2004 NISSAN 350Z service

The air conditioning system in your NISSAN
vehicle is charged with a refrigerant designed
with the environment in mind.This refrigerant
will not harm the earth’s ozone layer.How-
ever, special charging equipment and lubricant
are required when servicing your NISSAN air
conditioner. Using improper refrigerants or lubri-
cants will cause severe damage to your air
conditioning system. See “Capacities and rec-
ommended fuel/lubricants” in the “9. Technical
and consumer information” section for air con-
ditioning system refrigerant and lubricant recom-
mendations.
Your NISSAN dealer will be able to service your
environmentally friendly air conditioning system.
WARNING
The air conditioner system contains re-
frigerant under high pressure. To avoid
personal injury, any air conditioner ser-
vice should be done only by an experi-
enced technician with proper equip-
ment.
RADIOTurn the ignition key to ACC or ON and press
the POWER, FM or AM button to turn on the
radio. 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 in-
fluences. Intermittent changes in reception qual-
ity normally are caused by these external
influences.
Using a cellular phone in or near the ve-
hicle may influence radio reception quality.Radio receptionYour radio system is equipped with state-of-the-
art electronic circuits to enhance radio recep-
tion. These circuits are designed to extend re-
ception range, and to enhance the quality of that
reception.
However there are some general characteristics
of FM, AM and SAT (satellite — if available) radio
signals that can affect radio reception quality in a
moving vehicle, even when the finest equipment
is used. These characteristics are completely
normal in a given reception area, and do not
indicate any malfunction in your radio system.Remember that a moving vehicle is not the ideal
place to listen to a radio. Because of the move-
ment, reception conditions will constantly
change. Buildings, terrain, signal distance and
interference from other vehicles can work
against ideal reception. Described below are
some of the factors that can affect your radio
reception.
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FM RADIO RECEPTIONRange: FM range is normally limited to 25 to 30
miles (40 to 48 km), with monaural (single
channel) 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 froma 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 counterclockwise to reduce treble
response.
Multipath reception: Because of the reflective
characteristics of FM signals, direct and re-
flected signals reach the receiver at the same
time. The signals may cancel each other, result-
ing in momentary flutter or loss of sound.
AM RADIO RECEPTIONAM 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, electricalpower lines, electric signs and even traffic lights.
SATELLITE (SAT) RADIO
RECEPTION (if so equipped)You must have a service contract with a satellite
radio provider to receive satellite radio program-
ming.
When the satellite radio is first installed or the
battery has been replaced, the satellite radio
may not work properly. This is not a malfunction.
Wait more than 10 minutes with the satellite
radio ON for the satellite radio to receive all of
the necessary data.AUDIO OPERATION PRECAUTIONS
Cassette player
To maintain good quality sound,
NISSAN recommends using cassette
tapes of 60 minutes or shorter in length.

Cassette tapes should be removed from
the player when not in use. Store cas-
settes in their protective cases and
away from direct sunlight, heat, dust,
moisture and magnetic sources.

Direct sunlight can cause the cassette to
become deformed. The use of deformed
cassettes may cause the cassette to jam
in the player.
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FM-AM-SAT RADIO WITH
CASSETTE PLAYER AND
COMPACT DISC (CD) CHANGER1. CD LOAD button
2. SEEK/APS REW, APS FF/TRACK
CHANGE button
3. DISP (Display) CHANGE (SAT radio* and
CD play time) button
4. SCAN tuning button
5. CD PLAY button
6. TAPE PLAY button
7. RADIO (FM/AM/SAT*) band select button
8. PTY (Program type), CAT (Category)* select
button
9. CLOCK adjusting/RPT (Repeat) play button
10. RADIO TUNE/FF⋅REW/AUDIO (Bass,
treble, fader, balance, NR (Dolby) and Au-
dio Pilot) ADJUSTING button
11. CD EJECT button
12. ON⋅OFF/VOL (Volume) control knob
13. Audio/Clock display
14. Station and preset (FM/AM/SAT*)/CD in-
sert or CD play select button
15. TAPE EJECT button
16. AUDIO (Bass, treble, fader, balance, NR
(Dolby) and Audio Pilot) button
* Satellite radio (if so equipped) is available with
a service contract.
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FM-AM-SAT radio operation
RADIO (FM/AM/SAT) band select:
Pushing the RADIO (FM/AM/SAT) band select
button will change the band as follows:
(Without satellite radio)
AM→FM1→FM2→AM
(With satellite radio)
AM→FM1→FM2→SAT1→SAT2→AM
Satellite radio reception capability is not func-
tional, and “NO SAT” will be displayed during
scrolling of modes, unless optional satellite re-
ceiver and antenna were factory installed prior to
purchase (retrofit unavailable), and an XM
or
SIRIUS
TM
satellite radio service subscription is
active.
When RADIO band select button is pushed
while the ignition switch is in the ACC or ON, the
radio will come on at the station last played.
The last station/channel played will also come on
when the ON⋅OFF/VOL control knobis pushed
to ON.
If a compact disc or tape is playing when the
RADIO band select button is turned to ON, the
compact disc or tape will automatically be
turned off and the last radio station/channel
played will come on.The FM stereo indicator ST will glow during FM
stereo reception. When the stereo broadcast
signal is weak, the radio will automatically
change from stereo to monaural reception.
TUNE (Tuning):WARNING
The radio should not be tuned while
driving so full attention may be given to
vehicle operation.
Use the TUNE button
or
for manual
tuning. To move quickly through the channels,
hold either side of the TUNE button down for
more than 0.5 seconds.
SEEK tuning:
(For FM and AM radio)
Push the SEEK button
or
to tune
from high to low or low to high frequencies and
stops at the next broadcasting station.
(For satellite radio)
Push the SEEK button
or
to seek
channels of the next or previous category.
SCANtuning:
Push the SCAN tuning button to tune from low
to high frequencies and stops at each broad-
casting station for 5 seconds. Pushing the but-
ton again during this 5 second period will stop
SCAN tuning and the radio will remain tuned to
that station.
If the SCAN tuning button is not pushed within 5
seconds, SCAN tuning moves to the next sta-
tion.
DISP SAT radio display change:

