suspension NISSAN ROGUE 2008 1.G Owners Manual

Black plate (59,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
(indicating that the air bag is OFF) , it could be
that the person is a small adult, or is not sitting
on the seat properly.
If a child restraint must be used in the front seat,
the passenger air bag status light may or may
not be illuminated, depending on the size of the
child and the type of child restraint being used. If
the air bag status light is not illuminated
(indicating that the air bag might inflate in a
crash) , it could be that the child restraint or seat
belt is not being used properly. Make sure that
the child restraint is installed properly, the seat
belt is used properly and the occupant is
positioned properly. If the air bag status light is
not illuminated, reposition the occupant or child
restraint in a rear seat.
If the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate even though you believe that the child
restraint, the seat belts and the occupant are
properly positioned, the system may be sensing
an unoccupied seat (in which case the air bag is
OFF) . Your NISSAN dealer can check that the
system is OFF by using a special tool. However,
until you have confirmed with your dealer that
your air bag is working properly, reposition the
occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.
The air bag system and passenger air bag status
light will take a few seconds to register a change
in the passenger seat status. However, if the
seat becomes unoccupied, the air bag status
light will remain off.If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
, located in the meter and gauges area,
will blink. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
Other supplemental front-impact air bag
precautions
WARNING
.Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the instru-
ment panel. Also, do not place any
objects between any occupant and
the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause
injury if the front air bag inflates.
.Do not place objects with sharp
edges on the seat. Also, do not
place heavy objects on the seat that
will leave permanent impressions in
the seat. Such objects can damage
the seat or occupant classification
sensor (pattern sensor) . This can
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious perso-
nal injury.
.Do not use water or acidic cleaners(hot steam cleaners) on the seat.
This can damage the seat or occu-
pant classification sensor. This can
also affect the operation of the air
bag system and result in serious
personal injury.
.Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components
will be hot. Do not touch them; you
may severely burn yourself.
.No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring
of the supplemental air bag system.
This is to prevent accidental infla-
tion of the supplemental air bag or
damage to the supplemental air bag
system.
.Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or front end
structure. This could affect proper
operation of the front air bag sys-
tem.
.Tampering with the supplemental
air bag system may result in serious
personal injury. Tampering includes
changes to the steering wheel and
the instrument panel assembly by
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
1-47

Black plate (61,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
side collisions, although they may inflate if the
forces in another type of collision are similar to
those of a higher severity side impact. They are
designed to inflate on the side where the vehicle
is impacted. They may not inflate in certain side
collisions on the side where the vehicle is
impacted.
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always an
indication of proper side air bag and curtain and
rollover air bag operation.
When the side air bags and curtain and rollover
air bags inflate, a fairly loud noise may be heard,
followed by release of smoke. This smoke is not
harmful and does not indicate a fire. Care should
be taken not to inhale it, as it may cause irritation
and choking. Those with a history of a breathing
condition should get fresh air promptly.
Side air bags, along with the use of seat belts,
help to cushion the impact force on the chest
and pelvic area of the front occupants. Curtain
and rollover air bags help to cushion the impact
force to the head of occupants in the front and
rear outboard seating positions. They can help
save lives and reduce serious injuries. However,
side air bags and curtain and rollover air bags
may cause abrasions or other injuries. Side air
bags and curtain and rollover air bags do not
provide restraint to the lower body.
The seat belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger seated upright as far aspractical away from the side air bags. Rear seat
passengers should be seated as far away as
practical from the door finishers and side roof
rails. The side air bags and curtain and rollover
air bags inflate quickly in order to help protect
the occupants in the outboard seating positions.
Because of this, the force of the side air bags
and curtain and rollover air bags inflating can
increase the risk of injury if the occupant is too
close to, or is against, these air bag modules
during inflation. The side air bags and curtain
and rollover air bags will deflate quickly after the
collision is over.
The side air bags and curtain and rollover
air bags operate only when the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
After turning the ignition switch to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates. The supplemental air bag
warning light will turn off after about 7
seconds if the systems are operational.
WARNING
.Do not place any objects near the
seatback of the front seats. Also, do
not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the front door
finisher and the front seat. Such
objects may become dangerousprojectiles and cause injury if a side
air bag inflates.
.Right after inflation, several side air
bag and curtain and rollover air bag
system components will be hot. Do
not touch them; you may severely
burn yourself.
.No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring
of this side air bag and curtain and
rollover air bag systems. This is to
prevent accidental inflation of the
side air bags and curtain and roll-
over air bags or damage to the side-
impact air bag and curtain side-
impact and rollover air bag systems.
.Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or side panel.
This could affect proper operation
of the side air bag and curtain and
rollover air bag systems.
.Tampering with the supplemental
air bag system may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing
material near the seatbacks or by
installing additional trim material,
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
1-49

