transmission NISSAN MURANO 2011 Owner´s Manual
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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 vehicle.
. 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 (Neu-
tral) , using only the brake, as this
could cause loss of control.
. Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to overheat
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 passen-
gers.
. To avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacityoftheroofrack(ifso
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 speci-
fied in this manual. This could cause
your vehicle 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. Instead drive with your fin-
gers 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 in
place as the floor may became 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 AWD engaged.
. For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) , or similar equip-
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
you inform test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with
AWDbeforeitisplacedona
dynamometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle
5-8
Starting and driving
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the enginewith your foot off the
accelerator pedal by depressing the
brake pedal and pushing the push-
button ignition switch to start the engine.
If the engine starts, but fails to run,
repeat the above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, push the ignition switch
to OFF and wait 10 seconds before
cranking again, otherwise the starter
could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Do not race the
engine while warming it up. Drive at
moderate speed for a short distance first,
especially in cold weather. In cold weather,
keep the engine running for a minimum of 2 -
3 minutes before shutting it off. Starting and
stopping the engine over a short period of
time may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
5. To stop the engine, shift the selector lever to the P (Park) position and push the ignition
switch to the OFF position.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANS-
MISSION (CVT)The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
in your vehicle is electronically controlled to
produce maximum power and smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for this
transmission are shown on the following pages.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.Starting the vehicle1. After starting the engine, fully depress thefoot brake pedal before moving the selector
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This CVT is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any driving
position while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
The selector lever cannot be moved out
of the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is pushed to the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position. 2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and
move the selector lever to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal, and then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
WARNING
.Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting from P (Park)
or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse) , D
(Drive) or L (Low) position. Always
depress the brake pedal until shift-
ing is completed. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and
have an accident.
. Cold engine idle speed is high, so
use caution when shifting into a
forward or reverse gear before the
engine has warmed up.
. Never shift to P (Park) or R (Re-
verse) while vehicle is moving. Fail-
ure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
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Starting and driving
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R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Make sure the
vehicle is completely stopped before selecting
the R (Reverse) position.The brake pedal
must be depressed and the selector lever
button pushed in to move the selector
lever from P (Park) , N (Neutral) or any
driving position to R (Reverse) .
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position. You
may shift to N (Neutral) and restart a stalled
engine while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward driving.
L (Low):
Use this position for maximum engine braking on
steep downhill gradients/climbing steep slopes
and whenever approaching sharp bends. Do not
use the L position in any other circumstances.
SSD0692
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switchWhen the O/D OFF switch is pushed with the
selector lever in the D (Drive) position, theindicator light in the instrument panel illuminates.
Use the overdrive off mode when you need
improved engine braking.
To turn off the overdrive off mode, push the O/D
OFF switch again. The
indicator light will
turn off.
Each time the engine is started, or when the
selector lever is shifted to any position other
than the D (Drive) position, the overdrive off
mode will be automatically turned off.
Accelerator downshift
— In D position —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 modeThis transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperature with heavy
loads, such as when towing 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 accelerator
pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed may be
limited.Fail-safeIf the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel spin-
ning and subsequent hard braking, the
fail-safe system may be activated. The MIL
may illuminate to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. (See “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” in the “2. Instruments
and controls” section.) This will occur even
if all electrical circuits are functioning
properly. In this case, place the ignition
switch in the OFF position and wait for 10
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Starting and driving
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seconds. Then place the ignition switch
back in the ON position. The vehicle should
return to its normal operating condition. If
it does not return to its normal operating
condition, have a NISSAN dealer check the
transmission and repair if necessary.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe 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 ne-
cessary, 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.
SSD0693
Shift lock releaseIf the battery charge is low or discharged, the
selector lever may not be moved from the P
(Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the selector lever button pushed.
To move the selector lever, perform the following
procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCKposition.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock release cover
*A
using a suitable tool.
4. Push down the shift lock release
*B
using a suitable tool.
5. Push the selector lever button
*C
and move
the selector lever to the N (Neutral) position
*D
while holding down the shift lock
release.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
Replace the removed shift lock release cover
after the operation.
If the selector lever cannot be moved out of the
P (Park) position, have a NISSAN dealer check
the CVT system as soon as possible.
WARNING
If the selector lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position while the
engine is running and the brake pedal
is depressed, the stop lights may not
work. Malfunctioning stop lights could
cause an accident injuring yourself and
others.
Starting and driving
5-17
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.Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Maintain
cruising speeds with a constant accelerator
position.
. Drive at moderate speeds on the highway.
Driving at high speed lowers fuel economy.
. Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking.
Keep a safe distance behind other vehicles.
. Select a gear range suitable to road condi-
tions.
. Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
. Keep your engine tuned up.
. Follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule.
. Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure. Low tire pressure increases tire
wear and lowers fuel economy.
. Keep the wheels in correct alignment.
Improper alignment increases tire wear and
lowers fuel economy.
. Air conditioner operation lowers fuel econ-
omy. Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
. When cruising at highway speeds, it is more
economical to use the air conditioner and
leave the windows closed to reduce drag. .
Use the recommended viscosity engine oil.
(See “ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATION” in the “9. Technical
and consumer information” section.)
