tow NISSAN MAXIMA 2020 Owner´s Manual

∙ Remember not to drive at high speedsfor extended periods of time in lower
than the 6th 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.)
∙ Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
∙ 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.)
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. ∙
In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
∙ When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light will blink and
the chime will sound.
∙ In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to
a higher range than selected if the
engine speed is too high. When the
vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down
and shif ts to 1st gear before the ve-
hicle comes to a stop.
∙ CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid tempera-
ture is extremely low even if manual
shif t mode is selected. This is not a mal-
function. When CVT fluid warms up,
manual mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shif t range may upshif t in lower
rpm than usual. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
Shif t lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shif t lever may not be moved from the
P (Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the shif t lever button
pressed.
It will be necessary to jump start or have
your battery charged. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Jump starting” in the “In
case of emergency” section of this manual.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer or a professional towing service.
LSD2360
5-20Starting and driving

To move the shif t lever, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of a small (1/8 inch or 3 mm) flat-head
screwdriver, remove the shif t lock re-
lease cover.
∙ If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the car key into the shif t lock release slot and press straight down. A
small screwdriver or small trim tool
may also be used.
∙ For additional information, refer to “NISSAN Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-
driving checks and adjustments”
section of this manual.
5. Move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
6. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition to unlock the steering wheel.
Now the vehicle may be moved to the
desired location. If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the transmission checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
CAUTION
Make sure to take extra care during the
removal of the shif t lock cap as this part
is easily damaged.
WARNING
If the shif t lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is de-
pressed, the stop lights may not work.
Malfunctioning stop lights could cause
an accident injuring yourself and
others.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position and manual
shif t mode
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into lower range,
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, refer to “Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL)” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are func-
tioning properly. In this case, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then place the igni-
Starting and driving5-21

LDW SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations
for the LDW system. Failure to follow the
warnings and instructions for proper
use of the LDW system could result in
serious injury or death.
∙ The system will not operate at speedsbelow approximately 37 mph
(60 km/h) or if it cannot detect lane
markers.
∙ Do not use the LDW system under the following conditions as it may not
function properly:
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.).
– When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow.
– When driving on winding or un- even roads.
– When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
– When driving in a makeshif t or temporary lane. – When driving on roads where the
lane width is too narrow.
– When driving without normal tire conditions (for example, tire wear,
low tire pressure, installation of
spare tire, tire chains, nonstandard
wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with non-original brake parts or sus-
pension parts.
– When you are towing a trailer or other vehicle.
∙ The system may not function prop- erly under the following conditions:
– On roads where there are multiple parallel lane markers; lane mark-
ers that are faded or not painted
clearly; yellow painted lane mark-
ers; non-standard lane markers; or
lane markers covered with water,
dirt, snow, etc.
– On roads where the discontinued lane markers are still detectable.
– On roads where there are sharp curves. – On roads where there are sharply
contrasting objects, such as shad-
ows, snow, water, wheel ruts,
seams or lines remaining af ter
road repairs. (The LDW system
could detect these items as lane
markers.)
– On roads where the traveling lane merges or separates.
– When the vehicle’s traveling direc- tion does not align with the lane
marker.
– When traveling close to the vehicle in front of you, which obstructs the
lane camera unit detection range.
– When rain, snow, dirt or an object adheres to the windshield in front
of the lane camera unit.
– When the headlights are not bright due to dirt on the lens or if the aim-
ing is not adjusted properly.
– When strong light enters the lane camera unit. (For example, the light
directly shines on the front of the
vehicle at sunrise or sunset.)
Starting and driving5-29