Pushing the DISP button will display addi-
tional information (for example: Title, Artist
name) about the satellite radio broadcast.

Pushing the DISP button for more than 1.5
seconds will change the display mode as
follows:
Channel number→Channel name→Artist
name→Song title→Channel number
Station memory operations:
Twelve stations/channels can be set for the FM
band (six for FM1, six for FM2) and the SAT radio
(six for SAT1, six for SAT2), and six stations can
be set for the AM band.
1. Tune to the desired station/channel using the
SEEK, SCAN or TUNE button.
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2. Select the desired station/channel and keep
pushing any of the desired station/channel
and preset buttons (1 to 6) until a beep
sound is heard. (The radio mutes when the
station and preset button is pushed.)
3. The channel indicator will then come on and
the sound will resume. Memorizing is now
complete.
4. Other buttons can be set in the same manner.
If the battery cable is disconnected, or if
the fuse blows, the radio memory will be
erased. In that case, reset the desired sta-
tions.Radio data system (RDS)RDS stands for Radio Data System, and is a
data information service transmitted by some
radio stations on the FM band (not AM band)
and/or SAT encoded within a regular radio
broadcast. Currently, most RDS stations are in
large cities, but many stations are now consid-
ering broadcasting RDS data.
RDS can display:

Station call sign, such as “WHFR 98.3”.

Station name, such as “The Groove”.

Music or programming type such as “Classi-
cal”, “Country”, or “Rock”.
Traffic reports about delays or construction.
If the station broadcasts RDS information, the
RDS icon is displayed.
Program type (PTY)/Category
(CAT) select:
When PTY button is pressed during FM mode,
the PTY (CAT) name of the current tuned station
is displayed. When the PTY (CAT) button is
pressed during satellite radio mode (if so
equipped), the category name of the current
channel is displayed. During this time if the PTY
data code is zero, or the data is unreadable, the
display will show NONE.
1. PTY (CAT) selection mode
PTY (CAT) name selection can be done by
the up/down TUNE button
or
in
the PTY (CAT) selection mode.
It is possible to shift the PTY (CAT) name by
one step, with one push of the up/down
TUNE button
or
.
After selecting a PTY (CAT) name, push the
SEEK button or SCAN button within 10
seconds. Tuning to the PTY (CAT) station will
start. If you do not push the TUNE button
within the 10 second period, the PTY (CAT)
mode will be cancelled.
PTY (CAT) name selection can also beachieved by pressing the preset buttons.
Initial PTY (CAT) names are stored in the
preset buttons, but these can be changed by
pressing the preset buttons for more than 1.5
seconds when the desired PTY (CAT) name
is in the display.
2. PTY (CAT) SEEK tuning mode
After selecting a PTY (CAT) name, push the
SEEK button
or
within 10 sec-
onds. Tuning to the PTY (CAT) station will
start. If you do not push the SEEK button
within the 10 second period, the PTY (CAT)
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The exhaust system and body should
be inspected by a qualified mechanic
whenever:
•The vehicle is raised for service.
•You suspect that exhaust fumes
are entering into the passenger
compartment.
•You notice a change in the sound
of the exhaust system.
•You have had an accident involv-
ing damage to the exhaust system,
underbody, or rear of the vehicle.THREE WAY CATALYSTThe three way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the converter are burned at high tem-
peratures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING

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.

