2009 Maxima Owner's Manual

Temperature conditions also can affect towing.
For example, towing a heavy trailer in high outside
temperatures on graded roads can affect engine
performance and cause overheating. The transmission
high fluid temperature protection mode,
which helps reduce the chance of transmission
damage, could activate and automatically decrease
engine power. Under some conditions,
engine and vehicle speed could be reduced. Plan
your trip carefully to account for trailer and vehicle
load, weather, and road conditions.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced engine
power and lower vehicle speed. Also,
when the high temperature mode operates,
engine and vehicle speed may be
gradually reduced. On highways, the reduced
speed may be lower than other traffic
which could increase the chance of a
collision. Be especially careful when driving.
If the vehicle cannot maintain a safe
driving speed, pull to the side of the road
in a safe area and allow the engine to cool
or the transmission to return to normal
operation. See “If your vehicle overheats”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from improper
towing procedures is not covered by
NISSAN warranties.
WTI0160
Tongue load
Keep the tongue load between 10 - 15 percent of
the total trailer load or use the trailer tongue load
specified by the trailer manufacturer. The tongue
load must be within the maximum tongue load
limits shown in the following “Towing
Load/Specification” chart. If the tongue load becomes
excessive, rearrange cargo to allow for
proper tongue load.
Technical and consumer information 9-17