warning NISSAN FRONTIER 2001 D22 / 1.G Owners Manual

for smooth operation and make sure it has
the proper distance under it when de-
pressed fully. Check the brake booster func-
tion. Be certain to keep the floor mat away
from the pedal.
Parking brake*Check that the lever has
the proper travel and confirm that your
vehicle is held securely on a fairly steep hill
with only the parking brake applied.
Automatic transmission P (Park) posi-
tion mechanismCheck that the lock re-
lease button on the selector lever operates
properly and smoothly. On a fairly steep hill
check that your vehicle is held securely with
the selector lever in the P position without
applying any brakes.
Under the hood and vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should
be checked periodically (e.g., each time you
check the engine oil or refuel).
Additional information on the following
items with an ``*'' is found in the ``Do-it-
yourself operations'' section.
Windshield washer fluid*Check that there
is adequate fluid in the reservoir.
Engine oil level*Check the level afterparking the vehicle on a level surface with
the engine off. Wait a few minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Brake and clutch fluid levels*Make sure
that the brake and clutch fluid level is be-
tween the MIN and MAX lines on the reser-
voir.
Power steering fluid level* and lines
Check the level when the fluid is cold, with
the engine off. Check the lines for proper
attachment, leaks, cracks, etc.
Automatic transmission fluid level*
Check the level after putting the selector
lever in P with the engine idling at operating
temperature.
Engine coolant level*Check the coolant
level when the engine is cold.
Radiator and hosesCheck the front of the
radiator and clean off any dirt, insects,
leaves, etc., that may have accumulated.
Make sure the hoses have no cracks, de-
formation, rot or loose connections.
Engine drive belts*Make sure the drive
belts are not frayed, worn, cracked or oily.
Battery*Check the fluid level in each cell. It
should be between the MAX and MIN lines.Exhaust systemMake sure there are no
loose supports, cracks or holes. If the sound
of the exhaust seems unusual or there is a
smell of exhaust fumes, immediately have
the exhaust system inspected by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer. See the carbon mon-
oxide warning in the ``Starting and driving''
section of this manual.
UnderbodyThe underbody is frequently
exposed to corrosive substances such as
those used on icy roads or to control dust. It
is very important to remove these sub-
stances from the underbody, otherwise rust
may form on the floor pan, frame, fuel lines
and exhaust system. At the end of winter,
the underbody should be thoroughly flushed
with plain water, in those areas where mud
and dirt may have accumulated. See the
``Appearance and care'' section of this
manual.
Fluid leaksCheck under the vehicle for
fuel, oil, water or other fluid leaks after the
vehicle has been parked for a while. Water
dripping from the air conditioner after use is
normal. If you should notice any leaks or if
gasoline fumes are evident, check for the
cause and have it corrected immediately.
9-4Maintenance
ZX

cGVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) þ
maximum total weight (load) limit speci-
fied for the vehicle.
cGAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) þ
maximum weight (load) limit specified
for the front or rear axle.
DETERMINING VEHICLE LOAD
CAPACITY
The load capacity of this vehicle is deter-
mined by weight, not by available cargo
space. For example, a roof rack, bike car-
rier, or similar equipment does not increase
load carrying capacity of your vehicle.
To determine vehicle load capacity:
Vehicle weight can be determined by using
a commercial-grade scale, found at places
such as a truck stop, gravel quarry, grain
elevator, or a scrap metal recycling facility.
1) Determine the curb weight of your ve-
hicle.
2) Compare the curb weight amount to the
GVWR specified for your vehicle to de-
termine how much more weight your
vehicle can carry.
3) After loading (cargo and passengers),reweigh your vehicle to determine if ei-
ther GVWR or GAWR for your vehicle is
exceeded. If GVWR is exceeded, re-
move cargo as necessary. If either the
front or rear GAWR is exceeded, shift the
load or remove cargo as necessary.
SECURING THE LOAD
For your convenience, tie down hooks are
placed at each corner of the truck box.
These may be used to help secure cargo
loaded into the truck box.
WARNING
cProperly secure all cargo with ropes
or straps to help prevent it from
sliding or shifting. Do not place
cargo higher than the seat backs. In
a sudden stop or collision, unse-
cured cargo could cause personal
injury.
ATI1020
10-16Technical and consumer information
ZX

