1997 NISSAN SENTRA engine

To defog the rear window glass, start the
engine and push the rear window defogger
switch on. (The indicator light comes on.)
Push the switch again to turn the defogger
off.
The rear window defogger switch automati-
cally turns off in approximately 15 minutes.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inner side of the
rear window, be careful not to scratch
or damage the rear window defogger.
AIC0646
REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
SWITCH
1-11
ZX

Lighting
Turn the switch to theposition:
The front clearance, tail, license plate and
instrument panel lights come on.
Turn the switch to the
position:
The headlights come on and all the other
lights remain on.
To select the high beam function, push the
lever forward. The high beam lights come
on and the indicator light illuminates. Pull it
back to select the low beam.
Passing signal
Pulling and releasing the lever flashes the
headlight high beams on and off.
DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT
SYSTEM (for Canada)
The headlights automatically illuminate at a
reduced intensity when the engine is started
with the parking brake released. The day-
time running lights operate with the head-
light switch in the OFF position or in the
position. Turn the headlight switch
to theposition for full illumination
when driving at night.If the parking brake is applied before the
engine is started, the daytime running lights
do not illuminate. The daytime running lights
illuminate once the parking brake is re-
leased. The daytime running lights will re-
main on until the ignition switch is turned off.
WARNING
When the daytime running light system
is active, tail lights on your vehicle are
not on. It is necessary at dusk to turn
on your headlights. Failure to do so
could cause an accident injuring your-
self and others.
AIC0609
HEADLIGHT AND TURN
SIGNAL SWITCH
1-12
ZX

1. Pull the hood lock release handles1
located below the instrument panel. The
hood springs up slightly.
2. Pull up on the lever
s2at the front of the
hood with your fingertips and raise the
hood.
3. Insert the support rod into the slot
marked with the arrow on the underside
of the hood.
4. When closing the hood, reset the support
rod to its original position, lower the hood
to approximately 12 inches above the
latch and release it. This allows proper
engagement of the hood latch.
WARNING
cMake sure the hood is completely
closed and latched before driving.
Failure to do so could cause the
hood to fly open and result in an
accident.
cIf you see steam or smoke coming
from the engine compartment, to
avoid injury do not open the hood.
SPA0004APD0618
HOOD RELEASE
2-7
ZX

WARNING
cGasoline is extremely flammable and
highly explosive under certain con-
ditions. You could be burned or se-
riously injured if it is misused or
mishandled. Always stop the engine
and do not smoke or allow open
flames or sparks near the vehicle
when refueling.
cFuel may be under pressure. Turn
the cap one-half turn and wait for
any ``hissing'' sound to stop to pre-
vent fuel from spraying out and pos-
sibly causing personal injury. Then
remove the cap.
cUse only a genuine NISSAN fuel filler
cap as a replacement. It has a built-in
safety valve needed for proper op-
eration of the fuel system and emis-
sion control system. An incorrect
cap can result in a serious malfunc-
tion and possible injury.
CAUTION
If fuel is spilled on the car body, flush it
away with water to avoid paint damage.Put the fuel filler cap on the cap holder while
refueling.
APD0621
2-11
ZX

WARNING
cInfants and small children should
always be placed in an appropriate
child restraint while riding in the ve-
hicle. Failure to use a child restraint
can result in serious injury or death.
cChildren and infants should never be
carried on your lap. It is not possible
for even the strongest adult to resist
the forces of a severe accident. The
child could be crushed between the
adult and parts of the vehicle. Also,
do not put the same seat belt around
both your child and yourself.
cNissan recommends that the child
restraint system be installed in the
rear seat. According to accident sta-
tistics, children are safer when prop-
erly restrained in the rear seat than
in the front seat.
cAn improperly installed child re-
straint could lead to serious injury or
death in an accident.
In general, child restraints are designed to
be installed with a lap belt or the lap portion
of a three-point type seat belt.Child restraints specially designed for infants
and small children are offered by several
manufacturers. When selecting any child re-
straint, keep the following points in mind:
1) Choose only a restraint with a label cer-
tifying that it complies with Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 213 or Cana-
dian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
2) Check the child restraint in your vehicle
to be sure it is compatible with the vehi-
cle's seat and seat belt system. Choose
the child restraint that meets the guide-
lines of Society of Automotive Engineers
recommended practice J1819 for child
seat installation.
3) If the child restraint is compatible with
your vehicle, place your child in the child
restraint and check the various adjust-
ments to be sure the child restraint is
compatible with your child. Always follow
all recommended procedures.
All U.S. states and provinces of Canada
require that infants and small children be
restrained in approved child restraints at
all times while the vehicle is being oper-
ated.
WARNING
cNever install a rear-facing child re-
straint in the front seat. An inflating
air bag could seriously injure or kill
your child. A rear-facing child re-
straint must only be used in the rear
seat. See ªInstallation on front pas-
senger seatº for details.
cImproper use of a child restraint can
result in increased injuries for both
the infant or child and other occu-
pants in the vehicle.
cFollow all of the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions for in-
stallation and use. When purchasing
a child restraint, be sure to select
one which will fit your child and
vehicle. It may not be possible to
properly install some types of child
restraints in your vehicle.
cIf the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden
stop greatly increases.
cAdjustable seatbacks should be po-
sitioned to fit the child restraint, but
as upright as possible.
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR
INFANTS AND SMALL
CHILDREN
2-31
ZX

