tow NISSAN ALTIMA HYBRID 2009 L32A / 4.G Owners Manual

WARNING
cPull your vehicle off the road, put the
transmission in the P (Park) position,
apply the parking brake and turn the
Hybrid System off.
cCheck to see if there are exposed high
voltage parts and cables. Never touch
the parts and cables. See “High voltage
components”, later in this section for
the locations of the high voltage parts
and cables.
cTo avoid personal injury, do not touch
high voltage wiring, connectors and
high voltage parts (inverter unit, high
voltage battery etc.) .
cIf exposed electric wires are visible in-
side or outside of your vehicle, an elec-
tric shock may occur. Never touch the
electric wires.
cInspect the ground under the vehicle. If
liquid has leaked onto the ground, the
fuel system may have been damaged.
Leave the vehicle as soon as possible.cNever touch fluid leaks inside or out-
side the vehicle. The leak may be strong
alkaline electrolyte from the high volt-
age battery. If it contacts your skin or
eyes, wash it off immediately with a
large amount of water or if possible,
boric acid solution. Get immediate
medical attention to help avoid serious
injury.
cIf a fire occurs in the hybrid vehicle,
leave the vehicle as soon as possible.
Never use a fire extinguisher that is not
meant for use on electric fires. Using
even a small amount of water may be
also dangerous.
cIf your vehicle needs to be towed, do it
with the front wheels raised. If the front
wheels are on the ground when towing,
the traction motor may generate elec-
tricity. This may damage the Hybrid Sys-
tem components and cause a fire.
EMERGENCY SHUT OFF SYSTEM
The emergency shut off system automatically
turns off the high voltage current in certain frontal
collisions. This is to minimize the risk of electrical
short circuits. If the system activates, your vehicle
will not restart. To restart the Hybrid System,
contact a NISSAN dealer.The Hybrid System monitors the status of power
being sent to the traction motor and the battery
state of charge. The status is shown on the hybrid
power meter and high voltage battery status
meter. System status can also be shown on the
navigation system display (if so equipped) when
the screen is in the Energy Flow mode or energy/
fuel history mode.
ROAD ACCIDENT CAUTIONS ENERGY MONITORS
HEV OverviewHEV-3
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1. Power windows (P. 2-41)
2. Windshield (P. 8-17)
3. Windshield wiper and washer switch
(P. 2-28)
4. Engine hood (P. 3-18)
5. Tie down/towing hooks (if so equipped)
(P. 6-14)
6. Fog light switch (if so equipped)
(P. 2-33)
7. Headlight and turn signal switch
(P. 2-29)
8. Replacing bulbs (P. 8-24)
9. Tire pressure (P. 8-29)
10. Flat tire (P. 6-2)
11. Tire chains (P. 8-37)
12. Mirrors (P. 3-24)
13. Door locks, NISSAN Intelligent Key ™ ,
keys (P. 3-4, 3-2, 3-2)
See the page number indicated in paren-
theses for operating details.
LII0094
EXTERIOR FRONT
Illustrated table of contents0-3
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Fastening the seat belts
1. Adjust the seat. See “Seats” earlier in this
section.
s2Slowly pull the seat belt out of the retractor
and insert the tongue into the buckle until
you hear and feel the latch engage.
cThe retractor is designed to lock during
a sudden stop or on impact. A slow
pulling motion permits the seat belt to
move, and allows you some freedom of
movement in the seat.
cIf the seat belt cannot be pulled from
its fully retracted position, firmly pull
the belt and release it. Then smoothly
pull the belt out of the retractor.s3Position the lap belt portionlow and snug
on the hipsas shown.
s4Pull the shoulder belt portion toward the
retractor to take up extra slack. Be sure the
shoulder belt is routed over your shoulder
and across your chest.
