trailer NISSAN TITAN 2012 Owner's Manual

●Regularly check that all trailer hitch
mounting bolts are securely mounted.
● When towing with the hitch ball
mounted to the rear bumper, do not
make sharp turns. The trailer may con-
tact the bumper and cause damage to
the bumper or trailer.
● When towing a 5th wheel trailer, do not
make sharp turns while driving or back-
ing. The trailer may contact the vehicle
and cause damage to both the trailer
and vehicle.
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 sys-
tem. See a reputable trailer dealer 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, contact a NISSAN dealer or repu-
table trailer dealer. Vehicles equipped with the
optional trailer tow package are equipped with a
7-pin trailer harness connector. If your trailer is
equipped with a flat 4-pin connector, an adapter
will be needed to connect the trailer lights to the
vehicle. Adapters are available at NISSAN deal-
ers as well as auto parts stores and hitch retail-
ers.
Trailer brakes
When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1,587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used.
However, most states
require a separate braking system on trailers with
a loaded weight above a specific amount. Make
sure the trailer meets the local regulations and
the regulations where you plan to tow.
Several types of braking systems are available.
Surge Brakes - The surge brake actuator is
mounted on the trailer tongue with a hydraulic line
running to each trailer wheel. Surge brakes are
activated by the trailer pushing against the hitch
ball when the tow vehicle is braking. Hydraulic
surge brakes are common on rental trailers and
some boat trailers. In this type of system, there is
no hydraulic or electric connection for brake op-
eration between the tow vehicle and the trailer.
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Electric Trailer Brakes -Electric braking sys-
tems are activated by an electronic signal sent
from a trailer brake controller (special brake-
sensing module) . If electric trailer brakes are
used, see “Electric trailer brake controller” in this
section.
Have a professional supplier of towing equip-
ment make sure the trailer brakes are properly
installed and demonstrate proper brake function
testing.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
Electric trailer brake controller
Trailers equipped with electric brakes may re-
quire the installation of an aftermarket trailer
brake controller.
Your vehicle is equipped with a connector and
jumper harness that is specifically designed to be
used when installing an aftermarket brake con-
troller. To install the electric trailer brake controller
jumper harness, perform the following proce-
dure:
1. Open the driver door. Move the seat to the rearmost position.
example
LTI0117
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2. Apply the parking brake to access thejumper harness connector. 3. Locate the jumper harness connector under
the lower portion of the instrument panel.
The connector is taped to the wiring harness
1as indicated.
● The connector is marked with a white tag
with “elec brake conn”. Wire color designation for electric trailer brake
controller jumper harness.
WIRE COLOR
NOTE
RED/GREEN Vehicle stop lamp switch
to trailer brake controller.
BLACK Brake controller ground
(-) .
BROWN/WHITE Trailer brake controller switched output.
RED/BLUE Trailer brake controller
illumination.
RED Fused trailer brake con-
troller battery feed (B+) .
LTI0118LTI0115
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4. Peel off the tape and connect the jumperharness to the connector
2.
5. Release the parking brake.
6. Install the aftermarket electric trailer brake controller according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
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.
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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 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. Make sure the
indicator light (if so
equipped) indicates the transfer case is in
4H, 4L, or 2H and that the ATP light is off. If
the
indicator light is flashing, or the
ATP light is ON, make sure the transmission
is in P (Park) (A/T) and turn the 4WD switch
to 2WD or 4H. See “Automatic transmission
park warning light” in the “Instruments and controls” section and “Using four wheel
drive (4WD)” in the “Starting and driving”
section.
7. 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.
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 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.
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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 earlier 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.
● Use the Tow Mode or downshift the trans-
mission 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 (if so equipped) not be used while tow-
ing 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 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, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
earlier in this manual.
Tow mode
Using tow mode is recommended when pulling a
heavy trailer or hauling a heavy load. Press the
TOW MODE switch to activate tow mode. The
indicator light on the TOW MODE switch illumi-
nates when tow mode is selected. Press the
TOW MODE switch again to turn tow mode off.
Tow mode is automatically cancelled when the
ignition switch is turned OFF.
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.
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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
●Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
● DO 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.
● For 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 dolly MUST
be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels. Always follow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
WARNING
Do not use this vehicle for snowplowing.
Installing a snowplow may affect vehicle
handling. This may cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle and could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal injury.
SNOW PLOW
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Push starting.................6-10
Starting the engine .............5-12
Startup screen ...................4-3
Steering Power steering fluid .............8-12
Power steering system ...........5-31
Tilting steering wheel ............3-14
Steering wheel audio control switch ......4-54
Stop light .....................8-29
Storage ......................2-40
Lockable bedside storage compartment . .2-48
Overhead storage compartment ......2-44
Storage bin ....................2-44
Storage tray ...................2-40
Sunglasses case .................2-43
Sunroof ......................2-52
Sunroof (see Moonroof) .............2-52
Sun visors ....................3-15
Supplemental air bag warning labels ......1-61
Supplemental air bag warning light . . .1-62, 2-18
Supplemental front impact air bag system . . .1-54
Supplemental restraint system Information and warning labels .......1-61
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-47
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system) .........1-47
Switch Autolight switch ...............2-30
Automatic power window switch ......2-50
Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock)
system switch ................2-36
Fog light switch ...............2-33
Hazard warning flasher switch .......2-33
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-29
Headlight control switch ..........2-29 Ignition switch
.................5-9
Power door lock switch ............3-4
Rear sonar system off switch ........2-37
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch .....................2-28
Turn signal switch ..............2-33
Vehicle dynamic control (VDC) off
switch .....................2-36
Windshield

wiper and washer switch . . .2-27
T
Tachometer ....................2-6
Tailgate latch ...................3-22
Temperature gauge Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-6
Engine oil pressure low/engine coolant
temperature high warning light .......2-15
Theft (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system) ,
engine start .............2-26, 3-2, 5-11
Three-way catalyst ................5-2
Tie down hooks .................3-24
Tilting steering wheel ..............3-14
Tire Flat tire .....................6-2
Spare tire ...................6-3
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-12
Tire chains ..................8-40
Tire placard ..................9-12
Tire pressure .................8-33
Tire rotation ..................8-40
Tires of 4-wheel drive ............8-42
Types of tires .................8-39
Uniform tire quality grading .........9-40
Wheels and tires ...............8-33 Wheel/tire size
.................9-9
Tire pressure Low tire pressure warning light .......2-16
Tire pressure display ...............4-7
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) . . . .5-3
Tire rotation maintenance reminder .......4-7
Towing 2-wheel drive models ............6-12
4-wheel drive models ............6-13
Flat towing ..................9-39
Towing load/specification ..........9-28
Tow truck towing ...............6-11
Trailer towing .................9-24
Tow mode switch ................2-38
Transceiver HomeLink Universal
Transceiver ......2-56
Transmission Driving with automatic transmission . . . .5-13
Shift selector lock release ..........5-18
Travel (See registering your vehicle in
another country) .................9-10
Trip button .....................4-4
Trip odometer ...................2-5
Truck - camper loading .............9-22
Turn signal switch ................2-33
U
Uniform tire quality grading ...........9-40
V
Vanity mirror ...................3-16
Variable voltage control system .........8-16
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