towing INFINITI QX 2010 Owner's Manual

CAUTION
●Special hitches which include frame re-
inforcements are required for towing
above 2,000 lb (907 kg) . Suitable genu-
ine INFINITI hitches, ball mounts and
hitch balls for pickup trucks and sport
utility vehicles are available at an
INFINITI dealer.
● The hitch should not be attached to or
affect the operation of the impact-
absorbing bumper.
● Do not use axle-mounted hitches.
● Do not modify the vehicle exhaust sys-
tem, brake system, etc. to install a
trailer hitch.
● To reduce the possibility of additional
damage if your vehicle is struck from
the rear, where practical, remove the
receiver when not in use.
● Regularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely mounted.
● When towing with the hitch ball
mounted to the rear bumper, do not
make sharp turns. The trailer may con-
tact the bumper and cause damage to
the bumper or trailer.
Tire pressures
● When towing a trailer, inflate the ve-
hicle tires to the recommended cold
tire pressure indicated on the tire
placard.
● Trailer tire condition, size, load rating
and proper inflation pressure should
be in accordance with the trailer and
tire manufacturer’s specifications.
Safety chains
Always use suitable safety 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. The safety
chains can be attached to the bumper if the hitch
ball is mounted to the bumper. Be sure to leave
enough slack in the chains to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical
system, 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
that 15 milliamps from the stop and tail
lamp circuits. Using a module/converter
that exceeds these power requirements
may damage the vehicle’s electrical sys-
tem. See a reputable trailer dealer to ob-
tain 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 repu-
table trailer dealer. Vehicles equipped with the
optional trailer tow package are equipped with a
7-pin trailer harness connector. If your trailer is
equipped with a flat 4-pin connector, an adapter
will be needed to connect the trailer lights to the
vehicle. Adapters are available at auto parts
stores and hitch retailers.
9-22Technical and consumer information
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56 (iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie


Trailer brakes
When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used.However, most states
require a separate braking system on trailers with
a loaded weight above a specific amount. Make
sure the trailer meets the local regulations and
the regulations where you plan to tow.
Several types of braking systems are available.
Surge Brakes - The surge brake actuator is
mounted on the trailer tongue with a hydraulic line
running to each trailer wheel. Surge brakes are
activated by the trailer pushing against the hitch
ball when the tow vehicle is braking. Hydraulic
surge brakes are common on rental trailers and
some boat trailers. In this type of system, there is
no hydraulic or electric connection for brake op-
eration between the tow vehicle and the trailer.
Electric Trailer Brakes - Electric braking sys-
tems are activated by an electronic signal sent
from a trailer brake controller (special brake-
sensing module) . If electric trailer brakes are
used, see \bElectric trailer brake controller\b in this
section.
Have a professional supplier of towing equip-
ment make sure the trailer brakes are properly
installed and demonstrate proper brake function
testing.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
Electric trailer brake controller
Trailers equipped with electric brakes may re-
quire the installation of an aftermarket trailer
brake controller.
Your vehicle is equipped with a connector and
jumper harness that is specifically designed to be
used when installing an aftermarket brake con-
troller.
example
LTI0117
Technical and consumer information9-23
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56 (iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie


Wire color designation for electric trailer brake
controller jumper harness.
WIRE COLORNOTE
RED/GREEN Vehicle stop lamp switch
to trailer brake controller.
BLACK Brake controller ground
(-) .
BROWN/WHITE Trailer brake controller switched output.
RED/BLUE Trailer brake controller
illumination.
RED Fused trailer brake con-
troller battery feed (B+) .
4. Peel off the tape and connect the jumper
harness to the connector
2.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Install the aftermarket electric trailer brake controller according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Pre-towing tips
●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,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Keep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
● Load 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.
● Check 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.
● Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
LTI0116
Technical and consumer information9-25
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56 (iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie


●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.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadvert-
ently becoming unlatched.
● Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
● Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
● 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. 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 \bAutomatic transmission
park warning light\b in the\bInstruments and
controls\b section and \bUsing four wheel
drive\b in the\bStarting and driving\b section.7. Turn off the engine.
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. ● While 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.
● If 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.
9-26Technical and consumer information
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56 (iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie


●Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.
● Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
● For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “INFINITI Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
● 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.
● Crosswinds 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.
● Be 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.
● Use the Tow Mode or downshift the trans-
mission to a lower gear for engine braking
when driving down steep or long hills. This
will help slow the vehicle without applying
the brakes.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● INFINITI recommends that the cruise control
not be used while towing a trailer. ●
Some states or provinces have specific
regulations and speed limits for vehicles that
are towing trailers. Obey the local speed
limits.
● Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When launching a boat, don’t allow the wa-
ter level to go over the exhaust tail pipe or
rear bumper.
● Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights
before backing the trailer into the water or
the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
earlier in this manual.
Tow mode
Using tow mode is recommended when pulling a
heavy trailer or hauling a heavy load. Press the
TOW MODE switch to activate tow mode. The
indicator light on the TOW MODE switch illumi-
nates when tow mode is selected. Press the
TOW MODE switch again to turn tow mode off.
Tow mode is automatically cancelled when the
ignition switch is turned OFF.
Technical and consumer information9-27
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56 (iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie


Tow mode includes the following features:● Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shifts
when pulling a trailer or hauling a load up a
grade.
● Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — automati-
cally downshifts when driving down a grade
with a trailer or heavy load to help control
vehicle speed.
Driving the vehicle in the tow mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not cause
any damage. However, fuel economy may be
reduced and the transmission/engine driving
characteristics may feel unusual.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” 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 recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
● DO NOT tow any automatic transmis-
sion vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground (flat towing) . Doing so WILL
DAMAGE internal transmission parts
due to lack of transmission lubrication.
● For emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by INFINITI”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
Automatic Transmission
To tow a vehicle equipped with an automatic
transmission, an appropriate vehicle dolly MUST
be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels. Always follow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
WARNING
Do not use this vehicle for snowplowing.
Installing a snowplow may affect vehicle
handling. This may cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle and could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal injury.
SNOW PLOW
9-28Technical and consumer information
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56 (iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie


Service manual order form...........9-32
Servicing air conditioner ............4-25
Setting button ..................4-11
Shift lock release ................5-16
Shifting Automatic transmission ...........5-14
Shoulder belt height adjustment ........1-28
Side air bag system (See supplemental side air
bag, curtain and rollover air bag systems). . .1-64
Sonar Front system .............2-33, 5-53
Rear system .................5-52
Spark plug replacement ............8-16
Speedometer ...................2-4
SRS warning label ...............1-66
Starting Before starting the engine .........5-11
Jump starting .................6-8
Precautions when starting and driving . . .5-2
Push starting ................6-10
Starting the engine .............5-12
Startup screen ..................4-5
Steering Heated steering wheel ...........2-31
Power steering fluid .............8-11
Power steering system ...........5-49
Tilting steering wheel ............3-24
Steering wheel audio control switch ......4-51
Stop light ....................8-28
Storage .....................2-36
Overhead storage compartment ......2-39
Storage bin ................2-39, 2-43
Sun visors ....................3-26
Sunglasses case ................2-37
Sunglasses holder ...............2-37
Sunroof (see Moonroof) ............2-50 Supplemental air bag warning labels
.....1-66
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-67, 2-13
Supplemental front impact air bag system . .1-59
Supplemental restraint system Information and warning labels .......1-66
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-52
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental
air bag system) .........1-52
Switch Autolight switch ...............2-26
Automatic power window switch .....2-49
Fog light switch ...............2-29
Hazard warning flasher switch .......2-29
Headlight aiming control ..........2-27
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-24
Headlight control switch ..........2-25
Ignition switch ................5-9
Power door lock switch ...........3-5
Rear sonar system off switch .......2-32
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch ....................2-24
Rear window wiper and washer switches .2-23
Turn signal switch ..............2-29
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch.2-32
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-22
T
Tachometer ....................2-5
Temperature gauge Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Engine oil pressure low/engine coolant
temperature high warning light .......2-10Theft
(INFINITI vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start ...........2-21, 3-3, 5-11
Third row power folding seats .........1-18
Three-way catalyst ................5-2
Tilting steering wheel ..............3-24
Tire Flat tire ....................6-2
Spare tire ...................6-3
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-11
Tire chains ..................8-39
Tire placard .................9-11
Tire pressure ................8-32
Tire rotation .................8-39
Tires of 4-wheel drive ............8-41
Types of tires ................8-38
Uniform tire quality grading .........9-29
Wheels and tires ..............8-32
Wheel/tire size ................9-8
Tire

pressure
Low tire pressure warning light ......2-11
Tire pressure display ...............4-8
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) . . .5-3
Tire rotation maintenance reminder .......4-8
Top tether strap child restraint .........1-36
Tow mode switch ................2-33
Towing 2-wheel drive models ............6-12
4-wheel drive models ............6-13
Flat towing ..................9-28
Tow truck towing ..............6-11
Towing load/specification .........9-19
Trailer towing ................9-16
Transceiver HomeLink Universal Transceiver .....2-54
10-6
REVIEW COPY—2010 Infiniti QX56(iwz)
Owners Manual (owners)—USA_English (nna)
02/12/09—debbie