brake NISSAN ALTIMA 2010 Owner's Guide

CAUTION
●Do not use axle-mounted hitches.
● The hitch should not be attached to or
affect the operation of the impact-
absorbing bumper.
● 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.
● After the hitch is removed, seal the bolt
holes to prevent exhaust fumes, water
or dust from entering the passenger
compartment.
● Regularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely mounted.
Tire pressures
● When towing a trailer, inflate the ve-
hicle tires to the recommended cold
tire pressure indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
● 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. Be sure to leave
enough slack in the chains to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lights

WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
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.
● 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:

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 dete-
riorate overall handling characteristics.
Therefore, to maintain adequate control, re-
duce your speed and shift to a lower gear.
Avoid long or repeated use of the brakes
when descending a hill, as this reduces their
effectiveness and could cause overheating.
Shifting to a lower gear instead provides
“engine braking” and reduces the need to
brake as frequently.
● 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.
● 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 “NISSAN 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.
● NISSAN recommends that the cruise con-
trol not be used while towing a trailer.
9-24Technical 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:
● How various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
● Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
● How far (if at all) the driver was depressing
the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
● How fast the vehicle was traveling.
● Sounds 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
EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
9-28Technical and consumer information

Precautions on child
restraints.........1-24, 1-30, 1-35, 1-39
Top tether strap anchor point locations . .1-28
Child safety rear door lock ............3-6
Chimes, audible reminders ...........2-16
Cleaning exterior and interior ...........7-2
Clock ...................4-46, 4-51
(models with navigation system) .......4-8
(models without navigation system) . . . .4-46
Clock set ..................4-8, 4-46
Clutch Clutch fluid ..................8-14
C.M.V.S.S. certification label ..........9-11
Cold weather driving ..............5-26
Compact disc (CD)
player ............4-47, 4-53, 4-59, 4-65
Compass display .................2-6
Console box ...................2-39
Console light ...................2-47
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). . .5-11 Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid ......................8-13
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-11
Transmission selector lever lock release . .5-15
Control panel buttons ...............4-2
Brightness/contrast button .........4-12
Enter button ..................4-2
Setting button .................4-6
Controls Heater and air conditioner
controls ................4-19, 4-27
Coolant Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changing engine coolant ...........8-9 Checking engine coolant level
........8-8
Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Corrosion protection ...............7-6
Cruise control ..................5-19
Cup holders ................2-38, 2-39
D
Daytime running light system (Canada only) . .2-31
Defroster switch Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .....................2-27
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player .......4-64
Dimensions

and weights .............9-9
Dimmer switch for instrument panel ......2-32
Display controls (see control panel buttons) . .4-2
Door locks .....................3-4
Drive belt .....................8-18
Driving Cold weather driving ............5-26
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-11
Driving with manual transmission ......5-16
Precautions when starting and driving . . . .5-2
E
Economy - fuel ..................5-21
Emission control information label .......9-12
Emission control system warranty .......9-27
Engine Before starting the engine ..........5-9
Block heater .................5-28 Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants
.................9-2
Changing engine coolant ...........8-9
Changing engine oil .............8-10
Changing engine oil filter ..........8-12
Checking engine coolant level ........8-8
Checking engine oil level ...........8-9
Engine compartment check locations . . . .8-6
Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Engine cooling system ............8-8
Engine oil ...................8-9
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . . .9-5
Engine oil pressure warning light ......2-12
Engine oil viscosity ..............9-5
Engine serial number ............9-11
Engine specifications .............9-7
Starting the engine .............5-10
Enter button ....................4-2
Event data recorders ..............9-28
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .........5-2
Eyeglass case ..................2-37
F
Flashers
(See hazard warning flasher switch) ......2-33
Flat
tire.......................6-2
Floor mat positioning aid .............7-5
Fluid Brake fluid ..................8-14
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Clutch fluid ..................8-14
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) fluid ..................8-13
10-2

