Nissan 2010 Xterra Automobile User Manual


 
Unsecured cargo can be thrown around
when driving over rough terrain. Prop-
erly secure all cargo so it will not be
thrown forward and cause injury to you
or your passengers.
To avoid raising the center of gravity ex-
cessively, do not exceedthe rated capac-
ity of the roof rack/gear bin (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the load.
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 sud-
denly and injure your hands. Instead
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 encountering
strong crosswinds. Witha higher center
of gravity, your NISSAN is more af-
fected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires, even with 4WD
engaged.
For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt 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 vehicledamage or
personal injury.
Do not attempt to test a 4WD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer (such
as the dynamometers used by some
states for emissions 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 4WD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using the
wrongtest equipmentmay resultindrive-
train damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious
vehicle damage or personal injury.
Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turning ma-
neuvers, particularlyat high speeds.Your
NISSAN four-wheel drive vehicle has a
higher center of gravity than a passenger
car. The vehicle is not designed for cor-
nering 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 rear
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.
Be sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately after driving in mud or water. See
“Brake system” later in this section for
“Wet brakes”.
Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it
rolls forward, backward or sideways,
you could be injured.
Whenever you drive off-road through
sand, mud or water as deep as the
wheel hub, more frequent maintenance
may be required. See “Periodic mainte-
nance” in the “NISSAN Service and
Maintenance Guide.”
5-8 Starting and driving