
•If engine control related parts are not
NISSAN recommended or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, both the
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
• When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked cor-
ners, the VDC system may not oper-
ate properly and the
indicator
light may flash or theindicator
light may illuminate. Do not drive on
these types of roads.
• When driving on an unstable surface
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
indicator light may
flash or theindicator light may
illuminate. This is not a malfunction.
Restart the engine af ter driving onto
a stable surface.
• If wheels or tires other than the
NISSAN recommended ones are
used, the VDC system may not oper-
ate properly and the
indicator
light may flash or theindicator
light may illuminate.
• The VDC system is not a substitute
for winter tires or tire chains on a
snow covered road.
WARNING
• Never rely solely on the hill descent
control system to control vehicle
speed when driving on steep down-
hill grades. Always drive carefully and
attentively when using the hill de-
scent control system and decelerate
the vehicle speed by depressing the
brake pedal if necessary. Be espe-
cially careful when driving on frozen,
muddy or extremely steep downhill
roads. Failure to control vehicle
speed may result in a loss of control
of the vehicle and possible serious
injury or death.
• The hill descent control may not con-
trol the vehicle speed on a hill under
all load or road conditions. Always be
prepared to depress the brake pedal
to control vehicle speed. Failure to do
so may result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
The hill descent control system helps
maintain vehicle speed when driving under
15-21 mph (25-35 km/h) on steeper down-
hill grades. Hill descent control is useful
when engine braking alone in 4H or 4L can-
not control vehicle speed. Hill descent con-
trol applies the vehicle brakes to control vehicle speed allowing the driver to con-
centrate on steering while reducing the
burden of brake and accelerator operation.
• When additional braking is required on
steep downhill roads, activate the hill de-
scent control system by pushing the
switch on. For additional information, see
“Hill descent control switch” (P. 2-54).
• Once the system is activated, the indica- tor light will remain on in the instrument
panel. For additional information, see “Hill
descent control system ON indicator
light” (P. 2-17).
If the accelerator or brake pedal is de-
pressed while the hill descent control sys-
tem is on, the system will stop operating
temporarily. As soon as the accelerator or
brake pedal is released, the hill descent
control system begins to function again if
the hill descent control operating condi-
tions are fulfilled.
For the best results, when descending
steep downhill grades, the hill descent con-
trol switch should be on and the shif t lever
in 2 (Second gear) or 1 (Low gear) for engine
braking.
HILL DESCENT CONTROL SYSTEM (if
so equipped)
Starting and driving5-123

•When the driver’s door is open.
• When the steering wheel is operated.
• When the Idling Stop System indicator
blinks at a low speed.
(When the Idling Stop System indica-
tor blinks at a high speed (twice ap-
proximately every 1 second), be sure to
check if the engine hood is open. When
the engine hood is opened the engine
will be in the normal stopped state. In
this case, restart the engine with the
ignition switch).
(When the Idling Stop System indicator
blinks at a low speed (once approxi-
mately every 2 seconds), have the sys-
tem checked, and if necessary repaired,
by a NISSAN dealer promptly).
• When the fan speed control is in any
position other than “OFF,” (0) while the
air flow control is in the front defroster
position.
• When the front defroster switch is on.
• When the rear window defroster switch
is on.
• When the temperature inside the ve-
hicle is lower than approximately 68°F
(20°C). •
When the temperature inside the ve-
hicle is higher than approximately 86°F
(30°C). (When the air conditioner is off,
the Idling Stop System will operate.)
• When the fan speed of the air condi-
tioner is set to the maximum speed.
• When the Idling Stop OFF switch is
turned on.
• When the power consumption is large.
• When the altitude is high.
• When the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
• When the shif t lever is any range other
than D (Drive).
• When the brake pedal is not firmly
depressed.
• When stopping the vehicle on steep
sloping roads.
NOTE:
The engine will not restart even if the
brake pedal is released while the Idling
Stop System is activated under the fol-
lowing conditions:
• When the engine hood is opened.
NOTE:
It may take some time until the Idling
Stop System activates under the follow-
ing conditions:
•When the battery is discharged.
• When the outside temperature is low or
high.
•
When the battery is replaced or the bat-
tery terminal is disconnected for ex-
tended periods and then reconnected.
NOTE:
When the Idling Stop System indicator
illuminates, the engine starts running
automatically under at least one of the
following conditions:
• The driver’s seat belt is unfastened, or
the driver’s door is open.
• The battery voltage becomes low (due
to electrical load from other vehicle
systems like headlights, heaters, etc.,
or auxiliary devices connected to the
12 volt socket inside the vehicle).
• The vehicle speed is above about 1 mph
(2 km/h).
• When the rear window defroster is
operated.
5-130Starting and driving

