2001 NISSAN ALTIMA Owners Manual

Schedule 2
Abbreviations: R = Replace I = Inspect. Correct or replace if necessary. [ ]: At the mileage intervals only
MAINTENANCE OPERATIONMAINTENANCE INTERVAL
Perform at number of miles, kilometers or
months, whichever comes first.Miles x 1,000 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60
(km x 1,000) (12) (24) (36) (48) (60) (72) (84) (96)
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48
Emission control system maintenance
Drive belts See NOTE (1)I*
Air cleaner filter[R] [R]
EVAP vapor linesI* I*
Fuel linesI* I*
Fuel filter See NOTE (2)*
Engine coolant See NOTE (3)R*
Engine oilRRRRRRRR
Engine oil filterRRRRRRRR
Spark plugs (Use PLATINUM-TIPPED type) Replace every 105,000 miles (169,000 km)
Intake & exhaust valve clearance See NOTE (4)*
NOTE: (1) After 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 48 months, inspect every 15,000 miles (24,000 km) or 12 months.
(2) When the filter becomes clogged, the vehicle speed cannot be increased as the driver wishes. In such an event,
replace the filter.
(3) After 60,000 miles (96,000 km) or 48 months, replace every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or 24 months.
(4) If valve noise increases, inspect valve clearance.
* Maintenance items and intervals marked with an ``*'' are recommended by NISSAN for reliable vehicle operation. The
owner need not perform such maintenance in order to maintain the emission warranty or manufacturer recall liability.
Other maintenance items and intervals are required.
9-8Maintenance
ZX

Schedule 2
Abbreviations: I = Inspect. Correct or replace if necessary.
MAINTENANCE OPERATIONMAINTENANCE INTERVAL
Perform at number of miles, kilometers or
months, whichever comes first.Miles x 1,000 7.5 15 22.5 30 37.5 45 52.5 60
(km x 1,000) (12) (24) (36) (48) (60) (72) (84) (96)
Months 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48
Chassis and body maintenance
Brake lines & cablesIIII
Brake pads, rotors, drums & liningsIIII
Manual transmission oil & automatic transmission fluidIIII
Steering gear & linkage, axle & suspension parts I I
Tire rotation See NOTE (2)
Exhaust systemII
Drive shaft bootsIIII
Supplemental front and side air bag system See NOTE (1)
Automatic speed control device (ASCD) vacuum hosesIIII
NOTE: (1) Inspect the supplemental air bag system 10 years after the date of manufacture noted on the FMVSS certification label.
(2) Refer to ``Tire rotation'' under the ``General Maintenance'' heading earlier in this section.
Maintenance
9-9
ZX

EXPLANATION OF
MAINTENANCE ITEMS
Additional information on the following
items marked with an ``*'' is found in the
``Do-it- yourself'' section of this manual.
Emission control system
maintenance
Drive belts* ÐCheck drive belts for wear,
fraying or cracking and also for proper ten-
sion. Replace any damaged drive belts.
Air cleaner filter ÐUnder normal driving
conditions, the air cleaner filter should be
replaced in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule. However, driving the ve-
hicle in dusty areas may cause rapid clog-
ging of the element. Consequently, the
element may have to be replaced more
frequently.
EVAP vapor lines ÐCheck vapor lines
and connections for leaks, looseness or
deterioration. If leaks are found, replace
them.
Fuel lines ÐCheck the fuel hoses, piping
and connections for leaks, looseness or
deterioration. Replace any damaged parts.Fuel filter ÐIf the vehicle is operated
under extremely adverse weather condi-
tions or in areas where ambient tempera-
tures are either extremely low or extremely
high, the filter might become clogged. In
such an event, replace the filter immedi-
ately.
Engine coolant* ÐDrain and flush the
cooling system.
Engine oil & oil filter* ÐUnder normal
driving conditions, the engine oil and oil filter
should be replaced in accordance with the
maintenance schedule. However, under se-
vere driving conditions, they may have to be
replaced more frequently.
Spark plugs* ÐReplace with new plugs
having the correct heat range.
Intake & exhaust valve clearance Ð
Check the valve clearance if valve noise
increases.
Chassis and body maintenance
Brake lines & cables ÐCheck the brake
lines and hoses (including brake booster
vacuum hoses, connections & check valve)
and parking brake cables for proper attach-ment, leaks, cracks, chafing, abrasion, de-
terioration, etc.
Brake pads, rotors, drums & linings Ð
Check these and the other neighboring
brake components for wear, deterioration
and leaks. Under severe driving conditions,
they may have to be inspected more fre-
quently.
Manual & automatic transmission fluid*
ÐCheck the fluid level and visually inspect
for signs of leakage.
Under severe driving conditions, the fluid
should be replaced at the specified interval.
Steering gear & linkage, axle & suspen-
sion parts, and drive shaft boots Ð
Check for damage, looseness and leakage
of oil or grease. Under severe driving con-
ditions, inspection should be performed
more frequently.
Exhaust system ÐVisually check the ex-
haust pipes, muffler, and hangers for proper
attachment, leaks, cracks, chafing, abra-
sion, deterioration, etc. Under severe driv-
ing conditions, inspection should be per-
formed more frequently.
9-10Maintenance
ZX

