tow NISSAN PATHFINDER 2005 R51 / 3.G Service Manual

Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
cBe 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.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cLoad the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half.
cCheck 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.cBe certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
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.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cAvoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
cAvoid sharp turns or lane changes.
cAlways drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
cWhen 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.
cAlways block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is
not recommended; however, if you must do
so, first block the wheels and apply the park-ing brake, and then move the transmission
shift selector lever into the P (Park) position.
If you move the shift selector lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the wheels
and applying the parking brake, transmission
damage could occur.
cWhen going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When going up a long grade, downshift the
transmission to a lower gear and reduce
speed to reduce chances of engine over-
loading and/or overheating. However, for
long steep grades, do not stay in 1st gear
when driving above 35 MPH (56 km/h) or
2nd gear when driving above 58 MPH (93
km/h) .
cIf the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioner
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the HOT position.
cTrailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.
cAvoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
Technical and consumer information9-21
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cFor the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
cHave your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
cWhen 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.
cCrosswinds 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. If swaying does occur, firmly
grip the steering wheel, steer straight ahead,
and immediately (but gradually) reduce ve-
hicle speed. This combination will help sta-
bilize the vehicle. Never increase speed.
cBe 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.cTo maintain engine braking efficiency and
electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
cAvoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
cIncrease your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually
cDo not use cruise control while towing a
trailer.
cSome states or provinces have specific
speed limits for vehicles that are towing trail-
ers. Obey the local speed limits.
cCheck your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
cWhen stopped in traffic for long periods of
time in hot weather, put the vehicle in the P
(Park) position.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
earlier in this manual.FLAT TOWING
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
cFailure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
cWhenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
cDO NOT tow any automatic transmis-
sion vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground (flat towing) . Doing so WILL
DAMAGE internal transmission parts
due to lack of transmission lubrication.
cFor emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
Automatic Transmission
To tow a vehicle equipped with an automatic
transmission, an appropriate vehicle dollyMUST
be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels.Alwaysfollow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
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Startup Screen
Control panel buttons............4-3
Startup screen display..............4-3
Steering
Power steering fluid.............8-11
Power steering system...........5-27
Tilting steering wheel............3-12
Steering wheel audio control switch......4-42
Stop light....................8-27
Storage.....................2-34
Storage bin................2-35, 2-40
Storage tray...................2-34
Sun visors....................3-13
Sunglasses case................2-36
Sunglasses holder...............2-36
Sunroof.....................2-47
Supplemental air bag warning labels.....1-56
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-57, 2-17
Supplemental front impact air bag system . .1-49
Supplemental restraint system
Information and warning labels.......1-56
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system....................1-42
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system).........1-42
Switch
Autolight switch...............2-26
Automatic power window switch.....2-46
Fog light switch...............2-29
Hazard warning flasher switch.......2-29
Headlight and turn signal switch......2-25
Hill descent control (HDC) switch.....2-31
Ignition switch................5-7
Overdrive switch..............5-13
Power door lock switch...........3-4Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch....................2-25
Rear window wiper and washer
switches...................2-24
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch....................2-31
Windshield wiper and washer switch . . .2-23
T
Tachometer....................2-6
Temperature gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge.....2-6
Engine oil pressure low/engine coolant
temperature high warning light.......2-14
Theft (Nissan vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start..............2-22, 3-2, 5-8
Three-way catalyst................5-2
Tilting steering wheel..............3-12
Tire
Flat tire....................6-2
Spare tire...................6-4
Tire chains..................8-36
Tire placard.................9-11
Tire pressure................8-30
Tire rotation.................8-37
Tires of 4-wheel drive............8-39
Types of tires................8-36
Uniform tire quality grading.........9-23
Wheels and tires..............8-30
Wheel/tire size................9-8
Tire pressure
Low tire pressure warning light......2-15
Tire pressure display...............4-6
Tire rotation maintenance reminder.......4-6Top tether strap child restraint.........1-33
Towing
2-wheel drive models............6-12
4-wheel drive models............6-13
Flat towing..................9-22
Tow truck towing..............6-11
Towing load/specification chart......9-17
Trailer towing................9-15
Transceiver
HomeLinkTUniversal Transceiver.....2-51
Transmission
Driving with automatic transmission.....5-9
Selector lever lock release.........5-12
Travel (See registering your vehicle in another
country)......................9-9
TRIP button....................4-4
Trip button
Control panel buttons............4-4
Trip computer...................2-5
Trip odometer...................2-4
Turn signal switch (See headlight and turn
signal switch)...............2-25, 2-29
U
Uniform tire quality grading...........9-23
V
Vanity mirror...................3-13
Vehicle dimensions and weights........9-8
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off switch. . .2-31
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) system. . . .5-29
Vehicle electronic system............4-8
10-6
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