1997 NISSAN PATHFINDER 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 mechanical condition, as
well as its emission and engine performance.
It is the owner's responsibility to make sure
that the specified 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 es-
sential if your vehicle is to continue to operate
properly. It is your responsibility to perform
these procedures regularly as prescribed.
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, ad-
ditional or more frequent maintenance will be
required.
Where to go for service
If maintenance service is required or your
vehicle appears to malfunction, have the sys-
tems checked and tuned by an authorized
NISSAN dealer.
NISSAN technicians are well-trained special-
ists and are kept up to date with the latest
service information through technical bulletins,
service tips, and in-dealership training pro-
grams. They are completely qualified to work
on NISSAN's vehicles before they work on
your vehicle, rather than after they have
worked on it.
You can be confident that your NISSAN deal-
er's service department performs the best job
to meet the maintenance requirements 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
smell, 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 that repairs are required.
When performing any checks or maintenance
work, closely observe the precautions in the
ªDo-it-yourself operationsº section.
Additional information on the following
items with ª*º is found in the ªDo-it-
yourself operationsº section.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
The maintenance items listed here should be
performed from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Tires*Check the pressure with a gauge peri-
odically when at a service station, including the
spare, and adjust to the specified pressure if
necessary. Check carefully for damage, cuts
or excessive wear.
Wheel nuts*When checking the tires, make
sure no nuts are missing, and check for any
loose nuts. Tighten if necessary.
Tire rotation*Tires should be rotated every
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
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To ensure smooth, trouble-free, safe and eco-
nomical driving, NISSAN provides two differ-
ent 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 will indicate 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:
IRepeated short trips of less than 5 miles
(8 km).
IRepeated short trips of less than 10
miles (16 km) with outside temperatures
remaining below freezing.
IOperating in hot weather in stop-and-go
ªrush hourº traffic.
IExtensive idling and/or low speed driv-
ing for long distances, such as police,taxi or door-to-door delivery use.
IDriving in dusty conditions.
IDriving on rough, muddy, or salt spread
roads.
ITowing 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 Sched-
ule 1 apply to your driving habits.
Maintenance for off-road driving
Whenever you drive off-road through sand,
mud or water as deep as the wheel hub, more
frequent maintenance may be required of the
following items:
GBrake pads and discs
GBrake lining and drums
GBrake lines and hoses
GWheel bearing grease
GDifferential, transmission and transfer oil
GSteering linkage
GPropeller shafts and front drive shafts
GAir cleaner filter
GClutch housing (Check water entry. Refer to
ªDo-it-yourself operationsº section.)
These items should be checked frequently to
assure safe and proper operation of your ve-
hicle.
PERIODIC MAINTENANCE
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ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose the correct quality, and
viscosity oil to ensure satisfactory engine life
and performance. Nissan recommends the
use of a low friction oil (energy conserving oil)
in order to improve fuel economy and con-
serve 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 Pe-
troleum Institute (API) CERTIFICATIONMARK on the front of the container should be
used. This type of oil supersedes the existing
API SG or SH and Energy Conserving 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 ªSGº or ªSHº, or in combination
with other categories (for example, ªSG/CCº or
ªSG/CDº) 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 musthowever, meet the API quality and SAE vis-
cosity ratings specified for your vehicle. Do not
mix mineral based and synthetic 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 impor-
tant that the engine oil viscosity be selected
based on the temperatures at which the ve-
hicle will be operated before the next oil
change. The chart ªRecommended SAE vis-
cosity numberº shows the recommended oil
viscosities for the expected ambient tempera-
tures. Choosing an oil viscosity other than that
recommended could cause serious engine
damage.STI0077
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opening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the ªHOTº position.
ITrailer towing requires more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances.
IAvoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km).
IHave your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule.
When towing a trailer, change oil in the
transmission more frequently. See the
Maintenance Schedule.Your NISSAN is covered by the following
emission warranties.
For U.S.A.
1) Emission Defects Warranty
2) Emissions Performance Warranty
For Canada
Emission Control System Warranty
Details of these warranties may be found with
other vehicle warranties in your Warranty In-
formation and Maintenance Log Booklet which
comes with your NISSAN. If you did not re-
ceive a Warranty Information and Mainte-
nance Log Booklet or it becomes lost, you may
obtain a replacement by writing.
INissan Motor Corporation U.S.A. Con-
sumer Affairs Department P.O. Box 191
Gardena. CA 90248-0191
INissan Canada Inc. P.O. Box 1709, Station
ªBº Mississauga, Ontario, L4Y 4H6
If you believe that your vehicle has
a defect which could cause a crash
or could cause injury or death, you
should immediately inform the Na-
tional Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration (NHTSA) in addition to
notifying NISSAN.
If NHTSA receives similar com-
plaints, it may open an investiga-
tion, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehicles,
it may order a recall and remedy
campaign. However, NHTSA can-
not become involved in individual
problems between you, your dealer,
or NISSAN.
To contact NHTSA, you may either
call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free
at 1-800-424-9393 (or 366-0123 in
Washington, D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Trans-
portation, Washington, D.C. 20590.
You can also obtain other informa-
tion about motor vehicle safety from
the Hotline.
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
WARRANTYREPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
(For U.S.A.)
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