warning NISSAN LEAF 2016 1.G Owners Manual

ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)
WARNING
• The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a sophisticated device, but it cannot
prevent accidents resulting from care-
less or dangerous driving techniques.
It can help maintain vehicle control
during braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping distances on
slippery surfaces will be longer than
on normal surfaces even with ABS.
Stopping distances may also be longer
on rough, gravel or snow covered
roads, or if you are using tire chains.
Always maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front of you. Ultimately,
the driver is responsible for safety.
• Tire type and condition may also affect braking effectiveness.
– When replacing tires, install thespecified size of tires on all four
wheels.
– For additional information, refer to “Wheels and tires” in the “Mainte-
nance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) controls the
brakes so the wheels do not lock during hard brak-
ing or when braking on slippery surfaces. The sys-
tem detects the rotation speed at each wheel and
varies the brake fluid pressure to prevent each
wheel from locking and sliding. By preventing each
wheel from locking, the system helps the driver
maintain steering control and helps to minimize
swerving and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down. De-
press the brake pedal with firm steady pressure,
but do not pump the brakes. The ABS will oper-
ate to prevent the wheels from locking up. Steer
the vehicle to avoid obstacles.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Self-test feature
The ABS includes electronic sensors, electric
pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a computer. The
computer has a built-in diagnostic feature that
tests the system each time you push the power
switch in the READY to drive position and move the vehicle at a low speed in forward or reverse.
When the self-test occurs, you may hear a
“clunk” noise and/or feel a pulsation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and does not indicate a
malfunction. If the computer senses a malfunc-
tion, it switches the ABS off and illuminates the
ABS warning light on the instrument panel. The
brake system then operates normally, but without
anti-lock assistance.
If the ABS warning light illuminates during the
self-test or while driving, have the vehicle
checked by a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
Normal operation
The ABS operates at speeds above 3 to 6 mph (5
to 10 km/h) . The speed varies according to road
conditions.
When the ABS senses that one or more wheels are
close to locking up, the actuator rapidly applies and
releases hydraulic pressure. This action is similar to
pumping the brakes very quickly. You may feel a
pulsation in the brake pedal and hear a noise from
under the hood or feel a vibration from the actuator
when it is operating. This is normal and indicates
that the ABS is operating properly. However, the
pulsation may indicate that road conditions are
hazardous and extra care is required while driving.
5-22Starting and driving

The VDC system uses various sensors to monitor
driver inputs and vehicle motion. Under certain
driving conditions, the VDC system helps to per-
form the following functions.
• Controls brake pressure to reduce wheel slip onone slipping drive wheel so power is transferred
to a drive wheel on the same axle that is not
slipping.
• Controls brake pressure and traction motor out- put to reduce drive wheel slip based on vehicle
speed (traction control function) .
• Controls brake pressure at individual wheels and traction motor output to help the driver
maintain control of the vehicle in the following
conditions. – understeer (vehicle tends to not follow the steered path despite increased steering in-
put) .
– oversteer (vehicle tends to spin due to cer- tain road or driving conditions) .
The VDC system can help the driver maintain
control of the vehicle, but it cannot prevent loss of
vehicle control in all driving situations.
When the VDC system operates, the
warning in the instrument panel flashes. When
the warning flashes, note the following items. • The road may be slippery or the system may
determine some action is required to help keep
the vehicle on the steered path.
• You may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal and hear a noise or vibration from under the hood.
This is normal and indicates that the VDC sys-
tem is working properly.
• Adjust your speed and driving according to the road conditions.
For additional information, refer to “Vehicle Dy-
namic Control (VDC) warning light” and “Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) off indicator light” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this manual.
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the
warning illuminates in the lower display. The VDC
system automatically turns off when this warning
light is lit.
The VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the VDC
system. The VDC off indicator
illuminates
to indicate that the VDC system is off. When the
VDC switch is used to turn off the system, the
VDC system still operates to prevent one drive
wheel from slipping by transferring power to a
non slipping wheel. The
flashes if this
occurs. All other VDC functions are off and the
warning will not flash. The VDC System is
automatically reset to ON when the power switch is placed in the OFF position then back to the ON
position.
The computer has a built-in diagnostic feature
that tests the system each time you start the EV
and move the vehicle forward or in reverse at a
slow speed. When the self-test occurs, you may
hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel a pulsation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and is not an indica-
tion of a malfunction.
WARNING
• The VDC system is designed to help the driver maintain stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
by careless or dangerous driving tech-
niques. Reduce vehicle speed and be
especially careful when driving and
cornering on slippery surfaces and al-
ways drive carefully.
VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (VDC)
SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-23

• Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-sion. If suspension parts such as shock
absorbers, struts, springs, stabilizer
bars, bushings and wheels are not
NISSAN recommended for your ve-
hicle or are extremely deteriorated the
VDC system may not operate properly.
This could adversely affect vehicle
handling performance, and the
warning may flash ormay
illuminate.
• If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly and
may
illuminate.
• If traction motor control related parts
are not NISSAN recommended or are
extremely deteriorated, the
may
illuminate.
• When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked cor-
ners, the VDC system may not operate
properly and the
warning may illu-
minate. Do not drive on these types of
roads. • When driving on an unstable surface
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the
warning may illuminate.
This is not a malfunction. Restart the
EV (Electric Vehicle) system after driv-
ing onto a stable surface.
• If wheels or tires other than the
NISSAN recommended ones are used,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly and the
warning may illumi-
nate.
• The VDC system is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
WARNING
• Never rely solely on the hill start assist system to prevent the vehicle from
moving backward on a hill. Always
drive carefully and attentively. Depress
the brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped on a steep hill. Be especially
careful when stopped on a hill on fro-
zen or muddy roads. Failure to prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards
may result in a loss of control of the
vehicle and possible serious injury or
death.
• The hill start assist system is not de- signed to hold the vehicle at a stand-
still on a hill. Depress the brake pedal
when the vehicle is stopped on a steep
hill. Failure to do so may cause the
vehicle to roll backwards and may re-
sult in a collision or serious personal
injury.
• The hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards on a
hill under all load or road conditions.
Always be prepared to depress the
brake pedal to prevent the vehicle
from rolling backwards. Failure to do
so may result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM
5-24Starting and driving

FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To 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 key fob.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is possible that the outside
temperature will drop below 32°F (0°C) , check
the antifreeze to ensure proper winter protection.
For additional information, refer to “Cooling sys-
tem” in the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion of this manual.
12-VOLT BATTERY
If the 12-volt battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the 12-volt
battery fluid may freeze and damage the 12-volt
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency, the 12-
volt battery should be checked regularly. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “12-volt battery” in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without anti-
freeze, drain the cooling system. Refill beforeoperating the vehicle. For additional information,
refer to “Cooling system” in the “Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to provide
superior performance on dry pavement. How-
ever, the performance of these tires will be sub-
stantially reduced in snowy and icy conditions. If
you operate your vehicle on snowy or icy roads,
NISSAN recommends the use of MUD & SNOW
or ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels. Consult
a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer for the tire type,
size, speed rating and availability information.
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 capabilities of studded
snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow tires.
Tire chains may be used. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Tire chains” in the “Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
• A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove ice
and snow from the windows and wiper blades.
• A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow-drifts.
• Extra windshield-washer fluid to refill the reser- voir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
• Wet ice (32°F, 0°C and freezing rain) , very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip” under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
• Whatever the conditions, drive with caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating too fast, the
drive wheels will lose even more trac-
tion.
• Allow more stopping distance under these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
5-26Starting and driving

6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch...............6-2
Roadside assistance program ................6-2
Emergency EV (Electric Vehicle) shut off .........6-3
Flat tire ............................ .6-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .......6-3
Repairing flat tire .................... .6-4Jump starting
........................ .6-10
If the Li-ion battery becomes completely discharged. .6-12
Push starting ........................ .6-13
Towing your vehicle .................... .6-13
Towing recommended by NISSAN ..........6-14
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ......6-14

Push the switch on to warn other drivers when
you must stop or park under emergency condi-
tions. All turn signal lights will flash.
WARNING
• If stopping for an emergency, be sure to move the vehicle well off the road.
• Do not use the hazard warning flash- ers while moving on the highway un-
less unusual circumstances force you
to drive so slowly that your vehicle
might become a hazard to other traffic.
• Turn signals do not work when the hazard warning flasher lights are on.
The flasher can be actuated with the power
switch in any position.
Some jurisdictions may prohibit the use of
the hazard warning flasher switch while
driving. In the event of a roadside emergency, Roadside
Assistance Service is available to you. For addi-
tional information, please refer to your Warranty
Information Booklet (U.S.) or Warranty & Road-
side Assistance Information Booklet (Canada) for
details.
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
SWITCH
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
6-2In case of emergency

To shut off the EV (Electric Vehicle) system in an
emergency situation while driving, perform the
following procedure.
• Rapidly push the power switch three consecu-tive times in less than 1.5 seconds, or
• Push and hold the power switch for more than 2 seconds.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with TPMS. It monitors
tire pressure of all tires. When the low tire pres-
sure warning light is lit, and the CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE warning appears on the vehicle in-
formation display, one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. If the vehicle is being
driven with low tire pressure, the TPMS will acti-
vate and warn you of it by the low tire pressure
warning light. This system will activate only when
the vehicle is driven at speeds above 16 mph
(25 km/h) . For additional information, refer to
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible re-
minders” in the “Instruments and controls” sec-
tion and “Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” in the “Starting and driving” section of
this manual.
WARNING
• Radio waves could adversely affect electric medical equipment. Those
who use a pacemaker should contact
the electric medical equipment manu-
facturer for the possible influences be-
fore use. • If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, avoid sud-
den steering maneuvers or abrupt
braking, reduce vehicle speed, pull off
the road to a safe location and stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. Driving
with underinflated tires may perma-
nently damage the tires and increase
the likelihood of tire failure. Serious
vehicle damage could occur and may
lead to an accident and could result in
serious personal injury. Check the tire
pressure for all four tires. Adjust the
tire pressure to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label to turn
the low tire pressure warning light
OFF. If the light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may be flat. If you have a
flat tire, repair it as soon as possible.
• When a wheel is replaced, the TPMS will not function and the low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash for ap-
proximately 1 minute. The light will re-
main on after 1 minute. Contact a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer as soon
as possible for tire replacement
and/or system resetting.
EMERGENCY EV (ELECTRIC
VEHICLE) SHUT OFF FLAT TIRE
In case of emergency6-3

