1997 NISSAN ALTIMA service interval

Your new NISSAN has been designed to
have minimum maintenance requirements
with longer service intervals to save you
both time and money. However, some day-
to-day and regular maintenance is essential
to maintain your NISSAN's good mechani-
cal condition, as well as its emission and
engine performance.
It is the owner's responsibility to make sure
the specified periodic maintenance, as well
as general maintenance, is performed.
As the vehicle owner, you are the only one
who can ensure that your vehicle receives
the proper maintenance care. You are a
vital link in the maintenance chain.
General maintenance
General maintenance includes those items
which should be checked during normal
day-to-day operation of the vehicle. They
are essential if your vehicle is to continue to
operate properly. It is your responsibility to
perform these procedures regularly as pre-
scribed.
These checks or inspections can be done
by yourself, a qualified technician or, if you
prefer, your NISSAN dealer.
Periodic maintenance
The maintenance items listed in this part are
required to be serviced at regular intervals.
However, under severe driving conditions,
additional or more frequent maintenance is
required.
Where to go for service
If maintenance service is required or your
vehicle appears to malfunction, have the
systems checked and tuned by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
NISSAN technicians are well-trained spe-
cialists and are kept up to date with the
latest service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in-dealership
training programs. They are completely
qualified to work on NISSAN's vehiclesbe-
forethey work on your vehicle, rather than
after they have worked on it.
You can be confident that your NISSAN
dealer's service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicle Ð in a reliable and
economic way.
During the normal day-to-day operation of the
vehicle, general maintenance should be per-
formed regularly as prescribed in this section.
If you detect any unusual sounds, vibrations
or smells, be sure to check for the cause or
have your NISSAN dealer do it promptly. In
addition, you should notify your NISSAN
dealer if you think repairs are required.
When performing any checks or mainte-
nance work, closely observe the precautions
in the ``Do-it-yourself operations'' section.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
The maintenance items listed here should
be performed from time to time, unless
otherwise specified.
Additional information on the items
marked with ``*'' can be found in the
``Do-it- yourself operations'' section.
Tires*Ð Check the pressure with a gauge
periodically when at a service station, in-
cluding the spare, and adjust to the speci-
fied pressure if necessary. Check carefully
for damage, cuts or excessive wear.
Wheel nuts*Ð When checking the tires,
make sure no nuts are missing, and check
for any loose nuts. Tighten if necessary.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
8-2
ZX

To ensure smooth, trouble-free, safe and
economical driving, NISSAN provides two
different maintenance schedules that may
be used, depending upon the conditions in
which you usually drive. These schedules
contain both distance and time intervals, up
to 60,000 miles (96,000 km)/48 months. For
most people, the odometer reading indi-
cates when service is needed. However, if
you drive very little, your vehicle should be
serviced at the regular time intervals shown
in the schedule.After 60,000 miles (96,000
km) or 48 months, continue periodic
maintenance at the same mileage/time
intervals.
SCHEDULE 1
Follow Periodic Maintenance Schedule 1 if
your driving habits frequently include one or
more of the following driving conditions:
cRepeated short trips of less than 5
miles (8 km).
cRepeated short trips of less than 10
miles (16 km) with outside tempera-
tures remaining below freezing.
cOperating in hot weather during stop-
and-go ``rush hour'' traffic.cExtensive idling and/or low speed
driving for long distances, such as
police, taxi or door-to-door delivery
use.
cDriving in dusty conditions.
cDriving on rough, muddy, or salt
spread roads.
cTowing a trailer, using a camper or a
car-top carrier.
SCHEDULE 2
Follow Periodic Maintenance Schedule 2 if
none of the driving conditions shown in
Schedule 1 apply to your driving habits.
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULES
8-5
ZX

ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to chose the correct quality
and viscosity oil to ensure satisfactory en-
gine life and performance. NISSAN recom-
mends the use of a low friction oil (energy
conserving oil) in order to improve fuel
economy and conserve energy. Oils which
do not have the specified quality label
should not be used as they could cause
engine damage.Only those engine oils with the American
Petroleum Institute (API) CERTIFICATION
MARK on the front of the container should
be used. This type of oil supersedes the
existing API SG or SH and Energy Conserv-
ing II categories.
If you cannot find engine oil with the CERTI-
FICATION MARK, an API SG or SH and
Energy Conserving II oil with API Service
Symbol may be used. An oil with a single
designation SG or SH, or in combination with
other categories (for example, SG/CC or
SG/CD) may also be used if one with the API
CERTIFICATION MARK cannot be found.
Mineral based or synthetic type oils may be
used in your NISSAN vehicle. These oils
must however, meet the API quality and
SAE viscosity ratings specified for your ve-
hicle. Do not mix mineral based and syn-
thetic type oils in the engine at the same
time.
Oil additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of oil
additives. The use of an oil additive is not
necessary when the proper oil type is used
and maintenance intervals are followed.
Oil which may contain foreign matter or has
been previously used should not be used.
Oil viscosity
The engine oil viscosity or thickness
changes with temperature. Because of this,
it is important that the engine oil viscosity be
selected based on the temperatures at
which the vehicle will be operated before
the next oil change. The chart ``Recom-
mended SAE viscosity number'' shows the
recommended oil viscosities for the ex-
pected ambient temperatures. Choosing an
oil viscosity other than that recommended
could cause serious engine damage.
ATI0507
9-5
ZX

it has an abnormal nose-up or nose- down
condition; check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other pos-
sible causes of either condition.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shifts while driving.
cBe certain your rear view mirrors conform
to all federal, state or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding
of the vehicle's behavior, you should prac-
tice 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 driv-
ing conditions.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to
prevent load shift while driving.
cAvoid abrupt starts, acceleration or
stops.
cAvoid sharp turns or lane changes.
cAlways drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.cAlways block the wheels on both vehicle
and trailer when parking. Parking on a
slope is not recommended; however, if
you must do so, and if your vehicle is
equipped with an automatic transmis-
sion, first block the wheels and apply the
parking brake, and then move the shift
lever into the P position. If you move the
shift lever to the P position before block-
ing the wheels and applying the parking
brake, transmission damage could occur.
cWhen going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When ascending a long grade, downshift
the transmission to a lower gear and
reduce speed to reduce chances of en-
gine overloading and/or overheating.
cIf the engine coolant rises to an ex-
tremely high temperature when the air
conditioner system is on, turn off the air
conditioner. Coolant heat can be addi-
tionally vented by opening the windows,
switching the fan control to high and
setting the temperature control to the
HOT position.
cTrailer towing requires more fuel than
normal circumstances.cAvoid towing a trailer for the first 500
miles (800 km).
cHave your vehicle serviced more often
than at intervals specified in the recom-
mended Maintenance Schedule.
cWhen making a turn, your trailer wheels
will be closer to the inside of the turn than
your vehicle wheels. To compensate for
this, make a larger than normal turning
radius during the turn.
cCrosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect vehicle/trailer handling,
possibly causing vehicle sway. When
being passed by larger vehicles, be pre-
pared for possible changes in crosswinds
that could affect vehicle handling. If
swaying does occur, firmly grip the steer-
ing wheel, steer straight ahead, and im-
mediately (but gradually) reduce vehicle
speed. This combination will help stabi-
lize the vehicle. Never increase speed.
cBe careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires
considerably more distance than normal
passing. Remember the length of the
trailer must also pass the other vehicle
before you can safely change lanes.
9-17
ZX