2003 INFINITI G35 engine overheat

ENGINE COOLANT
TEMPERATURE GAUGE The gauge indicates the engine coolant tem-
perature.
The engine coolant temperature will vary with
the outside air temperature and driving condi-
tions. CAUTION If the gauge indicates engine coolant
temperature over the normal range, stop
the vehicle as soon as safely possible. If
the engine is overheated, continued op-
eration of the vehicle may seriously
damage the engine. See ªIf your vehicle
overheatsº in the ª6. In case of emer-
gencyº section for immediate action re-
quired.
FUEL GAUGE The gauge indicates the approximate fuel level
in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly during braking,
turning, acceleration, or going up or down hill.
The gauge needle is designed to move to the
E (Empty) position when the ignition key is
turned to the OFF position.
Refill the fuel tank before the gauge regis-
ters Empty.SIC1829 SIC1830
Instruments and controls
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To sound the horn, push on or near the horn
marks of the steering wheel.
WARNINGDo not disassemble the horn. Doing so
could affect proper operation of the
supplemental front air bag system. Tam-
pering with the supplemental front air
bag system may result in serious per-
sonal injury. The front seats are warmed by built-in heaters.
The switches located on the center console
can be operated independently of each other.
1. Start the engine.
2. Select heat range.
O For low heat, press the (Low) side
of the switch.
O For high heat, press the (High)
side of the switch.
O For no heat, the switch has a center OFF
position between low and high.
The indicator light in the switch will illumi- nate when low or high is selected.
The heater is controlled by a thermostat,
automatically turning the heater on and off.
The indicator light will remain on as long as
the switch is on.
3. When the vehicle's interior is warmed, or
before you leave the vehicle, be sure to turn
the switch to the off position (center).
CAUTION O The battery could run down if the seat
heater is operated while the engine is
not running.
O Do not use the seat heater for ex-
tended periods or when no one is
using the seat.
O Do not put anything on the seat which
insulates heat, such as a blanket,
cushion, seat cover, etc. Otherwise,
the seat may become overheated.
O Do not place anything hard or heavy
on the seat or pierce it with a pin or
similar object. This may result in
damage to the heater.SIC1838 SIC1839
HORN HEATED SEATS (if so equipped)
Instruments and controls
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d. You have had an accident involv-
ing damage to the exhaust system,
underbody, or rear of the vehicle.
THREE WAY CATALYST The three way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Ex-
haust gases in the converter are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNINGO The exhaust gas and the exhaust sys-
tem are very hot. Keep people, ani-
mals or flammable materials away
from the exhaust system compo-
nents.
O Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire. CAUTION O Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline seriously re-
duce the three way catalyst's ability
to help reduce exhaust pollutants.
O Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause over-
rich fuel flow into the three way cata-
lyst, causing it to overheat. Do not
keep driving if the engine misfires, or
if noticeable loss of performance or
other unusual operating conditions
are detected. Have the vehicle in-
spected promptly by an authorized
INFINITI retailer.
O Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three way catalyst.
O Do not race the engine while warming
it up.
O Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine. AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner may result in loss
of control or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden steer-
ing maneuvers, because these driving prac-
tices could cause you to lose control of your
vehicle. As with any vehicle, a loss of con-
trol could result in a collision with other
vehicles or objects, or cause the vehicle to
rollover, particularly if the loss of control
causes the vehicle to slide sideways. Be
attentive at all times, and avoid driving when
tired. Never drive when under the influence of
alcohol or drugs (including prescription or
over-the-counter drugs which may cause
drowsiness). Always wear your seat belt. See
ªSeat Beltsº in the ª1. Seats, restraints and
supplemental air bag systemsº section. Also
instruct your passengers to do so.
Starting and driving
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O HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
j 2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
O HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
j 3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
so the vehicle will move away from the
center of the road if it moves.
4. Turn the ignition key to the LOCK position
and remove the key. The power assisted steering is designed to
use a hydraulic pump, driven by the engine, to
assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns or at low speeds.
WARNING If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for the
steering will not work. Steering will be
much harder to operate. BRAKING PRECAUTIONS The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
Vacuum assisted brake
The brake booster aids braking by using en-
gine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop
the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal.
However, greater foot pressure on the brake
pedal will be required to stop the vehicle and
the stopping distance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
your braking distance will be longer and the
vehicle may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal to
heat-up the brakes. Do this until the brakes
return to normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at
high speeds until the brakes function correctly.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This overheats the brakes, in-
creases wear on the brake linings and pads,
and reduces gas mileage.POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving
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To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result
in loss of vehicle control.
WARNINGO While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerating
or downshifting. Abrupt braking or
accelerating could cause the wheels
to skid and result in an accident.
