Nissan Z33-D owner manual Flat Towing, 22Technical and consumer information

opening the windows, switching the fan con- trol to high and setting the temperature con- trol to the HOT position.

￿Trailer towing consumes more fuel than nor- mal circumstances.

￿Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles (800 km).

￿Have a vehicle serviced more often than at intervals specified in the recommended main- tenance schedule.

￿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. If swaying does occur, firmly grip the steering wheel, steer straight ahead, and immediately (but gradually) reduce ve- hicle speed. This combination will help stabi- lize the vehicle. Never increase speed.

￿Be careful when passing other vehicles. Passing while towing a trailer requires con- siderably more distance than normal passing.

9-22Technical and consumer information

Remember the length of the trailer must also pass the other vehicle before you can safely change lanes.

￿To maintain engine braking efficiency and electrical charging performance, do not use 6th gear (manual transmission) or 5th posi- tion (automatic transmission).

￿Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced braking ef- ficiency.

￿Increase your following distance to allow for greater stopping distances while towing a trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.

￿Do not use cruise control while towing a trailer.

￿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 stopped in traffic for long periods of time in hot weather, put the vehicle in the P (Park) position.

When towing a trailer, change transmis- sion oil more frequently. For additional information, see the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section.

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 ve- hicle 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, always 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 lu- brication.

￿For emergency towing procedures, refer to “Towing recommended by NISSAN” in the “6. In case of emer- gency” section of this manual.