1996 NISSAN SENTRA Owners Manual

SCHEDULE 2
Abbreviations: R = Replace I = Inspect. Correct or replace if necessary. [ ]: At the mileage intervals only
MAINTENANCE OPERATIONMAINTENANCE INTERVAL
Perform at number of miles,
kilometers or months, whichever comes first.Miles ý 1,000 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60
(km ý 1,000) (12) (24) (36) (48) (60) (72) (84) (96)
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48
Emission control system maintenance
Drive belts See NOTE (1).I*
Air cleaner filter[R] [R]
Idle rpm (GA16DE engine)I* I*
Vapor linesI* I*
Fuel linesI* I*
Fuel filter See NOTE (2)*.
Engine coolant See NOTE (3)*.R*
Engine oilRRRRRRRR
Engine oil filter (Use Nissan PREMIUM type or equivalent)RRRRRRRR
Spark plugs (GA16DE engine)[R] [R]
(SR20DE engine) (PLATINUM-TIPPED type) See NOTE (4)*.[R]
Intake & exhaust valve clearance (GA16DE engine) See NOTE (5)*.
NOTE: (1) After 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 48 months, inspect every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 12 months.
(2) If vehicle is operated under extremely adverse weather conditions or in areas where outside temperatures are either extremely low or extremely high, the
filters might become clogged. In such an event, replace them immediately.
(3) After 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 48 months, replace every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 24 months.
(4) Original equipment platinum-tipped plugs should be replaced at 60,000 miles (96,000 km). Conventional spark plugs can be used but should be replaced
at 30,000 miles (48,000 km) intervals. (See ``Technical and consumer information'' section for details.)
(5) If valve noise increases, inspect valve clearance.
* Maintenance items and intervals with ``*'' are recommended by NISSAN for reliable vehicle operation. The owner need not perform such maintenance in
order to maintain the emission warranty or manufacturer recall liability. Other maintenance items and intervals are required.
8-8
ZX

Abbreviations: I = Inspect. Correct or replace if necessary.
MAINTENANCE OPERATIONMAINTENANCE INTERVAL
Perform at number of miles, kilome-
ters or months, whichever comes
first.Miles ý 1,000
(km ý 1,000)
Months7.5
(12)
615
(24)
1222.5
(36)
1830
(48)
2437.5
(60)
3045
(72)
3652.5
(84)
4260
(96)
48
Chassis and body maintenance
Brake lines & cablesIIII
Brake pads, discs, drums & liningsIIII
Manual & automatic transmission oilIIII
Steering gear linkage, axle & suspension parts I I
Exhaust systemII
Front drive shaft bootsIIII
Air bag system (If so equipped) See NOTE (1)*.
NOTE: *(1) Inspect the supplemental air bag system (If so equipped) 10 years after the date of manufacture noted on the F.M.V.S.S. certification
label located on the driver side front pillar.
8-9
ZX

EXPLANATION OF MAINTE-
NANCE ITEMS
Additional information on the following
items with ``*'' is found in the ``Do-it-
yourself operations'' section.
Emission control system
maintenance
Drive belts*Check drive belts for wear,
fraying or cracking and also for proper ten-
sion. Replace the drive belts if found dam-
aged.
Air cleaner filterUnder normal driving con-
ditions, the air cleaner filter should be re-
placed in accordance with the maintenance
schedule. However, driving the vehicle in
dusty areas may cause more rapid clogging
of the element. Consequently, the element
may have to be replaced more frequently.
Idle rpmInspection and adjustment should
be made with a tachometer to ensure
accuracy.
Vapor linesCheck vapor lines and connec-
tions for failure or looseness. If leaks are
found, replace them.
Fuel linesCheck the fuel hoses, pipingand connections for leaks, looseness or
deterioration. Replace any parts if they are
damaged.
Fuel filterIf the vehicle is operated under
extremely adverse weather conditions or in
areas where ambient temperatures are ei-
ther extremely low or extremely high, the
filter might become clogged. In such an
event, replace the filter immediately.
Engine coolant*Drain and flush the cool-
ing system.
Engine oil & oil filter*Under normal driving
conditions, the engine oil and oil filter should
be replaced in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule. However, under severe
driving conditions, they may have to be
replaced more frequently.
Spark plugs*Replace with new plugs hav-
ing the correct heat range.
Intake & exhaust valve clearanceCheck
and adjust the valve clearance.
Chassis and body maintenance
Brake lines & cablesCheck the brake lines
and hoses (including brake booster vacuum
hoses, connections & check valve) and
parking brake cables for proper attachment,leaks, cracks, chafing, abrasion, deteriora-
tion, etc.
Brake pads, discs, drums & linings
Check these and the other neighboring
brake components for wear, deterioration
and leaks. Under severe driving conditions,
they may have to be inspected more fre-
quently.
Manual & automatic transmission gear
oil*Check the oil level and visually inspect
for signs of leakage.
Under severe driving conditions, the oil
should be replaced at the specified interval.
Steering gear & linkage, axle & suspen-
sion parts, and drive shaft bootsCheck
for damage, looseness and leakage of oil or
grease. Under severe driving conditions,
more frequent inspection should be per-
formed.
Steering linkage ball joints & front sus-
pension ball jointsCheck the ball joints for
damage, looseness and grease leakage.
Exhaust systemVisually check the ex-
haust pipes, muffler, and hangers for proper
attachment, leaks, cracks, chafing, abra-
sion, deterioration, etc. Under severe
8-10
ZX

driving conditions, inspection should be per-
formed more frequently.
Air bag system (If so equipped)Check
the air bag system components for proper
attachment, damage, deformities, cracks,
rust, etc. Work around and on the air bag
system should be done by an authorized
NISSAN dealer.
8-11
ZX

