person is significantly more likely to be
injured or killed than a person properly
wearing a seat belt.
ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly high-
er rollover rate than other types of
vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than
passenger cars to make them capable of
performing in a variety of on-pavement
and off-road applications. This gives them
a higher center of gravity than ordinary
cars. An advantage of higher ground
clearance is a better view of the road,
allowing you to anticipate problems.
However, they are not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as conven-
tional passenger cars any more than low-
slung sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions. If
at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, particularly at high speeds. As
with other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control or vehicle rollover. Seat
belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers. In a rollover crash,
an unbelted or improperly belted person
is significantly more likely to be injured or
killed than a person properly wearing a
seat belt.Be sure to read “Driving safety precau-
tions” (P.5-10).
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
If the right side or left side wheels leave
the road surface, maintain control of the
vehicle by following the procedure below.
Please note that this procedure is only a
general guide. The vehicle must be driven
as appropriate based on the conditions of
the vehicle, road and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering
wheel with both hands and try to hold
a straight course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow
the vehicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while the
vehicle speed is reduced. Do not
attempt to drive the vehicle back onto
the road surface until vehicle speed is
reduced.
6. When it is safe to do so, gradually turn the steering wheel until both tires
return to the road surface. When all
tires are on the road surface, steer the
vehicle to stay in the appropriate
driving lane.
.If you decide that it is not safe toreturn the vehicle to the road sur-
face based on vehicle, road or
traffic conditions, gradually slow
the vehicle to a stop in a safe place
off the road.
RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS
Rapid air pressure loss or a “blow-out” can
occur if the tire is punctured or is
damaged due to hitting a curb or pothole.
Rapid air pressure loss can also be caused
by driving on under-inflated tires.
Rapid air pressure loss can affect the
handling and stability of the vehicle,
especially at highway speeds.
Help prevent rapid air pressure loss by
maintaining the correct air pressure and
visually inspect the tires for wear and
damage. See “Wheels and tires” (P.8-29) of
this manual.
If a tire rapidly loses air pressure or
“blows-out” while driving, maintain con-
trol of the vehicle by following the proce-
dure below. Please note that this
procedure is only a general guide. The
vehicle must be driven as appropriate
based on the conditions of the vehicle,
road and traffic.
Starting and driving5-9
5-10Starting and driving
WARNING
The following actions can increase
the chance of losing control of the
vehicle if there is a sudden loss of tire
air pressure. Losing control of the
vehicle may cause a collision and
result in personal injury.
.The vehicle generally moves or
pulls in the direction of the flat
tire.
. Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
. Do not rapidly release the accel-
erator pedal.
. Do not rapidly turn the steering
wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and try to hold
a straight course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow
the vehicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe location off the road and away from
traffic if possible. 5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gra-
dually stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and either contact a roadside emer-
gency service to change the tire or see
“Changing a flat tire (models with
spare tire)” (P.6-4) of this Owner’s
Manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of
alcohol or drugs. Alcohol in the
bloodstream reduces coordination,
delays reaction time and impairs
judgement. Driving after drinking
alcohol increases the likelihood of
being involved in an accident injuring
yourself and others. Additionally, if
you are injured in an accident, alco-
hol can increase the severity of the
injury.
NISSAN is committed to safe driving.
However, you must choose not to drive
under the influence of alcohol. Every year
thousands of people are injured or killed
in alcohol-related accidents. Although the
local laws vary on what is considered to be legally intoxicated, the fact is that
alcohol affects all people differently and
most people underestimate the effects of
alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don’t
mix! And that is true for drugs, too (over-
the-counter, prescription, and illegal
drugs). Don’t drive if your ability to oper-
ate your vehicle is impaired by alcohol,
drugs, or some other physical condition.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your vehicle is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving
in deep water or mud as your vehicle is
mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a
conventional off-road vehicle.
Remember that Two-Wheel Drive (2WD)
models are less capable than All-Wheel
Drive (AWD) models for rough road driving
and extrication when stuck in deep snow,
mud, or the like.
Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
.
Drive carefully when off the road
and avoid dangerous areas. Every
person who drives or rides in this
vehicle should be seated with
their seat belt fastened. This will
keep you and your passengers in
position when driving over rough
terrain.
. Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-
road vehicles can tip over side-
ways much more easily than they
can forward or backward.
. Many hills are too steep for any
vehicle. If you drive up them, you
may stall. If you drive down them,
you may not be able to control
your speed. If you drive across
them, you may roll over.
. Do not shift ranges while driving
on downhill grades as this could
cause loss of control of the vehi-
cle.
. Stay alert when driving to the top
of a hill. At the top there could be
a drop-off or other hazard that
could cause an accident.
. If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around.
Your vehicle could tip or roll over.
Always back straight down in R
(Reverse) range. Never back down
in N (Neutral), using only the
brake, as this could cause loss of control.
. Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to over-
heat and fade, resulting in loss of
control and an accident. Apply
brakes lightly and use a low
range to control your speed.
. Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough
terrain. 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 dis-
tribute 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 man-
ual. This could cause your vehicle
to roll over.
. Do not grip the inside or spokes
of the steering wheel when driv-
ing off-road. The steering wheel
could move suddenly and injure
your hands. Instead drive with
your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim. .
Before operating the vehicle, en-
sure that the driver and all pas-
sengers have their seat belts
fastened.
. Always drive with the floor mats
in place as the floor may became
hot.
. Lower your speed when encoun-
tering strong crosswinds. With a
higher center of gravity, your
vehicle 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 AWD engaged.
. For AWD equipped vehicles, do
not attempt to raise two wheels
off the ground and shift the
transmission to any drive or re-
verse position with the engine
running. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel
dynamometer (such as the dy-
namometers used by some
states for emissions testing), or
Starting and driving5-11
5-12Starting and driving
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 AWD
before it is placed on a dynam-
ometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drive-
train damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground
due to an unlevel surface, do not
spin the wheel excessively (AWD
model).
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steer-
ing maneuvers or sudden braking
may cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp
turning maneuvers, particularly
at high speeds. Your vehicle has
a higher center of gravity than a
conventional passenger car. The
vehicle is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger cars.
Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover acci-
dent. .
Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial), and tread
pattern on all four wheels. Install
traction devices on the front
wheels when driving on slippery
roads and drive carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes im-
mediately after driving in mud or
water. See “Brake system” (P.5-
129) for wet brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on
steep hills. If you get out of the
vehicle and it rolls forward, back-
ward or sideways, you could be
injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as
deep as the wheel hub, more
frequent maintenance may be
required. See the maintenance
schedule shown in the “9. Main-
tenance and schedules” section.
. Spinning the front wheels on
slippery surfaces may cause the
AWD warning message to display
and the AWD system to automa-
tically switch from the AWD mode
to the 2WD mode. This could
reduce traction. (AWD models)WARNING
Never remove the key or place the
ignition switch in the LOCK position
while driving. The steering wheel will
lock and could cause the driver to
lose control of the vehicle. This could
result in serious vehicle damage or
personal injury.
IGNITION SWITCH (models without
Intelligent Key system)
M1 (1st):
Use this position when climbing steep
hills slowly or driving slowly through deep
snow, sand or mud, or for maximum
engine braking on steep downhill grades.
.Remember not to drive at high speeds
for extended periods of time in lower
than M7 range. This reduces fuel
economy.
. In the manual shift mode, the trans-
mission may not shift to the se-
lected range. This helps maintain
driving performance and reduces
the chance of vehicle damage or
loss of control.
. In the manual shift mode, the trans-
mission automatically shifts down
to 1st gear before the vehicle comes
to a stop. When accelerating again, it
is necessary to shift up to the
desired range.
. When the CVT fluid temperature is
extremely low, the manual shift mode
may not work and automatically shift
as a drive mode. This is not a mal-
function. In this case, return the shift
lever to the D (Drive) position and drive
for a while and then shift to the
manual shift mode.
. When the CVT fluid temperature is
high, the shift range may upshift at a
lower engine speed than usual. This is not a malfunction.Accelerator downshift — In D posi-
tion —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress
the accelerator pedal to the floor. This
shifts 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
temperature becomes too high (for ex-
ample, when climbing steep grades in
high temperature with heavy loads), en-
gine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will be decreased automa-
tically to reduce the chance of transmis-
sion damage. Vehicle speed can be
controlled with the accelerator 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 MIL may illuminate to indicate the
fail-safe mode is activated. (See “Mal-
function Indicator Light (MIL)” (P.2-16).)