The front passenger seat and the rear seating
positions three-point seat belts have two modes
of operation:
cEmergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
cAutomatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
Manual front seat shown
WRS0738LRS0594LRS0595
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cInfants and small children should never
be carried on your lap. It is not possible
for even the strongest adult to resist the
forces of a severe accident. The child
could be crushed between the adult and
parts of the vehicle. Also, do not put the
same seat belt around both your child
and yourself.
cNISSAN recommends that the booster
seat be installed in the rear seat. Ac-
cording to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat. If
you must install a booster seat in the
front seat, see “Booster seat installa-
tion” in this section.
cA booster seat must only be installed in
a seating position that has a lap/
shoulder belt. Failure to use a three-
point type seat belt with a booster seat
can result in a serious injury in sudden
stop or collision.
cImproper use or improper installation
of a booster seat can increase the risk
or severity of injury for both the child
and other occupants of the vehicle and
can lead to serious injury or death in an
accident.cDo not use towels, books, pillows or
other items in place of a booster seat.
Items such as these may move during
normal driving or a collision and result
in serious injury or death. Booster seats
are designed to be used with a lap/
shoulder belt. Booster seats are de-
signed to properly route the lap and
shoulder portions of the seat belt over
the strongest portions of a child’s body
to provide the maximum protection dur-
ing a collision.
cFollow all of the booster seat manufac-
turer’s instructions for installation and
use. When purchasing a booster seat,
be sure to select one which will fit your
child and vehicle. It may not be possible
to properly install some types of
booster seats in your vehicle.
cIf the booster seat and seat belt is not
used properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden stop
greatly increases.
cAdjustable seatbacks should be posi-
tioned to fit the booster seat, but as
upright as possible.cAfter placing the child in the booster
seat and fastening the seat belt, make
sure the shoulder portion of the belt is
away from the child’s face and neck and
the lap portion of the belt does not
cross the abdomen.
cDo not put the shoulder belt behind the
child or under the child’s arm. If you
must install a booster seat in the front
seat, see “Booster seat installation”
later in this section.
cWhen your booster seat is not in use,
keep it secured with a seat belt to pre-
vent it from being thrown around in
case of a sudden stop or accident.
CAUTION
Remember that a booster seat left in a
closed vehicle can become very hot.
Check the seating surface and buckles
before placing your child in the booster
seat.
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3. The booster seat should be positioned on
the vehicle seat so that it is stable. If neces-
sary, adjust or remove the head restraint to
obtain the correct booster seat fit. See
“Head restraint adjustment” earlier in this
section. If the head restraint is removed,
store it in a secure place. Be sure to reinstall
the head restraint when the booster seat is
removed. If the seating position does not
have an adjustable head restraint and it is
interfering with the proper booster seat fit,
try another seating position or a different
booster seat.4. Position the lap portion of the seat belt low
and snug on the child’s hips. Be sure to
follow the booster seat manufacturer’s in-
structions for adjusting the belt routing.
5. Pull the shoulder belt portion of the seat belt
toward the retractor to take up extra slack.
Be sure the shoulder belt is positioned
across the top, middle portion of the child’s
shoulder. Be sure to follow the booster seat
manufacturer’s instructions for adjusting the
belt routing.
6. Follow the warnings, cautions and instruc-
tions for properly fastening a seat belt
shown in “Three-point type seat belt with
retractor” earlier in this section.
Rear outboard position
LRS0452
Front passenger position
LRS0454
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cDo not place objects with sharp edges
on the seat. Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will leave per-
manent impressions in the seat. Such
objects can damage the seat or occu-
pant classification sensor (pattern sen-
sor) . This can affect the operation of the
air bag system and result in serious
personal injury.
cDo not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifica-
tion sensor. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.
cImmediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will be
hot. Do not touch them; you may se-
verely burn yourself.
cNo unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the supplemental air bag system. This is
to prevent accidental inflation of the
supplemental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.cTampering with the front air bag system
may result in serious personal injury.
