transmission NISSAN FRONTIER 2023 User Guide

2. From the outside, pull the door handle
OAtoward you.3. Open the door to the desired position.AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS
• All doors lock automatically when the ve-
hicle speed reaches 15 mph (24 km/h).
• All doors unlock automatically when the transmission is placed in the P (Park) po-
sition on automatic transmission
equipped vehicles, or when the ignition is
placed in the OFF position on manual
transmission equipped vehicles.
CHILD SAFETY REAR DOOR LOCK
(if so equipped)
Child safety locks help prevent the rear
doors from being opened accidentally,
especially when small children are in the
vehicle.
The child safety lock levers are located on
the edge of the rear doors.
When the lever is in the LOCK position,
the door can be opened only from the
outside.
LPD3300WPD0313LPD3380
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-7

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving..........5-4
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ..............5-4
Three-way catalyst ...........................5-5
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) .......................................5-5
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions ..................................5-9
Avoiding collision and rollover ................5-9
Off-roadrecovery ............................5-9
Rapid air pressure loss ......................5-10
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ...........5-11
Driving safety precautions ....................5-11
Push-button ignition switch ....................5-13
Operating range ............................ 5-14
Push-button ignition switch positions .......5-14
Emergency engine shut off ..................5-15
NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery
discharge ................................... 5-16
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System .........5-16
Before starting the engine .....................5-17
Starting the engine ............................. 5-17
Remote Engine Start (if so equipped) ........5-18
Driving the vehicle .............................. 5-18
Engine protection mode ....................5-18
Automatic transmission (A/T) ...............5-19Parking brake
.................................. 5-24
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) (if so equipped) . . . 5-24 System operation ........................... 5-25
Turning the Traffic Sign Recognition
(TSR) system on and off .....................5-26
System temporarily unavailable .............5-26
System malfunction ......................... 5-26
System maintenance .......................5-27
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (if so
equipped) ...................................... 5-27
LDW system operation ......................5-28
How to enable/disable the LDW system .....5-29
LDW system limitations .....................5-30
System temporarily disabled ................5-31
System malfunction ......................... 5-31
System maintenance ....................... 5-31
Blind Spot Warning (BSW) (if so equipped) .......5-32
BSW system operation ......................
5-34
How

to enable/disable the BSW system .....5-34
BSW system limitations .....................5-35
BSW driving situations .......................5-36
System temporarily unavailable .............5-40
System maintenance ....................... 5-41
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) (if so equipped) . . 5-42 RCTA system operation .....................5-43

•Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough ter-
rain. Properly secure all cargo so it
will not be thrown forward and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
• To avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacity of the roof rack (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the cargo
area as far forward and as low as
possible. Do not equip the vehicle
with tires larger than specified in this
manual. This could cause your ve-
hicle to roll over.
• Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could move
suddenly and injure your hands. In-
stead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
• Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
• Always drive with the floor mats (if so
equipped) in place as the floor may
become hot. •
Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your NISSAN is more
affected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
• Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with 4WD engaged (if so equipped).
• For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shif t the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result
in serious vehicle damage or per-
sonal injury. •
Do not attempt to test a 4WD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamom-
eters used by some states for emis-
sions testing), or similar equipment
even if the other two wheels are
raised off the ground. Make sure you
inform test facility personnel that
your vehicle is equipped with 4WD
before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment
may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.
• Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
• If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your NISSAN 4WD vehicle has
a higher center of gravity than a pas-
senger car. The vehicle is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly could
result in loss of control and/or a roll-
over accident.
5-12Starting and driving

