WARNING
Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
Do not spin your tires at high speed.
This could cause them to explode
and result in serious injury. Parts of
your vehicle could also overheat and
be damaged.
CAUTION
Tow chains or cables must be at-
tached only to the vehicle recovery
hooks or main structural members of
the vehicle. Otherwise, the vehicle
body will be damaged.
Never tow a vehicle using the vehicle
tie downs or recovery hooks.
Always pull the cable straight out
from the front or rear of the vehicle.
Never pull the vehicle at an angle.
Pulling devices should be routed so
they do not touch any part of the
suspension, steering, brake or cool-
ing systems.
Pull devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use
in vehicle towing or recovery.
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.2. Make sure the area in front and behind the
vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear
an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back-
ward.
Shift back and forth between R (reverse) and
D (drive).
Apply the accelerator as little as possible to
maintain the rocking motion.
Release the accelerator pedal before shifting
between R and D.
Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH (55
km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few tries,
contact a professional towing service to re-
move the vehicle.
SCE0444
Tie down and recovery hook
In case of emergency
6-15
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
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 a 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 require
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, a
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 a 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
smell, be sure to check for the cause or have a
NISSAN dealer check it promptly. In addition,
you should notify a 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. Also
make sure that all latches lock securely. Lubri-
cate 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
corrosive materials, check lubrication frequently.
MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS GENERAL MAINTENANCE8-2
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
When performing any inspection or maintenance
work on your vehicle, always take care to prevent
serious accidental injury to yourself or damage to
the vehicle. The following are general precau-
tions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
Park the vehicle on a level surface,
apply the parking brake securely and
block the wheels to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving. Move the selector
lever to the P (Park) position.
Be sure the ignition key is in the OFF
or LOCK position when performing
any parts replacement or repairs.
Your vehicle is equipped with an au-
tomatic engine cooling fan. It may
come on at any time without warning,
even if the ignition key is in the OFF
position and the engine is not run-
ning. To avoid injury, always discon-
nect the negative battery cable be-
fore working near the fan.
If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, clothing,hair and tools away from moving
fans, belts and any other moving
parts.
It is advisable to secure or remove
any loose clothing and remove any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
Always wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle.
If you must run the engine in an
enclosed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape.
Never get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by a jack. If it is nec-
essary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from fuel tank and bat-
tery.
On gasoline engine models with the
Multiport Fuel Injection (MFI) Sys-
tem, the fuel filter or fuel lines shouldbe serviced by a NISSAN dealer be-
cause the fuel lines are under high
pressure even when the engine is off.
CAUTION
Do not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn the engine off
and wait until it cools down.
Never connect or disconnect the bat-
tery or any transistorized component
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
Never leave the engine or the CVT
related component harness connec-
tor disconnected while the ignition
switch is in the ONposition.
Avoid contact with used engine oil
and coolant. Improperly disposed en-
gine oil, engine coolant and/or other
vehicle fluids can damage the envi-
ronment. Always conform to local
regulations for disposal of vehicle
fluid.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-5
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
This “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
gives instructions regarding only those items
which are relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is also avail-
able. See “Owner’s Manual/Service Manual or-
der information” in the “9. Technical and con-
sumer information” section.
You should be aware that incomplete or im-
proper servicing may result in operating difficul-
ties or excessive emissions, and could affect
your warranty coverage.If in doubt about any
servicing, have it done by a NISSAN dealer.8-6
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANTContact a NISSAN dealer if replacement is
required.
Major cooling system repairs should be per-
formed by a NISSAN dealer. The service
procedures can be found in the appropriate
NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheating.
WARNING
To avoid being scalded, never change
the coolant when the engine is hot.
Never remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Serious burns
could be caused by high pressure
fluid escaping from the radiator.
Avoid direct skin contact with used
coolant. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner
as soon as possible.
Keep coolant out of reach of children
and pets.
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply
parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating
temperature.
3. Turn off the engine.Wait more than 10
minutes for the oil to drain back into the
oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick as illustrated and wipe it
clean. Reinsert it all the way.5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil
level. It should be between the H and L marks
1. If the oil level is below the L mark
2,
remove the oil filler cap and pour recom-
mended oil through the opening.Do not
overfill
3.
6. Recheck oil level with 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.
Operating the engine with an insuffi-
cient amount of oil can damage the
engine, and such damage is not covered
by warranty.
