2004 Nissan Sentra Owner's Manual - Page 231

UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING 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 vehicle behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor home. Manual Transmission ● Always tow with the manual transmission in Neutral. ● After towing 500 miles, start and idle the engine with the transmission in Neutral for two minutes. Failure to idle the engine after every 500 miles of towing may cause damage to internal transmission parts. DOT (Department of Transportation) Quality Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to federal safety requirements in addition to these grades. Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum section width. For example: Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A Treadwear Treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on tire wear rate when tested under controlled conditions on specified government test courses. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1-1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. However, relative tire performance depends on actual driving conditions, and may vary significantly due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. Traction AA, A, B and C The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction performance. 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 transmission vehicle with all four wheels on the ground (flat towing). Doing so WILL DAMAGE internal transmission parts due to lack of transmission lubrication. ● For emergency towing procedures refer to "Towing recommended by NISSAN" in the "In case of emergency" section of this manual. Automatic Transmission To tow a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, an appropriate vehicle dolly MUST be placed under the towed vehicle's drive wheels. Always follow the dolly manufacturer's recommendations when using their product. Technical and consumer information 9-19