Location for center of gravity
The illustration indicates the recommended
cargo center of gravity location zone.
Regular cab:
L1 = 950.0 mm (37.4 in), L2 = 1,077.0 mm
(42.4 in)
King cab:
L1 = 960.1 mm (37.8 in), L2 = 1,087.1 mm
(42.8 in)
WARNING
Improper loading may be dangerous. If
a load is too far back, it can affect
handling characteristics. If a load is too
far forward, the front axle may be over-
loaded.
When the truck is used to carry a slide-in
camper, the total cargo load of the truck
consists of the camper manufacturer's
weight figure, plus:
cthe weight of installed additional camper
equipment not included in the camper
manufacturer's weight figure,
cthe weight of camper cargo,
cand the weight of occupants in the camper.
The total cargo load should not exceed the
truck's pay load weight rating and the camp-
er's center of gravity should fall within the
truck's recommended center of gravity loca-
tion zone when installed.
ATI0703ATI0705
10-18Technical and consumer information
ZX

WARNING
Overloading or improper loading can
adversely affect vehicle handling, brak-
ing and performance and may lead to
accidents.
PAYLOAD WEIGHT RATINGS
The payload weight ratings shown on the
following pages indicate the maximum total
weight of passengers, optional equipment
(air conditioning, trailer hitch, etc) and cargo
that your vehicle is designed to carry.
Before driving a loaded vehicle, confirm that
you do not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for your vehicle.
See ``Vehicle Loading Information'' earlier in
this section for details.
Payload Weight Ratings(1)(KA24DE Engine)
2WD
Regular Cab King Cab
Manual
TransmissionAutomatic
TransmissionManual
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission
XE XE XE XE
lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg lbs kg
Federal 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635 1378 625
California 1400 635 1400 635 1400 635 1378 625
Canada N/A N/A N/A N/A 1400 635 1330 603
(1) The payload weight rating is the maximum total weight of passengers, optional equipment (air
conditioning, trailer hitch, etc) and cargo that your vehicle is designed to carry. Before driving a
loaded vehicle, confirm that you do not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for your vehicle. See ``Vehicle Loading Information'' earlier in this
section for details.
Technical and consumer information10-19
ZX

example, on slippery boat ramps).
WARNING
Vehicle damage and/or personal injury
resulting from improper towing proce-
dures are not covered by NISSAN war-
ranties. A NISSAN Trailer Towing Guide
(U.S. only) containing information on
trailer towing ability and the special
equipment required may be obtained
from an authorized NISSAN dealer.
Tongue load
Keep the tongue load between 9 to 11
percent of the total trailer load within the
maximum tongue load limits shown in the
following Towing Load/Specification Chart.
If the tongue load becomes excessive, re-
arrange cargo to allow for proper tongue
load.Maximum gross vehicle weight/
maximum gross axle weight
The gross vehicle weight of the towing
vehicle must not exceed the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) shown on the
FMVSS certification label. The gross ve-
hicle weight equals the combined weight of
the unloaded vehicle, passengers, luggage,
hitch, trailer tongue load and any other
optional equipment. In addition, front or rear
gross axle weight must not exceed the
gross axle weight rating (GAWR) shown on
the FMVSS certification label.
CA0036
Technical and consumer information10-23
ZX

TOWING SAFETY
Trailer hitch
Check the towing capacity of your bumper
hitch or receiver-type frame mounted hitch.
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and
trailer. A genuine Nissan trailer hitch is
available from your NISSAN dealer. Make
sure the trailer hitch is securely attached to
the vehicle to help avoid personal injury or
property damage due to sway caused by
crosswinds, rough road surfaces or passing
trucks.
CAUTION
cSpecial hitches which include frame
reinforcements are required for tow-
ing above 2,000 lb (907 kg). Suitable
genuine NISSAN hitches for pickup
trucks and sport utility vehicles are
available at an authorized NISSAN
dealer.
cThe hitch should not be attached to
or affect the operation of the impact-
absorbing bumper.
cDo not use axle-mounted hitches.cDo not modify the vehicle exhaust
system, brake system, etc. to install
a trailer hitch.
cTo reduce the possibility of addi-
tional damage if your vehicle is
struck from the rear, where practical,
remove the hitch and/or receiver
when not in use. Remove receiver
when not in use. After the hitch is
removed, seal the bolt holes to pre-
vent exhaust fumes, water or dust
from entering the passenger com-
partment.
cRegularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely
mounted.
Tire pressures
cWhen towing a trailer, inflate the vehicle
tires to the recommended cold tire pres-
sure indicated on the tire placard (af-
fixed to the inside of the glove box lid).
cTrailer tire condition, size, load rating
and proper inflation pressure should be
in accordance with the trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Safety chain
Always use suitable safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. 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
chain to permit turning corners.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights should comply with Federal
and/or local regulations. For assistance in
hooking up trailer lights, contact an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking
system, make sure it conforms to Federal
and/or local regulations and that it is prop-
erly installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
cBe certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
Technical and consumer information
10-25
ZX