Tampering includes changes to the
steering wheel and the instrument
panel assembly by placing material
over the steering wheel pad and above
the instrument panel or by installing
additional trim material around the air
bag system.
cModifying or tampering with the front
passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing mate-
rial on the seat cushion or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat
covers, on the seat that are not specifi-
cally designed to assure proper air bag
operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat
or the seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensor.
cNo unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the seat belt system. This may affect the
front air bag system. Tampering with
the seat belt system may result in seri-
ous personal injury.cWork on and around the front air bag
system should be done by a NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical equip-
ment should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer. The Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) wiring should not be
modified or disconnected. Unautho-
rized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used on
the air bag system.
cA cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified re-
pair facility. A cracked windshield could
affect the function of the supplemental
air bag system.
cThe SRS wiring harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy
identification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the front air bag system
and guide the buyer to the appropriate sections
in this Owner’s Manual.
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1. With the display turned on, press and hold
the
switch for about 9 seconds. The
display will read “C.”
2. Calibrate the compass by driving the vehicle
in three complete circles at a maximum
speed of 5 MPH (8 km/h) .
3. After completing the circles the display
should return to normal.
cIf the compass deviates from the correct
indication soon after repeated adjustment,
have the compass checked at an authorized
NISSAN dealer.
cThe compass may not indicate the correct
compass point in tunnels or while driving up
or down a steep hill. (The compass returns
to the correct compass point when the ve-
hicle moves to an area where the geomag-
netism is stabilized.)
CAUTION
cDo not install a ski rack, antenna, etc.,
which are attached to the vehicle by
means of a magnet. They affect the op-
eration of the compass.cWhen cleaning the mirror, use a paper
towel or similar material dampened
with glass cleaner. Do not spray glass
cleaner directly on the mirror as it may
cause the liquid cleaner to enter the
mirror housing.
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WARNING
cYour brake system may not be working
properly if the warning light is on. Driv-
ing could be dangerous. If you judge it
to be safe, drive carefully to the nearest
service station for repairs. Otherwise,
have your vehicle towed because driv-
ing it could be dangerous.
cPressing the brake pedal with the igni-
tion switch placed in the OFF position
and/or a low brake fluid level may in-
crease your stopping distance and
braking will require greater pedal effort
as well as pedal travel.
cIf the brake fluid level is below the
MINIMUM or MIN mark on the brake
fluid reservoir, do not drive until the
brake system has been checked at a
NISSAN dealer.cYour brake system may not be working
properly if both the brake warning light
and electronically controlled brake sys-
tem warning light come on when the
Hybrid System is in READY mode and
the parking brake is not applied. Driving
could be dangerous. If you judge it to be
safe, drive carefully to the nearest ser-
vice station for repairs. Otherwise, have
your vehicle towed because driving
could be dangerous.
12–volt battery charge
warning light
If this light comes on while the Hybrid System is
running, it may indicate the 12-volt battery charg-
ing system is not functioning properly. See a
NISSAN dealer immediately.
CAUTION
The charging system may not be function-
ing properly if the charge warning light
comes on while the Hybrid System is run-
ning. The Hybrid System will stop operat-
ing when the 12-volt battery becomes dis-
charged. Immediately stop the vehicle in a
safe place and contact your NISSAN
dealer.
Electric power steering
warning light
WARNING
cIf the ignition switch is not placed in the
ON position and the Hybrid System is
not in the READY mode, the power as-
sist for the steering will not work. Steer-
ing will be harder to operate.
cWhen the power steering warning light
illuminates with the Hybrid System in
the READY mode, there will be no
power assist for the steering. You will
still have control of the vehicle but the
steering will be harder to operate. Have
the power steering system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the power steering warning light illumi-
nates. After the Hybrid System is in the READY
mode, the power steering warning light turns off.
This indicates the power steering system is op-
erational.
If the power steering warning light illuminates
while the Hybrid System is in the READY mode, it
may indicate the power steering system is not
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functioning properly and may need servicing.
Have the power steering system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
When the power steering warning light illumi-
nates with the Hybrid System in the READY
mode, there will be no power assist for the steer-
ing but you will still have control of the vehicle. At
this time, greater steering effort is required to
operate the steering wheel, especially in sharp
turns and at low speeds.
See “Power steering” in the “Starting and driving”
section.
Electronically controlled brake
warning light (yellow)
This light functions for both the regenerative
brake and electronically controlled brake sys-
tems.
