towing NISSAN MURANO 2015 3.G Owner's Manual

3. Attach the trailer to the vehicle and adjustthe hitch equalizers so that the front bumper
height is within0-.5inches (0 – 13 mm) of
the reference height measured in step 2. The
rear bumper should be no higher than the
reference height measured in step 2.
WARNING
Properly adjust the weight distributing
hitch so the rear of the bumper is no
higher than the measured reference
height when the trailer is attached. If the
rear bumper is higher than the measured
reference height when loaded, the vehicle
may handle unpredictably which could
cause a loss of vehicle control and cause
serious personal injury or property
damage.
Sway control device
Sudden maneuvers, wind gusts, and buffeting
caused by other vehicles can affect trailer han-
dling. Sway control devices may be used to help
control these affects. If you choose to use one,
contact a reputable trailer hitch supplier to make
sure the sway control device will work with the
vehicle, hitch, trailer and the trailer’s brake sys-
tem. Follow the instructions provided by the
manufacturer for installing and using the sway
control device.
Class I hitch
Class I trailer hitch equipment (receiver, ball
mount and hitch ball) can be used to tow trailers
of a maximum weight of 2,000 lb (907 kg) .
Tire pressures
●When towing a trailer, inflate the ve-
hicle tires to the recommended cold
tire pressure indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
● Trailer tire condition, size, load rating
and proper inflation pressure should
be in accordance with the trailer and
tire manufacturer’s specifications.
Safety chains
Always use suitable safety chains between your
vehicle and the trailer. The safety chains should
be crossed and should be attached to the hitch,
not to the vehicle bumper or axle. The safety
chains can be attached to the bumper if the hitch
ball is mounted to the bumper. Be sure to leave
enough slack in the chains to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical
system, a commercially available power-
type module/converter must be used to
provide power for all trailer lighting. This
unit uses the vehicle battery as a direct
power source for all trailer lights while
using the vehicle tail light, stoplight and
turn signal circuits as a signal source. The
module/converter must draw no more that
15 milliamps from the stop and tail lamp
circuits. Using a module/converter that
exceeds these power requirements may
damage the vehicle’s electrical system.
See a reputable trailer retailer to obtain
the proper equipment and to have it
installed.
Trailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. For assistance in hooking up
trailer lights, contact a NISSAN dealer or reputable
trailer retailer. Vehicles equipped with the optional
trailer tow package are equipped with a flat 4-pin
connector, an adapter will be needed to connect
the trailer lights to the vehicle. Adapters are avail-
able at auto parts stores and hitch retailers.
9-22Technical and consumer information

Pre-towing tips
●Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it
has an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition; check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Keep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
● Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.
● Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and
trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a
trailer to the vehicle.
● Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle. ●
Determine the overall height of the vehicle
and trailer so the required clearance is
known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stopping and backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability and braking perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched.
● Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
● Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
● 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 backing 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 shift 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. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks ab-
sorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park) .
6. Turn off the engine.
To drive away: 1. Start the vehicle.
2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
Technical and consumer information9-23

5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer areclear 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 de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and shift to a lower gear. Avoid long or
repeated use of the brakes when descend-
ing a hill, as this reduces their effectiveness
and could cause overheating. Shifting to a
lower gear instead provides “engine brak-
ing” and reduces the need to brake as fre-
quently.
● If the engine coolant temperature rises to a
high temperature, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this owner’s manual.
● 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 often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
● 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.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle 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 ve-
hicle
– 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 bal-
anced as described in this section.
● Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember, the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
● Downshift 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 reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● NISSAN recommends that the cruise con-
trol 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.
9-24Technical and consumer information

●Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after
50 miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When launching a boat, don’t allow the wa-
ter 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 “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion of this manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR ALL–WHEEL
DRIVE VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Never flat tow your All-wheel drive
(AWD) vehicle.
● DO NOT tow your All-wheel drive (AWD)
vehicle with any wheels on the ground.
Doing so may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the powertrain.
● For emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR FRONT WHEEL
DRIVE VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
● Never tow your front wheel drive vehicle
with the front tires on the ground. Doing
so may cause serious and expensive
damage to the powertrain.
● DO NOT tow your front wheel drive con-
tinuously variable transmission vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground (flat
towing) . Doing so WILL DAMAGE inter-
nal transmission parts due to lack of
transmission lubrication.
● For emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
Continuously Variable Transmission
To tow a vehicle equipped with a continuously
variable transmission, an appropriate vehicle dolly
MUST
be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels. Always follow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
Technical and consumer information9-25

Shoulder belt height adjustment........1-22
Spark plug replacement .............8-18
Spark plugs ...................8-18
Specifications ...................9-8
Speedometer ...................2-4
Spotlights(Seemaplight) ...........2-51
SRS warning label ................1-65
Stability control .................5-70
Starting Before starting the engine ..........5-14
Jump starting .............6-10,8-17
Precautions when starting and
driving ...................5-2,5-8
Push starting .................6-12
Starting the engine .............5-14
Starting the engine ...............5-14
Steering Heated steering wheel ...........2-34
Power steering fluid .............8-13
Power steering system ...........5-68
Stoplight.....................8-28
Storage......................2-40
Sunglassescase.................2-41
Sunglassesholder................2-41
Sunroof......................2-48
Sunroof (see Moonroof) .............2-48
Sun visors ....................3-31
Supplemental air bag warning labels ......1-65
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-66, 2-11
Supplemental front impact air bag system . . .1-54
Supplemental restraint system Information and warning labels .......1-65
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-46
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system) .........1-46Switch
Autolightswitch...............2-31
Automatic power window switch ......2-47
Foglightswitch ...............2-34
Hazard warning flasher switch ........6-2
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-30
Headlight control switch ..........2-30
Instrument brightness control ........2-33
Power door lock switch .........3-5,3-6
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch.....................2-30
Rear window wiper and washer
switches...................2-29
Steering wheel switch for audio
control/Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone
System ....................4-48
Turn signal switch ..............2-33
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch.....................2-38
Wiperandwasherswitch..........2-27
T
Tachometer ....................2-5
Temperature gauge Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Theft (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start ................2-26,5-14
Three-way catalyst ................5-2
Tire Flat tire .....................6-3
Spare tire ................6-5,8-39
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-12
Tirechains..................8-36
Tire pressure .................8-29 Tire rotation..................8-37
Types of tires
.................8-35
Uniform tire quality grading .........9-26
Wheels and tires ...............8-29
Wheel/tire size .................9-9
Tirepressure...................8-29 Low tire pressure warning light ........2-9
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ....5-3
Top tether strap child restraint .........1-29
Towing Flattowing..................9-25
T
owing load/specification ..........9-20
Towtrucktowing...............6-13
Trailer towing .................9-17
Towing a trailer ..................9-17
Transceiver HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver ....2-51,2-53,2-54,2-54,2-55
Transmission Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid......................8-13
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-15
Travel (See registering your vehicle in another
country) ......................9-10
Trip odometer ...................2-4
Turn signal switch ................2-33
U
Uniform tire quality grading ...........9-26
USB interface ..................4-42
Audio file operation .............4-43
10-6