Supplemental air bag, and supplemental
side air bag (if so equipped) systems Ð
Check the supplemental air bag system(s)
components for proper attachment, dam-
age, deformities, cracks, rust, etc. Work
around and on the supplemental air bag
system(s) should be done by an authorized
NISSAN dealer.
Automatic speed control device (ASCD)
vacuum hoses ÐCheck vacuum hose
between ASCD actuator and ASCD pump
for breakage, cracks or fractures.
Maintenance
9-11
ZX

MEMO
9-12Maintenance
ZX

10 Technical and consumer information
Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants ......10-2
Fuel recommendation ......................................10-3
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation .........10-5
Recommended SAE viscosity number ............10-6
Air conditioner system refrigerant and
lubricant recommendations .............................10-7
Specifications .......................................................10-8
Engine .............................................................10-8
Wheels and tires..............................................10-9
Dimensions and weights .................................10-9
When traveling or registering your vehicle in
another country ..................................................10-10
Vehicle identification ..........................................10-10
Vehicle identification number (VIN)
plate ...............................................................10-10
Vehicle identification number
(chassis number) ...........................................10-10
Engine serial number ....................................10-11
F.M.V.S.S. certification label .........................10-11
Emission control information label ................10-12Tire placard....................................................10-12
Air conditioner specification label ..................10-12
Installing front license plate................................10-13
Vehicle loading information ................................10-13
Terms.............................................................10-13
Determining vehicle load capacity.................10-14
Loading tips ...................................................10-14
Towing a trailer...................................................10-15
Maximum load limits ......................................10-15
Towing load/specification chart .....................10-16
Towing safety ................................................10-16
Uniform tire quality grading ................................10-18
Emission control system warranty .....................10-19
Reporting safety defects (US only) ....................10-19
Readiness for inspection/maintenance (I/M)
test (US only) .....................................................10-20
Owner's manual/service manual order
information .....................................................10-21
In the event of a collision ..............................10-22
ZX

