2004 NISSAN 350Z change wheel
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Tire wear and damage
WARNING
Tires should be periodically in-
spected for wear, cracking, bulging,
or objects caught in the tread. If ex-
cessive wear, cracks, bulging, or
deep cuts are found, the tire should
be replaced.
The original tires have a built-in tread
wear indicator. When the wearindicator is visible, the tire should be
replaced.
Improper service for a spare tire may
result in serious personal injury. If it
is necessary to repair the spare tire,
contact your NISSAN dealer.
For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety In-
formation” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information Booklet.
Replacing wheels and tiresWhen replacing a tire, use the same size, speed
rating and load carrying capacity as originally
equipped. See “Specifications” in the “9. Tech-
nical and consumer information” section for rec-
ommended types and sizes of tires and wheels.
WARNING
The use of tires other than those
recommended or the mixed use of
tires of different brands, construction(bias, bias-belted or radial), or tread
patterns can adversely affect the ride,
braking, handling, ground clearance,
body-to-tire clearance, tire chain
clearance, speedometer calibration,
headlight aim and bumper height.
Some of these effects may lead to
accidents and could result in serious
personal injury.
If the wheels are changed for any
reason, always replace with wheels
which have the same offset dimen-
sion. Wheels of a different offset
could cause early tire wear, possibly
degraded vehicle handling character-
istics and/or interference with the
brake discs. Such interference can
lead to decreased braking efficiency
and/or early brake pad wear.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel is replaced, tire pressure will
not be indicated and the low tire
pressure warning system will not
function. Contact your NISSAN
dealer as soon as possible for tire
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Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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replacement and/or system reset-
ting. (For models with the low tire
pressure warning system)
Do not install a deformed wheel or
tire even if it has been repaired. Such
wheels or tires could have structural
damage and could fail without warn-
ing.
The use of retread tire is not recom-
mended.
For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety In-
formation” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information Booklet.
Wheel balanceUnbalanced wheels may affect vehicle handling
and tire life. Even with regular use, wheels can
get out of balance. Therefore, they should be
balanced as required.
Wheel balance service should be performed
with the wheels off the vehicle. Spin balancing
the front wheels on the vehicle could lead to
transmission damage.For additional information regarding tires, refer to
“Important Tire Safety Information” (US) or “Tire
Safety Information” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information booklet.
Care of wheelsWash the wheels when washing the vehicle
to maintain their appearance.
Clean the inner side of the wheels when the
wheel is changed or the underside of the
vehicle is washed.
Do not use abrasive cleaners when washing
the wheels.
Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. Such damage may cause loss of
pressure or poor seal at the tire bead.
NISSAN recommends that the road wheels
be waxed to protect against road salt in areas
where it is used during winter.Spare tire (T-type spare tire)Observe the following precautions if the T-type
spare tire must be used, otherwise your vehicle
could be damaged or involved in an accident.
CAUTION
The T-type spare tire should be used
only for emergency. It should be re-
placed by the standard tire at the first
opportunity.
Drive carefully while the T-type spare
tire is installed.
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt braking
while driving.
Periodically check the T-type spare
tire inflation pressure, and always
keep it at 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 bar).
Do not drive your vehicle at speeds
faster than 50 MPH (80 km/h).
Do not use tire chains on a T-type
spare tire. Tire chains will not fit
properly on the T-type spare tire and
may cause damage to the vehicle.
Tire tread of the T-type spare tire will
wear at a faster rate than the original
tire. Replace the T-type spare tire as
soon as the tread wear indicators
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trailer hitch.
To reduce the possibility of addi-
tional damage if your vehicle is
struck from the rear, where practical,
remove the hitch and/or receiver
when not in use.
After the hitch is removed, seal the
bolt holes to prevent exhaust fumes,
water or dust from entering the pas-
senger compartment.
Regularly check that all hitch mount-
ing bolts are securely mounted.
Tire pressuresWhen towing a trailer, inflate the vehicle tires
to the recommended cold tire pressure indi-
cated on the Tire and Loading Information
label.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in accor-
dance with the trailer and tire manufacturers’
specifications.Safety chainAlways use a suitable chain between your ve-hicle and the trailer. The safety chain should be
crossed and should be attached to the hitch, not
to the vehicle bumper or axle. Be sure to leave
enough slack in the chain to permit turning
corners.
Trailer lightsTrailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. When wiring the vehicle for
towing, connect the stop and tail light pickup
into the vehicle electrical circuit at a point be-
tween the sensor and stop light or light switch.Trailer brakesIf your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
make sure it conforms to federal and/or local
regulations and that it is properly installed.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system
directly to the vehicle brake system.Pre-towing tipsBe certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it
has an unusual nose-up or nose-down con-dition; check for improper tongue load, over-
load, worn suspension or other possible
causes of these conditions.
Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shifts while driving.
Be certain your rear view mirrors conform to
all federal, state and/or local regulations. If
not, install any mirrors required for towing
before driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tipsIn order to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stopping and backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability, and braking per-
formance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so,
and if your vehicle is equipped with automatic
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transmission, first apply the parking brake
and block the wheels, and then move the
transmission selector lever into the P (Park)
position. If you move the selector lever to the
P (Park) position before blocking the wheels
and applying the parking brake, the transmis-
sion may get damaged.
When going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When ascending on a long grade, downshift
the transmission to a lower gear and reduce
speed to reduce chances of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.
If the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the fan con-
trol to high and setting the temperature con-
trol to the HOT position.
Trailer towing consumes more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances.
Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km).
Have your vehicle serviced more often than at
intervals specified in the recommended main-
tenance schedule.
When making a turn, your trailer wheels willbe closer to the inside of the turn than your
vehicle wheels. To compensate for this, make
a larger than normal turning radius during the
turn.
Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling. If swaying does occur, firmly
grip the steering wheel, steer straight ahead,
and immediately (but gradually) reduce ve-
hicle speed. This combination will help stabi-
lize the vehicle. Never increase speed.
Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal passing.
Remember the length of the trailer must also
pass the other vehicle before you can safely
change lanes.
To maintain engine braking efficiency and
electrical charging performance, do not use
6th gear (manual transmission) or 5th posi-
tion (automatic transmission).
Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the brakes
to overheat, resulting in reduced braking ef-
ficiency.When towing a trailer, change transmis-
sion oil more frequently. For additional
information, see the “8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section.
Technical and consumer information
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