In preparation for the next engine start, the
engine may have a slightly delayed shutoff
af ter placing the ignition switch in the
OFF position, depending on the driving
conditions.
NOTE:
The engine would NOT start within 3 sec-
onds of turning the engine off.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as:
1. Installation or extended use of elec-tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. The vehicle is not driven regularly and/or only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
REMOTE ENGINE START (if so
equipped)
Vehicles started with the Remote Engine
Start require the ignition switch to be
placed in the ON position before the shif t
lever can be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion. To place the ignition switch in the ON
position, follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, see “NISSAN In-
telligent Key®” (P. 3-2).
ENGINE PROTECTION MODE
The engine has an engine protection mode
to reduce the chance of damage if the cool-
ant temperature becomes too high (for ex-
ample, when climbing steep grades in high
temperatures with heavy loads, such as
when towing a trailer). When the engine tem-
perature reaches a certain level:
• The engine coolant temperature gauge will move toward the H position.
• Engine power may be reduced.
• The air conditioning cooling function may be automatically turned off for a short
time (the blower will continue to operate).
Engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will decrease. Vehicle speed
can be controlled with the accelerator pedal,
but the vehicle may not accelerate at the
desired speed. The transmission will down-
shif t or upshif t as it reaches prescribed shif t
points. You can also shif t manually.
As driving conditions change and engine
coolant temperature is reduced, vehicle
speed can be increased using the accel-
erator pedal, and the air conditioning cool-
ing function will automatically be turned
back on.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-18Starting and driving

The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may
also come on if the engine coolant tem-
perature is not reduced or the air condi-
tioning cooling function does not turn back
on. Ifonly it remains on, you do not need to
have your vehicle towed, but have it in-
spected soon. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. For
additional information, see “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” (P. 2-19).
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced en-
gine power and vehicle speed. The re-
duced speed may be lower than other
traffic, which could increase the chance
of a collision. Be especially careful
when driving. If the vehicle cannot
maintain a safe driving speed, pull to
the side of the road in a safe area. Allow
the engine to cool and return to normal
operation. For additional information,
see “If your vehicle overheats” (P. 6-13).
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause
serious damage to the engine almost
immediately. Such damage is not cov-
ered by warranty. Turn off the engine as
soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (A/T)
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive). Always
depress the brake pedal until shif ting
is completed. Failure to do so could
cause you to lose control and have an
accident.
• Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
• Never shif t to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is
reversing. This could cause an acci-
dent or damage the transmission. •
Do not downshif t abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
• Except in an emergency, do not shif t
to the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission
in the N (Neutral) position may cause
serious damage to the transmission.CAUTION
• To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on
an uphill grade, do not hold the ve-
hicle by depressing the accelerator
pedal. The foot brake should be used
for this purpose.
The A/T in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and
smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures
for this transmission are shown on the fol-
lowing pages. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and driv-
ing enjoyment.
Starting and driving5-19

Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depressthe foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever into a driving
gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
The automatic transmission is designed
so the foot brake pedal MUST be de-
pressed before shif ting from P (Park) to
any drive position while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the ACC, LOCK or OFF
position.
The shif t lever may not be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position, but
the engine is not running and the out-
side temperature is extremely low.
Shif ting
To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonOAwhile depressing
the brake pedal
Press the buttonOAto shif t
Shif t without depressing the brake pedal
Shif ting
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and move the shif t lever out of
the P (Park) position.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shif t le-
ver is in any position while the engine is
not running. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly or roll away and result in serious
personal injury or property damage.
If the ignition switch is placed in the OFF
position for any reason while the vehicle is
in N (Neutral), or any D (Drive) position, the
ignition switch cannot be placed in the
LOCK position. Move the shif t lever to the P
(Park) position, then the ignition switch can
be placed in the LOCK position.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) position only when the ve-
hicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shif t lever position when
the vehicle is parked or when starting the
engine. Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shif t lever from N (Neutral) or
any drive position to P (Park).
LSD4501
5-20Starting and driving

