tow switch NISSAN FRONTIER 2023 Owner's Manual

Bumper towing
The Genuine NISSAN step bumper has pro-
visions to install a trailer hitch ball and is
designed to tow trailers of a maximum
weight of 3,500 lbs. (1,588 kg).
To install a trailer hitch ball cut out the circle
in the center of the step bumper
OA, then
remove it to install the trailer hitch ball.
Weight carrying hitches
A weight carrying or “dead weight” ball
mount is one that is designed to carry the
whole amount of tongue weight and gross
weight directly on the ball mount and on
the receiver.
Weight distribution hitch
This type of hitch is also called a “load-
leveling” or “equalizing” hitch. A set of bars
attach to the ball mount and to the trailer
to distribute the tongue weight (hitch
weight) of your trailer. Many vehicles can't
carry the full tongue weight of a given
trailer, and need some of the tongue
weight transferred through the frame and
pushing down on the front wheels. This
gives stability to the tow vehicle.
A weight-distributing hitch system (Class
IV) is recommended if you plan to tow trail-
ers with a maximum weight over 5,000 lbs.
(2,268 kg). Check with the trailer and towing
equipment manufacturers to determine if
they recommend the use of a weight-
distributing hitch system.
NOTE:
A weight-distributing hitch system may
affect the operation of trailer surge
brakes. If you are considering use of a
weight-distributing hitch system with a
surge brake-equipped trailer, check with
the surge brake, hitch or trailer manufac-
turer to determine if and how this can be
done.
Follow the instructions provided by the
manufacturer for installing and using the
weight-distributing hitch system.
General set-up instructions are as follows:
1. Park unloaded vehicle on a level surface. With the ignition switch in the ON posi-
tion and the doors closed, allow the ve-
hicle to stand for several minutes so that
it can level.
2. Measure the height of a reference point on the front and rear bumpers at the
center of the vehicle.
3. Attach the trailer to the vehicle and ad- just the hitch equalizers so that the front
bumper height is within0-.5inches (0 –
13 mm) of the reference height mea-
sured in step 2. The rear bumper should
be no higher than the reference height
measured in step 2.
LTI2569
10-34Technical and consumer information

• Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
• Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
• Always drive your vehicle at a moderatespeed.
• 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 back-
ing 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:
CAUTION
If you move the shif t lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the
wheels and applying the parking brake,
transmission damage could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. Af ter the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the
blocks absorb the vehicle load. 4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shif t the transmission into P (Park).
6. Make sure the 4WD shif t indicator light (if
so equipped) indicates the transfer case
is in 4H, 4LO, or 2WD and that the ATP
light is off. If the 4WD shif t indicator light
is flashing, or the ATP light is ON, make
sure the transmission is in P (Park) and
turn the 4WD switch to 2WD or 4H. For
additional information, see “Automatic
transmission park warning light” (P. 2-13)
and “Using 4-wheel drive (4WD)” (P. 5-109).
7. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shif t 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
decrease overall stability. Therefore, to
maintain adequate control, reduce your
speed and shif t to a lower gear. Avoid
long or repeated use of the brakes when
descending a hill, as this reduces their
effectiveness and could cause overheat-
ing. Shif ting to a lower gear instead pro-
vides “engine braking” and reduces the
need to brake as frequently.
• If the engine coolant temperature rises to a high temperature, see “If your vehicle
overheats” (P. 6-13).
• 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 of ten than at intervals specified. For additional
information, see the “Maintenance and
schedules” section of this manual.
• 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.
10-38Technical and consumer information

• Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When be-
ing passed by larger vehicles, be pre-
pared for possible changes in crosswinds
that could affect vehicle 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 vehicle
– 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 balanced as described in this section.
• Be 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. • Downshif t the transmission 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 re-
duced braking efficiency.
• Increase your following distance to allow for greater stopping distances while tow-
ing a trailer. Anticipate stops and brake
gradually.
• NISSAN recommends that the cruise control not be used while towing a trailer.
• Some states or provinces have specific regulations and speed limits for vehicles
that are towing trailers. Obey the local
speed limits.
• Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness connections, and trailer wheel lug nuts
af ter 50 miles (80 km) of travel and at
every break.
• When launching a boat, don't allow the water level to go over the exhaust tail
pipe or rear bumper.
• Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights before backing the trailer into the
water or the trailer lights may burn out. When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission oil/
fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, refer
to the “Do-it-yourself ” section in this
manual.
Tow mode (if so equipped)
Using tow mode is recommended when
pulling a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy
load. Press the TOW MODE switch to acti-
vate tow mode. The indicator light on the
TOW MODE switch illuminates when tow
mode is selected. Press the TOW MODE
switch again to turn tow mode off. Tow
mode is automatically canceled when the
ignition switch is turned off.
Tow mode includes the following features:
• Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shif ts
when pulling a trailer or hauling a load up
a grade.
• Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — auto- matically downshif ts when driving down
a grade with a trailer or heavy load to help
control vehicle speed.
Technical and consumer information10-39

