1998 NISSAN ALTIMA Owners Manual

If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off of the road
and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the
parking brake. Shift the manual transmis-
sion into R (Reverse), or the automatic
transmission into P (Park).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic, and
to signal professional road assistance
personnel that you need assistance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the ve-
hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
cMake sure that the parking brake is
securely applied and the manual
transmission is shifted into R (Re-
verse), or the automatic transmis-
sion into P (Park).cNever change tires when the vehicle
is on a slope, ice or slippery areas.
This is hazardous.
cNever change tires if oncoming traf-
fic is close to your vehicle. Wait for
professional road assistance.
Getting the spare tire and tools
1. Open the trunk. Lift the trunk floor carpet-
ing and spare tire cover. Remove the tool
bag (which contains the jack rod and
wheel nut wrench) and the spare tire. If
necessary, use the flat end of the jack
rod as shown to loosen the spare tire
hold-down bolt.
ACE1002
FLAT TIRE
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2. Push the release clip on the jack access
door to open. To remove the jack, turn
the jack screw counterclockwise. Use
either end of the jack rod to loosen the
jack from its storage position.
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks at both the front and
back of the wheel diagonally opposite the
flat tire to prevent the vehicle from rolling
when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the ve-
hicle may move and could cause per-
sonal injury.ACE1005
CE1003M
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Removing wheel covers
Remove the wheel covers as shown.
CAUTION
Do not use your hands to pry off wheel
caps. Doing so could result in personal
injury.
Jacking up vehicle and removing
the damaged tire
Carefully read the caution label attached
to the jack body and the following in-
structions:
1. 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.
2.
Place the jack directly under the jack-up
point as illustrated above so the top of the
jack contacts the vehicle at the jack-up
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CE1089
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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 firm and
level ground.
3. To lift the vehicle, securely hold the jack
lever and rod with both hands as shown.
Carefully raise the vehicle until the tire
clears the ground. Remove the wheel
nuts, and then remove the tire.WARNING
cNever get under the vehicle while it
is supported only by the jack.
cUse the jack provided with your ve-
hicle. 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.
cUse the correct jack-up points; never
use any other part of the vehicle for
jack support.cNever jack up the vehicle more than
necessary.
cNever use blocks on or under the
jack.
cDo not start or run engine while
vehicle is on the jack as it may cause
the vehicle to move.
cDo not allow passengers to stay in
the vehicle while it is on the jack.
cNever run the engine with the wheels
off the ground. It may cause the
vehicle to move. This is especially
true for vehicles with limited slip
differential carriers.
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Installing the spare tire
The T-type spare tire is designed for
emergency use. See specific instruc-
tions under the heading ``Wheels and
tires'' in the ``Do-it-yourself'' section.
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surface
between the wheel and hub.
2. Carefully put the spare tire on and install
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 se-
curely in the sequence as illustrated.
Lower the vehicle completely.
WARNING
cIncorrect wheel nuts or improperly
tightened wheel nuts can cause the
wheel to become loose or come off.
This could cause an accident.cDo 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 Nzm)
Adjust tire pressure to the COLD pres-
sure.
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 driver's door, center
pillar.
cRetighten the wheel nuts when the
vehicle has been run for 600 miles
(1,000 km).
5. With the spare tire installed on the ve-
hicle, place the damaged tire in the spare
tire storage area. Put the jack rod and
wheel nut wrench in the tool bag and
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place the tool bag in the spare tire stor-
age area.
6. Place the spare tire cover and the trunk
floor carpeting over the damaged tire.
7. Install the jack in its storage area and
tighten the jack screw clockwise.
8. Close the jack access door. Close the
trunk.
WARNING
cAlways 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.
cThe T-type spare tire is designed for
emergency use. See specific instruc-
tions under the heading ``Wheels
and tires'' in the ``Do-it-yourself''
section.To start your engine with a booster battery,
the instructions and precautions below must
be followed.
WARNING
cIf done incorrectly, jump starting can
lead to a battery explosion, resulting
in severe injury or death. It could
also damage your vehicle.
cExplosive hydrogen gas is always
present in the vicinity of the battery.
Keep all sparks and flames away
from the battery.
cDo 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.
cKeep battery out of the reach of
children.
cThe booster battery must be rated at
12 volts. Use of an improper rated
battery can damage your vehicle.cWhenever working on or near a bat-
tery, always wear suitable eye pro-
tectors (for example, goggles or in-
dustrial safety spectacles) and
remove rings, metal bands, or any
other jewelry. Do not lean over the
battery when jump starting.
cDo not attempt to jump start a frozen
battery. It could explode and cause
serious injury.
cYour vehicle has an automatic en-
gine cooling fan. It could come on at
any time. Keep hands and other ob-
jects away from it.
JUMP STARTING
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Always follow the instructions below.
Failure to do so could result in damage
to the charging system and cause per-
sonal injury.
1. If the booster battery is in another ve-
hicle, position the two vehicles to bring
their batteries into close proximity to
each other.
Do not allow the two vehicles to
touch.
2.
Apply the parking brake. Move the shift
selector lever to N (Neutral) (manual trans-
mission) or to P (Park) (automatic trans-
mission). Switch off all unncessary electri-cal systems (lights, 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.
CAUTION
cAlways connect positive (+) to posi-
tive (+) and negative (þ) to body
ground (for example, strut mounting
bolt, etc. Ð not to the battery).cMake 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 booster vehicle
and let it run for a few minutes.
6. Keep the engine speed of the booster
vehicle at about 2,000 rpm, and start the
engine of the vehicle being jump started.
CAUTION
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.
7. After starting the engine, carefully dis-
connect the negative cable and then the
positive 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 con-
taminated with corrosive acid.ACE1013
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CAUTION
cAutomatic transmission models can-
not be push started. This may cause
transmission damage.
cThree way catalyst equipped models
should not be started by pushing
since the three way catalyst may be
damaged.
cNever 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 read-
ing), or if you feel a lack of engine power,
detect abnormal noise, etc., take the follow-
ing steps.
WARNING
cDo not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could
cause a vehicle fire.
cTo avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radiator
cap while the engine is still hot.
When the radiator cap is removed,
pressurized hot water will spurt out,
possibly causing serious injury.
cDo not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road,
apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to N (Neutral) (manual trans-
mission) or to P (Park) (automatic trans-
mission).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the
windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximumhot and fan control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climb-
ing 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 ra-
diator before opening the hood. Wait until
no steam or coolant can be seen before
proceeding.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
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 radia-
tor should not leak water. If coolant is
leaking, the water pump belt is missing or
loose, or the cooling fan does not run,
stop the engine.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE
OVERHEATS
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