performance problems and/or fuel system
damage.
O The fuel must be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that recom-
mended for unleaded gasoline.
O If an oxygenate-blend, excepting a
methanol blend, is used, it should con-
tain no more than 10% oxygenate.
(MTBE may, however, be added up to
15%.)
O If a methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 5% methanol
(methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). It
should also contain a suitable amount
of appropriate cosolvents and corro-
sion inhibitors. If not properly formu-
lated with appropriate cosolvents and
corrosion inhibitors, such methanol
blends may cause fuel system damage
and/or vehicle performance problems.
At this time, sufficient data is not avail-
able to ensure that all methanol blends
are suitable for use in INFINITI vehicles.
If any driveability problems such as en-
gine stalling and hard hot starting are ex-
perienced after using oxygenate-blend fu-
els, immediately change to a non-
oxygenate fuel or a fuel with a low blend
of MTBE. Take care not to spill gasoline during refu-
eling. Gasoline containing oxygenates can
cause paint damage.
E-85 fuel E-85 fuel is a mixture of approximately
85% fuel ethanol and 15% unleaded gaso-
line. E-85 can only be used in a Flexible
Fuel Vehicle (FFV). Do not use E-85 fuel in
your vehicle. U.S. government regulations
require fuel ethanol dispensing pumps to
be identified by a small, square, orange
and black label with the common abbre-
viation or the appropriate percentage for
that region.
Aftermarket fuel additives INFINITI does not recommend the use of
any aftermarket fuel additives (i.e. fuel in-
jector cleaner, octane booster, intake
valve deposit removers, etc.) which are
sold commercially. Many of these addi-
tives intended for gum, varnish or deposit
removal may contain active solvent or
similar ingredients that can be harmful to
the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can cause persistent, heavy spark knock. (Spark
knock is a metallic rapping noise.) If se-
vere, this can lead to engine damage. If
you detect a persistent heavy spark knock
even when using gasoline of the stated oc-
tane rating, or if you hear steady spark
knock while holding a steady speed on
level roads, have your dealer correct the
condition. Failure to correct the condition
is misuse of the vehicle, for which INFINITI
is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing will result in
knocking, after-run or overheating. This in
turn may cause excessive fuel consump-
tion or damage to the engine. If any of the
above symptoms are encountered, have
your vehicle checked at an INFINITI dealer
or other competent service facility.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while ac-
celerating or driving up hills. This is no
cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
9-4 Technical and consumer information
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X
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oil It is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality and viscosity engine oil to ensure
satisfactory engine life and performance.
See ªCapacities and recommended
fuel/lubricantsº earlier in this section.
INFINITI recommends the use of an energy
conserving oil in order to improve fuel
economy.
Select only engine oils that meet the
American Petroleum Institute (API) certifi- cation or International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee
(ILSAC) certification and SAE viscosity
standard. These oils have the API certifi-
cation mark on the front of the container.
Oils which do not have the specified
quality label should not be used as they
could cause engine damage. Oil additives INFINITI does not recommend the use of
oil additives. The use of an oil additive is
not necessary when the proper oil type is
used and maintenance intervals are fol-
lowed.
Oil which may contain foreign matter or
has been previously used should not be
used.
Oil viscosity The engine oil viscosity or thickness
changes with temperature. Because of
this, it is important that the engine oil vis-
cosity be selected based on the tempera-
tures at which the vehicle will be oper-
ated before the next oil change. The rec-
ommended SAE viscosity number chart
shows the recommended oil viscosities
for the expected ambient temperatures.
Choosing an oil viscosity other than that
recommended could cause serious engine
damage. STI0367
Technical and consumer information
9-5
w 06.1.5/V35-D/V5.0
X
