2012 Nissan Xterra Owners Manual

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 indicator light is flashing, or the 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

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.

Technical and consumer information 9-27

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 com- bination 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.

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.

9-28 Technical and consumer information

● 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 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 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.

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.

Manual Transmission (if so equipped) ● Always tow with the manual transmission in

Neutral.

● On 4-wheel drive vehicles, place the transfer case in the 2H range. Failure to do so will cause the powertrain to bind up.

● After towing 500 miles (805 km), start and idle the engine with the transmission in Neu- tral for two minutes. Failure to idle the engine after every 500 miles (805 km) of towing may cause damage to internal transmission parts.

Automatic Transmission (if so equipped) 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.

UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING

DOT (Department of Transportation) Quality Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to federal safety requirements in addition to these grades.

Quality grades can be found where applicable 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 rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified gov- ernment test course. For example, 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 lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea- sured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and con- crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.

WARNING

The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.

Temperature A, B and C The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the genera- tion 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 de- generate and reduce tire life, and excessive tem- perature 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 Motor Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on the labo- ratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.

WARNING

The temperature grade for this tire is estab- lished for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, under- inflation, or excessive loading, either sepa- rately or in combination, can cause heat build-up and possible tire failure.

Technical and consumer information 9-29

EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM WARRANTY

REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS

Your NISSAN vehicle is covered by the following emission warranties: For USA 1. Emission Defects Warranty 2. Emissions Performance Warranty Details of this warranty may be found with other vehicle warranties in your Warranty Information Booklet which comes with your NISSAN vehicle. If you did not receive a Warranty Information Booklet, or it is lost, you may obtain a replace- ment by writing to: ● Nissan North America, Inc.

Consumer Affairs Department P.O. Box 685003
Franklin, TN 37068-5003

For Canada Emission Control System Warranty Details of this warranty may be found with other vehicle warranties in your Warranty Information Booklet which comes with your NISSAN vehicle. If you did not receive a Warranty Information Booklet, or it is lost, you may obtain a replace- ment by writing to: ● Nissan Canada Inc. 5290 Orbitor Drive Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4Z5

9-30 Technical and consumer information

For USA If you believe that your vehicle has a de- fect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immedi- ately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addi- tion to notifying NISSAN. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot be- come involved in individual problems be- tween you, your dealer, or NISSAN. To contact NHTSA, you may call the Ve- hicle Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888- 327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to http://www.safercar.gov; or write to: Administrator, NHTSA, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle from http://www.safercar.gov.

safety

You may notify NISSAN by contacting our Consumer Affairs Department, toll-free, at 1-800-NISSAN-1. For Canada If you believe that your vehicle has a de- fect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immedi- ately inform Transport Canada in addition to notifying NISSAN. If Transport Canada receives complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it may request that NISSAN con- duct a recall campaign. However, Trans- port Canada cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer, or NISSAN. 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/Index.aspx.

READINESS FOR INSPECTION/ MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST

EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)

Additional information concerning motor vehicle safety may be obtained from Trans- port Canada’s Road Safety Information Centre at 1-800-333-0371 or online at www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety (English speak- ers) 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.

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 condition. Place the ignition switch in the ON position without starting the engine. If the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) comes on steady for 20 seconds 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”. Contact a NISSAN dealer to set the “ready condition” or to prepare the vehicle for testing.

This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re- corder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa- tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understand- ing how a vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is designed to record data related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record such data as: ● How various systems in your vehicle were

operating;

● Whether or not the driver and passenger

safety belts were buckled/fastened;

● How far (if at all) the driver was depressing

the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,

● How fast the vehicle was traveling. ● Sounds are not recorded. These data can help provide a better understand- ing of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a nontrivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no personal data (e.g. name, gender, age and crash location) are recorded. However, other parties, such as law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of personally identifying data routinely acquired during a crash investigation.

Technical and consumer information 9-31

To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip- ment is required and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manu- facturer and NISSAN dealer, other parties, such as law enforcement, that have the special equip- ment, can read the information if they have ac- cess to the vehicle or the EDR. EDR data will only be accessed with the consent of the vehicle owner or lessee or as otherwise required or per- mitted by law.

For Canada To purchase a copy of a genuine NISSAN Ser- vice Manual or Owner’s Manual please contact your nearest NISSAN dealer. For the phone num- ber and location of a NISSAN dealer in your area call the NISSAN Information Center at 1-800- 387-0122 and a bilingual NISSAN representa- tive will assist you. Also available are genuine NISSAN Service and Owner’s Manuals for older NISSAN models.

