2006 Nissan Pathfinder Owner's Manual - Page 328

Trailer brakes If your trailer is equipped with a braking system, make sure it conforms to federal and/or local regulations and that it is properly installed. ● Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to all federal, state or local regulations. If not, install any mirrors required for towing before driving the 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. ● 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. ● When backing up, hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Move your hand in the direction in which you want the trailer to go. Make small corrections and back up slowly. If possible, have someone guide you when you are backing up. ● Always block the wheels on both vehicle and trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not recommended; however, if you must do so, first block the wheels and apply the park- WARNING Never connect a trailer brake system directly to the vehicle brake system. ing brake, and then move the transmission shift selector lever into the P (Park) position. If you move the shift selector lever to the P (Park) 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 going up a long grade, downshift the transmission to a lower gear and reduce speed to reduce chances of engine overloading and/or overheating. However, for long steep grades, do not stay in 1st gear when driving above 35 MPH (56 km/h) or 2nd gear when driving above 58 MPH (93 km/h). ● If the engine coolant rises to an extremely high temperature when the air 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 your vehicle's first 500 miles (805 km). 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. ● Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in the back half. ● Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, vehicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a trailer to the vehicle. 9-22 Technical and consumer information