•When the temperature inside the ve-
hicle is lower than approximately 68°F
(20°C).
• When the temperature inside the ve-
hicle is higher than approximately 86°C
(30°F). (When the air conditioner is off,
the Idling Stop System will operate.)
• When the front defroster is turned on.
• When more than 3 minutes have
elapsed since the Idling Stop System
was active.
• When the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
• When the steering wheel is operated.
(The steering wheel operation may be-
come heavy, but this is not a
malfunction.)
• When the battery capacity is low.
• When the power consumption is high.
• When the shif t lever is any range other
than D (Drive).
• When the Idling Stop OFF switch is
pushed.NOTE:
The following condition will prevent the
Idling Stop System from automatically
restarting the engine. Starting the en-
gine with the ignition switch operation is
then necessary:
• The hood is open.
Use this system while waiting at a stop
light, etc. When the vehicle is stopped for
long periods of time, turn off the engine.
When the engine is stopped by the Idling
Stop System, heating, cooling and dehu-
midif ying functions will be deactivated. To
avoid the air conditioning functions from
being deactivated, turn off the Idling Stop
System by pushing the Idling Stop OFF
switch.
RETROGRADE MOVEMENT
CONTROL FUNCTION
This system is designed to reduce the ret-
rograde movement that occurs while the
driver’s foot changes from depressing the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal when
moving the vehicle while the Idling Stop
System is active on a hilly road.
IDLING STOP SYSTEM DISPLAY
The status of the Idling Stop System can be
checked in the vehicle information display.
Starting and driving5-131

TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System (TPMS). It monitors
tire pressure of all tires except the spare.
When the low tire pressure warning light is
lit, and the “Tire Pressure Low - Add Air”
warning appears in the vehicle information
display, one or more of your tires is signifi-
cantly under-inflated. If the vehicle is being
driven with low tire pressure, the TPMS will
activate and warn you of it by the low tire
pressure warning light. This system will ac-
tivate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 16 mph (25 km/h). For addi-
tional information, see “Warning lights, indi-
cator lights and audible reminders” (P. 2-11)
and “Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” (P. 5-5).
WARNING
• Radio waves could adversely affect
electric medical equipment. Those
who use a pacemaker should contact
the electric medical equipment
manufacturer for the possible influ-
ences before use. •
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, avoid sud-
den steering maneuvers or abrupt
braking, reduce vehicle speed, pull
off the road to a safe location and
stop the vehicle as soon as possible.
Driving with under-inflated tires may
permanently damage the tires and
increase the likelihood of tire failure.
Serious vehicle damage could occur
and may lead to an accident and
could result in serious personal in-
jury. Check the tire pressure for all
four tires. Adjust the tire pressure to
the recommended COLD tire pres-
sure shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label to turn the low tire
pressure warning light OFF. If the
light still illuminates while driving af-
ter adjusting the tire pressure. a tire
may be flat or the TPMS may be mal-
functioning. If you have a flat tire, re-
place it with a spare tire as soon as
possible. If no tire is flat and all tires
are properly inflated, have the ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service. •
When using a wheel without TPMS
such as the spare tire, the TPMS will
not function and the low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash for ap-
proximately 1 minute. The light will
remain on af ter 1 minute. Have your
tires replaced and/or TPMS system
reset as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for these services.
• Replacing tires with those not origi-
nally specified by NISSAN could af-
fect the proper operation of the
TPMS.
• Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pres-
sure sensors.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
FLAT TIRE
In case of emergency6-3

Two-Wheel Drive models with
automatic transmission
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (rear) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flatbed
truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
• Never tow automatic transmission
models with the rear wheels on the
ground or four wheels on the ground
(forward or backward), as this may
cause serious and expensive dam-
age to the transmission. If it is neces-
sary to tow the vehicle with the front
wheels raised always use towing dol-
lies under the rear wheels. •
When towing automatic transmis-
sion models with the front wheels on
the ground or on towing dollies:
– Place the ignition switch in the
OFF position and secure the steer-
ing wheel in a straight-ahead po-
sition with a rope or similar de-
vice. Never secure the steering
wheel by placing the ignition
switch in the LOCK position. This
may cause damage to the steer-
ing lock mechanism (for models
with a steering lock mechanism).
NOTE:
If the battery is completely drained the
transmission will not manually shif t to
other positions.
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a
stuck vehicle)
There are two options to recover a stuck
vehicle: pulling and rocking. For additional
information regarding these options,
please refer to the following sections.
LCE2311
6-16In case of emergency

