•
Secure heavy loads in the cargo area
as far forward and as low as possible.
Do not equip the vehicle with tires
larger than specified in this manual.
This could cause your vehicle to roll
over.
•
Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could move
suddenly and injure your hands. In-
stead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
•
Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
•
Always drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may become hot.
•
Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your NISSAN is more
affected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
•
Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with AWD engaged.
•
For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result
in serious vehicle damage or per-
sonal injury.
•
Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamom-
eters used by some states for emis-
sions testing) or similar equipment
even if the other two wheels are
raised off the ground. Make sure you
inform test facility personnel that
your vehicle is equipped with AWD
before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment
may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected
vehicle
movement
which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.
•
When a wheel is off the ground due to
an unlevel surface, do not spin the
wheel excessively.
•
Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
•
If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers,
particularly
at
high
speeds. Your NISSAN vehicle has a
higher center of gravity than a pas-
senger car. The vehicle is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars.
•
Failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly could result in loss of control
and/or a rollover accident.
•
Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias-
belted, or radial), and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install tire chains
on the front wheels when driving on
slippery roads and drive carefully.
•
Be sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately after driving in mud or water.
For
additional
information,
see
“Brake precautions” (P. 5-120).
•
Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle and
it rolls forward, backward or side-
ways, you could be injured.
5-12
Starting and driving