WARNING
.For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) or similar equip-
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
that you inform the test facility
personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using
the wrong test equipment may re-
sult in drivetrain damage or unex-
pected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (if so
equipped)
Starting and driving
5-21
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checked by a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible.
. The powertrain may be damaged if
you continue driving with the warn-
ing light blinking.
. Never drive on dry hard surface
roads in the LOCK mode, as this
will overload the powertrain and
may cause a serious malfunction.
SSD0488
WARNING
.Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
. Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be set
and the transmission placed into P
(Park) . Failure to do so could cause
the vehicle to move unexpectedly or
roll away and result in an accident.
Make sure the selector lever has
been pushed as far forward as it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
. Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
. Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could un-
knowingly activate switches or con-
trols. Unattended children could
become involved in serious acci-
dents.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) position.PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
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Starting and driving
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Do not attempt to start the engine by pushing.
CAUTION
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models cannot be push-started
or tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
CAUTION
.Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle
fire.
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radiator
cap while the engine is still hot.
When the radiator cap is removed,
pressurized hot water will spurt out,
possibly causing serious injury.
. Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading) , or if
you feel a lack of engine power, detect abnormal
noise, etc., take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the selector
lever to the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air conditioner
temperature control to maximum hot and fan
control to high speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the radiator
before opening the hood. (If steam or
coolant is escaping, turn off the engine.)
Do not open the hood further until no steam
or coolant can be seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leaking,
the water pump belt is missing or loose, or
the cooling fan does not run, stop the
engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or
the engine cooling fan. The engine
cooling fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency
6-11
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6. After the engine cools down, check thecoolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle repaired
at a NISSAN dealer. When towing your vehicle, all State (Provincial in
Canada) and local regulations for towing must
be followed. Incorrect towing equipment could
damage your vehicle. Towing instructions are
available from a NISSAN dealer. Local service
operators are familiar with the applicable laws
and procedures for towing. To assure proper
towing and to prevent accidental damage to
your vehicle, NISSAN recommends that you
have a service operator tow your vehicle. It is
advisable to have the service operator carefully
read the following precautions.
WARNING
.
Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
. Never get under your vehicle after it
has been lifted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
.When towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering system
and drivetrain are in working condi-
tion. If any unit is damaged, dollies
must be used.
. Always attach safety chains before
towing. For information about towing your vehicle behind
a recreational vehicle (RV) , see “FLAT TOW-
ING” in the “9. Technical and consumer
information” section of this manual.TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
6-12
In case of emergency
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SCE0438
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) modelsNISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flat bed truck as
illustrated.
For All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models, see “All-
Wheel Drive (AWD) models” earlier in this
section.
CAUTION
.Never tow Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) models with
the front wheels on the ground or
four wheels on the ground (forward or backward) , as this may cause
serious and expensive damage to
the drivetrain. If it is necessary to
tow the vehicle with the rear wheels
raised, always use towing dollies
under the front wheels.
. When towing CVT models with the
front wheels on towing dollies:
.
Push the ignition switch to the
ACC or ON position, and secure
the steering wheel in a straight-
ahead position with a rope or
similar device.
.
Move the selector lever to the N (Neutral) position.
. When towing a CVT model with the
rear wheels on the ground (if you do
not use towing dollies): Always
release the parking brake.
6-14
In case of emergency
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8 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Model "Z51-D" EDITED: 2010/ 7/ 23
Maintenance requirement..................................... 8-2
Scheduled maintenance ................................... 8-2
General maintenance ...................................... 8-2
Where to go for service ................................... 8-2
General maintenance .......................................... 8-2
Explanation of maintenance items ....................... 8-2
Maintenance precautions ..................................... 8-5
Engine compartment check locations ...................... 8-6
VQ35DE engine ............................................ 8-6
Engine cooling system ......................................... 8-7
Checking engine coolant level ........................... 8-7
Changing engine coolant ................................. 8-8
Engine oil ......................................................... 8-8
Checking engine oil level ................................. 8-8
Changing engine oil and filter ............................ 8-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) fluid ........ 8-11
Power steering fluid .......................................... 8-11
Brake fluid ...................................................... 8-12
Window washer fluid ........................................ 8-12
Battery .......................................................... 8-13
Jump starting .............................................. 8-14
Variable voltage control system (if so equipped) ...... 8-15
Drive belt ....................................................... 8-15 Spark plugs
.................................................... 8-16
Replacing spark plugs ................................... 8-16
Air cleaner ...................................................... 8-16
Windshield wiper blades .................................... 8-17
Cleaning .................................................... 8-17
Replacing ................................................... 8-18
Rear window wiper blade ................................... 8-19
Brakes ........................................................... 8-19
Self-adjusting brakes .................................... 8-19
Brake pad wear warning ................................ 8-19
Fuses ............................................................ 8-20
Engine compartment ..................................... 8-20
Passenger compartment ................................ 8-21
Intelligent Key battery replacement ....................... 8-22
Lights ............................................................ 8-24
Headlights .................................................. 8-25
Exterior and interior lights ............................... 8-27
Wheels and tires .............................................. 8-30
Tire pressure ............................................... 8-30
Tire labeling ................................................ 8-33
Types of tires .............................................. 8-35
Tire chains .................................................. 8-36
Changing wheels and tires ............................. 8-36