2023 NISSAN FRONTIER manual transmission

4WD MODE SHIFTING
This message appears when the vehicle
is shif ting into 4WD. For additional infor-
mation, see “Using 4–wheel drive (4WD)”
(P. 5-109).
AT (Automatic
Transmission) CHECK
If the service warning appears while the
engine is running, or while driving, it may
indicate that the AT is not functioning prop-
erly and may need servicing. Have the sys-
tem checked, and if necessary, repaired
promptly. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
AT (Automatic Transmission) Error:
See Owner’s Manual
If this message appears while the engine is
running, or while driving, it may indicate
that the AT is not functioning properly and
may need servicing. Have the system
checked, and if necessary, repaired
promptly. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Service AT
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
climbing steep grades in high tempera-tures with heavy loads, such as when tow-
ing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be
decreased 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 reduced.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode operation occurs, vehicle
speed may be gradually reduced. The
reduced speed may be lower than
other traffic, which could increase the
chance of a collision. Be especially
careful when driving. If necessary, pull
to the side of the road at a safe place
and allow the transmission to return to
normal operation; or have it repaired if
necessary.
Blind Spot Warning (BSW)/
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(RCTA) indicator
This indicator appears when the BSW and
RCTA systems are engaged.
For additional information, see “Blind Spot
Warning (BSW)” (P. 5-32) and “Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA)” (P. 5-42).
Cruise control indicator
This indicator shows the cruise control sys-
tem status.
For additional information, see “Cruise con-
trol” (P. 5-50).
Currently unavailable
This message may appear when the Intel-
ligent Cruise Control (ICC) system is en-
gaged. Under the following conditions, the
ICC system is automatically cancelled:
• When the VDC operates.
• When a wheel slips.
• When the VDC system is turned off.
The above system cannot be used in some
situations (VDC operates, wheel slips, and
VDC system is off ).
Driver Attention Alert —
Malfunction
This warning appears when the Intelligent
Driver Alertness (I-DA) system is not func-
tioning properly. For additional information,
see “Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA)”
(P. 5-104).
Instruments and controls2-37

2. From the outside, pull the door handle
OAtoward you.3. Open the door to the desired position.AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS
• All doors lock automatically when the ve-
hicle speed reaches 15 mph (24 km/h).
• All doors unlock automatically when the transmission is placed in the P (Park) po-
sition on automatic transmission
equipped vehicles, or when the ignition is
placed in the OFF position on manual
transmission equipped vehicles.
CHILD SAFETY REAR DOOR LOCK
(if so equipped)
Child safety locks help prevent the rear
doors from being opened accidentally,
especially when small children are in the
vehicle.
The child safety lock levers are located on
the edge of the rear doors.
When the lever is in the LOCK position,
the door can be opened only from the
outside.
LPD3300WPD0313LPD3380
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-7

•Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure all cargo so it
will not be thrown forward and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
• To avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacity of the roof rack (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the cargo
area as far forward and as low as
possible. Do not equip the vehicle
with tires larger than specified in this
manual. This could cause your ve-
hicle to roll over.
• Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could move
suddenly and injure your hands. In-
stead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
• Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
• Always drive with the floor mats (if so
equipped) in place as the floor may
become hot. •
Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your NISSAN is more
affected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
• Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with 4WD engaged (if so equipped).
• 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.
• Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
• If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN 4WD vehicle has
a higher center of gravity than a pas-
senger car. The vehicle is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly could
result in loss of control and/or a roll-
over accident.
5-12Starting and driving

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

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

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

For additional information, see “Flat towing —
4WD with automatic transmission ” (P. 10-40)
or “Flat towing — 2WD with automatic trans-
mission” (P. 10-40).
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends towing your vehicle
based upon the type of drivetrain. For addi-
tional information, refer to the diagrams in
this section to ensure that your vehicle is
properly towed.
Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) models
with automatic transmission
NISSAN recommends that towing dollies
be used when towing your vehicle or place
the vehicle on a flatbed truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
Never tow 4WD models equipped with
an automatic transmission with any of
the wheels on the ground as this may
cause serious and expensive damage
to the transfer case and transmission.
NOTE:
If the battery is completely drained the
transmission will not manually shif t to
other positions.
LCE2141
In case of emergency6-15

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