1997 NISSAN MAXIMA Owners Manual

Jacking up and removing tire
Carefully read the caution label attached to
the jack body and the following instruc-
tions.
1. Place the jack directly under the jack-up
point as illustrated above so that top of the
jack contacts the vehicle at the jack up
point. Align the jack head between the two
notches in the front or the rear as shown.
Also fit the groove of the jack head between
the notches as shown.The jack should be used on level firm
ground.
2. Loosen each wheel nut one or two turns by
turning counterclockwise with the wheel nut
wrench.Do not remove the wheel nuts
until the tire is off the ground.
3. Carefully raise the vehicle until the tire
clears the ground. To lift the vehicle, se-
curely hold the jack lever and rod with both
hands as shown above. Remove the wheel
nuts, and then remove the tire.INever get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by the jack.
IUse only the jack provided with your
vehicle. Do not use the jack provided
with your vehicle on other vehicles.
The jack is designed only for lifting
your vehicle during a tire change.
IUse the correct jack up points; never
use any other part of the vehicle for
jack support.
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INever jack up the vehicle more than
necessary.
INever use blocks on or under the
jack.
IDo not start or run engine while ve-
hicle is on the jack.
IDo not allow passengers to stay in
the vehicle while it is on the jack.
INever run the engine with the wheels
off the ground. It may cause the ve-
hicle to move. This is especially true
for vehicles with limited slip differen-
tial carriers.
Installing wheel
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surface
between the wheel and hub.
2. Carefully put the wheel on and tighten the
wheel nuts finger tight.
3. With the wheel nut wrench, tighten wheel
nuts alternately and evenly until they are
tight.
4. Lower the vehicle slowly until the tire
touches the ground. Then, with the wheel
nut wrench, tighten the wheel nuts securely
in the sequence as illustrated.
IIncorrect wheel nuts or improperly
tightened wheel nuts can cause the
wheel to become loose or come off.
This could cause an accident.
IDo not use oil or grease on the wheel
studs or nuts. This could cause the
nuts to become loose.
As soon as possible tighten the wheel nuts
to the specified torque with a torque
wrench.
Wheel nut tightening torque:
72 to 87 ft-lb
(98 to 118 N×m)
Adjust tire pressure to the COLD pressure.
COLD pressure:
After vehicle has been parked for three
hours or more or driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km).
COLD tire pressures are shown on the tire
placard affixed to the center console lid.
Retighten the wheel nuts when the vehicle
has been run for 600 miles (1,000 km) after
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installing the aluminum wheel.
5. Securely store the spare tire and jacking
equipment in the vehicle.
IAlways make sure that the spare tire
and jacking equipment are properly
secured after use. Such items can
become dangerous projectiles in an
accident or sudden stop.
IThe T-type spare tire and small size
spare tire are designed for emer-
gency use. See specific instructionsunder the heading ªWheel and tireº in
the ªDo-it-yourself operationsº
section.
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To start your engine with a booster battery, the
instructions and precautions below must be
followed.
IIf done incorrectly, jump starting can
lead to a battery explosion, resulting
in severe injury or death. It could also
damage your vehicle.
IExplosive hydrogen gas is always
present in the vicinity of the battery.
Keep all sparks and flames away from
the battery.
IDo not allow battery fluid to come
into contact with eyes, skin, cloth or
painted surfaces. Battery fluid is a
corrosive sulphuric acid solution
which can cause severe burns. If the
fluid should come into contact with
anything, immediately flush the con-
tacted area with water.
IKeep battery out of the reach of chil-
dren.
IThe booster battery must be rated at
12 volts. Use of an improperly rated
battery can damage your vehicle.IWhenever working on or near a bat-
tery, always wear suitable eye protec-
tors (for example, goggles or indus-
trial safety spectacles) and remove
rings, metal bands, or any other jew-
elry. Do not lean over the battery
when jump-starting.
IDo not attempt to jump start a frozen
battery. It could explode and cause
serious injury.
IYour vehicle has an automatic engine
cooling fan. It could come on at any
time. Keep hands and other objects
away from it.
JUMP STARTING
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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 engine
does not start right away, turn the key
off and wait 3 to 4 seconds before trying
again.
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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.
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:
IDo not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could
cause a vehicle fire.
ITo avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
IDo not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
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
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
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hotº and fan control to ªhigh speedº.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Open the engine hood.
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
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.
If coolant is leaking or the cooling fan does
not run, stop the engine.
IBe careful not to allow your hands,
hair, jewelry or clothing to come into
contact with, or to get caught in,
belts, or motor fan.
IThe fan motor can start at any time
when the coolant temperature is high.
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.
INever ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
INever get under your vehicle after it
has been lifted by a tow truck.
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.
TOW TRUCK TOWING
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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 ªLOCKº
position. This will result in damage to
the steering lock mechanism.
Move the shift lever to the neutral
(ªNº position).
On automatic transmission models,
to move the selector lever to the Neu-
tral position, turn the ignition key to
the ªOFFº or ªACCº position. After
moving the selector lever to the Neu-
tral position, be sure to turn the igni-
tion 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 selector lever to the Neu-
tral (ªNº position), turn the ignition
key to the ªOFFº or ªACCº position.
After moving the shift lever to theNeutral position, be sure to turn the
ignition key to the ªOFFº position.
IAttach safety chains for all towing.
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground as illustrated.
ISpeed: Below 70 MPH (115 km/h)
IDistance: Less than 500 miles (800 km)
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