MEMO
8-12
ZX

9 Technical and consumer information
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ....................................................... 9-2
Engine .................................................................. 9-9
Wheel/tire size .................................................... 9-10
Dimensions and weights .................................... 9-10
Registering your vehicle
in another country .............................................. 9-11
Vehicle identification........................................... 9-11
Installing license plate ........................................ 9-14
Trailer towing ...................................................... 9-15
Uniform tire quality grading ................................ 9-18
Emission control system warranty ..................... 9-19
Reporting safety defects (USA) ......................... 9-19
ZX

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be a little
different. When refilling, follow the procedure instructed in the ``Do-it-yourself
operations'' section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Capacity (Approximate)
Recommended specifications
US
measureImp
measureLiter
Fuel 13-1/4 gal 11 gal 50Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of at least 87 AKI (RON 91)*1
Engine oil (Refill)
With oil filter GA16DE 3-3/8 qt 2-7/8 qt 3.2
API SG or SH and Energy Conserving
II*2
API Certification Mark *2 SR20DE 3-5/8 qt 3 qt 3.4
Without oil filter GA16DE 3 qt 2-1/2 qt 2.8
SR20DE 3-3/8 qt 2-7/8 qt 3.2
Cooling system
With reservoir
GA16DE5-1/2 qt,
6 qt*64-5/8 qt,
5 qt*65.2, 5.7*6
Anti-freeze coolant
(Ethylene glycol base) SR20DE6-1/2 qt,
6-1/2 qt*65-1/2 qt,
5-1/2 qt*66.2, 6.2*6
Reservoir 3/4 qt 5/8 qt 0.7
Manual transmission gear oil 4 3-3/8 3.8 API GL-4*3
Automatic transmission fluid
Refill to the proper oil level
according to the instructions in the
``Do-it-yourself operations''
section.Nissan Matic `D' (Continental U.S. and
Alaska) or Genuine Nissan Automatic
Transmission Fluid (Canada).*4
Power steering fluid Type DEXRON
TMII or equivalent
Brake fluidGenuine Nissan Brake Fluid*5 or
equivalent
DOT 3 (US FMVSS No. 116)
Multi-purpose grease Ð Ð Ð NLGI No. 2 (Lithium Complex)
Air conditioning system refrigerant Ð Ð Ð HFC-134a (R-134a)*7
Air conditioning system lubricantsNissan A/C System Lubricant
Type R or equivalent*7
*1: For further details, see ``Fuel recommenda-
tion''.
*2: For further details, see ``Engine oil and oil filter
recommendation''.
*3: For further details, see ``Recommended SAE
viscosity number''.
*4: Dexronž III/Merconž or equivalent may also
be used. Outside the Continental United States
and Alaska contact a Nissan dealership for more
information regarding suitable fluids, including
recommended brand(s) of Dexronž III/Merconž
or Dexronž IIE/Merconž Automatic Transmis-
sion Fluid.
*5: Available in mainland USA through your
NISSAN dealer.
*6: Automatic transmission models.
*7: For further details, see ªAir conditioner speci-
fication labelº.
CAPACITIES AND
RECOMMENDED FUEL/
LUBRICANTS
9-2
ZX

FUEL RECOMMENDATION
All models are designed to operate on
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index)
(Research octane number 91).
CAUTION
Using a fuel other than that specified
could adversely affect the emission
control devices and systems, and could
also affect the warranty coverage.
Under no circumstances should a
leaded gasoline be used, since this will
damage the three way catalyst.
Reformulated Gasoline
Some fuel suppliers are now producing re-
formulated gasolines. These gasolines are
specially designed to reduce vehicle emis-
sions. NISSAN supports efforts towards
cleaner air and suggests that you use refor-
mulated gasoline when available.
Gasoline containing oxygenates
Some fuel suppliers sell gasoline containing
oxygenates such as ethanol, MTBE and
methanol with or without advertising theirpresence. Nissan does not recommend the
use of fuels of which the oxygenate content
and the fuel compatibility for your NISSAN
cannot be readily determined. If in doubt,
ask your service station manager.
If you use oxygenate-blend gasoline, please
take the following precautions as the usage
of such fuels may cause vehicle performance
problems and/or fuel system damage.
cThe fuel should be unleaded and have
an octane rating no lower than that
recommended for unleaded gasoline.
cIf an oxygenate-blend, excepting a
methanol blend, is used, it should
contain no more than 10% oxygenate.
(MTBE may, however, be added up to
15%.)
cIf a methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 5% methanol
(methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). It
should also contain a suitable amount
of appropriate cosolvents and corro-
sion inhibitors. If not properly formu-
lated with appropriate cosolvents and
corrosion inhibitors, such methanol
blends may cause fuel system dam-
age and/or vehicle performance prob-lems. At this time, sufficient data is
not available to ensure that all metha-
nol blends are suitable for use in Nis-
san vehicles.
If any driveability problems such as engine
stalling and hard hot starting are experi-
enced after using oxygenate-blend fuels,
immediately change to a non-oxygenate
fuel or a fuel with a low blend of MTBE.
Take care not to spill gasoline during
refueling. Gasoline containing oxygen-
ates can cause paint damage.
After Market Fuel Additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
any fuel additives (i.e., fuel injector cleaner,
octane booster, intake valve deposit remov-
ers, etc.) which are sold commercially. Many
of these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active sol-
vents or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
In most parts of North America, you should
use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index). How-
ever, you may use unleaded gasoline with
9-3
ZX