2009 Nissan Xterra Owner's Manual - Page 228

HILL DESCENT CONTROL SYSTEM (if so equipped) WARNING ● Never rely solely on the hill descent control system to control vehicle speed when driving on steep down hill grades. Always drive carefully and attentively when using the hill descent control system and decelerate the vehicle speed by depressing the brake pedal if necessary. Be especially careful when driving on frozen, muddy or an extremely steep downhill roads. Failure to control vehicle speed may result in a loss of control of the vehicle and possible serious injury or death. ● The hill descent control may not control the vehicle speed on a hill under all load or road conditions. Always be prepared to depress the brake pedal to control vehicle speed. Failure to do so may result in a collision or serious personal injury. The hill descent control system helps maintain vehicle speed when driving under 15-21 mph (25-35 km/h) on steeper downhill grades. Hill descent control is useful when engine braking alone in 4H or 4L cannot control vehicle speed. Hill descent control applies the vehicle brakes to control vehicle speed allowing the driver to concentrate on steering while reducing the burden of brake and accelerator operation. ● When additional braking is required on steep downhill roads activate the hill descent control system by pushing the switch ON, see "Hill descent control switch" in the "Instruments and controls" section. ● Once the system is activated the indicator light will remain on in the instrument panel, see "Hill descent control system on indicator light" in the "Instruments and controls" section. If the accelerator or brake pedal is depressed while the hill descent control system is on, the system will stop operating temporarily. As soon as the accelerator or brake pedal is released, the hill descent control system begins to function again if the hill descent control operating conditions are fulfilled. For the best results, when descending steep downhill grades, the hill descent control switch should be ON and the selector lever in 2 (Second gear) or 1 (Low gear) for engine braking. HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM (if so equipped) WARNING ● Never rely solely on the hill start assist system to prevent the vehicle from moving backward on a hill. Always drive carefully and attentively. Depress the brake pedal when the vehicle is stopped on a steep hill. Be especially careful when stopped on a hill on frozen or muddy roads. Failure to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards may result in a loss of control of the vehicle and possible serious injury or death. ● The hill start assist system is not designed to hold the vehicle at a standstill on a hill. Depress the brake pedal when the vehicle is stopped on a steep hill. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to roll backwards and may result in a collision or serious personal injury. ● The hill start assist may not prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards on a hill under all load or road conditions. Always be prepared to depress the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards. Failure to do so may result in a collision or serious personal injury. 5-36 Starting and driving