WARNING
cThe air conditioner cooling function
operates only when the engine is
running.
cDo not leave children, unreliable
adults, or pets alone in your vehicle.
On hot, sunny days, temperatures in
a closed vehicle could quickly be-
come high enough to cause severe
or possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
cDo not use the recirculation mode
for long periods as it may cause the
interior air to become stale and the
windows to fog up.
cPositioning of the heater and air con-
ditioner controls should not be done
while driving, in order that full atten-
tion may be given to the driving
operation.
CONTROLS
Fan control dial
This dial turns the fan on and off, and
controls fan speed.
Air flow control dial
This dial allows you to select the air flow
outlets.
Ð Air flows from center and side
ventilators.
Ð Air flows from center and side
ventilators and foot outlets.
Ð Air flows mainly from foot outlets.
Ð Air flows from defroster outlets
and foot outlets.
Ð Air flows mainly from defroster
outlets.
Temperature control dial
This dial allows you to adjust the tempera-
ture of the outlet air.
AHA0627
HEATER AND AIR
CONDITIONER
3-3
ZX

Air recirculation button
(if so equipped)
NOTE:
The air recirculation feature is available
only on those vehicles equipped with air
conditioning.
OFF position (indicator light OFF):
Outside air is drawn into the passenger
compartment and distributed through the
selected outlets.
Use the OFF position for normal heater or
air conditioner operation.
ON position (indicator light ON):
Interior air is recirculated inside the vehicle.
Depress the air recirculation button to acti-
vate the recirculation function when driving
on a dusty road or to avoid traffic fumes.
The air recirculation function is also used to
improve A/C performance during extremely
hot or humid conditions.
Air conditioner button
(if so equipped)
Start the engine, move the fan control dial to
the desired (1 to 4) position, and push the
air conditioner button to turn on the air
conditioner. The indicator light comes on
when the air conditioner is on. To turn off the
air conditioner, push the button again.
The air conditioner cooling function op-
erates only when the engine is running.
HEATER OPERATION
Heating
This mode is used to direct hot air mainly
from the floor outlets. A small amount of air
also flows from the defrost vents.
1. Push the air recirculation button (if so
equipped) to the OFF position for normal
heating.
2. Move the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Move the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Move the temperature control dial to thedesired position between the middle and
the hot position.
Ventilation
This mode directs outside air from the side
and center vents.
1. Push the air recirculation button (if so
equipped) to the OFF position.
2. Move the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Move the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Move the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
Defrosting or defogging
This mode is used to defrost/defog the
windows.
1. Push the air recirculation button (if so
equipped) to the OFF position.
2. Move the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Move the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Move the temperature control dial to the
3-4
ZX

desired position between the middle and
the hot position.
cIf it is difficult to defog the windshield
glass, turn the air conditioner on (if so
equipped). This helps dehumidify the air.
Outside air is drawn into the passenger
compartment to improve the defogging per-
formance.
Bi-level heating
This mode directs cooler air from the side
and center vents and warmer air from the
floor outlets. When the temperature control
dial is moved to the full hot or full cool
position, the air between the vents and the
floor outlets is the same temperature.
1. Push the air recirculation button (if so
equipped) to the OFF position.
2. Move the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Move the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Move the temperature control dial to the
the desired position.
Heating and defogging
This mode heats the interior and defogs the
windshield.
1. Push the air recirculation button (if so
equipped) to the OFF position.
2. Move the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Move the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Move the temperature control dial to the
desired position between the middle and
the hot position.
Operating tips
cClear snow and ice from the wiper
blades and air inlet in front of the
windshield. This improves heater op-
eration.
AIR CONDITIONER OPERATION
(if so equipped)
Start the engine, move the fan control dial to
the desired (1 to 4) position, and push in the
air conditioner button to activate the air
conditioner. When the air conditioner is on,
cooling and dehumidifying functions areadded to the heater operation.
The air conditioner cooling function op-
erates only when the engine is running.
Cooling
This mode is used to cool and dehumidify.
1. Push the air recirculation button to the
OFF position.
2. Move the air control dial to the
po-
sition.
3. Move the fan control dial to the desired
position.
4. Push on the air conditioner button. The
indicator light comes on.
5. Move the temperature control dial to the
desired position.
cFor quick cooling when the outside tem-
perature is high, push the air recirculation
button to the ON position. Be sure to
return the air recirculation button to the
OFF position for normal cooling.
Dehumidified heating
This mode is used to heat and dehumidify
the air.
3-5
ZX