ground clearance INFINITI QX50 2014 Owner's Manual

collisions and rollovers.In a rollover crash,
an unbelted or improperly belted person is
significantly more likely to be injured or
killed than a person properly wearing a
seat belt.
ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than
passenger cars to make them capable of
performing in a variety of on-pavement and
off-road applications. This gives them a
higher center of gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road, allowing you to
anticipate problems. However, they are not
designed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional passenger cars any more
than low-slung sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off-road con-
ditions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns
or abrupt maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle rollover.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers. In a rollover crash, an unbelted or improperly belted person is
significantly more likely to be injured or
killed than a person properly wearing a
seat belt.
Be sure to read
“All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
driving safety precautions (for AWD mod-
els) ”(P.5-9).OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
If the right side or left side wheels
unintentionally leave the road surface,
maintain control of the vehicle by following
the procedure below. Please note that this
procedure is only a general guide. The
vehicle must be driven as appropriate
based on the conditions of the vehicle,
road and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering
wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while the
vehicle speed is reduced. Do not attempt to drive the vehicle back onto
the road surface until vehicle speed is
reduced.
6. When it is safe to do so, gradually turn the steering wheel until both tires
return to the road surface. When all
tires are on the road surface, steer the
vehicle to stay in the appropriate
driving lane.
If you decide that it is not safe to return
the vehicle to the road surface based
on vehicle, road or traffic conditions,
gradually slow the vehicle to a stop in a
safe place off the road.
RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS
Rapid air pressure loss or a “blow-out”can
occur if the tire is punctured or is damaged
due to hitting a curb or pothole. Rapid air
pressure loss can also be caused by
driving on under-inflated tires.
Rapid air pressure loss can affect the
handling and stability of the vehicle,
especially at highway speeds.
Help prevent rapid air pressure loss by
maintaining the correct air pressure and
visually inspect the tires for wear and
damage. See “Wheels and tires” (P.8-30).
Starting and driving5-7

Replacing wheels and tires
When replacing a tire, use the same size,
tread design, speed rating and load carry-
ing capacity as originally equipped. (See
“Specifications”(P.9-7) for recommended
types and sizes of tires and wheels.)
WARNING
. The use of tires other than those
recommended or the mixed use of tires
of different brands, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial), or tread patterns
can adversely affect the ride, braking,
handling, ground clearance, body-to-tire
clearance, tire chain clearance, speed-
ometer calibration, headlight aim and
bumper height. Some of these effects
may lead to accidents and could result in
serious personal injury.
. For Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models, if
your vehicle was originally equipped
with 4 tires that were the same size
and you are only replacing 2 of the 4
tires, install the new tires on the rear
axle. Placing new tires on the front axle
may cause loss of vehicle control in
some driving conditions and cause an accident and personal injury.
. If the wheels are changed for any
reason, always replace with wheels
which have the same off-set dimension.
Wheels of a different off-set could cause
premature tire wear, degrade vehicle
handling characteristics and/or interfer-
ence with the brake discs/drums. Such
interference can lead to decreased brak-
ing efficiency and/or early brake pad/
shoe wear. See “Wheels and tires” (P.9-
8) for wheel off-set dimensions.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, the TPMS will not function
and the low tire pressure warning light
will flash for approximately 1 minute.
The light will remain on after 1 minute.
Contact your INFINITI retailer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/or
system resetting.
. Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
. Do not install a damaged or deformed
wheel or tire even if it has been repaired.
Such wheels or tires could have struc-
tural damage and could fail without
warning. .
The use of retread tire is not recom-
mended.
. For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or“Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models
CAUTION
. Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Failure to do so may result in a
circumference difference between tires
on the front and rear axles which will
cause excessive tire wear and may
damage the transmission, transfer case
and differential gears.
. ONLY use spare tires specified for the
AWD model.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is
recommended that all four tires be re-
placed with tires of the same size, brand,
construction and tread pattern. The tire
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-39

8-40Maintenance and do-it-yourself
pressure and wheel alignment should also
be checked and corrected as necessary.
Contact an INFINITI retailer.
Wheel balance
Unbalanced wheels may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Even with regular
use, wheels can get out of balance. There-
fore, they should be balanced as required.
Wheel balance service should be per-
formed with the wheels off the vehicle.
Spin balancing the wheels on the vehicle
could lead to mechanical damage.
For additional information regarding tires,
refer to“Important Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information” (Canada)
in the INFINITI Warranty Information Book-
let.
Care of wheels
See “Cleaning exterior” (P.7-2) for details
about care of the wheels.
Spare tire (TEMPORARY USE ONLY
(T-type) spare tire)
Observe the following precautions if the T-
type spare tire must be used, otherwise
your vehicle could be damaged or involved
in an accident.
WARNING
. The T-type spare tire should be used for
emergency use. It should be replaced
with the standard tire at the first
opportunity to avoid possible tire or
differential damage.
. Drive carefully while the TEMPORARY
USE ONLY spare tire is installed. Avoid
sharp turns and abrupt braking while
driving.
. Periodically check spare tire inflation
pressure. Always keep the pressure of
the TEMPORARY USE ONLY spare tire at
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 bar). Always keep
the pressure of the full size spare tire (if
so equipped) at the recommended pres-
sure for standard tires, as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information label.
For Tire and Loading Information label
location, see “Tire and Loading Informa-
tion label” in the index of this manual.
. With the TEMPORARY USE ONLY spare
tire installed do not drive your vehicle at
speeds faster than 50 MPH (80 km/h).
. When driving on roads covered with
snow or ice, the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire should be used on the front wheels and original tire used on the rear
wheels (drive wheels). Use tire chains
only on the two rear original tires.
. Tire tread of the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire will wear at a faster rate than
the standard tire. Replace the spare tire
as soon as the tread wear indicators
appear.
. Do not use the spare tire on other
vehicles.
. Do not use more than one spare tire at
the same time.
CAUTION
.Do not use tire chains on a TEMPORARY
USE ONLY spare tire. Tire chains will not
fit properly and may cause damage to
the vehicle.
. Because the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire is smaller than the original
tire, ground clearance is reduced. To
avoid damage to the vehicle, do not
drive over obstacles. Also do not drive
the vehicle through an automatic car
wash since it may get caught.