2006 Nissan Titan Owner's Manual - Page 344

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. ● Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or lock to prevent the coupler from inadvertently becoming unlatched. ● 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: CAUTION 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. 1. Apply and hold the brake pedal. 2. Have someone place blocks on the down hill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels. 3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks absorb the vehicle load. 4. Apply the parking brake. 5. Shift the transmission into P (Park). 6. Make sure the indicator light (if so equipped) indicates the transfer case is in 4H, 4L, or 2H and that the ATP light is off. If the indicator light is flashing, or the ATP light is ON, make sure the transmission is in P (Park) (AT) and turn the 4WD switch to 2WD or 4H. See Automatic transmission park warning light in the Instruments and controls section and Using four wheel drive in the Starting and driving section. 7. Turn off the engine. To drive away: 1. Start the vehicle. 2. Apply and hold the brake pedal. 3. Shift the transmission into gear. 4. Release the parking brake. 5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are clear from the blocks. 6. Apply and hold the brake pedal. 7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks. ● 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. 9-36 Technical and consumer information