2000 Nissan Altima Owner's Manual - Page 230

WARNING Never connect a trailer brake system directly to the vehicle brake system. ● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent load shift while driving. ● Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops. ● Avoid sharp turns or lane changes. ● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate speed. ● Always block the wheels on both vehicle and trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not recommended; however, if you must do so, and if your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission, first block the wheels and apply the parking brake, and then move the shift lever into the P position. If you move the shift lever to the P position before blocking the wheels and applying the parking brake, transmission damage could occur. ● When going down a hill, shift into a lower gear and use the engine braking effect. When ascending a long grade, downshift the transmission to a lower gear and reduce speed to reduce chances of engine overloading and/or overheating. ● If the engine coolant rises to an extremely high temperature when the air Pre-towing tips ● Be certain your vehicle maintains a level position when a loaded and/or unloaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it has an abnormal nose-up or nose- down condition; check for improper tongue load, overload, worn suspension or other possible causes of either condition. ● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent load shift while driving. ● Be certain your rear view mirrors conform to all federal, state or local regulations. If not, install any mirrors required for towing before driving the vehicle. conditioner system is on, turn off the air conditioner. Coolant heat can be additionally vented by opening the windows, switching the fan control to high and setting the temperature control to the HOT position. ● Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal circumstances. ● Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles (800 km). ● Have your vehicle serviced more often than at intervals specified in the recommended Maintenance 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 causing vehicle sway. When being passed by larger vehicles, be prepared for possible changes in crosswinds that could affect vehicle handling. If swaying does occur, firmly grip the steering wheel, steer straight ahead, and immediately (but gradually) reduce vehicle Trailer towing tips In order to gain skill and an understanding of the vehicle's behavior, you should practice turning, stopping and backing up in an area which is free from traffic. Steering stability and braking performance will be somewhat different than under normal driving conditions. Technical and consumer information 10-17