SDI1762
ENGINE OIL
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-9
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
CHANGING ENGINE OILChange the engine oil and filter according to the
maintenance log shown in the Service and Main-
tenance Guide.1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply
the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating
temperature.
3. Turn the engine off andwait more than 10
minutes.
4. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug
A
(under the body).
5. Remove the oil filler cap
B(inside the engine
compartment).
6. Remove the drain plug
Awith a wrench and
completely drain the oil.
If oil filter is to be changed, remove and
replace it at this time. See later in “Engine oil”
for changing engine oil filter.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself, as the
engine oil is hot.
Waste oil must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
7. Clean and re-install the drain plug with a newwasher. Securely tighten the drain plug with a
wrench.
Drain plug tightening torque:
22 to 29 ft-lb (29 to 39 N⋅m)
Do not use excessive force.
8. Refill engine with recommended oil and in-
stall the cap securely.
CAUTION
Never pull out the oil level gauge while
filling engine oil.
See “Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants” in the “9. Technical and con-
sumer information” section for drain and refill
capacity. The drain and refill capacity de-
pends on the oil temperature and drain time.
Use these specifications for reference only.
Always use the dipstick to determine the
proper amount of oil in the engine.
9. Start the engine.
Check for leakage around the drain plug.
Correct as required.
10. Turn the engine off andwait more than 10
minutes. Check the oil level with the dip-
SDI1763
8-10
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
Platinum-tipped spark plugsIt is not necessary to replace the platinum-tippedAspark plugs as frequently as the conventional
type spark plugs since they will last much longer.
Follow the maintenance log, but do not reuse
them by cleaning or regapping.
If replacement is required, see a NISSAN dealer
for servicing.
Always replace with recommended
platinum-tipped spark plugs.To remove the filter from the air cleaner, push
down the lock pins
1
and pull the unit upward
2.
The filter element should not be cleaned and
reused. Replace it according to the maintenance
log shown in the separate Service and Mainte-
nance Guide. When replacing the filter, wipe the
inside of the air cleaner housing and the cover
with a damp cloth.
WARNING
Operating the engine with the aircleaner removed can cause you or
others to be burned. The air cleaner
not only cleans the air, it stops the
flame if the engine backfires. If it isn’t
there, and the engine backfires, you
could be burned. Do not drive with
the air cleaner removed, and be care-
ful when working on the engine with
the air cleaner removed.
Never pour fuel into the throttle body
or attempt to start the engine with
the air cleaner removed. Doing so
could result in serious injury.
SDI0145C
SDI1495
AIR CLEANER
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-17
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0
The disc-type brakes self-adjust every time the
brake pedal is applied.
WARNING
See a NISSAN dealer and have it
checked if the brake pedal height does
not return to normal.Brake pad wear indicatorsThe disc brake pads on your vehicle have au-
dible wear indicators. When a brake pad re-
quires replacement, it will make a high pitched
scraping or screeching sound when the vehicle
is in motion whether or not the brake pedal is
depressed. Have the brakes checked as soon as
possible if the wear indicator sound is heard.
Under some driving or climate conditions, occa-
sional brake squeak, squeal or other noise may
be heard. Occasional brake noise during light to
moderate stops is normal and does not affect
the function or performance of the brake system.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.For additional information, see the
separate Service and Maintenance Guide.
BRAKE BOOSTERCheck the brake booster function as follows:
1. With the engine off, depress and release the
brake pedal several times. When brake pedal
movement (distance of travel) remains the
same from one pedal application to the next,
continue on to the next step.
2. While depressing the brake pedal, start the
engine. The pedal height should drop a little.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop the
engine. Keeping the pedal depressed for
about 30 seconds, the pedal height should
not change.
4. Run the engine for one minute without de-
pressing the brake pedal, then turn it off.
Depress the brake pedal several times. The
pedal travel distance will decrease gradually
with each depression as the vacuum is re-
leased from the booster.
If the brakes do not operate properly, see a
NISSAN dealer.Some vehicles are equipped with engine com-
partment and passenger compartment fuse
boxes that use only type
A
fuses. Other ve-
hicles are equipped with typeA
fuses in the
engine compartment fuse box and type
Bfuses
in the passenger compartment fuse box.
Type
Afuses are provided as spare fuses. They
are stored in the passenger compartment fuse
box.
Type
A
fuses can be installed in the engine
compartment and passenger compartment fuse
boxes.
SDI1751
FUSES
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-21
05.8.26/Z50-D/V5.0