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

Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline seriously re-
duce the three way catalyst’s ability
to help reduce exhaust pollutants.

Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three way catalyst,
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 a NISSAN
dealer.
Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three way catalyst.

Do not race the engine while warm-
ing it up.

Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING
SYSTEM (if so equipped)The low tire pressure warning system displays
pressure of all tires (except the spare tire) on the
trip computer by sending a signal from a sensor
that is installed in each wheel.
The low tire pressure warning system will acti-
vate only when the vehicle is driven at speeds
above 20 MPH (32 km/h). This system may not
detect a sudden drop in tire pressure (for ex-
ample, a flat tire by catching something while
driving).
Tire pressure rises and falls depending on the
heat caused by the vehicle’s operation and the
outside temperature. Low outside temperature
can lower the temperature of the air inside the
tire which can cause a lower tire inflation pres-
Starting and driving
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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 tem-
perature 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 proceeding.
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

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.

The engine cooling fan can start at
any time when the coolant tempera-
ture is high.
7. After the engine cools down, check the cool-
ant level in the reservoir tank with the engine
running. Add coolant to the reservoir tank if
necessary. Have your vehicle repaired at the
nearest NISSAN dealer.When towing your vehicle, all State (Provincial in
Canada) and local regulations for towing must
be followed. Incorrect towing equipment could
damage your vehicle. Towing instructions are
available from a NISSAN dealer. Local service
operators are generally familiar with the appli-
cable laws and procedures for towing. To assure
proper towing and to prevent accidental damage
to your vehicle, NISSAN recommends having a
service operator tow your vehicle. It is advisable
to have the service operator carefully read the
following precautions.
WARNING

Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.

Never get under your vehicle after it
has been lifted by a tow truck.
CAUTION

When towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering system
and powertrain are in working condi-TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
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Your new NISSAN has been designed to have
minimum maintenance requirements with longer
service intervals to save you both time and
money. However, some day-to-day and regular
maintenance is essential to maintain your
NISSAN’s good mechanical condition, as well
as its emission and engine performance.
It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that
scheduled maintenance, as well as general
maintenance, is performed.
As the vehicle owner, you are the only one who
can ensure that your vehicle receives the proper
maintenance care. You are a vital link in the
maintenance chain.
Scheduled maintenance:
For your convenience, both required and op-
tional scheduled maintenance items are de-
scribed and listed in your “Service and Mainte-
nance Guide”. You must refer to that guide to
ensure that necessary maintenance is performed
on your NISSAN at regular intervals.
General maintenance:
General maintenance includes those items
which should be checked during normal day-to-
day operation. They are essential for proper
vehicle operation. It is your responsibility to
perform these procedures regularly as pre-
scribed.Performing general maintenance checks re-
quires minimal mechanical skill and only a few
general automotive tools.
These checks or inspections can be done by
yourself, a qualified technician or, if you prefer,
your NISSAN dealer.
Where to go for service:
If maintenance service is required or your vehicle
appears to malfunction, have the systems
checked and tuned by a NISSAN dealer.
NISSAN technicians are well-trained specialists
and are kept up to date with the latest service
information through technical bulletins, service
tips, and in-dealership training programs. They
are completely qualified to work on NISSAN
vehiclesbeforethey work on your vehicle,
rather than after they have worked on it.
You can be confident that your NISSAN dealer’s
service department performs the best job to
meet the maintenance requirements of your ve-
hicle — in a reliable and economic way.During the normal day-to-day operation of the
vehicle, general maintenance should be per-
formed regularly as prescribed in this section. If
you detect any unusual sounds, vibrations or
smells, be sure to check for the cause or have
your NISSAN dealer check it promptly. In addi-
tion, you should notify your NISSAN dealer if you
think that repairs are required.
When performing any checks or maintenance
work, closely observe the “Maintenance precau-
tions” later in this section.
EXPLANATION OF GENERAL
MAINTENANCE ITEMSAdditional information on the following
items with “*” is found later in this section.Outside the vehicleThe maintenance items listed here should be
performed from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Doors and engine hood:Check that all doors
and the engine hood operate smoothly as well as
the trunk lid or back hatch. Also make sure that
all latches lock securely. Lubricate if necessary.
Make sure that the secondary latch keeps the
hood from opening when the primary latch is
released.
When driving in areas using road salt or other
MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS GENERAL MAINTENANCE8-2
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