Engine serial number............9-11
F.M.V.S.S. certification label .........9-11
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-12
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate . .9-10
Warning labels (for SRS) ..........1-56
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
System ......................1-26
License plate Installing the license plate ..........9-13
Light Air bag warning light .........1-56, 2-14
Brake light (See stop light) .........8-28
Bulb check/instrument panel ........2-10
Bulb replacement ..............8-28
Charge warning light ............2-11
Console light .................2-47
Fog light switch ...............2-32
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-28
Headlight control switch ..........2-29
Headlights ..................8-27
Interior light ..................2-46
Light bulbs ..................8-27
Low tire pressure warning light .......2-12
Low washer fluid warning light .......2-23
Passenger air bag and status light .....1-51
Personal lights ................2-48
Security indicator light ............2-15
Spotlights (See map light) .........2-48
Trunk light ..................2-48
Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders ...................2-10
Lights Map lights ..................2-48
Lock Child safety rear door lock ..........3-6
Door locks ...................3-4 Fuel-filler door lock opener lever
......3-25
Glove box lock ................2-39
Power door locks ...............3-5
Trunk lid lock opener lever ..........3-23
Low

fuel warning light ..........2-13, 2-23
Low tire pressure warning light .........2-12
Low washer fluid warning light .........2-23
Luggage (See vehicle loading information) . .9-14
M
Maintenance General maintenance .............8-2
Inside the vehicle ...............8-3
Maintenance precautions ...........8-5
Outside the vehicle ..............8-2
Seat belt maintenance ............1-21
Under the hood and vehicle .........8-4
Malfunction indicator light ............2-15
Manual front seat adjustment ...........1-2
Map lights ....................2-48
Map pocket ....................2-36
Meters and gauges ................2-3
Instrument brightness control ........2-32
Mirror Automatic anti-glare inside mirror ......3-29
Inside mirror .................3-28
Outside mirrors ...............3-30
Vanity mirror .................3-28
Moonroof .....................2-44
Music Box hard-disk drive audio system . . . .4-77 N
NISSAN Intelligent Key™ ............3-17
NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system . . .2-25, 3-3
NISSAN voice recognition system ......4-118
O
Octane rating (See fuel octane rating) ......9-4
Odometer .....................2-4
Oil Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changing engine oil .............8-10
Changing engine oil filter ..........8-12
Checking engine oil level ...........8-9
Engine oil ...................8-9
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . . .9-5
Engine oil viscosity ..............9-5
Outside mirrors .................3-30
Overheat If

your vehicle overheats ...........6-10
Owner’s manual order form ...........9-29
Owner’s manual/service manual order
information ....................9-29
P
Parking Parking brake operation ...........5-18
Parking/parking on hills ...........5-22
Personal lights ..................2-48
Phone, Bluetooth hands-free
system ..................4-92, 4-107
10-4

