2003 NISSAN SENTRA change time

This manual includes information for all options
available on this model. Therefore, you may find
some information that does not apply to your
vehicle.
All information, specifications and illustrations in
this manual are those in effect at the time of
printing. NISSAN reserves the right to change
specifications or design without notice and with-
out obligation.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT
THIS MANUAL
You will see various symbols in this manual. They
are used in the following ways:
WARNING
This is used to indicate the presence of a
hazard that could cause death or serious
personal injury. To avoid or reduce the
risk, the procedures must be followed
precisely.
CAUTION
This is used to indicate the presence of a
hazard that could cause minor or moder-
ate personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle. To avoid or reduce the risk, the pro-
cedures must be followed carefully.If you see this symbol, it means“Do not do this”
or“Do not let this happen.”
If you see a symbol similar to these in an illustra-
tion, it means the arrow points to the front of the
vehicle.
Arrows in an illustration that are similar to these
indicate movement or action.
Arrows in an illustration that are similar to these
call attention to an item in the illustration.
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65
WARNING
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de-
fects or other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids contained in vehicles
and certain products of component wear
contain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
© 2003 NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
GARDENA, CALIFORNIA
All rights reserved. No part of this Owner’s
Manual may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form, or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of Nissan North America, Inc., Gar-
dena, California.
APD1005
WHEN READING THE MANUAL
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The inside pages of this manual contain
a minimum of 50% recycled fibers,
including 10% post-consumer fibers.

BATTERY REPLACEMENT
Replace the battery in the keyfob as follows:
s1Open the lid using a coin.
s2Remove the battery.
s3Install a new battery with the “+” facing down.
Recommended battery: Sanyo CR2025 or
equivalent.
s4Close the lid securely.
5. Press the LOCK button, then the UNLOCK
button two or three times to check the key-
fob operation.If the battery is removed for any reason
other than replacement, perform step 5.
cAn improperly disposed battery can hurt
the environment. Always confirm local
regulations for battery disposal.
c
The keyfob is water-resistant; however, if
it does get wet, immediately wipe com-
pletely dry.
cThe operational range of the keyfob ex-
tends to approximately 49 ft (15 m) from
the vehicle. This range may vary with
conditions.
FCC Notice:
Changes or modifications not expressly ap-
proved by the manufacturer for compliance
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 received, in-
cluding interference that may cause undes-
ired operation of the device.
WPD0116
3-8Pre-driving checks and adjustments
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RADIO
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position
and press the power on switch to turn the radio
on. If you listen to the radio with the engine not
running, the key should be turned to the ACC
position.
Radio reception is affected by station signal
strength, distance from radio transmitter, build-
ings, bridges, mountains and other external influ-
ences. Intermittent changes in reception quality
normally are caused by these external influences.
Using a cellular phone in or near the ve-
hicle may influence radio reception quality.
Radio reception
Your NISSAN radio system is equipped with
state-of-the-art electronic circuits to enhance ra-
dio reception. These circuits are designed to
extend reception range, and to enhance the qual-
ity of that reception.
However there are some general characteristics
of both FM and AM radio signals that can affect
radio reception quality in a moving vehicle, even
when the finest equipment is used. These char-
acteristics are completely normal in a given re-
ception area, and do not indicate any malfunction
in your NISSAN radio system.Reception conditions will constantly change be-
cause of vehicle movement. Buildings, terrain,
signal distance and interference from other ve-
hicles can work against ideal reception. De-
scribed below are some of the factors that can
affect your radio reception.
FM RADIO RECEPTION
Range: FM range is normally limited to 25 - 30
miles (40 - 48 km) , with monaural (single chan-
nel) FM having slightly more range than stereo
FM. External influences may sometimes interfere
with FM station reception even if the FM station is
within 25 miles (40 km) . The strength of the FM
signal is directly related to the distance between
the transmitter and receiver. FM signals follow a
line-of-sight path, exhibiting many of the same
characteristics as light. For example they will
reflect off objects.
Fade and drift: As your vehicle moves away from
a station transmitter, the signals will tend to fade
and/or drift.
Static and flutter: During signal interference from
buildings, large hills or due to antenna position
(usually in conjunction with increased distance
from the station transmitter) static or flutter can
be heard. This can be reduced by adjusting the
treble control to reduce treble response.Multipath reception: Because of the reflective
characteristics of FM signals, direct and reflected
signals reach the receiver at the same time. The
signals may cancel each other, resulting in mo-
mentary flutter or loss of sound.
AM RADIO RECEPTION
AM signals, because of their low frequency, can
bend around objects and skip along the ground.
