shift NISSAN FRONTIER 2010 Owner´s Manual

Pre-towing tips
cBe 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,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cKeep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
cLoad the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.
cCheck your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and
trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a
trailer to the vehicle.
cBe certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
c
Determine the overall height of the vehicle and
trailer so the required clearance is known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding 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 perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cLock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadvert-
ently becoming unlatched.
cAvoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
cAvoid sharp turns or lane changes.
cAlways drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
cWhen 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.
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 shift selector 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. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly
release the brake pedal until the blocks ab-
sorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park) .
6. Make sure the
indicator light (if so
equipped) indicates the transfer case is in
4H, 4L, or 2H and that the ATP light is off. If
the
indicator light is flashing, or the
ATP light is ON, make sure the transmission
is in P (Park) (AT) and turn the 4WD switch
to 2WD or 4H. See “Automatic transmission
park warning light” in the “Instruments and
controls” section and “Using four wheel
drive (4WD)” in the “Starting and driving”
section.
7. Turn off the engine.
Technical and consumer information9-33

To drive away:
1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift 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.
cWhile going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and shift to a lower gear. Avoid long or
repeated use of the brakes when descend-
ing a hill, as this reduces their effectiveness
and could cause overheating. Shifting to a
lower gear instead provides “engine brak-
ing” and reduces the need to brake as fre-
quently.
cIf the engine coolant temperature rises to a
high temperature, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this owner’s manual.
cTrailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.cAvoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
cFor the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
cHave your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
cWhen 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.
cCrosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to
allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions allow.
This combination will help stabilize the ve-
hicle
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering or
applying the brakes.2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the
brakes and pull to the side of the road in a
safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is bal-
anced as described earlier in this section.
cBe careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember, the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
cDownshift the transmission to a lower gear
for engine braking when driving down steep
or long hills. This will help slow the vehicle
without applying the brakes.
cAvoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
cIncrease your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
cNISSAN recommends that the cruise con-
trol not be used while towing a trailer.
9-34Technical and consumer information

WARNING
Always drive the vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner according to traffic con-
ditions and obey all traffic laws.
1. Start the engine when the engine coolant
temperature gauge needle points to C. Al-
low the engine to idle until the gauge needle
points between the C and H (normal oper-
ating temperature) .
2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88
km/h) , then quickly release the accelerator
pedal completely and keep it released for at
least 10 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for a
moment, then drive the vehicle at a speed of
53 - 60 MPH (86 - 96 km/h) for at least 9
minutes.
4. Stop the vehicle.
5. Accelerate the vehicle to 35 MPH (55 km/h)
and maintain the speed for 20 seconds.
6. Repeat steps 4 through 5 at least 10 times.
7. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h)
and maintain the speed for at least 3 min-
utes.
8. Stop the vehicle. Place the shift selector in
the P (Park) or N (Neutral) position.9. Turn the engine off.
10. Repeat steps1-8atleast one more time.
If steps 1 through 7 are interrupted, repeat the
preceding step. Any safe driving mode is accept-
able between steps. Do not stop the engine until
step 7 is completed.This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re-
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa-
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand-
ing how a vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
cHow various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
cWhether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
cHow far (if at all) the driver was depressing
the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
cHow fast the vehicle was traveling.
cSounds are not recorded.
These data can help provide a better understand-
ing of the circumstances in which crashes and
injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by
your vehicle only if a nontrivial crash situation
occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no personal data
(e.g. name, gender, age and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with
the type of personally identifying data routinely
acquired during a crash investigation.
EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
9-38Technical and consumer information

Recorders
Event data..................9-38
Refrigerant recommendation...........9-7
Registering your vehicle in another country . .9-10
Remote keyless entry system...........3-6
Reporting safety defects (US only).......9-37
Roof rack.....................2-44
S
Safety
Child safety rear door lock..........3-6
Child seat belts.....1-26, 1-33, 1-42, 1-52
Reporting safety defects (US only).....9-37
Seat
Jump seat...................1-5
Seat adjustment
Front manual seat adjustment........1-2
Front power seat adjustment.........1-4
Seat belt
Child safety..................1-24
Infants and small children..........1-25
Injured Person................1-19
Larger children................1-25
Precautions on seat belt usage.......1-16
Pregnant women...............1-19
Pre-tensioner seat belt system.......1-70
Seat belt extenders.............1-23
Seat belt maintenance............1-24
Seat belts...................1-16
Shoulder belt height adjustment......1-23
Three-point type with retractor.......1-19
Seat belt warning light..............2-18
Seatback pockets................2-42Seats
Adjustment...................1-2
Front seats...................1-2
Heated seats.................2-32
Manual front seat adjustment.........1-2
Security indicator light..............2-20
Security system (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer
system) , engine start........2-24, 3-2, 5-11
Self-adjusting brakes..............8-23
Service manual order form...........9-39
Servicing air conditioner.............4-17
Shift lock release.................5-15
Shifting
Automatic transmission...........5-13
Manual transmission.............5-17
Shoulder belt height adjustment........1-23
Side air bag system (See supplemental side air
bag, curtain and rollover air bag systems) . . .1-69
Spark plug replacement.............8-19
Speedometer...................2-4
SRS warning label................1-71
Starting
Before starting the engine..........5-12
Jump starting.................6-9
Precautions when starting and driving. . . .5-2
Push starting.................6-11
Starting the engine.............5-12
Steering
Power steering fluid.............8-13
Power steering system...........5-32
Tilting steering wheel............3-12
Steering wheel audio control switch......4-35
Stop light.....................8-30
Storage......................2-36
Storage tray................2-36, 2-38
Sun visors....................3-12Sunglasses case.................2-40
Sunroof (see Moonroof).............2-48
Supplemental air bag warning labels......1-71
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-72, 2-18
Supplemental front impact air bag system . . .1-65
Supplemental restraint system
Information and warning labels.......1-71
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system....................1-57
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system).........1-57
Switch
Autolight switch...............2-27
Automatic power window switch......2-47
Clutch interlock (clutch start) switch. . . .2-35
Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system switch................2-34
Fog light switch...............2-30
Hazard warning flasher switch.......2-30
Headlight and turn signal switch......2-26
Headlight control switch..........2-26
Hill descent control switch.........2-33
Ignition switch.................5-9
Overdrive switch...............5-16
Power door lock switch............3-4
Rear window defroster switch.......2-26
Turn signal switch..............2-30
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch.....................2-32
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-25
T
Tachometer....................2-6
Tailgate latch............3-15, 3-17, 3-18
10-5