four wheel drive NISSAN PATHFINDER 2016 R52 / 4.G User Guide

Four-wheel drive models
CAUTION
Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial) , and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Failure to do so may result in a
circumference difference between tires on
the front and rear axles which will cause
excessive tire wear and may damage the
transmission, transfer case and differen-
tial gears.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is recommended
that all four tires be replaced with tires of the
same size, brand, construction and tread pattern.
The tire pressure and wheel alignment should
also be checked and corrected as necessary. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
Wheel balance
Unbalanced wheels may affect vehicle handling
and tire life. Even with regular use, wheels can get
out of balance. Therefore, they should be bal-
anced as required.
Wheel balance service should be per-
formed with the wheels off the vehicle.
Spin balancing the wheels on the vehicle
could lead to mechanical damage. ●
For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty In-
formation Booklet.
Care of wheels
● Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle
to maintain their appearance.
● Clean the inner side of the wheels when the
wheel is changed or the underside of the
vehicle is washed.
● Do not use abrasive cleaners when washing
the wheels.
● Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. Such damage may cause loss of
pressure or poor seal at the tire bead.
● NISSAN recommends waxing the road
wheels to protect against road salt in areas
where it is used during winter.
Spare tire (TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire)
Since the spare tire is not equipped with the
TPMS, when a spare tire is mounted (TEMPO-
RARY USE ONLY or conventional) , the TPMS
will not function. Observe the following precautions if the TEM-
PORARY USE ONLY spare tire must be used.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or
involved in an accident:
WARNING
●
The spare tire should be used for emer-
gency use only. It should be replaced
with the standard tire at the first oppor-
tunity to avoid possible tire or differen-
tial damage.
● Drive carefully while the TEMPORARY
USE ONLY spare tire is installed. Avoid
sharp turns and abrupt braking while
driving.
● Periodically check spare tire inflation
pressure. Always keep the pressure of
the TEMPORARY USE ONLY spare tire
at 420 kPa, 4.2 bar (60 psi) .
● With the TEMPORARY USE ONLY spare
tire installed do not drive the vehicle at
speeds faster than 80 km/h (50 mph) .
● When driving on roads covered with
snow or ice, the TEMPORARY USE
ONLY spare tire should be used on the
rear wheels and the original tire used
on the front wheels (drive wheels) .
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-39

Tow mode includes the following features:● Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shifts
when pulling a trailer or hauling a load up a
grade.
● Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — automati-
cally downshifts when driving down a grade
with a trailer or heavy load to help control
vehicle speed.
Driving the vehicle in the tow mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not cause
any damage. However, fuel economy may be
reduced and the transmission/engine driving
characteristics may feel unusual.
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 in this manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR 4–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 4-wheel drive (4WD)
vehicle.
● DO NOT tow your 4-wheel drive (4WD)
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. Alwaysfollow the dolly manufac-
turer’s recommendations when using their prod-
uct.
9-28Technical and consumer information

You may contact Transport Canada’s De-
fect Investigations and Recalls Division
toll free at 1-800-333-0510. You may
also report safety defects online at:
https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/
7/PCDB-BDPP/fc-cp.aspx?lang=eng
(English speakers) or
https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/
7/PCDB-BDPP/fc-cp.aspx?lang=fra
(French speakers)
Additional information concerning motor
vehicle safety may be obtained from
Transport Canada’s Road Safety Informa-
tion Centre at 1-800-333-0371 or online
at www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety (English
speakers) or
www.tc.gc.ca/securiteroutiere (French
speakers) .
To notify NISSAN of any safety concerns
please contact our Consumer Information
Centre toll free at 1-800-387-0122.WARNING
A vehicle equipped with Four-Wheel Drive
(4WD) should never be tested using a two
wheel dynamometer (such as the dyna-
mometers used by some states for emis-
sions testing) , or similar equipment. Make
sure you inform the test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with 4WD
before it is placed on a dynamometer.
Using the wrong test equipment may re-
sult in transmission damage or unex-
pected vehicle movement which could re-
sult in serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
Due to legal requirements in some states and
Canadian Provinces, your vehicle may be re-
quired to be in what is called the “ready condi-
tion” for an Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of
the emission control system.
The vehicle is set to the “ready condition” when it
is driven through certain driving patterns. Usually,
the ready condition can be obtained by ordinary
usage of the vehicle. If a powertrain system component is repaired or
the battery is disconnected, the vehicle may be
reset to a “not ready” condition. Before taking the
I/M test, check the vehicle’s
inspection/maintenance test readiness condi-
tion. Place the ignition switch in the ON position
without starting the engine. If the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) comes on steady for 20 sec-
onds and then blinks for 10 seconds, the I/M test
condition is “not ready”. If the MIL does not blink
after 20 seconds, the I/M test condition is
“ready”. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer to set the “ready condition” or to
prepare the vehicle for testing.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
Technical and consumer information9-31