WARNINGThe RAS system, although a sophisticated
device, cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving tech-
niques. Ultimately the responsibility for
safety of self and others rests in the hands of
the driver. Therefore only through attentive
and careful driving methods can the RAS
system be fully appreciated and safety as-
sured. FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
de-icer or glycerin to it through the key
hole. If the lock becomes frozen, heat the
key before inserting it into the key hole.
ANTI-FREEZE In the winter when it is anticipated that the
temperature will drop below 32ÉF (0ÉC),
check antifreeze to assure proper winter
protection. For additional information, see
ªEngine cooling systemº in the ª8. Mainte-
nance and do-it-yourselfº section.
BATTERY If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the
battery fluid may freeze and damage the
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency,
the battery should be checked regularly.
For additional information, see ªBatteryº
in the ª8. Maintenance and do-it-yourselfº
section.
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system by
opening the drain plug located under the
radiator. Refill before operating the ve-
hicle. See ªEngine cooling systemº in the ª8. Maintenance and do-it-yourselfº sec-
tion for changing engine coolant.
TIRE EQUIPMENT 1. SUMMER tires are of a tread design to
provide superior performance on dry
pavement. However, the performance
of these tires will be substantially re-
duced in snowy and icy conditions. If
you operate your vehicle on snowy or
icy roads, INFINITI recommends the
use of MUD & SNOW or ALL SEASON
tires on all four wheels. Please consult
an INFINITI dealer for the tire type,
size, speed rating and availability in-
formation.
2. For additional traction on icy roads,
studded tires may be used. However,
some provinces and states prohibit
their use. Check local, state and pro-
vincial laws before installing studded
tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of
studded snow tires, on wet or dry sur-
faces, may be poorer than that of non-
studded snow tires.
3. Tire chains may be used if desired.
Make sure they are of proper size for
the tires on your vehicle and are in-COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-30 Starting and driving
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stalled according to the chain manu-
facturer's suggestions. However, some
provinces and states prohibit their
use. Check local state and provincial
laws before installing tire chains. Use
only SAE Class S chains. Class ªSº
chains are used on vehicles with re-
stricted tire to vehicle clearance. Ve-
hicles that can use Class ªSº chains
are designed to meet the SAE stan-
dard minimum clearances between the
tire and the closest vehicle suspen-
sion or body component required to
accommodate the use of a winter trac-
tion device (tire chains or cables). The
minimum clearances are determined
using the factory equipped tire size.
Other types may damage your vehicle.
Use chain tensioners when recom-
mended by the tire chain manufac-
turer to ensure a tight fit. Loose end
links of the tire chain must be secured
or removed to prevent the possibility
of damage to the fenders or under-
body. If possible, avoid fully loading
your vehicle when using tire chains. In
addition, drive at a reduced speed.
Otherwise, your vehicle may be dam-
aged and/or vehicle handling and per-
formance may be adversely affected. O Never install the tire chains on TEMPO-
RARY USE ONLY spare tires.
O Do not use the tire chains on dry roads.
O The tire chains must be installed only
on the rear wheels and not on the front
wheels.
Do not drive with tire chains on paved
roads which are clear of snow. Driving
with chains in such conditions can
cause damage to the various mecha-
nisms of the vehicle due to some over-
stress.
4. For all-wheel drive (AWD):
If you install snow tires, they must
also be the same size, brand, con-
struction and tread pattern on all four
wheels.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
O a scraper and stiff-bristled brush to re-
move ice and snow from the windows
and wiper blades.
O a sturdy, flat board to be placed under
the jack to give it firm support. O a shovel to dig the vehicle out of
snow-drifts.
O extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING O Wet ice (32ÉF, 0ÉC and freezing rain),
very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or ªgripº under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving on
wet ice until the road is salted or sanded.
O Whatever the condition, drive with cau-
tion. Accelerate and slow down with
care. If accelerating or downshifting too
fast, the drive wheels will lose even
more traction.
O Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
Starting and driving
5-31
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5. Securely store the flat tire and jacking
equipment in the vehicle.
