engine start, the
engine may have a slightly delayed shutoff
af ter placing the ignition switch in the
OFF position, depending on the driving
conditions.
NOTE:
The engine would NOT start within 3 sec-
onds of turning the engine off.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as:
1. Installation or extended use of elec-tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. The vehicle is not driven regularly and/or only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
REMOTE ENGINE START (if so
equipped)
Vehicles started with the Remote Engine
Start require the ignition switch to be
placed in the ON position before the shif t
lever can be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion. To place the ignition switch in the ON
position, follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, see “NISSAN In-
telligent Key®” (P. 3-2).
ENGINE PROTECTION MODE
The engine has an engine protection mode
to reduce the chance of damage if the cool-
ant temperature becomes too high (for ex-
ample, when climbing steep grades in high
temperatures with heavy loads, such as
when towing a trailer). When the engine tem-
perature reaches a certain level:
• The engine coolant temperature gauge will move toward the H position.
• Engine power may be reduced.
• The air conditioning cooling function may be automatically turned off for a short
time (the blower will continue to operate).
Engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will decrease. Vehicle speed
can be controlled with the accelerator pedal,
but the vehicle may not accelerate at the
desired speed. The transmission will down-
shif t or upshif t as it reaches prescribed shif t
points. You can also shif t manually.
As driving conditions change and engine
coolant temperature is reduced, vehicle
speed can be increased using the accel-
erator pedal, and the air conditioning cool-
ing function will automatically be turned
back on.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-18Starting and driving

The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may
also come on if the engine coolant tem-
perature is not reduced or the air condi-
tioning cooling function does not turn back
on. Ifonly it remains on, you do not need to
have your vehicle towed, but have it in-
spected soon. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. For
additional information, see “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” (P. 2-19).
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. 6-13).
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause
serious damage to the engine almost
immediately. Such damage is not cov-
ered by warranty. Turn off the engine as
soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (A/T)
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive). Always
depress the brake pedal until shif ting
is completed. Failure to do so could
cause you to lose control and have an
accident.
• Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
• Never shif t to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is
reversing. This could cause an acci-
dent or damage the transmission. •
Do not downshif t abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
• Except in an emergency, do not shif t
to the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission
in the N (Neutral) position may cause
serious damage to the transmission.CAUTION
• To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on
an uphill grade, do not hold the ve-
hicle by depressing the accelerator
pedal. The foot brake should be used
for this purpose.
The A/T in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and
smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures
for this transmission are shown on the fol-
lowing pages. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and driv-
ing enjoyment.
Starting and driving5-19

Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depressthe foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever into a driving
gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
The automatic transmission is designed
so the foot brake pedal MUST be de-
pressed before shif ting from P (Park) to
any drive position while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the ACC, LOCK or OFF
position.
The shif t lever may not be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position, but
the engine is not running and the out-
side temperature is extremely low.
Shif ting
To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonOAwhile depressing
the brake pedal
Press the buttonOAto shif t
Shif t without depressing the brake pedal
Shif ting
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and move the shif t lever out of
the P (Park) position.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shif t le-
ver is in any position while the engine is
not running. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly or roll away and result in serious
personal injury or property damage.
If the ignition switch is placed in the OFF
position for any reason while the vehicle is
in N (Neutral), or any D (Drive) position, the
ignition switch cannot be placed in the
LOCK position. Move the shif t lever to the P
(Park) position, then the ignition switch can
be placed in the LOCK position.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) position only when the ve-
hicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shif t lever position when
the vehicle is parked or when starting the
engine. Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shif t lever from N (Neutral) or
any drive position to P (Park).
LSD4501
5-20Starting and driving

Apply the parking brake. When parking on a
hill, apply the parking brake first, then move
the shif t lever into the P (Park) position.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the R (Reverse) position only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before selecting the R (Reverse)
position. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to N (Neutral) and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
Manual shif t mode
Move the shif t lever sideways toward the
manual shif t gate to activate the manual
shif t mode, then select “+” or “-” to shif t up
or down. Shif t ranges can be selected
manually.
In the manual shif t mode, the shif t range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter. Af ter moving the shif t lever to the
manual shif t gate, the position indicator
varies depending on the gear position and
vehicle speed. •
In the manual shif t mode, the transmis-
sion may not shif t to the selected gear
immediately because of vehicle speed.
The transmission will upshif t or down-
shif t when vehicle speed matches the
programmed transmission shif t points.
This helps maintain driving perfor-
mance and reduces the chance of ve-
hicle damage or loss of control.
• In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission will not upshif t to a higher
gear than is manually selected. When
the vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down and
shif ts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7 ↔
M8 ↔M9 ↔D
M9 (Ninth)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7 ↔
M8 ↔M9
M9 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
LSD4503
Starting and driving5-21

M8 (Eighth)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7 ↔
M8
M8 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M7 (Seventh)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7
M7 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M6 (Sixth)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6
M6 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter
M5 (Fif th)
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking would be advantageous.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 M5 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M4 (Fourth)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1
↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4
M4 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M3 (Third)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3
M3 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M2 (Second)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 M2 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M1 (First)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades.
M1 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor on the meter.
• Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than
M4 range. This reduces fuel economy.
When shif ting up
Move the shif t lever to the + (up) side. (Shif ts
to higher range.)
When shif ting down
Move the shif t lever to the − (down) side.
(Shif ts to lower range.)
• The transmission will automatically downshif t the gears. (For example, if you
select the 3rd range, the transmission will
shif t down between the 3rd and 1st
gears.)
• Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
5-22Starting and driving

When canceling the manual shif t mode
Return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion to return the transmission to the nor-
mal driving mode.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tem-
peratures with heavy loads, such as when
towing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be de-
creased automatically to reduce the
chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelera-
tor pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed
may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” (P. 2-19). This will occur even if all
electrical circuits are functioning prop-
erly. In this case, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait for 10 sec-
onds. Then push the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have the transmission checked and
repaired, if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.
Starting and driving5-23

*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. 2-20).
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
indicator 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
blinking, the vehicle may move
unexpectedly.
Starting and driving5-111

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 system
shif ts or engages. This is not abnormal.
CAUTION
•
When driving straight, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to the 2WD or 4H position.
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 en-
gine 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