2002 NISSAN XTERRA engine

ONever pour fuel into the throttle body
or attempt to start the engine with
the air cleaner removed. Doing so
could result in serious injury.
8-24Maintenance and do-it-yourself
ZX

If you wax the surface of the hood, be
careful not to let wax get into the washer
nozzle. This may cause clogging or im-
proper windshield washer operation. If
wax gets into the nozzle, remove it with a
needle or small pin.
CHECKING PARKING BRAKE
From the released position, firmly push the
parking brake down. If the number of clicks
is out of the range listed above, see an
authorized NISSAN dealer.
CHECKING BRAKE PEDAL
With the engine running, check distance A
between the upper surface of the pedal and
the metal floor.
Distance A:
Manual
TransmissionAutomatic
Transmission
Four Wheel
ABS4 in.
(100mm)4 1/4 in.
(110mm)
If it is out of the range shown above, see an
authorized NISSAN dealer.
WDI0071
LDI0099DI0453
PARKING BRAKE AND BRAKE
PEDAL
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-27
ZX

Self-adjusting brakes
Your vehicle is equipped with self-adjusting
brakes.
The front disc-type brakes self-adjust every
time the brake pedal is applied. The rear
drum-type brakes on two-wheel drive trucks
self-adjust every time the parking brake is
applied. The rear drum-type brakes on four-
wheel drive trucks self-adjust every time the
brake pedal is applied. If the brake pedal
goes down farther than normal, it may be
due to a lack of adjustment of the rear drum
brakes. Apply the parking brake several
times.
WARNING
If the brake pedal height does not re-
turn to normal, see an authorized NIS-
SAN dealer and have it checked.
Brake pad wear indicators
The disc brake pads on your vehicle have
audible wear indicators. When a brake pad
requires replacement, it will make a high
pitched scraping or screeching sound when
the vehicle is in motion whether or not the
brake pedal is depressed. Have the brakeschecked as soon as possible if the wear
indicator sound is heard.
Under some driving or climate conditions,
occasional brake squeak, squeal or other
noise may be heard. Occasional brake
noise during light to moderate stops is nor-
mal and does not affect the function or
performance of the brake system.
The rear drum brakes (if so equipped) do
not have audible wear indicators. Should
you ever hear an unusually loud noise from
the rear drum brakes, have them inspected
as soon as possible by an authorized NIS-
SAN dealer.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.For more information regard-
ing brake inspections, see the appropriate
maintenance schedule information in the
``NISSAN Service and Maintenance Guide.''
BRAKE BOOSTER
Check the brake booster function with the
following steps:
1. With the engine off, press and release
the brake pedal several times. When
brake pedal movement (distance of
travel) remains the same from one pedalapplication to the next, continue on to
next step.
2. While depressing the brake pedal, start
the engine. The pedal height should drop
a little.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop the
engine. Keeping the pedal depressed for
about 30 seconds, the pedal height
should not change.
4. Run the engine for one minute without
depressing the brake pedal, then turn it
off. Depress the brake pedal several
times. The pedal travel distance will de-
crease gradually with each depression
as the vacuum is released from the
booster.
If the brakes do not operate properly, have
the brakes checked by an authorized
NISSAN dealer.
8-28Maintenance and do-it-yourself
ZX

FCC Notice:
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the manufacturer for com-
pliance could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
This device complies with part 15 of the
FCC Rules and RSS-210 of Industry
Canada.
Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference re-
ceived including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
HEADLIGHTS
The headlight is a semi-sealed beam type
which uses a replaceable headlight (halo-
gen) bulb.
CAUTION
OHigh pressure halogen gas is sealed
inside the halogen bulb. The bulb
may break if the glass envelope is
scratched or the bulb is dropped.
OWhen handling the bulb, do not
touch the glass envelope.
Replacing the headlight bulb
1. Open the engine hood.
2. Disconnect the negative (2) battery
cable.
3. Disconnect the electrical connector from
the rear end of the bulb.
4. Turn the bulb retaining ring counterclock-
wise until it is free from the headlight
reflector and then remove it.
5.
Carefully remove the headlight bulb. Do not
shake or rotate the bulb when removing it.
6. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.
OBe sure the lip of the bulb socket
contacts the headlight body.
DO NOT TOUCH THE BULB.
LDI0101
LIGHTS
8-32Maintenance and do-it-yourself
ZX

