1996 NISSAN MAXIMA brake

fenders or undercarriage. In addition, drive
at a reduced speed, otherwise, your vehicle
may be damaged and/or vehicle handling
and performance may be adversely af-
fected.
Special winter equipment
It is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
1. A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove
ice and snow from the windows and wiper
blades.
2. A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the
jack to give it firm support.
3. A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow-
drifts.
4. Extra window washer fluid to refill the res-
ervoir tank.
Driving on snow or ice
IWet ice (32ÉF, 0ÉC and freezing rain),
very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have a lot less traction or ªgripº under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving on
wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
IWhatever the condition, drive with cau-tion and accelerate gently. If accelerated
too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
will lose even more traction.
IAllow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
IAllow greater following distances on
slippery roads.
IWatch for slippery spots (glare ice).
These may appear on an otherwise clear
road in shaded areas. If a patch of ice is
seen ahead, brake before reaching it.
Try not to brake while actually on the
ice, and avoid any sudden steering ma-
neuvers.
Engine block heater
Do not use your heater with an un-
grounded electrical system or two-
pronged (cheater) adapters. You can be
injured by an electrical shock if you use
an ungrounded connection.
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If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road away
from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the
parking brake. Shift the manual transmis-
sion into reverse (automatic transmission in
ªPº).
4. Turn off the engine.
IMake sure that the parking brake is
securely applied and the manual
transmission is shifted into reverse
(automatic transmission in ªPº).
INever change tires when the vehicle
is on a slope, ice or slippery areas.
This is dangerous.
INever change tires if oncoming traffic
is close to your vehicle. Wait for pro-
fessional road assistance.
IRaise the hood to warn other traffic,and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance.
IHave all passengers get out of the
vehicle and stand in a safe place,
away from traffic and clear of the
vehicle.
Getting the spare tire and tools
Remove jacking tools and spare tire from the
storage area located inside the trunk as illus-
trated.
SCE0036
FLAT TIRE
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Always follow the instructions below. Fail-
ure to do so could result in damage to the
charging system and cause personal in-
jury.
1. If the booster battery is in another vehicle,
position the two vehicles to bring their bat-
teries into close proximity to each other.
Do not allow the two vehicles to touch.
2. Apply parking brake. Move the shift lever to
ªNeutralº (On automatic transmission mod-
els, move the lever to ªPº). Switch off all
unnecessary electrical systems (light,
heater, air conditioner, etc.).3. Remove vent caps on the battery (if so
equipped). Cover the battery with an old
cloth to reduce explosion hazard.
4. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as
illustrated.
IAlways connect positive (+) to posi-
tive (+) and negative (þ) to body
ground (e.g., strut mounting bolt, etc.
Ð not to the battery).
IMake sure that cables do not touch
moving parts in the engine compart-
ment and that clamps do not contact
any other metal.
5. Start the engine of the other vehicle and let
it run for a few minutes.
6. Keep the engine speed of the other vehicle
at about 2,000 rpm, and start your engine in
the normal manner.
Do not keep starter motor engaged for
more than 10 seconds. If the enginedoes not start right away, turn the key
off and wait 3 to 4 seconds before trying
again.
7. After starting your engine, carefully discon-
nect the negative cable and then the posi-
tive cable.
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be
sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover
the vent holes as it may be contaminated
with corrosive acid.
CE1005-A
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IAutomatic transmission models can-
not be push started. This may cause
transmission damage.
IThree-way catalyst equipped models
should not be started by pushing
since the three-way catalyst may be
damaged.
INever try to start the vehicle by tow-
ing it; when the engine starts, the
forward surge could cause the ve-
hicle to collide with the tow vehicle.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading), or
if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc., take the following steps:
To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap while the
engine is still hot. When the radiator cap
is removed, pressurized hot water will
spurt out, possibly causing serious
injury.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply
the parking brake and move the gearshift
lever to neutral (automatic transmission to
ªPº).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner switch. Open all
the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to ªmaximum
hotº and fan control to ªhigh speedº.
3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the radiator
before opening the hood. Wait until no
steam or coolant can be seen before pro-
ceeding.4. Open the engine hood.
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. If engine overheating is caused by climbing
a long hill on a hot day, run the engine at a
fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpm) until the
temperature gauge indication returns to
normal.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or
looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water.
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair
or clothing to come into contact with, or
to get caught in, the running fan, belts,
or motor fan.
The fan motor can start at any time when
the coolant temperature is high.
If coolant is leaking, the cooling fan belt
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
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is missing or loose, or the cooling fan
does not run, stop the engine.
7. After the engine cools down, check the
coolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle re-
paired at the nearest NISSAN dealer.When towing your vehicle, all State (Provincial
in Canada) and local regulations for towing
must be followed. Incorrect towing equipment
could damage your vehicle. Towing instruc-
tions are available from your NISSAN dealer.
Local service operators will generally be famil-
iar with the applicable laws and procedures for
towing. To assure proper towing and to pre-
vent accidental damage to your vehicle, NIS-
SAN recommends that you have a service
operator tow your vehicle. It is advisable to
have the service operator carefully read the
following precautions.
IWhen towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering system
and power train are in working condi-
tion. If any unit is damaged, a dolly
must be used.
IWhen towing with the front wheels on
the ground:
Turn the ignition key to the ªOFFº
position and secure the steering
wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a rope or similar device. Never
place the ignition key in the ªLOCKºposition. This will result in damage to
the steering lock mechanism.
Move the gearshift lever to the neutral
(ªNº position).
On automatic transmission models,
to move the shift lever to the Neutral
position, turn the ignition key to the
ªOFFº or ªACCº position. After mov-
ing the shift lever to the Neutral posi-
tion, be sure to turn the ignition key
to the ªOFFº position.
IWhen towing with the rear wheels on
the ground, release the parking
brake.
On automatic transmission models,
to move the shift lever to the Neutral
(ªNº position), turn the ignition key to
the ªOFFº or ªACCº position. After
moving the shift lever to the Neutral
position, be sure to turn the ignition
key to the ªOFFº position.
IAttach safety chains for all towing.
TOW TRUCK TOWING
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Z01.2.1/A32-DX