cBe careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires
considerably more distance than normal
passing. Remember the length of the
trailer must also pass the other vehicle
before you can safely change lanes.
cTo maintain engine braking efficiency
and electrical charging performance, do
not use fifth gear (manual transmission)
or overdrive (automatic transmission).
cAvoid holding the brake pedal down too
long or too frequently. This could cause
the brakes to overheat, resulting in re-
duced braking efficiency.
When towing a trailer, change oil in the
transmission more frequently. For addi-
tional information see the ``Mainte-
nance'' section earlier in this manual.DOT (Department of Transportation) Qual-
ity Grades: All passenger car tires must
conform to Federal Safety Requirements in
addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
Treadwear
Treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on tire wear rate when tested under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test courses. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1-1/2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. However,
relative tire performance depends on actual
driving conditions, and may vary signifi-
cantly due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The traction grades from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled condi-tions on specified government test surfaces
of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to your ve-
hicle tires is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not in-
clude acceleration, cornering, hydro-
planing, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature A, B and C
Temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C. They represent a tire's resistance to
heat build-up, and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause tire material to degenerate, reducing
tire life. Excessive temperatures can lead to
sudden tire failure. Grade C corresponds to
a performance level which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades A
and B represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on laboratory test wheels than the
minimum required by law.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY
GRADING
Technical and consumer information10-27
ZX

WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, under inflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combi-
nation, can cause heat build-up and
possible tire failure.Your NISSAN is covered by the following
emission warranties.
For US
1) Emission Defects Warranty
2) Emission Performance Warranty
For Canada
Emission Control System Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found
with other vehicle warranties in your War-
ranty and Roadside Assistance Information
Booklet which comes with your NISSAN. If
you did not receive a Warranty and Road-
side Assistance Information Booklet, or it
becomes lost, you may obtain a replace-
ment by writing to:
cNissan North America, Inc.
Consumer Affairs Department
P.O. Box 191
Gardena, CA 90248-0191
cNissan Canada Inc.
5290 Orbitor Drive
Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4Z5If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause
injury or death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
(NHTSA)in addition to no-
tifying NISSAN.
If
NHTSAreceives similar complaints, it
may open an investigation, and if it finds
that a safety defect exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy
campaign. However,
NHTSAcannot be-
come involved in individual problems be-
tween you, your dealer, or NISSAN.
To contact
NHTSA, you may either call the
Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-
9393 (or 366-0123 in the Washington, D.C.
area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation, Washington, D.C.
20590. You can also obtain other informa-
tion about motor vehicle safety from the
Hotline.
You may notify NISSAN by contacting our
Consumer Affairs Department, toll-free, at
1-800-NISSAN-1.
In Hawaii call (808) 836-0888.
EMISSION CONTROL
SYSTEM WARRANTYREPORTING SAFETY
DEFECTS (US only)
10-28Technical and consumer information
ZX

