suspension NISSAN CUBE 2009 Owners Manual

Black plate (63,1)
Model "Z12-D" EDITED: 2009/ 1/ 28
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
, located in the meter and gauges area,
will blink. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
Other supplemental front-impact air bag
precautions
WARNING
.Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the instru-
ment panel. Also, do not place any
objects between any occupant and
the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause
injury if the front air bags inflate.
.Do not place objects with sharp
edges on the seat. Also, do not
place heavy objects on the seat that
will leave permanent impressions in
the seat. Such objects can damage
the seat or occupant classification
sensors (weight sensors) . This can
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious perso-
nal injury.
.Do not use water or acidic cleaners(hot steam cleaners) on the seat.
This can damage the seat or occu-
pant classification sensors. This can
also affect the operation of the air
bag system and result in serious
personal injury.
.Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components
will be hot. Do not touch them; you
may severely burn yourself.
.No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring
of the supplemental air bag system.
This is to prevent accidental infla-
tion of the supplemental air bag or
damage to the supplemental air bag
system.
.Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or front end
structure. This could affect proper
operation of the front air bag sys-
tem.
.Tampering with the front air bag
system may result in serious perso-
nal injury. Tampering includes
changes to the steering wheel and
the instrument panel assembly byplacing material over the steering
wheel pad and above the instrument
panel or by installing additional trim
material around the air bag system.
.Modifying or tampering with the
front passenger seat may result in
serious personal injury. For exam-
ple, do not change the front seats by
placing material on the seat cushion
or by installing additional trim ma-
terial, such as seat covers, on the
seat that is not specifically designed
to assure proper air bag operation.
Additionally, do not stow any ob-
jects under the front passenger seat
or the seat cushion and seatback.
Such objects may interfere with the
proper operation of the occupant
classification sensors.
.No 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 serious personal in-
jury.
.Work on and around the front air
bag system should be done by a
NISSAN dealer. Installation of elec-
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
1-49
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Black plate (65,1)
Model "Z12-D" EDITED: 2009/ 1/ 28
passengers should be seated as far away as
practical from the door finishers and side roof
rails. The side air bags and curtain air bags
inflate quickly in order to help protect the
occupants in the outboard seating positions.
Because of this, the force of the side air bags
and curtain air bags inflating can increase the
risk of injury if the occupant is too close to, or is
against, these air bag modules during inflation.
The side air bags and curtain air bags will deflate
quickly after the collision is over.
The side air bags and curtain air bags
operate only when the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
After turning the ignition switch to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates. The supplemental air bag
warning light will turn off after about 7
seconds if the systems are operational.
WARNING
.Do not place any objects near the
seatback of the front seats. Also, do
not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the front door
finisher and the front seat. Such
objects may become dangerous
projectiles and cause injury if a side
air bag inflates..Right after inflation, several side air
bagandcurtainairbagsystem
components will be hot. Do not
touch them; you may severely burn
yourself.
.No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring
of the side air bag and curtain air
bag systems. This is to prevent
damage to or accidental inflation
of the side air bag and curtain air
bag systems.
.Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or side panel.
This could affect proper operation
of the side air bag and curtain air
bag systems.
.Tampering with the side air bag
system may result in serious perso-
nal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing
material near the seatbacks or by
installing additional trim material,
such as seat covers, around the side
air bag.
.Work around and on the side air bag
and curtain air bag systems shouldbe done by a NISSAN dealer. In-
stallation of electrical equipment
should also be done by a NISSAN
dealer. The Supplemental Restraint
System (SRS) wiring harnesses*
should not be modified or discon-
nected. Unauthorized electrical test
equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the side air
bag and curtain supplemental air
bag systems.
*The SRS wiring harnesses connectors are
yellow and orange for easy identification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems and guide the buyer to
the appropriate sections in this Owner’s Manual.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
1-51
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Black plate (218,1)
Model "Z12-D" EDITED: 2009/ 1/ 28
speed and be especially careful
when driving and cornering on slip-
pery surfaces and always drive care-
fully.
.Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs,
stabilizer bars and bushings and
wheels are not NISSAN approved
or are extremely deteriorated the
VDC system may not operate prop-
erly. This could adversely affect
vehicle handling performance, and
the “VDC OFF” indicator or “SLIP”
indicator or both indicator lights
may illuminate.
.If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
standard equipment or are extre-
mely deteriorated, the “VDC OFF”
indicator or “SLIP” indicator or both
indicator lights may illuminate.
.If engine related parts such as
muffler are not standard equipment
or are extremely deteriorated, the
“VDC OFF” indicator or “SLIP” in-
dicator or both indicator lights may
illuminate..When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked
corners, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the “VDC OFF”
indicator or “SLIP” indicator or both
indicator lights may illuminate. Do
not drive on these types of roads.
.When driving on unstable surfaces
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator
or ramp, the “VDC OFF” indicator or
“SLIP” indicator or both indicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a
malfunction. Restart the engine
after driving onto a stable surface.
.If wheels or tires other than those
recommended are used, the VDC
system may not operate properly
and “VDC OFF” indicator or “SLIP”
indicator or both indicator lights
may illuminate.
.The VDC system is not a substitute
for winter tires or tire chains on a
snow covered road.
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCKTo prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
deicer through the key hole. If the lock becomes
frozen, heat the key before inserting it into the
key hole or use the remote keyless entry keyfob.ANTI-FREEZEIn the winter when it is anticipated that the
outside temperature will drop below 328F(08C) ,
check the anti-freeze to assure proper winter
protection. For additional information, see “EN-
GINE COOLING SYSTEM” in the “8. Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section.BATTERYIf the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the battery
fluid may freeze and damage the battery. To
maintain maximum efficiency, the battery should
be checked regularly. For additional information,
see “BATTERY” in the “8. Maintenance and do-
it-yourself” section.DRAINING OF COOLANT WATERIf the vehicle is to be left outside without anti-
freeze, drain the cooling system, including the
engine block. Refill before operating the vehicle.
For details, see “ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM”
in the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself”
section.COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-30
Starting and driving
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Black plate (238,1)
Model "Z12-D" EDITED: 2009/ 1/ 28
SCE0831
Kro¯
m models
Kro¯
m models: Reinstall the hook cover accord-
ing to the following procedure as illustrated.
1. Fit the left bottom edge of the cover
*1
in
the opening at an angle.
2. Slide the cover into position
*2
by aligning
the area
*A
with the opening.
3. Push the cover in while pushing the upper
tab
*3.
SCE0678
Rear
Rear:
Do not use the tie down hook to pull the vehicle.
CAUTION
.Tow chains or cables must be at-
tached only to the vehicle recovery
hook or main structural members of
the vehicle. Otherwise, the vehicle
body will be damaged.
.Do not use the vehicle tie down
hook to free a vehicle stuck in sand,
snow, mud, etc.
.Never tow a vehicle using the vehi-cle tie down hook or recovery hook.
.Always pull the cable straight out
from the front of the vehicle. Never
pull on the vehicle at an angle.
.Pulling devices should be routed so
they do not touch any part of the
suspension, steering, brake or cool-
ing systems.
.Pulling devices such as ropes or
canvas straps are not recommended
for use in vehicle towing or recov-
ery.
Rocking a stuck vehicleIf your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the
vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear
an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back-
ward.
.Shift back and forth between R (Re-
verse) and D (Drive) (Continuously
Variable Transmission models) or 1st
6-16
In case of emergency
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Black plate (243,1)
Model "Z12-D" EDITED: 2009/ 1/ 28
SAI0045
Kro¯
m models
CAUTION
Do not use an automatic car wash for
Kro¯
m models. The rear spoiler and the
wheel coating may be damaged.WAXINGRegular waxing protects the paint surface and
helps retain new vehicle appearance. Polishing
is recommended to remove built-up wax residue
and to avoid a weathered appearance before
reapplying wax.