Apply the parking brake. When parking on a
hill, apply the parking brake first, then move
the shif t lever into the P (Park) position.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the R (Reverse) position only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before selecting the R (Reverse)
position. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to N (Neutral) and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
Manual shif t mode
Move the shif t lever sideways toward the
manual shif t gate to activate the manual
shif t mode, then select “+” or “-” to shif t up
or down. Shif t ranges can be selected
manually.
In the manual shif t mode, the shif t range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter. Af ter moving the shif t lever to the
manual shif t gate, the position indicator
varies depending on the gear position and
vehicle speed. •
In the manual shif t mode, the transmis-
sion may not shif t to the selected gear
immediately because of vehicle speed.
The transmission will upshif t or down-
shif t when vehicle speed matches the
programmed transmission shif t points.
This helps maintain driving perfor-
mance and reduces the chance of ve-
hicle damage or loss of control.
• In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission will not upshif t to a higher
gear than is manually selected. When
the vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down and
shif ts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7 ↔
M8 ↔M9 ↔D
M9 (Ninth)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7 ↔
M8 ↔M9
M9 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
LSD4503
Starting and driving5-21

M8 (Eighth)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7 ↔
M8
M8 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M7 (Seventh)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6 ↔M7
M7 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M6 (Sixth)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 ↔M6
M6 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter
M5 (Fif th)
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking would be advantageous.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4 ↔M5 M5 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M4 (Fourth)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1
↔M2 ↔M3 ↔M4
M4 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M3 (Third)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 ↔M3
M3 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M2 (Second)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ↔M2 M2 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor in the meter.
M1 (First)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades.
M1 will be displayed on the position indica-
tor on the meter.
• Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than
M4 range. This reduces fuel economy.
When shif ting up
Move the shif t lever to the + (up) side. (Shif ts
to higher range.)
When shif ting down
Move the shif t lever to the − (down) side.
(Shif ts to lower range.)
• The transmission will automatically downshif t the gears. (For example, if you
select the 3rd range, the transmission will
shif t down between the 3rd and 1st
gears.)
• Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
5-22Starting and driving

When canceling the manual shif t mode
Return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion to return the transmission to the nor-
mal driving mode.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tem-
peratures with heavy loads, such as when
towing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be de-
creased automatically to reduce the
chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelera-
tor pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed
may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” (P. 2-19). This will occur even if all
electrical circuits are functioning prop-
erly. In this case, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait for 10 sec-
onds. Then push the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have the transmission checked and
repaired, if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.
Starting and driving5-23

• Keep your engine tuned up.
• Follow the recommended scheduledmaintenance.
• Keep the tires inflated to the correct pres- sure. Low tire pressure increases tire
wear and lowers fuel economy.
• Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Im- proper alignment increases tire wear and
lowers fuel economy.
• For vehicles equipped with
, use 4H
or 4L position only when necessary.
4-Wheel Drive operation lowers fuel
economy.
• Use the recommended viscosity engine oil. For additional information, see “Engine
oil and oil filter recommendations”
(P. 10-7).
WARNING
• For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shif t the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result
in serious vehicle damage or per-
sonal injury.
• Do not attempt to test a 4WD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamom-
eters used by some states for emis-
sions testing), or similar equipment
even if the other two wheels are
raised off the ground. Make sure you
inform test facility personnel that
your vehicle is equipped with 4WD
before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment
may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.CAUTION
• Do not drive the vehicle in the 4H or
4LO position on dry hard surface
roads. Driving on dry, hard surfaces in
4H or 4LO may cause unnecessary
noise, tire wear and increased fuel
consumption.
If the 4WD vehicle information dis-
play warning message turns on
when you are driving on dry hard sur-
face roads:
– In the 4H position, shif t the 4WD
shif t switch to 2WD.
– In the 4LO position, stop the ve-
hicle, move the shif t lever to the N
(Neutral) position with the brake
pedal depressed, and shif t the
4WD shif t switch to 2WD.
• If the vehicle information display
warning message is still on af ter the
above operation, have your vehicle
checked as soon as possible. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMYUSING 4–WHEEL DRIVE (4WD)
(if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-109