INFINITI G35 2006 Owners Manual
Page 321 of 344
tire assembly. This weight does not
include passengers and cargo.
O GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) - curb
weight plus the combined weight of
passengers and cargo.
O GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)
- maximum total combined weight of
the unloaded vehicle, passengers,
luggage, hitch, trailer tongue load
and any other optional equipment.
This information is located on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. label.
O GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) -
maximum weight (load) limit speci-
fied for the front or rear axle. This
information is located on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. label.
O GCWR (Gross Combined Weight
Rating) - maximum total weight
rating of the vehicle, passengers,
cargo and trailer. O Vehicle Capacity Weight, Load limit,
Total load capacity - maximum total
weight limit specified of the load
(passengers and cargo) for the ve-
hicle. This is the maximum com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo that can be loaded into the ve-
hicle. If the vehicle is used to tow a
trailer, the trailer tongue weight
must be included as part of the
cargo load. This information is lo-
cated on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label.
O Cargo capacity - permissible weight
of cargo, the subtracted weight of
occupants from the load limit. VEHICLE LOAD CAPACITY Do not exceed the load limit of your ve-
hicle shown as ªThe combined weight
of occupants and cargoº on the Tire and
Loading Information label. Do not ex-
ceed the number of occupants shown
as ªSeating Capacityº on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
To get ªthe combined weight of occu-
pants and cargoº, add the weight of all
occupants, then add the total luggage
weight to the value. Examples are
shown in the following illustration.
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Steps for determining correct load
limit 1. Locate the statement ªThe combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX kg or XXX
lbsº on your vehicle's placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kg
or XXX lbs.
4. The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage
load capacity. For example, if the
XXX amount equals 1,400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb. passengers
in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load ca-
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400 þ 750 (5 x
150) = 650 lbs.) or (640 þ 340 (5 x
70) = 300 kg.)
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on STI0445
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the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity of your vehicle.
Before driving a loaded vehicle, confirm
that you do not exceed the Gross Ve-
hicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
your vehicle. See ``Measurement of
Weights'' later in this section.
Also check tires for proper inflation
pressures. See the Tire and Loading In-
formation label.
LOADING TIPS
O The GVW must not exceed GVWR or
GAWR as specified on the F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification
label.
O Do not load the front and rear axle
to the GAWR. Doing so will exceed
the GVWR.
WARNINGO Properly secure all cargo with
ropes or straps to help prevent it
from sliding or shifting. Do not
place cargo higher than the seat-
backs. In a sudden stop or colli-
sion, unsecured cargo could cause
personal injury.
O Do not load your vehicle any
heavier than the GVWR or the
maximum front and rear GAWRs. If
you do, parts of your vehicle can
break, tire damage could occur, or
it can change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss
of control and cause personal
injury. O Overloading not only can shorten
the life of your vehicle and the tire,
but can also cause unsafe vehicle
handling and longer braking dis-
tances. This may cause a prema-
ture tire failure which could result
in a serious accident and personal
injury. Failures caused by over-
loading are not covered by the ve-
hicle's warranty.
MEASUREMENT OF WEIGHTS
Secure loose items to prevent weight
shifts that could affect the balance of
your vehicle. When the vehicle is
loaded, drive to a scale and weigh the
front and the rear wheels separately to
determine axle loads. Individual axle
loads should not exceed either of the
gross axle weight ratings (GAWR). The
total of the axle loads should not ex-
ceed the gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR). These ratings are given on the
vehicle certification label. If weight rat-
ings are exceeded, move or remove
items to bring all weights below the rat-
ings. Technical and consumer information
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WARNINGOverloading or improper loading of a trailer
and its cargo can adversely affect vehicle
handling, braking and performance and may
lead to accidents.
CAUTIONO Do not tow a trailer or haul a heavy load
for the first 500 miles (800 km). Your engine, axle or other parts could be
damaged.
O For the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, do not drive over 50 mph
(80 km/h) and do not make starts at full
throttle. This helps the engine and other
parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
Your new vehicle was designed to be
used primarily to carry passengers and
cargo. Remember that towing a trailer will
place additional loads on a vehicle's en-
gine, drive train, steering, braking and
other systems.
An INFINITI Towing Guide (U.S. only) is
available on the website at
www. infiniti.com. This guide includes in-
formation on trailer towing capability and
the special equipment required for proper
towing.
MAXIMUM LOAD LIMITS
Maximum trailer loads Never allow the total trailer load to ex-
ceed the value specified in the Towing
Load/Specification Chart found later in this section. The total trailer load equals
trailer weight plus its cargo weight.
Towing loads greater than specified or us-
ing improper towing equipment could ad-
versely affect vehicle handling, braking
and performance. The ability of a vehicle
to tow a trailer is not only related to the
maximum trailer loads, but also the
places you plan to tow. Tow weights ap-
propriate for level highway driving may
have to be reduced on very steep grades
or in low traction situations (for example,
on slippery boat ramps).