This will occur even if all electricalcircuits are functioning properly. In this
case, place the ignition switch in the
OFF position and wait for 10 seconds.
Then turn 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 con-
dition, have the transmission checked
and repaired, if necessary. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature
protection mode or fail-safe opera-
tion 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.
Starting and driving5-23
5-28Starting and driving
automatic brake hold function.
The electronic parking brake is automati-
cally released as soon as the vehicle
starts while the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
WARNING
.The electronic parking brake will
not be automatically applied
when the engine is stopped with-
out using the ignition switch (for
example, by engine stalling).
Without the vehicle stationary,
the electronic parking brake will
not be automatically applied
even if the engine is turned off
with the ignition switch.
. Before leaving the vehicle, move
the shift lever to the 1 (1st) or R
(Reverse) position and check that
the electronic parking brake in-
dicator light is illuminated to
confirm that the electronic park-
ing brake is applied. The electro-
nic parking brake indicator light
will remain on for a period of time
after the driver’s door is locked.
CAUTION
When parking in an area where the
outside temperature is below 32°F
(0°C), do not apply the parking brake
to prevent it from freezing.
For safe parking, place the shift lever
in the 1 (1st) or R (Reverse) position
and securely block the wheels.
NOTE:
. To keep the electronic parking brake
released after the engine is turned
off, place the ignition switch in the
OFF position, depress the brake
pedal and push down the parking
brake switch before opening the
driver’s door.
. If a malfunction occurs in the elec-
tronic parking brake system (for
example, due to battery discharge),
it is recommended to contact a
NISSAN dealer.
. If the shift lever is moved to the P
(Park) position when the brake force
is maintained by the automatic
brake hold function, the electronic
parking brake will apply automati-
cally. .
If the driver’s seat belt is unfastened
when the brake force is maintained
by the automatic brake hold func-
tion, the electronic parking brake
will apply automatically.
. If the ignition switch is placed in the
OFF position when the brake force is
maintained by the automatic brake
hold function, the electronic parking
brake will apply automatically.
Manual operation
The electronic parking brake will not be
automatically applied if the engine is
stopped without using the ignition switch
(for example, by engine stalling). In such a
case, you have to apply the parking brake
manually.
To apply: Pull the switch up
. The
indicator lightwill illuminate.
To release: With the ignition switch in the
ON position, depress the brake pedal and
push the switch down
. The indicator
lightwill turn off.
Before driving, check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light
goes
out. For additional information, see
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audi-
ble reminders” (P.2-10).
5-36Starting and driving
JVS1087X
LDW indicator (on the vehicle information
display)
Steering-wheel-mounted controls (left
side)
Vehicle information display
LDW SYSTEM OPERATION
The LDW system operates at speeds of
approximately 37 MPH (60 km/h) and
above and when the lane markings are
clear. When the vehicle approaches either
the left or the right side of the traveling
lane, a warning chime will sound and theLDW indicator on the vehicle information
display will blink to alert the driver.
The warning function will stop when the
vehicle returns inside of the lane markers.
JVS1088X
Vehicle information displaySteering-wheel-mounted controls (left
side)
HOW TO ENABLE/DISABLE THE LDW
SYSTEM
Perform the following steps to enable or
disable the LDW system.1. Press the
button until “Set-
tings” appears in the vehicle informa-
tion display and then press “OK”
button. Use the
button to select
“Driver Assistance”. Then press the
“OK” button. 2. Select “Driving Aids” and press the “OK”
button.
3. Use the
buttons to navigate in the
menu and use the “OK” button to
select or change an item:
.Select “Lane (LDW)” and press the “OK” button.
Use the “OK” button to check/
uncheck the box for “Warning”.
NOTE:
If you disable the LDW system, the
system will remain disabled the next
time you start the vehicle’s engine.
LDW SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limita-
tions for the LDW system. Failure to
follow the warnings and instructions
for proper use of the LDW system
could result in serious injury or
death.
. The system will not operate at
speeds below approximately 37
MPH (60 km/h) or if it cannot
detect lane markers.
. Excessive noise will interfere with
the warning chime sound, and
the chime may not be heard.
Starting and driving5-37