Seat belt maintenance..........1-23Seat belts................1-14,7-6Shoulder belt height adjustment. . . .1-22Three-point type with retractor.....1-18Seat belt extenders..............1-22Seat belt warning light.........1-17,2-15Seatback pockets...............2-68SeatsAdjustment..................1-2Front seats..................1-2Manual front seat adjustment......1-3Rear seat.................. .1-6Security indicator light............2-15Security system (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer
System), engine start.........2-41, 5-16Security systems
Vehicle security system.........2-39Self-adjusting brakes.............8-22Service manual order form........10-44Servicing air conditioner...........4-43Shif tingAutomatic transmission.........5-20Shoulder belt height adjustment......1-22Side air bag system (See supplemental side
air bag, curtain and rollover air bag
systems)
................... .1-86Sonar
Rear system................5-124Spark plug replacement...........8-19Spark plugs...................8-19Specifications................ .10-9Speedometer................. .2-5Speedometer and odometer........2-4SRS warning label...............1-90
Stability control................5-121Standard maintenance............9-8Starting
Before starting the engine........5-17Jump starting............6-11,8-18Precautions when starting and
driving................. .5-4, 5-11Push starting................6-13Starting the engine (gasoline engine
only).......................5-17Steering
Power steering fluid............8-14Power steering system.........5-117Tilting steering wheel...........3-23Steering wheel.................3-23Stop light....................8-29Storage.................... .2-67Storage tray...................2-71Sun visors....................3-24Sunglasses case................2-72Sunglasses holder..............2-72Sunroof...................2-77,7-5Supplemental air bag warning labels. . .1-90Supplemental air bag warning
light....................1-90, 2-15Supplemental front impact air bag
system......................1-77Supplemental restraint system
Information and warning labels.....1-90Precautions on supplemental restraint
system....................1-70Supplemental restraint system (Supplemen-
tal air bag system)...............1-70Switch Autolight switch
..............2-44Automatic power window switch. . .2-76Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system switch...............2-55Fog light switch..............2-49Hazard warning flasher switch......6-2Headlight and turn signal switch. . . .2-43Headlight control switch.........2-43Hill descent control switch........2-54Instrument brightness control.....2-49Power door lock switch..........3-6Power inverter switch...........2-56Rear sonar system OFF switch.....2-56Tow mode switch.............2-57Turn signal switch.............2-49
T
Tachometer..................
.2-6Tailgate.....................3-27Temperature gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge. . .2-6Thef t (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System),
engine start...............2-41, 5-16Three-way catalyst...............5-5Tie down hooks................3-31Tilting steering wheel.............3-23TireFlat tire................... .6-3Spare tire..........6-4, 6-5, 6-6, 8-44Tire and Loading Information label. .10-14Tire chains.................8-40Tire pressure................8-32
11-6

Tire rotation.................8-41Tires of 4-wheel drive...........8-43Types of tires................8-39Uniform tire quality grading.......10-41Wheel/tire size...............10-10Wheels and tires..........8-32, 10-10Tire pressure
Low tire pressure warning light.....2-17Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).5-5Top tether strap child restraint.......1-31Tow mode switch...............2-57Towing2-wheel drive models...........6-16Flat towing................ .10-40Tow truck towing..............6-14Towing load/specification.......10-30Trailer towing...............10-27Towing a trailer................10-27Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)........5-24Transceiver
HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver
......2-80, 2-81, 2-83, 2-84TransmissionDriving with automatic transmission.5-19Travel (See registering a vehicle in another
country)................... .10-12Trip odometer..................2-5Truck - camper loading...........10-25Truck box....................3-27Turn signal switch...............2-49
U
Under seat storage bin...........2-69Uniform tire quality grading........10-41USB Charging Ports..............2-63Using four wheel drive (4WD).......5-109
V
Vanity mirror..................3-24Variable voltage control system......8-18Vehicle dimensions and weights.....10-11Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) OFF
switch..................... .2-53Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system.5-121Vehicle identification.............10-12Vehicle identification number (VIN). . . .10-12Vehicle identification number (VIN)
plate...................... .10-12Vehicle immobilizer system.....2-41, 5-16Vehicle information display.........2-22Vehicle loading information........10-16Vehicle recovery................6-16Vehicle security system...........2-39Vehicle security system (NISSAN Vehicle Im-
mobilizer System), engine start. . .2-41, 5-16Ventilators...................4-28Visors......................3-24Voltmeter....................2-8
W
Warning
Air bag warning light........1-90, 2-15Anti-lock brake warning light......2-13Battery charge warning light......2-14Brake warning light............2-13Engine oil pressure warning light. . . .2-15Hazard warning flasher switch......6-2Loose fuel cap warning..........2-33Low fuel warning light. . . .2-15, 2-19, 2-34Low tire pressure warning light.....2-17Low windshield-washer fluid warning
light..................... .2-34Passenger air bag and status light. . .1-80Seat belt warning light.......1-17,2-15Supplemental air bag warning
light...................1-90, 2-15Vehicle security system.........2-39Warning labels (for SRS)..........1-90Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders..................2-13Warning lights.................2-13Warning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders....................2-11Warning systems switch..........2-52Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders....................2-13Audible reminders.............2-13Indicator lights...............2-13Warning lights................2-13Weights (See dimensions and weights).10-11Wheel/tire size................10-10Wheels and tires............8-32, 10-10
11-7