trailer INFINITI G35 2006 User Guide

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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Shifting
Automatic transmission ...................... 5-6, 5-12
Manual transmission .......................... 5-7, 5-16
Shoulder belt guide .......................................... 1-17
Shoulder belt height adjustment ...................... 1-16
Side air bag system (See supplemental side
air bag and curtain side-impact air bag
systems) .......................................................... 1-48
SNOW mode switch ......................................... 2-27
Spark plugs ..................................................... 8-19
Speedometer ..................................................... 2-3
Starting
Before starting the engine ......................... 5-10
Jump starting .............................................. 6-8
Precautions when starting and driving ........ 5-2
Push starting............................................. 6-10
Starting the engine .................................... 5-11
Status light, Front passenger air bag ............... 1-44
Steering
Power steering fluid .................................. 8-13
Power steering system .............................. 5-25
Rear active steer (RAS) system .................. 5-29
Steering wheel switch for audio
controls .................................................... 4-28
Tilting steering wheel................................ 3-30
Storage ............................................................ 2-31
Stowing golf bags............................................ 2-39
Sun shade ....................................................... 2-42
Sun visors ....................................................... 3-32
Sunglasses holder ........................................... 2-32
Sunroof ........................................................... 2-42
Automatic sunroof..................................... 2-42
Supplemental air bag warning labels ................ 1-51
Supplemental air bag warning light.......... 1-51, 2-14 Supplemental restraint system ......................... 1-36
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ...................................................... 1-36
Supplemental side and curtain side-impact
air bag systems ............................................... 1-48
Switch
Autolight switch ........................................ 2-22
Fog light switch......................................... 2-25
Hazard warning flasher switch .................. 2-25
Headlight switch........................................ 2-21
Ignition switch (except Intelligent Key
system) ....................................................... 5-6
Ignition switch automatic transmission
models ............................................... 5-6, 5-12
Ignition switch manual transmission
models ............................................... 5-7, 5-16
Power door lock switch ............................... 3-4
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch ....................................................... 2-20
Steering wheel switch for audio control .... 4-28
Turn signal switch..................................... 2-24
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off
switch ....................................................... 2-28
T
Tachometer........................................................ 2-4
Temperature gauge, Engine coolant
temperature gauge ............................................ 2-4
Theft (INFINITI Vehicle Immobilizer System),
Engine start ..................................................... 2-18
Three way catalyst ............................................. 5-3
Tilting steering wheel ...................................... 3-30 Tire
Flat tire ....................................................... 6-2
Pressure, Low tire pressure warning
light .......................................................... 2-12
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ..... 5-3
Uniform tire quality grading ...................... 9-23
Tires
Spare tire ................................................. 8-48
Tire and Loading Information label ............ 9-12
Tire chains ................................................ 8-44
Tire dressing ............................................... 7-3
Tire pressure............................................. 8-37
Tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) ................................................. 5-3, 6-2
Tire rotation .............................................. 8-45
Types of tires ............................................ 8-43
Wheel/tire size ........................................... 9-9
Wheels and tires ....................................... 8-37
Top tether strap child restraints ....................... 1-26
Towing
Flat towing ................................................ 9-22
Tow truck towing ....................................... 6-12
Towing a trailer ......................................... 9-18
Towing load/specification chart................. 9-18
Towing safety ............................................ 9-19
TPMS, Tire pressure monitoring system ............. 5-3
Trailer towing ................................................... 9-18
Transceiver, HomeLink Universal
Transceiver ...................................................... 2-46
Transmission
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF)............. 8-13
Driving with automatic transmission ... 5-6, 5-12
Driving with manual transmission ....... 5-7, 5-16
Transmission selector lever lock release .... 5-15
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