Black plate (212,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
wheel. If the vehicle is operated with the VDC
OFF switch pushed and the VDC system turned
off, all VDC systems will be turned off. The
ABLS system and ABS will still operate with the
VDC system off. If the ABLS system is activated,
the “SLIP” indicator will blink and you may hear a
clunk noise and/or feel a pulsation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and is not an indication of a
malfunction.
While the VDC system is operating, you may feel
a pulsation in the brake pedal and hear a noise
or feel a vibration from under the hood. This is
normal and indicates that the VDC system is
working properly.
The VDC system computer has a built-in
diagnostic feature that tests the system each
time you start the engine and move the vehicle at
a low speed forward or backward. When the
self-test occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise
and/or feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal and is not an indication of a malfunction.
WARNING
.The VDC system is designed to help
improve driving stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
due to careless or dangerous driv-
ing techniques. Reduce vehiclespeed and be especially careful
when driving and cornering on slip-
pery surfaces and always drive care-
fully.
.Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs,
stabilizer bars and bushings and
wheels are not NISSAN approved
or are extremely deteriorated the
VDC system may not operate prop-
erly. This could adversely affect
vehicle handling performance, and
the “VDC OFF” indicator or “SLIP”
indicator or both indicator lights
may illuminate.
.If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
standard equipment or are extre-
mely deteriorated, the “VDC OFF”
indicator or “SLIP” indicator or both
indicator lights may illuminate.
.If engine related parts such as
muffler are not standard equipment
or are extremely deteriorated, the
“VDC OFF” indicator or “SLIP” in-
dicator or both indicator lights may
illuminate..When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked
corners, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the “VDC OFF”
indicator or “SLIP” indicator or both
indicator lights may illuminate. Do
not drive on these types of roads.
.When driving on unstable surfaces
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator
or ramp, the “VDC OFF” indicator or
“SLIP” indicator or both indicator
lights may illuminate. This is not a
malfunction. Restart the engine
after driving onto a stable surface.
.If wheels or tires other than those
recommended are used, the VDC
system may not operate properly
and “VDC OFF” indicator or “SLIP”
indicator or both indicator lights
may illuminate.
.The VDC system is not a substitute
for winter tires or tire chains on a
snow covered road.5-28
Starting and driving

Black plate (231,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a stuck
vehicle)
WARNING
.Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
.Do not spin your tires at high speed.
This could cause them to explode
and result in serious injury. Parts of
your vehicle could also overheat
and be damaged.Pulling a stuck vehicleDo not use the tie down hooks for towing or
vehicle recovery.
Front:
Securely install the vehicle recovery hook
*1
(stored in the cargo area) as illustrated. Make
sure that the hook is properly secured in the
original place after use.
Rear:
Do not use the tie down hook to pull the vehicle.
CAUTION
.Tow chains or cables must be at-
tached only to the main structural
members of the vehicle or therecovery hook. Otherwise, the vehi-
cle body will be damaged.
.Do not use the vehicle tie down
hooks to free a vehicle stuck in
sand, snow, mud, etc. Never tow a
vehicle using the vehicle tie down
hooks.
.Always pull the cable straight out
from the front of the vehicle. Never
pull on the vehicle at an angle.
.Pulling devices should be routed so
they do not touch any part of the
suspension, steering, brake or cool-
ing systems.
.Pulling devices such as ropes or
canvas straps are not recommended
for use in vehicle towing or recov-
ery.
Rocking a stuck vehicleIf your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the
vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clearan area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back-
ward.
.Shift back and forth between R (Re-
verse) and D (Drive) .
.Apply the accelerator as little as possi-
ble to maintain the rocking motion.
.Release the accelerator pedal before
shifting between R and D.
.Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH (55
km/h) .
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few
tries, contact a professional towing service
to remove the vehicle.
In case of emergency
6-15