ing, brake or cooling systems.
IAlways pull the cable straight out from the
front or rear of the vehicle. Never pull on the
vehicle at a sideways angle.
IPulling devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use in
vehicle towing or recovery.
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7 Do-it-yourself operations
Precautions ............................................................... 7-2
Engine cooling system .............................................. 7-4
Engine oil .................................................................. 7-6
Automatic transmission fluid ..................................... 7-9
Power steering fluid ................................................ 7-10
Brake and clutch fluid ............................................. 7-11
Window washer fluid ............................................... 7-11
Battery ..................................................................... 7-12
Drive belts ............................................................... 7-13
Spark plug replacement .......................................... 7-14
Air cleaner filter ....................................................... 7-16
Wiper blades ........................................................... 7-17
Parking brake .......................................................... 7-18
Brake pedal ............................................................. 7-19
Brake booster .......................................................... 7-20
Clutch pedal ............................................................ 7-20
Fuses....................................................................... 7-20
Fusible links ............................................................ 7-22
Light bulbs ............................................................... 7-22
Wheels and tires ..................................................... 7-29
Z01.2.1/A32-DX

When performing any inspection or mainte-
nance work on your vehicle, always take care
to prevent serious accidental injury to yourself
or damage to the vehicle. The following are
general precautions which should be closely
observed.
IPark the vehicle on a level surface, apply
the parking brake securely and block the
wheels to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. Move the transmission control lever
to neutral (ªNº).
IBe sure the ignition key is ªOFFº or
ªLOCKº when performing any replace-
ment or repair.
When the ignition key is in the ªONº or
ªACCº position, the cooling fan may
start to operate suddenly even when the
engine is not running.
IDo not work under the hood while the
engine is hot. Turn off the engine and
wait until it cools down.
IIf you must work with the engine run-
ning, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from moving fans, belts
and any other moving parts.
IIt is advisable to remove ties and any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.IIf you must run the engine in an en-
closed space such as a garage, be sure
there is proper ventilation for exhaust
gases.
INever get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by a jack. If it is neces-
sary to work under the vehicle, support
it with safety stands.
IKeep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from fuel and battery.
INever connect or disconnect either the
battery or any transistorized component
connector while the ignition is on.
IOn gasoline engine models with the Mul-
tiport fuel injection system, the fuel filter
or fuel lines should be serviced by a
NISSAN dealer because the fuel lines
are under high pressure even when the
engine is off.
IFailure to follow these or other common
sense guidelines may lead to serious
injury or vehicle damage.
IImproperly disposed motor oil and/or
other vehicle fluids can hurt the environ-
ment. Always conform to local regula-
tions for disposal of vehicle fluid.
This ªDo-it-yourself operationsº section givesinstructions regarding only those items which
are relatively easy for an owner to perform.
You should be aware that incomplete or im-
proper servicing may result in operating diffi-
culties or excessive emissions, and could af-
fect your warranty coverage.If in doubt about
any servicing, have it done by your NISSAN
dealer.
PRECAUTIONS
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