– When the vehicle is equipped withnonoriginal brake parts or suspen-
sion parts.
– When you are towing a trailer or other vehicle.
– On roads where there are multiple parallel lane markers; lane mark-
ers that are faded or not painted
clearly; yellow painted lane mark-
ers; non-standard lane markers; or
lane markers covered with water,
dirt, snow, etc.
– On roads where discontinued lane markers are still detectable.
– On roads where there are sharp curves.
– On roads where there are sharply contrasting objects, such as shad-
ows, snow, water, wheel ruts,
seams or lines remaining af ter
road repairs. (The I-LI system could
detect these items as lane
markers.)
– On roads where the traveling lane merges or separates. – When the vehicle’s traveling direc-
tion does not align with the lane
marker.
– When traveling close to the vehicle in front of you, which obstructs the
lane camera unit detection range.
– When rain, snow or dirt adheres to the windshield in front of the lane
camera unit.
– When the headlights are not bright due to dirt on the lens or if the aim-
ing is not adjusted properly.
– When strong light enters the lane camera unit. (For example, the light
directly shines on the front of the
vehicle at sunrise or sunset.)
– When a sudden change in bright- ness occurs. (For example, when
the vehicle enters or exits a tunnel
or under a bridge.)
While the I-LI system is operating, you may
hear a sound of brake operation. This is
normal and indicates that the I-LI system is
operating properly.SYSTEM TEMPORARILY
UNAVAILABLE
Condition A:
The warning and assist functions of the I-LI
system are not designed to work under the
following conditions: ∙ When you operate the lane change sig- nal and change the traveling lanes in
the direction of the signal. (The I-LI sys-
tem will be deactivated for approxi-
mately 2 seconds af ter the lane change
signal is turned off.)
∙ When the vehicle speed lowers to less than approximately 37 mph (60 km/h).
Af ter the above conditions have finished
and the necessary operating conditions
are satisfied, the warning and assist func-
tions will resume.
Condition B:
The assist function of the I-LI system is not
designed to work under the following con-
ditions (warning is still functional): ∙ When the brake pedal is depressed.
∙ When the steering wheel is turned as far as necessary for the vehicle to change
lanes.
Starting and driving5-35

∙ If the vehicle ahead comes to a stop,the vehicle decelerates to a standstill
within the limitations of the system.
The system will cancel once it judges
that the vehicle has come to a stand-
still and sound a warning chime. To
prevent the vehicle from moving, the
driver must depress the brake pedal.
∙ Always pay attention to the operation of the vehicle and be ready to manu-
ally control the proper following dis-
tance. The ICC system may not be able
to maintain the selected distance be-
tween vehicles (following distance) or
selected vehicle speed under some
circumstances.
∙ The system may not detect the ve- hicle in front of you in certain road or
weather conditions. To avoid acci-
dents, never use the ICC system under
the following conditions:
– On roads where the traffic is heavy or there are sharp curves
– On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.) – When rain, snow or dirt adhere to
the bumper around the distance
sensor
– On steep downhill roads (the ve- hicle may go beyond the set ve-
hicle speed and frequent braking
may result in overheating the
brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
– When traffic conditions make it dif- ficult to keep a proper distance be-
tween vehicles because of fre-
quent acceleration or deceleration
– Interference by other radar sources
∙ Do not use the ICC system if you are towing a trailer. The system may not
detect a vehicle ahead.
∙ In some road or traffic conditions, a vehicle or object can unexpectedly
come into the sensor detection zone
and cause automatic braking. Always
stay alert and avoid using the ICC sys-
tem where not recommended in this
warning section. The radar sensor will not detect the follow-
ing objects:
∙ Stationary and slow moving vehicles
∙ Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
∙ Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
∙ Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel lane
The sensor generally detects the signals
returned from the vehicle ahead. Therefore,
if the sensor cannot detect the reflection
from the vehicle ahead, the ICC system
may not maintain the selected distance.
The following are some conditions in which
the sensor cannot properly detect a ve-
hicle ahead and the system may not oper-
ate properly: ∙ When snow or road spray from traveling vehicles reduces the sensor’s detection.
∙ When your vehicle is towing a trailer, etc.
∙ When excessively heavy baggage is loaded in the rear seat or cargo area of
your vehicle.
The ICC system is designed to automati-
cally check the sensor’s operation within
the limitations of the system.
Starting and driving5-73

∙ The RAB system may not operate inthe following conditions:
– There is rain, snow, ice, dirt, etc., at- tached to the sonar sensors.
– A loud sound is heard in the area around the vehicle.
– The surface of the obstacle is di- agonal to the rear of the vehicle.
∙ The RAB system may unintentionally operate in the following conditions:
– There is overgrown grass in the area around the vehicle.
– There is a structure (e.g., a wall, toll gate equipment, a narrow tunnel, a
parking lot gate) near the side of
the vehicle.
– There are bumps, protrusions, or manhole covers on the road
surface.
– The vehicle drives through a draped flag or a curtain.
– There is an accumulation of snow or ice behind the vehicle. – An ultrasonic wave source, such as
another vehicle’s sonar, is near the
vehicle.
∙ Once the automatic brake control op- erates, it does not operate again if the
vehicle approaches the same
obstacle.
∙ The automatic brake control can only operate for a short period of time.
Therefore, the driver must depress
the brake pedal.
∙ In the following situations, the RAB system may not operate properly or
may not function sufficiently:
– The vehicle is driven in bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.).
– The vehicle is driven on a steep hill.
– The vehicle’s posture is changed (e.g., when driving over a bump).
– The vehicle is driven on a slippery road.
– The vehicle is turned sharply by turning the steering wheel fully.
– Snow chains are used. – Wheels or tires other than NISSAN
recommended are used.
– The brakes are cold at low ambient temperatures or immediately af ter
driving has started.
– The braking force becomes poor due to wet brakes af ter driving
through a puddle or washing the
vehicle.
∙ Turn the RAB system off in the follow- ing conditions to prevent the occur-
rence of an unexpected accident re-
sulting from sudden system
operation:
– The vehicle is towed.
– The vehicle is carried on a flatbed truck.
– The vehicle is on the chassis dynamometer.
– The vehicle drives on an uneven road surface.
Starting and driving5-89

WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations
for the I-FCW system. Failure to operate
the vehicle in accordance with these
system limitations could result in seri-
ous injury or death.
∙ The I-FCW system cannot detect allvehicles under all conditions.
∙ The radar sensor does not detect the following objects:
– Pedestrians, animals or obstacles in the roadway – Oncoming vehicles
– Crossing vehicles
∙ (Illustration A) The I-FCW system does not function when a vehicle ahead is a
narrow vehicle, such as a motorcycle.
∙ The radar sensor may not detect a ve- hicle ahead in the following
conditions:
– Snow or heavy rain
– Dirt, ice, snow or other material covering the radar sensor. – Interference by other radar
sources.
– Snow or road spray from traveling vehicles.
– Driving in a tunnel
– (Illustration B) When the vehicle ahead is being towed.
– (Illustration C) When the distance to the vehicle ahead is too close,
the beam of the radar sensor is
obstructed.
Illustration B
LSD2265
5-106Starting and driving

∙HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURBA:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the curb
side wheel gently touches the curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
B:
Turn the wheels away from the curb
and move the vehicle back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB
C:
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position.
WARNING
∙ If the engine is not running or isturned off while driving, the power as-
sist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
∙ When the power steering warning light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, there will be no power assist for
the steering. You will still have control
of the vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
The power steering system is designed to
provide power assist while driving to oper-
ate the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated re-
peatedly or continuously while parking or
driving at a very low speed, the power as-
sist for the steering wheel will be reduced.
This is to prevent overheating of the power
steering system and protect it from getting
damaged. While the power assist is re-
duced, steering wheel operation will be-
come heavy. If the steering wheel opera-
tion is still performed, the power steering
may stop and the power steering warning
light will illuminate. In a safe location, stop the engine and push the ignition switch to
the OFF position. The temperature of the
power steering system will go down af ter a
period of time and the power assist level
will return to normal af ter starting the en-
gine. The power steering warning light will
go off. Avoid repeating such steering wheel
operations that could cause the power
steering system to overheat.
You may hear a noise from the front of the
vehicle when the steering wheel is oper-
ated. This is a normal operational noise
and is not a malfunction.
If the power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the power steering system is not
functioning properly and may need servic-
ing. Have the power steering system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
When the power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, there will
be no power assist for the steering but you
will still have control of the vehicle. At this
time, greater steering effort is required to
operate the steering wheel, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
POWER STEERING
Starting and driving5-119

6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch..................6-2
Emergency engine shut off ......................6-2
Flat tire ..........................................6-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)........................................6-3
Changing a flat tire ...........................6-4
Jump starting ...................................6-9 Push starting
.................................... 6-11
If your vehicle overheats .........................6-11
Towing your vehicle ............................ 6-12
Towing recommended by NISSAN ...........6-12
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck
vehicle) ...................................... 6-13

CAUTION
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission(CVT) models cannot be push-started
or tow-started. Attempting to do so
may cause transmission damage.
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. The three-way catalyst may be damaged. If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge
reading) or if you feel a lack of engine
power, detect abnormal noise, etc., take the
following steps.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicle
overheats. Doing so could cause en-
gine damage or a vehicle fire.
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is com- ing out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, ap- ply the parking brake and move the
shif t lever to P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maxi-
mum hot and fan control to high
speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen
for steam or coolant escaping from the
radiator before opening the hood. (If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off
the engine.) Do not open the hood fur-
ther until no steam or coolant can be
seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling
fan is running. The radiator hoses and
radiator should not leak water. If cool-
ant is leaking, the water pump belt is
missing or loose, or the cooling fan
does not run, stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or
the engine cooling fan. The engine cool-
ing fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-11