CAUTION Vehicle damage resulting from improper
towing procedures are not covered by
INFINITI warranties.
Tongue load Keep the tongue load between 9 and 11%
of the total trailer load within the
maximum tongue load limits shown in the
following Towing Load/Specification
Chart. If the tongue load becomes exces-
sive, rearrange cargo to allow for proper
tongue load.TI1011M
TOWING A TRAILER
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Maximum gross vehicle weight/
maximum gross axle weight The gross vehicle weight of the towing ve-
hicle must not exceed the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) shown on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label.
The gross vehicle weight equals the com-
bined weight of the unloaded vehicle,
passengers, luggage, hitch, trailer tongue
load and any other optional equipment. In
addition, front or rear gross axle weight
must not exceed GAWR shown on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label. TOWING LOAD/SPECIFICATION
CHART TOWING LOAD/SPECIFICATION CHART
Unit: lb (kg)
MAXIMUM
TOWING LOAD 1,000 (454)
MAXIMUM
TONGUE LOAD 100 (45.4)
TOWING SAFETY
Trailer hitch Choose a proper hitch for a vehicle and
trailer. Make sure the trailer hitch is se-
curely attached to the vehicle, to help
avoid personal injury or property damage
due to sway caused by crosswinds, rough
road surfaces or passing trucks.
Hitch ball Choose a hitch ball of the proper size and
weight rating for a trailer:
O The required hitch ball size is stamped
on most trailer couplers. Most hitch
balls also have the size printed on top
of the ball. O Choose the proper class hitch ball
based on the trailer weight.
O The diameter of the threaded shank of
the hitch ball must be matched to the
ball mount hole diameter. The hitch
ball shank should be no more than
1/16 0 smaller than the hole in the ball
mount.
O The threaded shank of the hitch ball
must be long enough to be properly
secured to the ball mount. There
should be at least 2 threads showing
beyond the lock washer and nut.
Class I hitch Class I trailer hitch equipment (receiver,
ball mount and hitch ball) can be used to
tow trailers of a maximum weight of
2,000 lb (909 kg).
You may add Class I trailer hitch equip-
ment to the vehicle that has a 2,000 lb
(909 kg) maximum weight rating, but your
vehicle is only capable of towing the
maximum trailer weights shown in the
Towing Load/Specification Chart earlier in
this section.TI1012M
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CAUTIONO Do not use axle-mounted hitches.
O The hitch should not be attached to or af-
fect the operation of the impact-
absorbing bumper.
O Do not modify the vehicle exhaust
system, brake system, etc. to install a
trailer hitch.
O To reduce the possibility of additional
damage if your vehicle is struck from the
rear, where practical, remove the hitch
and/or receiver when not in use.
O After the hitch is removed, seal the bolt
holes to prevent exhaust fumes, water or
dust from entering the passenger com-
partment.
O Regularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely mounted. Tire pressures
O When towing a trailer, inflate the ve-
hicle tires to the recommended cold
tire pressure indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
O Trailer tire condition, size, load
rating and proper inflation pressure
should be in accordance with the
trailer and tire manufacturers' speci-
fications.
Safety chains Always use a suitable 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. Be sure to leave enough
slack in the chains to permit turning cor-
ners.
Trailer lights
CAUTION When splicing into the vehicle electrical sys-
tem, 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, stoplight 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
requirements 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, contact an
INFINITI dealer or reputable trailer dealer.
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
properly installed.
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WARNINGNever connect a trailer brake system directly
to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips O 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, over-
load, worn suspension or other pos-
sible causes of either condition.
O Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shifts while driving.
O Load the trailer so approximately 60%
of the trailer load is in the front half
and 40% is in the back half.
O Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure,
vehicle tire pressure, trailer light op-
eration, and trailer wheel lug nuts
every time you attach a trailer to the
vehicle.
O Be certain your rear view mirrors con-
form to all federal, state or local regula- tions. If not, install any mirrors required
for towing before driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tips In order to gain skill and an under-
standing of the vehicle's behavior, you
should practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area which is free from
traffic. Steering stability, and braking per-
formance will be somewhat different than
under normal driving conditions.
O Always secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shift while driving.
O Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or
stops.
O Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
O Always drive your vehicle at a mod-
erate speed. Some states or provinces
have specific speed limits for vehicles
that are towing trailers. Obey the local
speed limits.
O 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 backing up. O Always block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if
you must do so, and if your vehicle is
equipped with automatic transmission,
first apply the parking brake and block
the wheels, and then move the transmis-
sion selector lever into the P (Park) posi-
tion. If you move the selector lever to
the P (Park) position before applying the
parking brake and blocking the wheels,
transmission damage could occur.
