2012 Nissan Murano Owner's Manual - Page 349

. Before operating the vehicle, ensure that the driver and all passengers have their seat belts fastened. Always drive with the floor mats in place as the floor may became hot. Lower your speed when encountering strong crosswinds. With a higher center of gravity, your NISSAN is more affected by strong side winds. Slower speeds ensure better vehicle control. Do not drive beyond the performance capability of the tires, even with AWD engaged. For AWD equipped vehicles, do not attempt to raise two wheels off the ground and shift the transmission to any drive or reverse position with the engine running. Doing so may result in drivetrain damage or unexpected vehicle movement which could result in serious vehicle damage or personal injury. Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer (such as the dynamometers used by some states for emissions testing), or similar equip- . . ment even if the other two wheels are raised off the ground. Make sure you inform test facility personnel that your vehicle is equipped with AWD before it is placed on a dynamometer. Using the wrong test equipment may result in drivetrain damage or unexpected vehicle movement which could result in serious vehicle damage or personal injury. (AWD models) . When a wheel is off the ground due to an unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel excessively. Accelerating quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or sudden braking may cause loss of control. If at all possible, avoid sharp turning maneuvers, particularly at high speeds. Your vehicle has a higher center of gravity than a conventional passenger car. The vehicle is not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional passenger cars. Failure to operate this vehicle correctly could result in loss of control and/or a rollover accident. Always use tires of the same type, size, brand, construction (bias, bias- belted or radial), and tread pattern on all four wheels. Install tire chains on the front wheels when driving on slippery roads and drive carefully. . Be sure to check the brakes immediately after driving in mud or water. See "Brake system" later in this section for wet brakes. Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it rolls forward, backward or sideways, you could be injured. Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud or water as deep as the wheel hub, more frequent maintenance may be required. See the maintenance information in the "NISSAN Service and Maintenance Guide". Spinning the front wheels on slippery surfaces may cause the AWD warning light to flash and the AWD system to automatically switch from the AWD mode to the 2WD mode. This could reduce traction. Be especially careful when towing a trailer. (AWD models) . . . . . . . . . Starting and driving 5-9