In addition, the signals can be bounced off the
ionosphere and bent back to earth. Because of
these characteristics, AM signals are also sub-
ject to interference as they travel from transmitter
to receiver.
Fading: Occurs while the vehicle is passing
through freeway underpasses or in areas with
many tall buildings. It can also occur for several
seconds during ionospheric turbulence even in
areas where no obstacles exist.
Static: Caused by thunderstorms, electrical
power lines, electric signs and even traffic lights.
AUDIO SYSTEM
4-10Heater, air conditioner and audio systems
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1. Push to select AM, FM1, or FM2. The se-
lected band illuminates in the display.
2. Tune to the desired station.
3. Push the desired station select button for
more than 1.5 seconds. For example, in the
illustrations, ch2 is to be memorized. The
radio mutes when the select button is
pushed.
4. When the indicator illuminates in the display
and the sound resumes, memorizing is com-
plete.
5. Other station select buttons can be set in
the same manner.
If the battery cable is disconnected, or if the radio
fuse opens, the radio memory is canceled. In that
case, reset the desired stations.
Compact disc (CD) player operation
Turn the ignition key to the ACC or ON position,
and carefully insert the compact disc into the slot
with the label side up. The compact disc is auto-
matically pulled into the slot and starts to play.
If the radio is already operating, it automatically
turns off and the compact disc begins to play.
CAUTION
Do not force a compact disc into the CD
insert slot. This could damage the CD
and/or CD changer/player.
CD button
When the CD button is pushed with a compact
disc loaded and the radio playing, the radio turns
off and the compact disc starts to play.
When this button is pushed while the compact
disc is playing, the compact disc stops playing.
FF (Fast Forward) , REW
(Rewind) buttons
When the
orbutton is pushed while
the compact disc is playing, the compact disc
plays at an increased speed while fast forwarding
or rewinding. When the button is released, the
compact disc returns to normal play speed.
APS (Automatic Program
Search) FF, APS REW
When the
button is pushed while the com-
pact disc is playing, the selection following the
present one starts to play from the beginning.
Push the
button several times to skip sev-
eral selections. Each time the button is pushed,the CD advances one selection. (When the last
selection on the compact disc is skipped, the first
selection is played.)
When the
button is pushed, the selection
being played returns to the beginning. Push
the
button several times to skip back sev-
eral selections. Each time the button is pushed,
the CD moves back one selection.
Repeat/Random button
When the
button is pushed while the
compact disc is playing, the play pattern changes
as follows:
1:The current selection is repeated.
RANDOM:Selections are played at random, not
following the sequence on the compact disc. The
same program may be repeated twice.
Normal(no symbol): All selections are played in
sequence.
When a new compact disc is inserted, the
play pattern automatically changes to the
“Normal” play pattern.
Heater, air conditioner and audio systems4-15
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COMPACT DISC (CD) CHANGER (if
so equipped)
To use the CD changer, turn the ignition key to
the ACC or ON position.
Disc loading — single
CAUTION
Trying to load a CD with the CD door
closed could damage the CD and/or CD
changer.
When a disc selection button is pressed for less
than 1.5 seconds, the CD changer enters the
One Disc Loading Mode. The disc selection but-
ton starts flashing green and both WAIT and the
disc selection button number flash in the display
until the door is opened. When the door has
opened, the display changes from WAIT to LOAD
and the load indicator lights flash green. Load
only one CD at a time. After the CD is loaded, the
door closes, the load indicator lights turn off and
the disc selection button turns a solid green. The
CD that was loaded starts to play automatically.
Disc loading — all
When a disc selection button is pressed for
longer than 1.5 seconds, the CD changer auto-
matically changes to All Disc Loading Mode. All
disc selection buttons start flashing orange, ex-cept the disc selection button that was pushed
initially. This button flashes green and both WAIT
and the disc selection button number flash in the
display until the door is opened. When the door
opens, the display changes from WAIT to LOAD
and the load indicator lights flash green. Load
only one CD at a time. After the CD is loaded, the
door closes, the load indicator lights turn off and
the disc selection button turns a solid green.
After all the CDs have been loaded, the CD that
was loaded first starts to play.
Play/Stop button
Press the
button while a CD is playing, the
CD stops playing and the CD changer turns off.
Press the
button while the CD changer is
off, the last CD that was loaded starts to play.
Press the
button with no CDs loaded, the
CD changer enters the One Disc Loading Mode.
FF (fast forward) REV (re-
verse) buttons
When the
orbutton is pushed while
the CD is playing, the CD plays at an increased
speed while fast forwarding or reversing. When
the button is released, the CD returns to normal
play speed.