O If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) The anti-lock brake system controls the brakes
at each wheel so the wheels will not lock when
braking abruptly or when braking on slippery
surfaces. The system detects the rotation
speed at each wheel and varies the brake fluid
pressure to prevent each wheel from locking
and sliding. By preventing wheel lockup, the
system helps the driver maintain steering con- trol and helps to minimize swerving and spin-
ning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
WARNING Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Normal operation The anti-lock brake system will not operate at
speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10 km/h) to
completely stop the vehicle. (The speeds will
vary according to road conditions.) When the
anti-lock system senses that one or more
wheels are close to locking up, the actuator
(under the hood) rapidly applies and releases
hydraulic pressure (like pumping the brakes
very quickly). While the actuator is working,
you may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal
and hear a noise or vibration from the actuator
under the hood. This is normal and indicates
that the anti-lock system is working properly.
However, the pulsation may indicate that road conditions are hazardous and extra care is
required while driving.
Self-test feature The anti-lock brake system consists of elec-
tronic sensors, electric pumps, and hydraulic
solenoids controlled by a computer. The com-
puter has a built-in diagnostic feature that tests
the system each time you start the engine and
move the vehicle at a low speed in forward or
reverse. When the self-test occurs, you may
hear a clunk noise and/or feel a pulsation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and is not an
indication of any malfunction. If the computer
senses any malfunction, it switches the anti-
lock brake system OFF and turns on the ABS
warning light in the dashboard. The brake
system will then behave normally, but without
anti-lock assistance.
If the light comes on during the self check, or
while you are driving, you should take your
vehicle to your INFINITI retailer for repair at
your earliest convenience.
WARNING The anti-lock brake system is a sophis-
ticated device, but it cannot prevent ac-
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WARNINGO Do not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could
cause a vehicle fire.
O To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
O Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading), or
if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc., take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply
the parking brake and move the shift lever
to the N (Neutral) position (automatic trans-
mission to the P (Park) position).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner switch. Open all
the windows, move the heater or air condi- tioner temperature control to maximum hot
and fan control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbing
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 radiator
before opening the hood. Wait until no
steam or coolant can be seen before pro-
ceeding.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. Visually check if the cooling fan is running.
The radiator hoses and radiator should not
leak water.
If coolant is leaking or the cooling fan does
not run, stop the engine. WARNING O Be careful not to allow your hands,
hair, jewelry or clothing to come into
contact with, or to get caught in the
cooling fan, or drive belt.
O The engine cooling fan can start at
any time when the coolant tempera-
ture is high.
7. After the engine cools down, check the
coolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle re-
paired at the nearest INFINITI retailer.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet
or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-
free number to call (U.S.) or Warranty & Road-
side assistance information booklet (Canada).IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
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The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a high-quality, year-round, anti-
freeze coolant solution. The anti-freeze solu-
tion contains rust and corrosion inhibitors,
therefore additional cooling system additives
are not necessary.
CAUTIONWhen adding or replacing coolant, be
sure to use only a genuine NISSAN anti-
freeze coolant or equivalent with the
proper mixture ratio of 50% anti-freeze
and 50% demineralized water/distilled
water. The use of other types of coolant
solutions may damage your engine
cooling system. Outside temperature
down to
Anti-
freeze Deminer-
alized
water/
distilled
waterÉC ÉF
þ35 þ30 50% 50% WARNING O Never remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Serious burns
could be caused by high pressure
fluid escaping from the radiator. Wait
until the engine and radiator cool
down.
O See ªIf your vehicle overheatsº in the
ª6. In case of emergencyº section.
O The radiator is equipped with a pres-
sure cap. To prevent engine damage,
use only a genuine NISSAN radiator
cap.
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL Check the coolant level in the reservoir tank
when the engine is cold. If the coolant level is
below MIN, add coolant up to the MAX level. If
the reservoir tank is empty, check the coolant
level in the radiator when the engine is cold.
If there is insufficient coolant in the radiator, fill
the radiator with coolant up to the filler opening
and also add it to the reservoir tank up to the
MAX level.
If the engine cooling system frequently
requires coolant, have it checked by your
INFINITI retailer. SDI1385
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Do-it-yourself
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CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT O Major cooling system repairs should be
performed by your INFINITI retailer. The
service procedures can be found in the
appropriate INFINITI Service Manual. O Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheat-
ing.
WARNING O To avoid being scalded, never change
the coolant when the engine is hot.
O Never remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Serious burns
could be caused by high pressure
fluid escaping from the radiator.
O Avoid direct skin contact with used
coolant. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner
as soon as possible.
O Keep coolant out of reach of children
and pets.
1. Open radiator drain plug at the bottom of
radiator, and remove radiator filler cap.
O Be careful not to allow coolant to con-
tact drive belts.
O Waste coolant must be disposed of
properly. Check your local regulations.
2. Close the radiator drain plug securely after
the coolant is drained. 3. Fill the radiator slowly with the proper mix-
ture of anti-freeze solution and demineral-
ized water/distilled water. Fill the reservoir
tank up to the MAX level. Then install the
radiator filler cap.
4. Start the engine and warm it up until it
reaches normal operating temperature.
Then race the engine 2 or 3 times under no
load. Watch the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge for signs of overheating.
5. Stop the engine. After it completely cools
down, refill the radiator up to the filler
opening. Fill the reservoir tank up to the
MAX level. Check the drain plug for any
sign of leakage.
6. Recheck the coolant level after the vehicle
has been driven for a day.SDI0114
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