PowerPower door locks ...............3-5
Power outlet .................2-35
Power rear windows .............2-43
Power steering fluid .............8-13
Power steering system ...........5-23
Power windows ...............2-42
Rear power windows ............2-43
Precautions Maintenance precautions ...........8-5
Precautions on child
restraints .........1-24, 1-30, 1-35, 1-39
Precautions on seat belt usage .......1-15
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-42
Precautions when starting and driving . . . .5-2
Programmable features ..............4-6
Push starting ...................6-10
R
Radio Car phone or CB radio ...........4-91
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
player .....................4-45
FM/AM/SAT radio with CD/DVD player . .4-55
FM/AM/SAT radio with compact disc
(CD) player ..................4-49
Readiness for inspection maintenance
(I/M) test .....................9-27
Rear power windows ..............2-43
Rear seat ......................1-9
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .......................2-27
RearView Monitor ................4-13 Recorders
Event data ..................9-28
Refrigerant recommendation ...........9-6
Registering your vehicle in another country . .9-10
Reporting safety defects (US only) .......9-27
S
Safety Child safety rear door lock ..........3-6
Child seat belts .....1-24, 1-30, 1-35, 1-39
Reporting safety defects (US only) .....9-27
Seat adjustment Front manual seat adjustment ........1-2
Front power seat adjustment .........1-4
Rear seat adjustment .............1-9
Seat belt Child safety ..................1-22
Infants
and small children ..........1-23
Injured Person ................1-18
Larger children ................1-23
Precautions on seat belt usage .......1-15
Pregnant women ...............1-18
Seat belt extenders .............1-21
Seat belt maintenance ............1-21
Seat belts ...................1-15
Shoulder belt height adjustment ......1-20
Three-point type with retractor .......1-18
Seat belt warning light ..............2-13
Seatback pockets ................2-36
Seats Adjustment ...................1-2
Front seats ...................1-2
Heated seats .................2-34
Manual front seat adjustment .........1-2Rear seat
....................1-9
Security indicator light ..............2-15
Security system (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer
system) , engine start ............2-25, 3-3
Self-adjusting brakes ..............8-22
Service manual order form ...........9-29
Servicing air conditioner .............4-29
Setting button ...................4-6
Shift lock release .................5-15
Shifting Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) .....................5-13
Manual transmission .............5-17
Shoulder belt height adjustment ........1-20
Spark plug replacement .............8-19
Speedometer ...................2-4
Spotlights (See map light) ...........2-48
SRS warning label ................1-56
Starting Before starting the engine ..........5-9
Jump
starting .................6-8
Precautions when starting and driving . . . .5-2
Push starting .................6-10
Starting the engine .............5-10
Steering Power steering fluid .............8-13
Power steering system ...........5-23
Stop light .....................8-28
Storage ......................2-36
Sun visors ....................3-27
Sunglasses case .................2-37
Sunglasses holder ................2-37
Sunroof ......................2-44
Sunroof (see Moonroof) .............2-44
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-56, 2-14
Supplemental front impact air bag system . . .1-50
10-5

Supplemental restraint systemInformation and warning labels .......1-56
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-42
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system) .........1-42
Switch Autolight switch ...............2-30
Automatic power window switch ......2-43
Fog light switch ...............2-32
Hazard warning flasher switch .......2-33
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-28
Headlight control switch ..........2-29
Power door lock switch ............3-5
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .....................2-27
Turn signal switch ..............2-32
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch .....................2-34
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-26
T
Tachometer ....................2-5
Temperature gauge Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Theft (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start .................2-25, 3-3
Three-way catalyst ................5-2
Tire Flat tire .....................6-2
Spare tire ................6-4, 8-45
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-12
Tire chains ..................8-42
Tire placard ..................9-12 Tire pressure
.................8-34
Tire rotation ..................8-43
Types of tires .................8-41
Uniform tire quality grading .........9-26
Wheels and tires ...............8-34
Wheel/tire size .................9-8
Tire pressure Low tire pressure warning light .......2-12
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) . . . .5-3
Top tether strap child restraint .........1-28
Towing Flat towing ..................9-25
T

ow truck towing ...............6-11
Towing load/specification ..........9-21
Trailer towing .................9-18
Transceiver HomeLink Universal Transceiver ......2-49
Transmission Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) fluid ..................8-13
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-11
Driving with manual transmission ......5-16
Selector lever lock release .........5-15
Travel (See registering your vehicle in another
country) ......................9-10
Trip odometer ...................2-4
Trunk access through the rear seat .......1-9
Trunk lid lock opener lever ............3-23
Trunk light ....................2-48
Turn signal switch ................2-32
U
Uniform tire quality grading ...........9-26USB interface
Audio file operation ..........4-68, 4-70
Video file operation .............4-71
V
Vanity mirror ...................3-28
Variable voltage control system .........8-17
Vehicle dimensions and weights .........9-9
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch . . .2-34
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) system .....5-25
Vehicle identification ...............9-10
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
(Chassis number) ................9-10
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate . . . .9-10
Vehicle loading information ...........9-14
Vehicle recovery .................6-14
Vehicle security system .............2-24
Vehicle security system (NISSAN vehicle
immobilizer system) , engine start .....2-25, 3-3
Ventilators ....................4-18
Visors .......................3-27
Voice recognition system ...........4-118
W
W

arning Air bag warning light .........1-56, 2-14
Anti-lock brake warning light ........2-11
Battery charge warning light ........2-11
Brake warning light .............2-11
Engine oil pressure warning light ......2-12
Hazard warning flasher switch .......2-33
Low fuel warning light ........2-13, 2-23
10-6