OWNER’S MANUAL/SERVICE MANUAL ORDER INFORMATION

A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is the best source of service and repair information for your vehicle. Filled with wiring diagrams, illustrations and step-by-step diagnostic and adjustment pro- cedures, this manual is the same one used by the factory-trained technicians working at NISSAN dealerships. Also available are genuine NISSAN Owner’s Manuals, and genuine NISSAN Service and Owner’s Manuals for older NISSAN models. For USA For current pricing and availability of genuine NISSAN Service Manuals for the 2000 model year and later contact: 1-800-450-9491
www.nissan-techinfo.com For current pricing and availability of genuine NISSAN Service Manuals for the 1999 model year and prior, see a NISSAN dealer, or contact: 1-800-247-5321
For current pricing and availability of genuine NISSAN Owner’s Manuals for this model year and prior, see a NISSAN dealer, or contact: 1-800-247-5321

9-32 Technical and consumer information

10 Index

4WD warning light .

.2-16

Active brake limited slip (ABLS) system . Air bag (See supplemental restraint system) . Air bag system

.5-34

.1-44

Front (See supplemental front impact .1-51
air bag system) . .1-58
.1-59, 2-18
.8-18

Air bag warning labels . Air bag warning light. Air cleaner housing filter . Air conditioner

.4-5, 4-12
Air conditioner operation . .4-17
Air conditioner service . Air conditioner specification label . .9-12
Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil recommendations . .9-7
.4-2, 4-10
Heater and air conditioner controls . Servicing air conditioner . .4-17
.4-6, 4-13

Air flow charts . Alarm system (See vehicle security system) . Anchor point locations . Antenna . Anti-lock brake warning light. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Audible reminders . Audio system . Compact Disc (CD) changer . Compact disc (CD) player .

.2-23
.1-30
.4-37
.2-14
.5-33
.2-22
.4-17
.4-29, 4-33
.4-27

FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD) changer . FM/AM radio with compact disc (CD) player . Radio . Steering wheel audio control switch .

.4-29

.4-25
.4-17
.4-36

Automatic

Automatic power window switch . Automatic transmission position indicator light Driving with automatic transmission .

Automatic anti-glare inside mirror . Automatic door locks . AUX jack .

.2-47

.2-19
.5-13
.3-14
.3-4
.4-34

Battery.

Charge warning light .

Before starting the engine . Belt (See drive belt) Block heater Engine .

Bluetooth姞 hands-free phone system . Booster seats . Brake

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). Brake fluid . Brake light (See stop light). Brake system . Brake warning light . Brake wear indicators .

.8-14
.2-15
.5-12
.8-16

.5-39
.4-38
.1-40

.5-33
.8-12
.8-29
.5-32
.2-15
.2-22, 8-22

Parking brake operation . Self-adjusting brakes .

Brakes . Break-in schedule . Brightness control

Instrument panel

Bulb check/instrument panel. Bulb replacement .

.5-19
.8-22
.8-22
.5-22

.2-29
.2-14
.8-29

Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants. Cargo light Cargo net . Cargo (See vehicle loading information) . Car phone or CB radio . CD care and cleaning . CD changer (See audio system) . CD player (See audio system) . Check tire press . Child restraints.

.9-2
.2-49
.2-42
.9-13
.4-37
.4-35
.4-29, 4-33
.4-27
.2-5
.1-24, 1-25, 1-26, 1-28

Precautions on child restraints . Top tether strap anchor point locations .

Child restraint with top tether strap . Child safety rear door lock. Chimes, audible reminders. Cleaning exterior and interior . Clock . Clutch

.1-26, 1-32, 1-37, 1-40
.1-30
.1-30
.3-5
.2-22
.7-2
.4-26

Clutch fluid .

.8-13

Clutch interlock (clutch start) switch . C.M.V.S.S. certification label Cold weather driving . Compact disc (CD) player Console box . Controls

.2-34
.9-11
.5-38
.4-27
.2-37

Audio controls (steering wheel). Heater and air conditioner controls .

.4-36
.4-2, 4-10

Coolant

Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants . Changing engine coolant . Checking engine coolant level . Engine coolant temperature gauge . Corrosion protection . Cruise control Cup holders . Curtain side-impact and rollover air bag .

.9-2
.8-8
.8-8
.2-6
.7-5
.5-20
.2-39
.1-56

Daytime running light system (Canada only) . Defroster switch

Rear window and outside mirror defroster switch.

Dimensions and weights . Dimmer switch for instrument panel Door locks . Door open warning light. Drive belt . Driving

.2-28

.2-27
.9-9
.2-29
.3-3
.2-15
.8-16

Cold weather driving . Driving with automatic transmission . Driving with manual transmission . Precautions when starting and driving .

.5-38
.5-13
.5-18
.5-2

10-2

Economy - fuel . Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock) system . Electronic locking rear differential (E-Lock) system switch . Emission control information label Emission control system warranty . Engine

Before starting the engine. Block heater . Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants . Changing engine coolant . Changing engine oil . Changing engine oil filter . Checking engine coolant level . Checking engine oil level . Engine compartment check locations . Engine coolant temperature gauge . Engine cooling system . Engine oil Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . Engine oil pressure warning light . Engine oil viscosity . Engine serial number Engine specifications . Starting the engine . Engine oil pressure gauge . Event data recorders . Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) . Extended storage switch .