6. Place the spare tire cover and the
trunk floor carpeting over the dam-
aged tire.
7. Close the trunk.
WARNINGO Always make sure that the spare tire and
jacking equipment are properly secured
after use. Such items can become dangerous projectiles in an accident or
sudden stop.
O The T-type spare tire and small size
spare tire are designed for emergency
use. See ªWheels and tiresº in the ª8.
Maintenance and do-it-yourselfº sec-
tion.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is avail-
able. Please see your Warranty Information
Booklet or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card
for the toll-free number to call (U.S.) or War-
ranty Information Booklet (Canada). To start your engine with a booster bat-
tery, the instructions and precautions
below must be followed.
WARNING O If done incorrectly, jump starting can
lead to a battery explosion, resulting in
severe injury or death. It could also dam-
age your vehicle.
O Explosive hydrogen gas is always
present in the vicinity of the battery.
Keep all sparks and flames away from
the battery.
O Do not allow battery fluid to come into
contact with eyes, skin, clothing or
painted surfaces. Battery fluid is a corro-
sive sulfuric acid solution which can
cause severe burns. If the fluid should
come into contact with anything, imme-
diately flush the contacted area with wa-
ter.
O Keep battery out of the reach of children.SCE0384B
Sedan SCE0425A
Coupe JUMP STARTING
6-8 In case of emergency
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Tire and loading information label
q 1
Seating capacity: The maximum
number of occupants that can be
seated in the vehicle.
q 2
Vehicle load limit: See loading infor-
mation in the ªTechnical and con-
sumer informationº section. q 3
Original size: The size of the tires
originally installed on the vehicle at
the factory.
q 4
Cold tire pressure: Inflate the tires
to this pressure when the tires are
cold. Tires are considered COLD
after the vehicle has been parked for
3 or more hours, or driven less than
1 mile (1.6 km) at moderate speeds.
The recommended cold tire inflation
is set by the manufacturer to pro-
vide the best balance of tire wear,
vehicle handling, driveability, tire
noise, etc., up to the vehicle's
GVWR.
q 5
Tire size Ð refer to ªTire labelingº
later in this section.
q 6
Spare tire size or compact spare tire
size (if so equipped) SDI1948
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-39
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Checking the tire pressure 1. Remove the valve stem cap from the
tire.
2. Press the pressure gauge squarely
onto the valve stem. Do not press
too hard or force the valve stem
sideways, or air will escape. If the
hissing sound of air escaping from
the tire is heard while checking the
pressure, reposition the gauge to
eliminate this leakage. 3. Remove the gauge.
4. Read the tire pressure on the gauge
stem and compare it to the specifi-
cation shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
5. Add air to the tire as needed. If too
much air is added, press the core of
the valve stem briefly with the tip of
the gauge stem to release pressure.
Recheck the pressure and add or re-
lease air as needed.
6. Install the valve stem cap.
7. Check the pressure of all other tires,
including the spare. (Refer to the
ªWheels and tiresº section) Sedan
model Size Cold Tire
Inflation
Pressure
Front
Original
Tire P215/55R17 93V
235/45R18 94W 210 kPa
(30 psi)
230 kPa
(33 psi)
Rear
Original
Tire P215/55R17 93V
235/45R18 94W 210 kPa
(30 psi)
230 kPa
(33 psi)
Spare
Tire T145/80D17
P215/55R17 93V*1 420 kPa
(60 psi)
210 kPa
(30 psi)
*1 Option for USA, conventional for
Canada (for models with tire size
P215/55R17 93V)SDI1949
8-40 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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Coupe
model Size Cold Tire
Inflation
Pressure
Front
Original
Tire P225/50R17 93V
225/45R18 91W
225/40R19 89Y 210 kPa
(30 psi)
240 kPa
(35 psi)
240 kPa
(35 psi)
Rear
Original
Tire P235/50R17 95V
245/45R18 96W
245/40R19 94Y 210 kPa
(30 psi)
240 kPa
(35 psi)
240 kPa
(35 psi)
Spare
Tire T145/80D17 420 kPa
(60 psi) TIRE LABELING Federal law requires tire manufacturers
to place standardized information on
the sidewall of all tires. This informa-
tion identifies and describes the funda-
mental characteristics of the tire and
also provides the tire identification
number (TIN) for safety standard certifi-
cation. The TIN can be used to identify
the tire in case of a recall. q 1
Tire size (example: P215/65R15 95H)
1. P: The ªPº indicates the tire is de-
signed for passenger vehicles. (Not
all tires have this information).