A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choosing theproper product.
.Wax your vehicle only after a thorough
washing. Follow the instructions supplied
with the wax.
.Do not use a wax containing any abrasives,
cutting compounds or cleaners that may
damage the vehicle finish.
Machine compound or aggressive polishing on a
base coat/clear coat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTSRemove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the paint surface to avoid lasting damage
or staining. Special cleaning products are
available at a NISSAN dealer or any automotive
accessory stores.UNDERBODYIn areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This will
prevent dirt and salt from building up and
causing the acceleration of corrosion on the
underbody and suspension. Before the winter
period and again in the spring, the underseal
must be checked and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASSUse glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust
film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for glass
to become coated with a film after the vehicle is
parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner and a soft
cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could da-
mage the electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window
defroster elements.WHEELSWash the wheels when washing the vehicle to
maintain their appearance.
.Clean the inner side of the wheels when the
wheel is changed or the underside of the
vehicle is washed.
.Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. Such damage may cause loss of
pressure or poor seal at the tire bead.
.NISSAN recommends that the road wheels
be waxed to protect against road salt in
areas where it is used during winter.
Appearance and care
7-3
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Black plate (282,1)
Model "Z12-D" EDITED: 2009/ 1/ 28
All season tiresNISSAN specifies all season tires on some
models to provide good performance all year,
including snowy and icy road conditions. All
Season tires are identified by ALL SEASON
and/or M&S (Mud and Snow) on the tire
sidewall. Snow tires have better snow traction
than All Season tires and may be more appro-
priate in some areas.Summer tiresNISSAN specifies summer tires on some
models to provide superior performance on dry
roads. Summer tire performance is substantially
reduced in snow and ice. Summer tires do not
have the tire traction rating M&S on the tire
sidewall.
If you plan to operate your vehicle in snowy or
icy conditions, NISSAN recommends the use of
SNOW tires or ALL SEASON tires on all four
wheels.Snow tiresIf snow tires are needed, it is necessary to select
tires equivalent in size and load rating to the
original equipment tires. If you do not, it can
adversely affect the safety and handling of your
vehicle.
Generally, snow tires will have lower speed
ratings than factory equipped tires and may not
match the potential maximum vehicle speed.Never exceed the maximum speed rating of the
tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the same
size, brand, construction and tread pattern on all
four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires. Skid and traction cap-
abilities of studded snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of non-
studded snow tires.
TIRE CHAINSUse of tire chains may be prohibited according
to location. Check the local laws before instal-
ling tire chains. When installing tire chains, make
sure they are the proper size for the tires on your
vehicle and are installed according to the chain
manufacturer’s suggestions.Use only SAE
Class S chains.Class “S” chains are used on
vehicles with restricted tire to vehicle clearance.
Vehicles that can use Class “S” chains are
designed to meet the SAE standard minimum
clearances between the tire and the closest
vehicle suspension or body component required
to accommodate the use of a winter traction
device (tire chains or cables) . The minimum
clearances are determined using the factory
equipped tire size. Other types may damageyour vehicle. Use chain tensioners when re-
commended by the tire chain manufacturer to
ensure a tight fit. Loose end links of the tire
chain must be secured or removed to prevent
the possibility of whipping action damage to the
fenders or underbody. If possible, avoid fully
loading your vehicle when using tire chains. In
addition, drive at a reduced speed. Otherwise,
your vehicle may be damaged and/or vehicle
handling and performance may be adversely
affected.
Tire chains must be installed only on the
front wheels and not on the rear wheels.
Never install tire chains on a TEMPORARY USE
ONLY spare tire.
Do not use tire chains on dry roads. Driving with
tire chains in such conditions can cause damage
to the various mechanisms of the vehicle due to
some overstress.
8-34
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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