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position and the Hybrid System is in the READY
mode, the light stays on for about 2 seconds. If
the light comes on at any other time, it may
indicate the regenerative brake and/or the elec-
tronically controlled brake systems are not func-
tioning properly. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
If the hydraulic brake warning light also comes on
with the parking brake not applied, stop the ve-hicle immediately and call a NISSAN dealer. For
additional information, see9Brake system9in
9Starting and Driving9section.
WARNING
Your brake system may not be working
properly if both the brake warning light
and electronically controlled brake sys-
tem warning light come on when the Hy-
brid System is in READY mode and the
parking brake is not applied. Driving could
be dangerous. If you judge it to be safe,
drive carefully to the nearest service sta-
tion for repairs. Otherwise, have your ve-
hicle towed because driving could be
dangerous.
Engine oil pressure warning
light
This light warns of low engine oil pressure. If the
light flickers or comes on during normal driving,
pull off the road in a safe area, stop the engine
immediatelyand call a NISSAN dealer or other
authorized repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is not
designed to indicate a low oil level.Use the
dipstick to check the oil level. See “Engine oil” in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause se-
rious damage to the engine almost imme-
diately. Such damage is not covered by
warranty. Turn off the engine as soon as it
is safe to do so.
High temperature warning light
(red)
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the high temperature warning light illu-
minates and then turns off. This indicates that the
high temperature sensor in the engine coolant
system is operational.
CAUTION
If the high temperature warning light illu-
minates while the engine is running, it
may indicate the engine temperature is
extremely high. Stop the vehicle safely as
soon as possible. If the vehicle is over-
heated, continuing vehicle operation may
seriously damage the engine. See “If your
vehicle overheats” in the “In case of emer-
gency” section.
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For front passenger air bag status light operation,
see “Front passenger air bag and status light” in
the “Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental
restraint system” section of this manual.
High beam indicator light
(blue)
This blue light comes on when the headlight high
beams are on and goes out when the low beams
are selected.
The high beam indicator light also comes on
when the passing signal is activated.
Low temperature indicator
light (blue)
The low temperature indicator light illuminates
when the engine coolant temperature is low.
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the low temperature indicator light illu-
minates and then turns off after the engine cool-
ant has warmed up.
If the low temperature indicator light stays illumi-
nated after the engine has sufficiently warmed
up, it may indicate the low temperature sensor in
the engine coolant system is not functioning
properly and may need servicing. Have the sys-
tem checked, and if necessary repaired, by a
NISSAN dealer promptly.
Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)
If this indicator light comes on steady or blinks
while the Hybrid System is in READY mode, it
may indicate a potential emission control mal-
function.
The Malfunction Indicator Light may also come
on steady if the fuel-filler cap is loose or missing,
or if the vehicle runs out of fuel. Check to make
sure the fuel-filler cap is installed and closed
tightly, and that the vehicle has at least 3 gallons
(11.4 liters) of fuel in the fuel tank.
After a few driving trips, the
light should
turn off if no other potential emission control
system malfunction exists.
If this indicator light comes on steady for 20
seconds and then blinks for 10 seconds when
the engine is not running, it indicates that the
vehicle is not ready for an emission control sys-
tem inspection/maintenance test. See “Readi-
ness for inspection/maintenance (I/M) test” in the
“Technical and consumer information” section of
this manual.Operation
The Malfunction Indicator Light will come on in
one of two ways:
cMalfunction Indicator Light on steady — An
emission control system malfunction has
been detected. Check the fuel-filler cap. If
the fuel-filler cap is loose or missing, tighten
or install the cap and continue to drive the
vehicle. The
light should turn off after
a few driving trips. If the
light does not
turn off after a few driving trips, have the
vehicle inspected by a NISSAN dealer. You
do not need to have your vehicle towed to
the dealer.
cMalfunction Indicator Light blinking — An
engine misfire has been detected which may
damage the emission control system. To re-
duce or avoid emission control system dam-
age:
– do not drive at speeds above 45 MPH
(72 km/h) .
– avoid hard acceleration or deceleration.
– avoid steep uphill grades.
– if possible, reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled or towed.
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