2000 Nissan Xterra Owner's Manual - Page 128

THREE-WAY CATALYST The three-way catalyst is an emission control device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust gases in the converter are burned at high temperatures to help reduce pollutants. WARNING The exhaust gas and the exhaust system are very hot. Keep people, animals or flammable materials away from the exhaust system components. Do not stop or park the vehicle over flammable materials such as dry grass, waste paper or rags. They may ignite and cause a fire. CAUTION Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits from leaded gasoline will seriously reduce the three-way catalyst's ability to help reduce exhaust pollutants. Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions in the ignition, fuel injection, or electrical systems can cause over- rich fuel flow into the three-way catalyst, causing it to overheat. Do not keep driving if the engine misfires, or if noticeable loss of performance or other unusual operating conditions are detected. Have the vehicle inspected promptly by an authorized NISSAN dealer. Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel level. Running out of fuel could cause the engine to misfire, damaging the three-way catalyst. Do not race the engine while warming it up. Do not push or tow your vehicle to start the engine. higher center of gravity than ordinary cars. An advantage of higher ground clearance is a better view of the road, allowing you to anticipate problems. However, they are not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional two-wheel drive vehicles any more than low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under offroad conditions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers particularly at high speeds. As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover. Be sure to read the driving safety precautions later in this section. ON-PAVEMENT AND OFFROAD DRIVING PRECAUTIONS Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. They have higher ground clearance than passenger cars to make them capable of performing in a variety of on-pavement and offroad applications. This gives them a AVOIDING COLLISION AND ROLLOVER WARNING Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe and prudent manner may result in loss of control or an accident. Be alert and drive defensively at all times. Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive speed, high speed cornering, or sudden steering maneuvers, because these driving Starting and driving 5-3