tow NISSAN MURANO 2020 Owner´s Manual

TOWING SAFETY
Trailer hitch
Your vehicle may be equipped with an op-
tional trailer tow package. The trailer tow
package includes a receiver-type frame
mounted hitch. This hitch is rated for the
maximum towing capacity of this vehicle
when the proper towing equipment is
used. Choose a proper ball mount and
hitch ball that is rated for the trailer to be
towed. Genuine NISSAN ball mounts and
hitch balls are available from a NISSAN
dealer.
If your vehicle is not equipped with the op-
tional trailer tow package, check the tow-
ing capacity of your bumper hitch or
receiver-type frame mounted hitch.
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and
trailer. A Genuine NISSAN trailer hitch is
available from a NISSAN dealer. Make sure
the trailer hitch is securely attached to the
vehicle to help avoid personal injury or
property damage due to sway caused by
crosswinds, rough road surfaces or pass-
ing trucks.
WARNING
Trailer hitch components have specific
weight ratings. Your vehicle may be ca-
pable of towing a trailer heavier than
the weight rating of the hitch compo-
nents. Never exceed the weight rating
of the hitch components. Doing so can
cause serious personal injury or prop-
erty damage.
Hitch ball
Choose a hitch ball of the proper size and
weight rating for your trailer:
• The required hitch ball size is stamped on most trailer couplers. Most hitch balls
also have the size printed on the top of
the ball.
• Choose the proper class hitch ball based on the trailer weight.
• The diameter of the threaded shank of the hitch ball must be matched to the ball
mount hole diameter. The hitch ball
shank should be no more than 1/16”
smaller than the hole in the ball mount.
• The threaded shank of the hitch ball must be long enough to be properly secured to
the ball mount. There should be at least 2
threads showing beyond the lock washer
and nut.
Ball mount
The hitch ball is attached to the ball mount
and the ball mount is inserted into the
hitch receiver. Choose a proper class ball
mount based on the trailer weight. Addi-
tionally, the ball mount should be chosen to
keep the trailer tongue level with the
ground.
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.
10-24Technical and consumer information

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 on and the doors
closed, allow the vehicle to stand for sev-
eral 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.
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 buf-
feting caused by other vehicles can affect
trailer handling. 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 system.
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 lbs.
(907 kg).
Tire pressures
• When towing a trailer, inflate the
vehicle tires to the recommended
cold tire pressure indicated on the
Tire and Loading Information label.
• Trailer tire condition, size, load rat- ing 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.
Technical and consumer information10-25

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 bat-
tery as a direct power source for all
trailer lights while using the vehicle tail
light, stop light and turn signal circuits
as a signal source. The module/
converter must draw no more than 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. It is recommended that you
visit a reputable trailer retailer to ob-
tain 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, it is recommended
that you contact a NISSAN dealer or repu-
table 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
available at auto parts stores and hitch re-
tailers.
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 condi-
tion.
• Always secure items in the trailer to pre- vent load shif t 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 ve-
hicle 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 prac-
tice turning, stopping and backing up in an
area which is free from traffic. Steering sta-
bility and braking performance will be
somewhat different than under normal
driving conditions.
• Always secure items in the trailer to pre-vent load shif t 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 back-
ing up.
10-26Technical and consumer information

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. 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, refer to “If your ve-
hicle overheats” in the “In case of emer-
gency” 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 of ten than at intervals specified in the recom-
mended Maintenance Schedule in 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.
• 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.
Technical and consumer information10-27

3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it isbalanced 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 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 ve-
hicle, 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 expensive damage to the
powertrain.
• For emergency towing procedures
refer to “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” in the “In case of emer-
gency ” 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 ve-
hicle, such as a motor home.
10-28Technical and consumer information

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 ve-
hicle with the front tires on the ground.
Doing so may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the powertrain.
•DO NOT tow your front wheel drive con-
tinuously variable transmission ve-
hicle with all four wheels on the ground
(flat towing). Doing so WILL DAMAGE in-
ternal transmission parts due to lack of
transmission lubrication.
• For emergency towing procedures
refer to “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” in the “In case of emer-
gency ” section of this manual.
Continuously Variable
Transmission
To tow a vehicle equipped with a continu-
ously variable transmission, an appropriate
vehicle dolly MUSTbe placed under the
towed vehicle's drive wheels. Alwaysfollow
the dolly manufacturer's recommenda-
tions when using their product. DOT (Department of Transportation) Qual-
ity Grades: All passenger car tires must
conform to federal safety requirements in
addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature
A
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire's ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire
is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include ac-
celeration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.
Temperature A, B and C
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat, and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
Technical and consumer information10-29

Instrument brightness control.....2-43Power door lock switch..........3-6Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch....................2-38Rear window wiper and washer
switches...................2-37Turn signal switch.............2-43
T
Tachometer...................2-5Temperature gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge. . .2-6Thef t (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System),
engine start...............2-34, 5-16Three-way catalyst...............5-4TireFlat tire................. .6-3, 6-4Spare tire...............6-5, 8-38Tire and Loading Information label. .10-13Tire chains.................8-34Tire pressure................8-27Tire rotation.................8-35Types of tires................8-33Uniform tire quality grading......10-29Wheel/tire size...............10-10Wheels and tires..........8-27,10-10Tire pressure
Low tire pressure warning light.....2-11Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)...................... .5-5Top tether strap child restraint.......1-32
Towing
4-wheel drive models...........6-14Flat towing................ .10-28Tow truck towing..............6-12Towing load/specification.......10-23Trailer towing...............10-19Towing a trailer................10-19Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)........5-24Transceiver
HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver
. . . .2-68, 2-69, 2-70, 2-71, 2-72TransmissionContinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid
......................8-10Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT)............5-18Travel (See registering a vehicle in another
country).................... .10-11Trip odometer..................2-5Turn signal switch...............2-43
U
Uniform tire quality grading........10-29USB/iPod® Charging Ports.........4-32
V
Vanity mirror..................3-34Vehicle dimensions and weights.....10-10Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) OFF
switch..................... .2-50
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.....................5-131Vehicle identification.............10-11Vehicle identification number (VIN). . . .10-11Vehicle identification number (VIN)
(Chassis number)...............10-11Vehicle identification number (VIN)
plate...................... .10-11Vehicle immobilizer system.....2-34, 5-16Vehicle loading information........10-14Vehicle recovery.............6-14,6-15Vehicle security system...........2-33Vehicle security system (NISSAN VehicleImmobilizer System), engine start. .2-34, 5-16Vents......................4-26Visors......................3-34
W
Warning
Air bag warning light........1-70,2-13Anti-lock brake warning light.......2-9Battery charge warning light......2-10Brake warning light............2-10Engine oil pressure warning light. . . .2-10Hazard warning flasher switch......6-2Loose fuel cap warning..........2-28Low fuel warning light.......2-12,2-27Low tire pressure warning light.....2-11Low windshield-washer fluid warning
light......................2-27Seat belt warning light.......1-16,2-13
Index11-7