O When going down a hill, shift into a
lower gear and use the engine braking
effect. When going up a long grade,
downshift the transmission to a lower
gear and reduce speed to reduce
chances of engine overloading and/or
overheating.
However, for long steep grades, do
not stay in 1st or 2nd gear when
driving above 35 MPH (56 km/h).
O If the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature when the air
conditioning system is on, turn off the
air conditioner. Coolant heat can be
additionally vented by opening the
windows, switching the fan control to
high and setting the temperature con-
trol to the HOT position.
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O Trailer towing requires more fuel than
normal circumstances.
O Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500
miles (800 km).
O Have your vehicle serviced more often
than at intervals specified in the rec-
ommended maintenance schedule in
the INFINITI Service and Maintenance
Guide.
O 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.
O Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When
being passed by larger vehicles, be
prepared for possible changes in
crosswinds that could affect vehicle
handling. If swaying does occur, firmly
grip the steering wheel, steer straight
ahead, and immediately (but gradu-
ally) reduce vehicle speed. This combi-
nation will help stabilize the vehicle.
Never increase speed. O 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.
O To maintain engine braking efficiency
and electrical charging performance,
do not use sixth gear (manual trans-
mission) or fifth position (automatic
transmission).
O Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This could
cause the brakes to overheat, re-
sulting in reduced braking efficiency.
O Increase your following distance to al-
low for greater stopping distances
while towing a trailer. Anticipate stops
and brake gradually.
O Do not use cruise control while towing
a trailer.
O Check your hitch, trailer wiring har-
ness connections, and trailer wheel
lug nuts after 50 miles (80 km) of
travel and at every break.
O When stopped in traffic for long pe-
riods of time in hot weather, put the
vehicle in the P (Park) position. When towing a trailer, transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently.
For additional information, see the ª8.
Maintenance and do-it-yourselfº section
earlier in this manual.
FLAT TOWING Towing your vehicle with all four wheels
on the ground is sometimes called flat
towing. This method is sometimes used
when towing a vehicle behind a recre-
ational vehicle, such as a motor home.
CAUTION O Failure to follow these guidelines can re-
sult in severe transmission damage.
O Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
O DO NOT tow any automatic transmission
vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground (flat towing). Doing so WILL
DAMAGE internal transmission parts due
to lack of transmission lubrication.
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O For emergency towing procedures refer
to ªTowing recommended by INFINITIº in
the ª6. In case of emergencyº section of
this manual.
Automatic transmission To tow a vehicle equipped with an auto-
matic transmission, an appropriate ve-
hicle dolly MUST be placed under the
towed vehicle's drive wheels. Always
follow the dolly manufacturer's recom-
mendations when using their product.
Manual transmission O Always tow with the manual transmis-
sion in Neutral.
O After towing 500 miles, start and idle
the engine with the transmission in
Neutral for two minutes. Failure to idle
the engine after every 500 miles of
towing may cause damage to the
transmission's internal parts. 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 example, 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 de-
pends upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart signifi-
cantly from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices and dif-
ferences in road characteristics and cli-
mate.
Traction AA, A, B and C The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
WARNING The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction char-
acteristics.
Temperature A, B and C The temperature grades A (the highest),
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 temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade C corre-
sponds to a level of performance which
all passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Safety Standard No.UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
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109. Grades B and A represent higher lev-
els of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
WARNINGThe temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, under-
inflation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause heat
build-up and possible tire failure. Your INFINITI is covered by the following
emission warranties.
For US:
O Emission Defects Warranty
O Emissions Performance Warranty
(See Warranty Information Booklet for
details.)
For Canada:
Emission Control System Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found
with other vehicle warranties in your War-
ranty Information Booklet (Warranty and
Roadside Assistance Information (Canada
only)) that comes with your INFINITI. If you
did not receive a Warranty Information
Booklet (Warranty and Roadside Assis-
tance Information (Canada only)), or it has
become lost, you may obtain a replace-
ment by writing to:
O INFINITI Division
Nissan North America, Inc.
Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 47038, Gardena, CA 90247-
6838
O Nissan Canada Inc.
5290 Orbitor Drive
Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4Z5 If you believe that your vehicle has a
defect which could cause a crash or
could cause injury or death, you should
immediately inform the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying
INFINITI.
If
NHTSA receives similar complaints, it
may open an investigation, and if it
finds that a safety defect exists in a
group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in indi-
vidual problems between you, your
dealer, or INFINITI.
To contact
NHTSA , you may call the Ve-
hicle Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-
327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153): go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write to:
Administrator,
NHTSA , 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
You can also obtain other information
about motor vehicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov.
You may notify INFINITI by contacting
our Consumer Affairs Department, toll-
free, at 1-800-662-6200.EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM WARRANTY REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS (US only)
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