9 Technical and consumer information
Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants ........9-2
Fuel recommendation
(except supercharger) .......................................9-4
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation ...........9-6
Recommended SAE viscosity number ..............9-7
Air conditioner system refrigerant and
lubricant recommendations ...............................9-8
Specifications .........................................................9-9
Engine ...............................................................9-9
Wheels and tires..............................................9-10
Dimensions and weights ................................. 9-11
When traveling or registering your vehicle in
another country ....................................................9-12
Vehicle identification .............................................9-12
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate ........9-12
Vehicle identification number
(chassis number) .............................................9-12
Engine serial number ......................................9-13
F.M.V.S.S. certification label ............................9-13
Emission control information label ..................9-14
Tire placard......................................................9-14
Air conditioner specification label ....................9-14Installing front license plate..................................9-15
Vehicle loading information ..................................9-15
Terms ...............................................................9-15
Determining vehicle payload capacity .............9-16
Securing the load ............................................9-16
Loading tips .....................................................9-17
Payload weight capacity ..................................9-18
Measurement of weights .................................9-19
Towing a trailer .....................................................9-19
Maximum load limits ........................................9-19
Towing load/specification chart .......................9-21
Towing safety ...................................................9-22
Trailer tow harness and module
(if so equipped)................................................9-23
Uniform tire quality grading ..................................9-25
Emission control system warranty .......................9-26
Reporting safety defects (US only) ......................9-27
Readiness for inspection/maintenance (I/M)
test (US only) .......................................................9-27
Owner manual/service manual order
information ............................................................9-29
In the event of a collision ................................9-30
ZX

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be a little different. When refilling, follow the procedure
described in the ``Maintenance and do-it-yourself'' section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Capacity (Approximate)Recommended Fluids & Lubricants
US
measureImp
measureLiter
Fuel without supercharger 19-3/8 gal 16-1/8 gal 73.4Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
at least 87 AKI (RON 91)*1
with supercharger 19-3/8 gal 16-1/8 gal 73.4Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
at least 91 AKI (RON 96)*1
Engine oil
Drain and Refill
KA24DE With oil filter 3-3/4 qt 3-1/8 qt 3.5OAPI Certification Mark *2
Without oil filter 3-1/2 qt 2-7/8 qt 3.3O
API grade SG/SH, Energy Conserving I &
II or API grade SJ, Energy Conserving *2
VG33E/VG33ER With oil filter 3-1/2 qt 2-7/8 qt 3.3OILSAC grade GF-I & II
Without oil filter 3-1/8 qt 2-5/8 qt 3.0
Cooling system (with heater and reservoir tank)
KA24DE M/T 4X2 7-3/4 qt 6-3/8 7.350% Genuine NISSAN Anti-freeze coolant
or equivalent
VG33E/
VG33ERA/T & M/T 11-5/8 qt 9-5/8 qt 10.95 50% Demineralized or Distilled water
*1: For further details, see ``Fuel recommendation''.
*2: For further details, see ``Recommended SAE engine oil viscosity''.
CAPACITIES AND
RECOMMENDED FUEL/
LUBRICANTS
9-2Technical and consumer information
ZX

If any driveability problems such as engine
stalling and hard 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.
After Market 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 sol-
vents 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
of at least 87 (except supercharger) or 91
(supercharger) AKI (Anti-Knock Index).
However, you may use unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating as low as 85 AKI in
high altitude areas (over 4,000 ft [1,219 m])
such as: Colorado, Montana, New Mexico,
Utah, Wyoming, northeastern Nevada,southern Idaho, western South Dakota,
western Nebraska, and the part of Texas
which is directly south of New Mexico.
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than stated above can cause
persistent, heavy ``spark knock.'' (``Spark
knock'' is a metallic rapping noise.) If
severe, this can lead to engine damage. If
you detect a persistent heavy spark
knock even when using gasoline of the
stated octane rating, or if you hear steady
spark knock while holding a steady speed
on level roads, have an authorized NIS-
SAN dealer correct the condition. Failure
to correct the condition is misuse of the
vehicle, for which NISSAN is not respon-
sible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in spark
knock, after-run and/or overheating, which
may cause excessive fuel consumption or
engine damage. If any of the above symp-
toms are encountered, have your vehicle
checked at an authorized NISSAN dealer.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is
no cause for concern, because you get
the greatest fuel benefit when there islight spark knock for a short time under
heavy engine load.
Technical and consumer information
9-5
ZX

ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose engine oil with the
correct quality and viscosity to ensure sat-
isfactory engine life and performance.
NISSAN recommends the use of a low
friction oil (energy conserving oil) in order to
improve fuel economy and conserve en-
ergy. 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
Petroleum Institute (API) CERTIFICATION
MARK on the front of the container should
be used. This type of oil supersedes the
existing API SG, SH or SJ and Energy
ConservingI&IIcategories.
If you cannot find engine oil with the API
CERTIFICATION MARK, use an API grade
SG/SH, Energy ConservingI&IIorAPI
grade SJ, Energy Conserving oil. An oil with
a single designation SG or SH, or in combi-
nation with other categories (for example,
SG/CC or SG/CD) may also be used if one
with the API CERTIFICATION MARK cannotbe found. An ISLAC grade GF-I & GF-II oil
can also be used.
Mineral based or synthetic type oils may be
used in your NISSAN vehicle. These oils
must however, meet the API quality and
SAE viscosity ratings specified for your ve-
hicle. Do not mix mineral based and syn-
thetic type oils in the engine.
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 important that the engine oil viscosity be
selected based on the temperatures at
which the vehicle will be operated before
the next oil change. The chart ``Recom-
mended SAE viscosity number'' shows the
recommended oil viscosities for the ex-
pected ambient temperatures. Choosing an
oil viscosity other than that recommended
WTI0033
9-6Technical and consumer information
ZX