APS (Automatic Program
Search) , FF, APS REV
When the
button is pushed while the CD
is playing, the selection following the current one
starts to play from the beginning. Push the
button several times to skip several selections.
Each time the button is pushed, the CD advances
one selection. When the last selection on the CD
is skipped, the first selection is played.
When the
button is pushed, the current
selection returns to the beginning. Push
the
button several times to skip back sev-
eral selections. Each time the button is pushed,
the CD moves back one selection. Went the first
selection on the CD is skipped, the last selection
is played.
Repeat Button
When the
button is pushed while a CD is
playing, the play pattern will change as follows.
ALL — All disc repeat:All CDs are played
repeatedly in sequence.
BLANK (no symbol) — One disc repeat:The
current CD is repeated.
1 — One track repeat:The current selection is
repeated.
Heater, air conditioner and audio systems4-17
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WARNING
cDo not leave children, impaired adults,
or pets alone in your vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or oth-
ers through inadvertent operation of
the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to
people or animals.
cClosely supervise children when they
are around cars to prevent them from
playing and becoming locked in the
trunk where they could be seriously in-
jured. Keep the car locked, with the rear
seatback and trunk lid securely latched
when not in use, and prevent children’s
access to car keys.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
cDo not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless carbon
monoxide. Carbon monoxide is danger-
ous. It can cause unconsciousness or
death.cIf you suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering the vehicle, drive with all win-
dows fully open, and have the vehicle
inspected immediately.
cDo not run the engine in closed spaces
such as a garage.
cDo not park the vehicle with the engine
running for any extended length of time.
cKeep the trunk lid closed while driving,
otherwise exhaust gases could be
drawn into the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with the trunk lid
open, follow these precautions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the
air recirculation but-
ton (if so equipped) to off and the fan
control dial to 4 (high) to circulate
the air.
cIf electrical wiring or other cable con-
nections must pass to a trailer through
the seal on the trunk lid or the body,
follow the manufacturer’s recommen-
dation to prevent carbon monoxide en-
try into the vehicle.
cThe exhaust system and body should be
inspected by a qualified mechanic
whenever:a. The vehicle is raised for service.
b. You suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering into the passenger
compartment.
c. You notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust system.
d. You have had an accident involving
damage to the exhaust system, un-
derbody, or rear of the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
cThe exhaust gas and the exhaust sys-
tem are very hot. Keep people, animals
or flammable materials away from the
exhaust system components.
cDo not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING
5-2Starting and driving
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If the shift selector lever cannot be moved out of
P (Park) , have a NISSAN dealer check the auto-
matic transmission system as soon as possible.
Accelerator downshift
— in D position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion down into a lower gear, depending on the
vehicle speed.
Overdrive switch
Each time your vehicle is started, the transmis-
sion is automatically “reset” to overdrive ON.
ON: With the engine running and the
shift selector lever in the D (Drive)
position, the transmission upshifts
into Overdrive as vehicle speed
increases.
Overdrive does not engage until the engine
has reached operating temperature.
OFF: For driving up and down long
slopes where engine braking is nec-
essary push the Overdrive switch
once. The O/D OFF indicator light
in the instrument panel comes on at
this time.
When cruising at a low speed or climbing a
gentle slope, you may feel uncomfortable shift
shocks as the transmission shifts between third
gear and Overdrive repeatedly. In this case, de-
press the Overdrive switch to turn the Overdrive
off. The O/D OFF indicator light in the instrument
panel comes on at this time.
When driving conditions change, depress the
Overdrive switch to turn the Overdrive on.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for ex-
tended periods of time with the Overdrive off.
This reduces fuel economy.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING
cDo not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
cDo not over-rev the engine when shift-
ing to a lower gear. This may cause a
loss of control or engine damage.
WSD0045
5-10Starting and driving
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6. Recheck oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil
maintenance intervals or during the
break-in period, depending on the severity
of operating conditions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly. Op-
erating the engine with an insufficient
amount of oil can damage the engine, and
such damage is not covered by warranty.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply
the parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches
operating temperature, then turn it off.
3. Remove the oil filler cap by turning it coun-
terclockwise.
4. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug.5. Remove the drain plug with a wrench by
turning it counterclockwise and completely
drain the oil.
If the oil filter is to be changed, remove and
replace it at this time. See “Changing engine
oil filter” later in this section.
WARNING
cProlonged and repeated contact with
used engine oil may cause skin cancer.
Type B
WDI0176
QG18DE engine
WDI0177
QR25DE engine
WDI0178
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-13
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