2. Three-digit number (215): This
number gives the width in millime-
ters of the tire from sidewall edge to
sidewall edge.
3. Two-digit number (65): This number,
known as the aspect ratio, gives the
tire's ratio of height to width. SDI1575
Example SDI1951
Example
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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4. R: The ªRº stands for radial.
5. Two-digit number (15): This number
is the wheel or rim diameter in
inches.
6. Two- or three-digit number (95): This
number is the tire's load index. It is
a measurement of how much weight
each tire can support. You may not
find this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
7. H: Tire speed rating. You should not
drive the vehicle faster than the tire
speed rating.
q 2
TIN (Tire Identification Number) for a
new tire (example: DOT XX XX XXX
XXXX)
1. DOT: Abbreviation for the ªDepart-
ment of Transportationº. The
symbol can be placed above,
below or to the left or right of
the Tire Identification Number.
2. Two-digit code: Manufacturer's iden-
tification mark
3. Two-digit code: Tire size 4. Three-digit code: Tire type code (Op-
tional)
5. Three-digit code: Date of Manufac-
ture
6. Four numbers represent the week
and year the tire was built. For ex-
ample, the numbers 3103 mean the
31st week of 2003. If these numbers
are missing, then look on the other
sidewall of the tire.
q 3
Tire ply composition and material
The number of layers or plies of
rubber-coated fabric in the tire. Tire
manufacturers also must indicate
the materials in the tire, which in-
clude steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.
q 4
Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
This number is the greatest amount
of air pressure that should be put in
the tire. Do not exceed the
maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure. SDI1607
Example
8-42 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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q 5
Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that
can be carried by the tire. When re-
placing the tires on the vehicle, al-
ways use a tire that has the same
load rating as the factory installed
tire.
q 6
Term of ªtubelessº or ªtube typeº
Indicates whether the tire requires
an inner tube (ªtube typeº) or not
(ªtubelessº).
q 7
The word ªradialº
The word ªradialº is shown if the
tire has radial structure.
q 8
Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
Other tire-related terminology:
In addition to the many terms that are
defined throughout this section, In-
tended Outboard Sidewall is (1) the
sidewall that contains a whitewall,
bears white lettering or bears manufac- turer, brand and/or model name
molding that is higher or deeper than
the same molding on the other sidewall
of the tire, or (2) the outward facing
sidewall of an asymmetrical tire that
has a particular side that must always
face outward when mounted on a ve-
hicle.
TYPES OF TIRES
WARNING O When changing or replacing tires, be
sure all four tires are of the same type
(i.e., Summer, All Season or Snow) and
construction. An INFINITI dealer may be
able to help you with information about
tire type, size, speed rating and avail-
ability.
O Replacement tires may have a lower
speed rating than the factory equipped
tires, and may not match the potential
maximum vehicle speed. Never exceed
the maximum speed rating of the tire.
O Replacing tires with those not originally specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS).
O For additional information regarding
tires, refer to ªImportant Tire Safety In-
formationº (US) or ªTire Safety Informa-
tionº (Canada) in the Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet.
All season tires INFINITI specifies All Season tires on some
models to provide good performance for
use all year, including snowy and icy road
conditions. All Season tires are identified
by ALL SEASON and/or M&S on the tire
sidewall. Snow tires have better snow trac-
tion than All Season tires and may be
more appropriate in some areas.
Summer tires INFINITI specifies summer tires on some
models to provide superior performance
on dry roads. Summer tire performance is
substantially reduced in snow and ice.
Summer tires do not have the tire traction
rating ªM&Sº on the tire sidewall.
If you plan to operate your vehicle in
snowy or icy conditions, INFINITI recom-
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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