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be a little different. When refilling, follow the procedure
described in the ``Do-it-yourself'' section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Capacity (Approximate)
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
US
measureImp
measureLiter
Fuel 15-7/8 gal 13-1/4 gal 60Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87
AKI (RON 91)*1
Engine oil *7
Drain and refillcAPI Certification Mark *2 *3
cAPI grade SG/SH, Energy ConservingI&IIorAPI
grade SJ, Energy Conserving *2 *3
cILSAC grade GF-1 & GF-II *2 *3 With oil filter change 3-5/8 qt 3 qt 3.4
Without oil filter change 3-3/8 qt 2-7/8 qt 3.2
Cooling system
With reservoir 7-3/8 qt 6-1/8 qt 7.0 50% Genuine NISSAN Anti-freeze coolant or equivalent
Reservoir 5/8 qt 1/2 qt 0.6 50% Soft tap water
Manual transaxle gear oil 9-1/2 to 10-1/8 pt 7-7/8 to 8-1/2 pt 4.5 to 4.8 API GL-4, Viscosity SAE 80W-90 only
Automatic transaxle fluid 10 qt 8-1/4 qt 9.4
Nissan Matic `D' (Continental U.S. and Alaska) or
Canada NISSAN Automatic Transmission Fluid . *4
Power steering fluid 1 qt 3/4 qt 0.9 Genuine NISSAN PSF II or equivalent. *8
Brake and clutch fluidRefill to the proper level according to the instructions in
the ``Do-it-yourself'' section.Genuine Nissan Brake Fluid*5 or equivalent
DOT 3 (US FMVSS No. 116)
Multi-purpose grease Ð Ð Ð NLGI No. 2 (Lithium soap base)Air conditioning system refrigerantÐ Ð Ð HFC-134a (R-134a)*6
Air conditioning system lubricant Ð Ð Ð Nissan A/C System Oil Type R or exact equivalent*6
*1: For further details, see ``Fuel recommendation.''
*2: For further details, see ``Engine oil and oil filter recomendations.''
*3: For further details, see ``Recommended SAE engine oil viscosity.''
*4: Dexron
TMIII/MerconTMor equivalent may also be used. Outside the Continental United States and Alaska contact a NISSAN dealership for more information
regarding suitable fluids, including recommended brand(s) of DexronTMIII/MerconTMAutomatic Transmission Fluid.
*5: Available in mainland USA through your NISSAN dealer.
*6: For further details, see ``Air conditioner specification label.''
*7: For further details, see ``Changing engine oil.''
*8: Genuine NISSAN PSF, Canada NISSAN Automatic Transmission Fluid, Dexron
TMIII/MerconTM, or equivalent ATF may also be used.
CAPACITIES AND
RECOMMENDED FUEL/
LUBRICANTS
10-2Technical and consumer information
ZX

FUEL RECOMMENDATION
Your vehicle is designed to operate on
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index) (Re-
search octane number 91).
CAUTION
cUsing a fuel other than that specified
could adversely affect the emission
control system, and may also affect
warranty coverage.
cUnder no circumstances should a
leaded gasoline be used since this
will damage the three way catalyst.
Reformulated gasoline
Some fuel suppliers are now producing re-
formulated gasolines. These gasolines are
specially designed to reduce vehicle emis-
sions. NISSAN supports efforts towards
cleaner air and suggests that you use refor-
mulated gasoline when available.
Gasoline containing oxygenates
Some fuel suppliers sell gasoline containing
oxygenates such as ethanol, MTBE and
methanol with or without advertising theirpresence. Nissan does not recommend the
use of fuels of which the oxygenate content
and the fuel compatibility for your NISSAN
cannot be readily determined. If in doubt,
ask your service station manager.
If you use oxygenate-blend gasoline, please
take the following precautions as the usage
of such fuels may cause vehicle perfor-
mance problems and/or fuel system dam-
age.
cThe fuel should be unleaded and have
an octane rating no lower than that
recommended for unleaded gasoline.
cIf an oxygenate-blend other than a
methanol blend is used, it should con-
tain no more than 10% oxygenate.
(MTBE may, however, be added up to
15%.)
cIf a methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 5% methanol
(methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). It
should also contain a suitable amount
of appropriate cosolvents and corro-
sion inhibitors. If not properly formu-
lated with appropriate cosolvents and
corrosion inhibitors, such methanol
blends may cause fuel system dam-age and/or vehicle performance prob-
lems. At this time, sufficient data is
not available to ensure that all metha-
nol blends are suitable for use in NIS-
SAN vehicles.
If any driveability problems such as engine
stalling and difficult hot-starting are experi-
enced after using oxygenate-blend fuels,
immediately change to a non-oxygenate
fuel or a fuel with a low blend of MTBE.
Take care not to spill gasoline during
refueling. Gasoline containing oxygen-
ates can cause paint damage.
Aftermarket fuel additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
any fuel additives (i.e.: fuel injector cleaner,
octane booster, intake valve deposit remov-
ers, etc.) which are sold commercially.
Many of these additives intended for gum,
varnish or deposit removal may contain
active solvents or similar ingredients that
can be harmful to the fuel system and
engine.
Octane rating tips
In most parts of North America, you should
use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
Technical and consumer information
10-3
ZX