Black plate (235,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
REMOVING SPOTSRemove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the paint surface to avoid lasting damage
or staining. Special cleaning products are
available at a NISSAN dealer or any automotive
accessory stores.UNDERBODYIn areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This will
prevent dirt and salt from building up and
causing the acceleration of corrosion on the
underbody and suspension. Before the winter
period and again in the spring, the underseal
must be checked and, if necessary, re-treated.GLASSUse glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust
film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for glass
to become coated with a film after the vehicle is
parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner and a soft
cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could da-mage the electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window
defroster elements.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELSWash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid
staining or discoloring the wheels:
.Do not use a cleaner that uses
strong acid or alkali contents to
clean the wheels.
.Do not apply wheel cleaners to the
wheels when they are hot. The
wheel temperature should be the
same as ambient temperature.
.Rinse the wheel to completely re-
move the cleaner within 15 minutes
after the cleaner is applied.CHROME PARTSClean chrome parts regularly with a non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
TIRE DRESSINGNISSAN does not recommend the use of tire
dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating to
the tires to help reduce discoloration of the
rubber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires, it
may react with the coating and form a com-
pound. This compound may come off the tire
while driving and stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
.Use a water-based tire dressing. The coat-
ing on the tire dissolves more easily with an
oil-based tire dressing.
.Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help
prevent it from entering the tire tread/
grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove) .
.Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry
towel. Make sure the tire dressing is
completely removed from the tire tread/
grooves.
.Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by tire dressing manufacturer.
Appearance and care
7-3

Black plate (274,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
Never exceed the maximum speed rating of the
tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the same
size, brand, construction and tread pattern on all
four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires. Skid and traction cap-
abilities of studded snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of non-
studded snow tires.All-Wheel Drive (AWD) 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 differ-
ence between tires on the front and
rear axles which will cause exces-
sive tire wear and may damage the
transmission, transfer case and dif-
ferential gears..ONLY use spare tires specified for
the AWD model.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is recom-
mended 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. Contact a NISSAN dealer.
TIRE CHAINS
CAUTION
Only use special traction devices that
are available through your NISSAN
dealer on this vehicle due to limited
tire clearance. Failure to use the correct
traction device will cause damage to
the brakes, suspension or other vehicle
parts.
Contact your NISSAN dealer to purchase
traction devices that work on your vehicle. Only
use other types of traction devices if the traction
device manufacturer recommends it for use on
the tire and wheel installed on your vehicle.
Use of traction devices may be prohibited
according to location. Check the local laws
before installing traction devices. When instal-
ling traction devices, make sure they are theproper size for the tires on your vehicle and are
installed according to the traction device man-
ufacturer’s suggestions. When using traction
devices, avoid fully loading your vehicle and
drive at reduced speeds. Failure to do so may
cause damage to the brakes and suspension
and adversely affect handling and performance.
Traction devices must be installed only on
the front wheels and not on the rear
wheels.
Do not drive with traction devices on paved
roads that are clear of snow. Driving with
traction devices in such conditions can cause
damage to the various mechanisms of the
vehicle due to some overstress.
CAUTION
.Do not use traction devices on dry
roads.
.Never install traction devices on a T-
type spare tire as doing so could
damage the brakes, suspension or
other vehicle parts.
8-36
Maintenance and do-it-yourself

Black plate (302,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.Pre-towing tips.Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded 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,
vehicle 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 tipsIn 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
performance 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. Some states or provinces have
specific speed limits for vehicles that are
towing trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
.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 andback 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 selector lever to
the P (Park) position before blocking
the wheels and applying the parking
brake, transmission damage could oc-
cur.
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
absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park) .
6. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
9-22
Technical and consumer information