Due to legal requirements in some states
and Canadian provinces, your vehicle may
be required to be in the ready condition for
an Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of the
emission control system.
The vehicle is set to the ready condition
when it is driven through certain driving
patterns. Usually, the ready condition can
be obtained by ordinary usage of the ve-
hicle.
If a powertrain system component is re-
paired or the battery is disconnected, the
vehicle may be reset to a not ready condi-
tion. Before taking the I/M test, drive the
vehicle through the following pattern to set
the vehicle to the ready condition.
WARNING
Always drive the vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner according to traffic
conditions and obey all traffic laws.
1. Start the engine when the engine coolant
temperature gauge needle points to C.
Allow the engine to idle until the gauge
needle points between the C and H (nor-
mal operating temperature).2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 mph (88
km/h), then quickly release the accelera-
tor pedal completely and keep it released
for at least 6 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for
a moment, then drive the vehicle at a
speed of 53 to 60 mph (85 to 97 km/h) for
at least 5 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 four through five at least
three times.
7. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 mph (88
km/h) and maintain the speed for at least
3 minutes.
8. Stop the vehicle and turn the engine off.
9. Repeat steps one through eight at least
one more time.
If steps one through seven are interrupted,
repeat the preceding step. Any safe driving
mode is acceptable between steps. Do not
stop the engine until step seven is com-
pleted. If you cannot or do not want toperform the driving pattern, an authorized
NISSAN dealer can conduct it for you.
Dynamometer testing for Inspection/
Maintenance (I/M) test (US only)
Due to legal requirements in some
states/areas, your vehicle may be tested for
emissions on a dynamometer. The transfer
control lever (if so equipped) MUST be in
the 2H position for I/M testing on a two
wheel dynamometer.
WARNING
cIf the transfer control lever is not in
the 2H position during the dyna-
mometer I/M testing, the vehicle
could come off the dynamometer
and cause serious personal injury
and/or body damage to the vehicle.
cSerious damage will occur to the
4WD system if the transfer control
lever is not in the 2H position
READINESS FOR
INSPECTION/MAINTENANCE
(I/M) TEST (US only)
Technical and consumer information10-29
ZX

11 Index
A
Air bag
Passenger supplemental air bag ON/OFF
switch and light ..................................... 1-17
Air bag (See supplemental restraint
system) ...................................................... 1-14
Air bag warning light .................................. 1-20
Air cleaner housing filter ............................ 8-21
Air conditioner
Air conditioner specification label ....... 10-14
Air conditioner system refrigerant and
lubrication recommendations ................ 10-8
Alarm system (See vehicle security
system) ...................................................... 2-12
Anchor point locations ............................... 1-41
Antenna...................................................... 4-39
Anti-lock brake system (ABS).................... 5-26
Anti-lock brake system, rear (R-ABS) ....... 5-26
Anti-lock brake warning light ....................... 2-8
Ashtray (See cigarette lighter and
ashtray) ...................................................... 2-20
Audio system
FM-AM radio with cassette player and
compact disc (CD) player ..................... 4-17
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
changer ................................................. 4-25
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
player .................................................... 4-10Steering wheel audio control switch ..... 4-38
Auto-lock free-running hubs ...................... 5-21
Automatic
Automatic power window switch .......... 2-24
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) ...... 8-14
Driving with automatic transmission ....... 5-9
Transmission selector lever lock
release .................................................. 5-12
B
Battery........................................................ 8-17
Battery replacement (See multi-remote
control system) ............................................ 3-7
Before starting the engine ........................... 5-8
Belts (See drive belts) ............................... 8-19
Brake
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) .............. 5-26
Anti-lock brake system, rear (R-ABS) .. 5-26
Brake booster ....................................... 8-25
Brake fluid ................................... 10-3, 8-16
Brake light (See stop light) ................... 8-33
Brake pedal .......................................... 8-24
Brake system ........................................ 5-25
Brake warning light ................................. 2-8
Brake wear indicators ................. 2-12, 8-25
Parking brake check ............................. 8-24
Parking brake operation ....................... 5-16Break-in schedule ...................................... 5-19
Bulb check/instrument panel ....................... 2-7
Bulb replacement ....................................... 8-33
C
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants.................................................... 10-2
Car phone or CB radio .............................. 4-39
Cargo (See vehicle loading
information) .............................................. 10-15
Check engine indicator light
(See malfunction indicator light) ................ 2-11
Child restraint with top tether strap ........... 1-41
Child restraints ........................................... 1-32
Cigarette lighter (accessory) and
ashtray ....................................................... 2-20
Cleaning exterior and interior ...................... 7-2
Clutch
Clutch fluid ............................................ 8-16
Clutch pedal.......................................... 8-26
Cold weather driving .................................. 5-27
Controls
Audio controls (steering wheel) ............ 4-38
Coolant
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants .............................................. 10-2
Changing engine coolant........................ 8-7
ZX