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
When planning to drive your NISSAN ve-
hicle in another country,you should first
find out if the fuel available is suitable for
your vehicle's engine.
Using fuel with an octane rating that is too
low may cause engine damage. All gaso-
line vehicles must be operated with un-
leaded gasoline. Therefore, avoid taking
your vehicle to areas where appropriate
fuel is not available.
When transferring the registration of
your vehicle to another country, state,
province or district, it may be necessary
to modif y the vehicle to meet local laws
and regulations.
The laws and regulations for motor vehicle
emission control and safety standards
vary according to the country, state, prov-
ince or district; therefore, vehicle specifica-
tions may differ.
When any vehicle is to be taken into an-
other country, state, province or district
and registered, its modifications, trans-
portation and registration are the re-
sponsibility of the user. NISSAN is not
responsible for any inconvenience that
may result.
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
(VIN) PLATE
The VIN plate is attached as shown. This
number is the identification for your vehicle
and is used in the vehicle registration.
ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER
The number is stamped on the engine as
shown.
LTI0085LTI2495
3.8L 6 cylinder (VQ38DD engine model)
WHEN TRAVELING OR REGISTERING
IN ANOTHER COUNTRY VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION
10-12Technical and consumer information
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. 6-13).
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from im-
proper towing procedures is not cov-
ered by NISSAN warranties.
Tongue load
When using a weight carrying or a weight
distributing hitch, keep the tongue load be-
tween 10 - 15% of the total trailer load or use
the trailer tongue load specified by the
trailer manufacturer. The tongue load
must be within the maximum tongue load
limits shown in the following “Towing Load/
Specification” chart. If the tongue load be-
comes excessive, rearrange cargo to allow
for proper tongue load.
WTI0160
10-28Technical and consumer information
• 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
DOT (Department of Transportation) Qual-
ity Grades: All passenger car tires must
conform to federal safety requirements in
addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlledconditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction
performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include ac-
celeration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.
Temperature A, B and C
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat, and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the mini-
mum required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, under-inflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combi-
nation, can cause heat build-up and
possible tire failure.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
Technical and consumer information10-41