2023 NISSAN FRONTIER light

Fuel containing MMT
MMT, or methylcyclopentadienyl manga-
nese tricarbonyl, is an octane boosting ad-
ditive. NISSAN does not recommend the
use of fuel containing MMT. Such fuel may
adversely affect vehicle performance, in-
cluding the emissions control system. Note
that while some fuel pumps label MMT
content, not all do, so you may have to
consult your gasoline retailer for more
details.
Af termarket fuel additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
any af termarket fuel additives (for ex-
ample, fuel injector cleaner, octane
booster, intake valve deposit removers,
etc.) which are sold commercially. Many of
these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active sol-
vents or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can
cause persistent, heavy “spark knock.”
(“Spark knock” is a metallic rapping
noise.) If severe, this can lead to engine
damage. If you detect a persistent heavy
spark knock even when using gasoline
of the stated octane rating, or if you hear
steady spark knock while holding a
steady speed on level roads, it is recom-
mended that you have a NISSAN dealer
correct the condition. Failure to correct
the condition is misuse of the vehicle, for
which NISSAN is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in
spark knock, af ter-run and/or overheating,
which may cause excessive fuel consump-
tion or engine damage. If any of the above
symptoms are encountered, have your ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for servicing.However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is not
a cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
10-6Technical and consumer information

WARNING
• Do not use axle-mounted hitches.
• Do not modif y the vehicle exhaust
system, brake system, etc. to install a
trailer hitch.
• To reduce the possibility of addi-
tional damage if your vehicle is
struck from the rear, where practical,
remove the ball mount from the re-
ceiver when not in use.
•
Regularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely mounted.
Tire pressures
• When towing a trailer, inflate the
vehicle tires to the recommended
cold tire pressure indicated on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
• Trailer tire condition, size, load rat- ing and proper inflation pressure
should be in accordance with
the trailer and tire manufacturer's
specifications.
Safety chains
Always use suitable safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. The safety
chains should be crossed and should be
attached to the hitch, not to the vehicle
bumper or axle. The safety chains can be
attached to the bumper if the hitch ball is
mounted to the bumper. Be sure to leave
enough slack in the chains to permit turn-
ing corners.
Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical
system, a commercially available power-
type module/converter must be used to
provide power for all trailer lighting. This
unit uses the vehicle battery as a direct
power source for all trailer lights while
using the vehicle tail light, stop light and
turn signal circuits as a signal source.
The module/converter must draw no
more than 15 milliamps from the stop
and tail lamp circuits. Using a module/
converter that exceeds these power re-
quirements may damage the vehicle's
electrical system. See a reputable trailer
dealer to obtain the proper equipment
and to have it installed.
Trailer lights should comply with federal
and/or local regulations. For assistance in
hooking up trailer lights, it is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer or reputable
trailer dealer. Vehicles equipped with the
optional trailer tow package are equipped
with a 7-pin trailer harness connector. A flat
4–pin harness is available from your dealer
for vehicles without a tow package. If your
trailer is equipped with a flat 4-pin connec-
tor, an adapter will be needed to connect
the trailer lights to the vehicle. Adapters are
available at auto parts stores and hitch
retailers.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to federal
and/or local regulations and that it is prop-
erly installed.
Vehicles equipped with a 7–pin trailer har-
ness connector are pre-wired for a trailer
brake controller. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for a trailer brake
adapter harness.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
10-36Technical and consumer information

When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used.However, most
states require a separate braking system
on trailers with a loaded weight above a
specific amount. Make sure the trailer
meets the local regulations and the regu-
lations where you plan to tow.
Several types of braking systems are
available.
Surge Brakes -The surge brake actuator is
mounted on the trailer tongue with a hy-
draulic line running to each trailer wheel.
Surge brakes are activated by the trailer
pushing against the hitch ball when the
tow vehicle is braking. Hydraulic surge
brakes are common on rental trailers and
some boat trailers. In this type of system,
there is no hydraulic or electric connection
for brake operation between the tow ve-
hicle and the trailer.
Electric Trailer Brakes -Electric braking
systems are activated by an electronic sig-
nal sent from a trailer brake controller (spe-
cial brake-sensing module). If electric trailer
brakes are used, see “Electric trailer brake
controller" (P. 10-37)..
Have a professional supplier of towing
equipment make sure the trailer brakes are properly installed and demonstrate proper
brake function testing.
Electric trailer brake controller
Trailers equipped with electric brakes may
require the installation of an af termarket
trailer brake controller.
A Genuine NISSAN jumper harness is avail-
able that is specifically designed to be used
when installing an af termarket brake
controller.
Install the af termarket electric trailer brake
controller according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
Pre-towing tips
• Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if
it has an abnormal nose-up or nose-
down condition; check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes of either
condition.
• Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t while driving.
• Keep the cargo load as low as possible in the trailer to keep the trailer center of
gravity low. • Load the trailer so approximately 60% of
the trailer load is in the front half and 40%
is in the back half. Also make sure the load
is balanced side to side.
• Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve- hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation,
and trailer wheel lug nuts every time you
attach a trailer to the vehicle.
• Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to 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 sta-
bility 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.
Technical and consumer information10-37

• Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
• Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
• Always drive your vehicle at a moderatespeed.
• 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 lever 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 4WD shif t indicator light (if
so equipped) indicates the transfer case
is in 4H, 4LO, or 2WD and that the ATP
light is off. If the 4WD shif t indicator light
is flashing, or the ATP light is ON, make
sure the transmission is in P (Park) and
turn the 4WD switch to 2WD or 4H. For
additional information, see “Automatic
transmission park warning light” (P. 2-13)
and “Using 4-wheel drive (4WD)” (P. 5-109).
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. • While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer 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. 6-13).
• 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.
10-38Technical and consumer information

• 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.
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
allow. 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
considerably more distance than normal
passing. Remember, the length of the
trailer must also pass the other vehicle
before you can safely change lanes. • Downshif t 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 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 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 fre-
quently. For additional information, refer
to the “Do-it-yourself ” section in this
manual.
Tow mode (if so equipped)
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.
Technical and consumer information10-39

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.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission oil/
fluid should be changed more frequently.
For additional information, see the “Do-it-
yourself ” section of this manual.
FLAT TOWING – 4WD WITH
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home, is sometimes
called flat towing.
CAUTION
• DO NOT flat tow a 4WD vehicle
equipped with an automatic trans-
mission. Flat towing or using a ve-
hicle dolly WILL DAMAGE internal
transmission parts due to lack of
lubrication.
• For emergency towing procedures,
see “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” (P. 6-15).
FLAT TOWING – 2WD WITH
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home, is sometimes
called flat towing.
CAUTION
• Failure to follow these guidelines
can result in severe transmission
damage.
• Whenever flat towing your vehicle,
always tow forward, never backward.
• DO NOT tow any automatic transmis-
sion vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground. Doing so WILL DAMAGE
internal transmission parts due to
lack of transmission lubrication.
• For emergency towing procedures,
see “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” (P. 6-15).
To tow a vehicle equipped with an auto-
matic transmission, an appropriate vehicle
dolly MUST be placed under the towed ve-
hicle’s drive wheels. Alwaysfollow the dolly
manufacturer’s recommendations when
using their product.
Automatic Transmission
To tow a vehicle equipped with an auto-
matic transmission, an appropriate vehicle
dolly MUST be placed under the towed ve-
hicle's drive wheels. Alwaysfollow the dolly
manufacturer's recommendations when
using their product.
NOTE:
If the battery is completely drained the
transmission will not manually shif t to
other positions.
10-40Technical and consumer information

You may also report safety defects
online at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/
motorvehiclesafety/menu.htm
(English speakers) or
http://www.tc.gc.ca/fra/
securiteautomobile/menu.htm
(French speakers)
Or contact Transport Canada by
mail at:
Transport Canada Motor Vehicle
Safety Investigations Laboratory
80 Noel Street Gatineau, QC J8Z0A1
Additional information concerning
motor vehicle safety may be obtained
from Transport Canada's Road Safety
Information Centre at 1-800-333-0371
or online at www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety
(English speakers) or www.tc.gc.ca/
securiteroutiere (French speakers).
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 Four-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
equipment. 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
vehicle. 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 information10-43

11 Index
4
4-Wheel Drive................5-1094WD......................5-109
A
Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS)
system....................5-120Air bag (See supplemental restraint
system).....................1-70Air bag systemFront (See supplemental front impact air
bag system)
................1-77Air bag warning labels............1-90Air bag warning light.........1-90, 2-15Air bag warning light,
supplemental..............1-90, 2-15Air cleaner housing filter..........8-20Air conditionerAir conditioner operation. . . .4-33, 4-39Air conditioner service..........4-43Air conditioner specification label. .10-14Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil
recommendations............10-8Air conditioner system refrigerant
recommendations............10-8Heater and air conditioner (automatic)
(if so equipped)..............4-38
Heater and air conditioner controls.4-39Servicing air conditioner........4-43Air flow charts................4-34Alarm system (See vehicle security
system)................... .2-39Anchor point locations............1-31Antenna....................4-44Anti-lock brake warning light.......2-13Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)......5-118Antifreeze...................5-134Autolight switch...............2-44Automatic
Automatic power window switch. . .2-76Driving with automatic transmission.5-19Automatic anti-glare inside mirror. . . .3-25Automatic door locks.............3-7Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with
Pedestrian Detection............5-81Automatic transmission fluid temperature
gauge..................... .2-8
B
Battery.................5-134, 8-16Charge warning light...........2-14Battery replacement............8-26Key fob...................8-26NISSAN Intelligent Key®.........8-26Before starting the engine.........5-17Belt (See drive belt)..............8-19
Blind Spot Warning (BSW)..........5-32Booster seats.................1-64Brake
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). . . .5-118Brake fluid.................8-14Brake light (See stop light).......8-29Brake system...............5-118Brake warning light............2-13Brake wear indicators.......2-21,8-22Parking brake operation.........5-24Self-adjusting brakes..........8-22Brake fluid...................8-14Brake system................5-118Brakes.....................8-22Break-in schedule..............5-107Brightness controlInstrument panel.............2-49Bulb check/instrument panel.......2-13Bulb replacement..............8-29
C
C.M.V.S.S. certification label........10-13Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants................10-2Car phone or CB radio...........4-44Cargo (See vehicle loading
information)................ .10-16Cargo lamp switch.............2-50Cargo light................. .2-80