• Replacing tires with those not origi-nally specified by NISSAN could affect
the proper operation of the TPMS.
• The Genuine NISSAN Emergency Tire Repair Sealant or equivalent can be
used for temporarily repairing a tire.
Do not inject any other tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires, as
this may cause a malfunction of tire
pressure sensors.
• NISSAN recommends using only NISSAN Genuine Emergency Tire Seal-
ant provided with your vehicle. Other
tire sealants may damage the valve
stem seal which can cause the tire to
lose air pressure. Contact a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer as soon as pos-
sible after using tire repair sealant (for
models equipped with the emergency
tire puncture repair kit) .
REPAIRING FLAT TIRE
WARNING
• After using Emergency Tire Sealant to
repair a minor tire puncture, do not
drive the vehicle at speeds faster than
50 mph (80 km/h) . •
Immediately after using the Emer-
gency Tire Sealant to repair a minor
tire puncture, take your vehicle to a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer to in-
spect, and repair or replace the tire.
The Emergency Tire Sealant cannot
permanently seal a punctured tire.
Continuing operation of the vehicle
without a permanent tire repair can
lead to a crash.
• If you used the Emergency Tire Sealant
to repair a minor tire puncture, a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer will also
need to replace the TPMS sensor in
addition to repairing or replacing the
tire.
• NISSAN recommends using only
NISSAN Genuine Emergency Tire Seal-
ant provided with your vehicle. Other
tire sealants may damage the valve
stem seal which can cause the tire to
lose air pressure.
This vehicle does not have a spare tire. The
emergency tire puncture repair kit (Emergency
Tire Sealant) is supplied with the vehicle instead of a spare tire. It can be used to temporarily repair
minor tire punctures.
If possible, have the vehicle towed to a facility that
can repair or replace the flat tire. Using the emer-
gency tire puncture repair kit may cause a mal-
function of the tire pressure sensor and cause the
low tire pressure warning light to illuminate.
CAUTION
• To avoid the emergency tire puncture
kit being damaged during storage or
use:
–Only use the emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit on your vehicle. Do
not use it on other vehicles.
– Only use the kit to inflate the tires of
your vehicle and to check the vehi-
cle’s tire pressure.
– Only plug the compressor into a 12-
volt DC car power point.
– Keep the kit free of water and dirt.
– Do not disassemble or modify the
kit.
– Do not drop the kit or allow hard
impacts to the kit.
6-4In case of emergency

•Do not use the emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit under the following con-
ditions. Contact a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer or professional road
assistance.
–when the sealant has passed its ex-
piration date (shown on the label
attached to the bottle)
– when the cut or the puncture is ap-
proximately 0.25 in (6 mm) or longer
– when the tire sidewall is damaged
– when the vehicle has been driven
with extremely low tire pressure
– when the tire has come off the in-
side or the outside of the wheel
– when the tire wheel is damaged
– when two or more tires are flat
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions be-
low.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. 4. Push the P (Park) position switch on the shift
lever to the P (Park) position.
5. Turn off the EV (Electric Vehicle) system.
6. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and to signal professional road assistance personnel
that you need assistance.
7. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle and stand in a safe place, away from traffic and
clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
• Make sure the parking brake is se-
curely applied and the vehicle is placed
into the P (Park) position.
• Never repair tires when the vehicle is
on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
• Never repair tires if oncoming traffic is
close to your vehicle. Wait for profes-
sional road assistance.
Getting emergency tire puncture repair
kit
Take out the emergency tire puncture repair kit
located under the cargo area. The repair kit con-
sists of the following items:
1Tire sealant bottle
2Air compressor*
3Speed restriction sticker
* The compressor shape may differ depending on
the models.
In case of emergency6-5

Before using emergency tire puncture
repair kit
• If any foreign object (for example, a screw ornail) is embedded in the tire, do not remove it.
• Check the expiration date of the sealant (shown on the label attached to the bottle) . Never use a
sealant whose expiration date has passed.
Repairing tire:
WARNING
Observe the following precautions when
using the tire repair compound.
• Swallowing the compound is danger-
ous. Immediately drink as much water
as possible and seek prompt medical
assistance.
• Rinse well with lots of water if the
compound comes into contact with
skin or eyes. If irritation persists, seek
prompt medical attention.
• Keep the repair compound out of the
reach of children. •
The emergency repair compound may
cause a malfunction of the tire pres-
sure sensors and cause the low tire
pressure warning light to illuminate.
Have the tire pressure sensor replaced
as soon as possible.
1. Take out the speed restriction sticker from theair compressor, then put it in a location where
the driver can see it while driving.
CAUTION
Do not put the speed restriction label on
the steering wheel pad, the speedometer
or the warning light locations.
6-6In case of emergency