Pulling a stuck vehicle
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious per-
sonal injury or death when recovering a
stuck vehicle:
• Contact a professional towing ser-
vice to recover the vehicle if you have
any questions regarding the recov-
ery procedure.
• Attach recovery devices only to main
structural members of the vehicle or
the recovery hooks (if so equipped).
• Do not use the vehicle tie-downs to
tow or free a stuck vehicle.
• Only use devices specifically de-
signed for vehicle recovery and fol-
low the manufacturer's instructions.
• Always pull the recovery device
straight out from the front of the ve-
hicle. Never pull at an angle.
• Route recovery devices so they do
not touch any part of the vehicle ex-
cept the attachment point.
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use a tow strap or other device de-
signed specifically for vehicle recovery. Al-
ways follow the manufacturer's instruc-
tions for the recovery device.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
WARNING
• Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
• Do not spin your tires at high speed.
This could cause them to explode
and result in serious injury. Parts of
your vehicle could also overheat and
be damaged.
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and lef t to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and backward.
• Shif t back and forth between R (Re- verse) and D (Drive).
• Apply the accelerator as little as pos- sible to maintain the rocking motion.
• Release the accelerator pedal before shif ting between R (Reverse) and D
(Drive). • Do not spin the tires above 34 mph
(55 km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed af ter a few tries, contact a professional towing ser-
vice to remove the vehicle.
In case of emergency6-17

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-4
Engine cooling system ..........................8-6
Checking engine coolant level ................8-7
Changing engine coolant ....................8-7
Engine oil .......................................8-8
Checking engine oil level .....................8-8
Changing engine oil and oil filter ..............8-8
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) .............8-13
Power Steering Fluid (PSF) ......................8-14
Brake fluid ...................................... 8-14
Brake fluid ................................... 8-15
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-15
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ...........8-15
Battery......................................... 8-16
Jump starting ............................... 8-18
Variable voltage control system ................8-18
Drive belt ....................................... 8-19
Spark plugs .................................... 8-19
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-19Air cleaner
..................................... 8-20
In-cabin microfilter .......................... 8-20
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-21
Cleaning .................................... 8-21
Replacing ................................... 8-21
Brakes ......................................... 8-22
Fuses .......................................... 8-23
Engine compartment .......................8-24
Passenger compartment ...................8-25
Battery replacement ........................... 8-26
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-26
Lights .......................................... 8-28
Headlights .................................. 8-28
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-28
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-29
Wheels and tires ............................... 8-32
Tire pressure ................................ 8-32
Tire labeling ................................. 8-36
T
ypes of tires ................................ 8-39
Tire chains .................................. 8-40
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-41

Brake pedal:Check the pedal for smooth
operation. If the brake pedal suddenly goes
down further than normal, the pedal feels
spongy or the vehicle seems to take longer
to stop, have your vehicle checked imme-
diately. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service. Keep the
floor mat away from the pedal.
Brakes: Check that the brakes do not pull
the vehicle to one side when applied.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake
operation regularly. The vehicle should be
securely held on a fairly steep hill with only
the parking brake applied. If the parking
brake needs adjustment, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
Seats: Check seat position controls such
as seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc., to
ensure they operate smoothly and all
latches lock securely in every position.
Check that the head restraints/headrests
move up and down smoothly and the locks
(if so equipped) hold securely in all latched
positions.
Seat belts: Check that all parts of the seat
belt system (for example, buckles, anchors,
adjusters and retractors) operate properly
and smoothly, and are installed securely. Check the belt webbing for cuts, fraying,
wear or damage.
Steering wheel:
Check for changes in the
steering system, such as excessive free
play, hard steering or strange noises.
Warning lights and chimes: Make sure all
warning lights and chimes are operating
properly.
Windshield defroster: Check that the air
comes out of the defroster outlets properly
and in sufficient quantity when operating
the heater or air conditioner.
Windshield wiper and washer*: Check
that the wipers and washer operate prop-
erly and that the wipers do not streak.
Under the hood and vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should
be checked periodically (for example, each
time you check the engine oil or refuel).
Battery (for maintenance free batter-
ies)*: This vehicle is equipped with a sealed
maintenance free battery. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
service.
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. 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.
Brake fluid level*: Make sure that the fluid
level is between the MAX and MIN lines on
the reservoir.
Engine coolant level*: Check the coolant
level when the engine is cold.
Engine drive belts*: Check engine drive
belts for wear, fraying or cracking and for
proper tension. Replace any damaged
drive belts.
9-4Maintenance and schedules