Nissan Murano: Precautions when starting and driving / Driving safety precautions
Your NISSAN is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving in
deep water or mud as your NISSAN is
mainly designed for leisure use, unlike a
conventional off-road vehicle.
Remember that 2-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
are less capable than All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) models for rough road driving and
extrication when stuck in deep snow or
mud, or the like.
Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
- Spinning the front wheels on slippery
surfaces may cause the AWD warning
message to display and the AWD system
to automatically switch from the
AWD to the 2WD mode. This could reduce
the traction. Be especially careful
when towing a trailer (AWD
models).
- Drive carefully when off the road and
avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle
should be seated with their seat belt
fastened. This will keep you and your
passengers in position when driving
over rough terrain.
- Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead
drive either straight up or
straightdownthe slopes. Off-road vehicles
can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
- Many hills are too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you may
stall. If you drive down them, you may
not be able to control your speed. If
you drive across them, you may roll
over.
- Do not shift gears while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
- Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a dropoff
or other hazard that could cause
an accident.
- If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill, never
attempt to turn around. Your vehicle
could tip or roll over. Always back
straight down in R (Reverse) gear and
apply brakes to control your speed.
- Heavy braking going down a hill could
cause your brakes to overheat and
fade, resulting in loss of control and
an accident. Apply brakes lightly and
use a low gear to control your speed.
- Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough terrain.
Properly secure all cargo so it will
not be thrown forward and cause injury
to you or your passengers.
- Exceeding the roof rack capacity can
raise the center of gravity excessively
and affect the handling and stability
of the vehicle.
- 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. 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. 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 performance
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 personal
injury.
- Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer
(such as the dynamometers
used by some states for emissions
testing) or similar equipment even if
the othertwowheels 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 dynamometer. 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 passenger
car. The vehicle is not designed
for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars.
- Failure to operate this vehicle correctly
could result in loss of control
and/or a rollover accident.
- Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, biasbelted,
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 immediately
after driving inmudor water.For
additional information, refer to “Brake
precautions” in this section.
- 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. For additional
information, refer to “Maintenance
under severe operating conditions” in
the “Maintenanceandschedules” section
of this manual.
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol
or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream
reduces coordination, delays reaction
time and impairs judgement...
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except
in an emergency. (The engine will
stop when the ignition switch is pushed
three consecutive times in less than
1...
Other information:
Abbreviations: I = Inspect and correct or replace as necessary, R =
Replace
NOTE:
(1) After 40,000 miles (64,000 km) or 48 months, inspect every 10,000
miles (16,000 km) or 12 months. Replace the drive belt if
found damaged.
(2) If operating mainly in dusty conditions, more frequent maintenance
may be required...
WARNING
If a booster seat and seat belt are not
used properly, the risk of a child being
injured or killed in a sudden stop or collision
greatly increases:
Make sure the shoulder portion of
the belt is away from the child’s
face and neck and the lap portion
of the belt does not cross the
stomach...