2006 NISSAN SENTRA stop start

If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading) , or if
you feel a lack of engine power, detect abnormal
noise, etc. take the following steps.
WARNING
cDo not continue to drive if your vehicle
overheats. Doing so could cause engine
damage or a vehicle fire.
cTo avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap while the
engine is still hot. When the radiator
cap is removed, pressurized hot water
will spurt out, possibly causing serious
injury.
cDo not open the hood if steam is com-
ing out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply
the parking brake and move the shift lever to
N (Neutral) (manual transmission) or to P
(Park) (automatic transmission) .
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner (if so equipped) .
Open all the windows, move the heater or air
conditioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed.3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the radiator
before opening the hood. (If steam or cool-
ant is escaping, turn off the engine.) Do not
open the hood further until no steam or
coolant can be seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the en-
gine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or
looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leaking,
the water pump belt is missing or loose, or
the cooling fan does not run, stop the en-
gine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or the
engine cooling fan. The engine cooling
fan can start at any time when the coolant
temperature is high.6. After the engine cools down, check the cool-
ant level in the engine coolant reservoir tank
with the engine running. Add coolant to the
engine coolant reservoir tank if necessary.
Have your vehicle repaired at a NISSAN
dealer.
IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
6-10In case of emergency
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2. Open the drain plug on the engine block.
3. Open the radiator cap to drain the coolant.
cWaste coolant must be disposed of prop-
erly.
cCheck your local regulations.
4. Flush the cooling system by running fresh
water through the radiator.
5. Close the drain plugs on the radiator and the
engine block securely.6. See the “Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section for cooling system capacity. Fill
the radiator slowly with the proper mixture of
coolant and water. Fill the reservoir tank up
to the MAX level.
7. For QG18DE engine only, open and close
the air release plug(s) to release air. Then fill
the radiator again and install the radiator
cap.8. Start the engine, and warm it up until it
reaches normal operating temperature.
Then race the engine two or three times
under no load. Watch the engine coolant
temperature gauge for signs of overheating.
9. Stop the engine. After it completely cools
down, refill the radiator up to the filler open-
ing. Fill the engine coolant reservoir tank up
to the MAX level.
10. For QG18DE engine only, open and close
the air release plug(s) to release air. Then fill
the radiator again and install the radiator
cap.
11. Check the drain plugs on the radiator and
the engine block for any sign of leakage. For
QG18DE only, also check the air release
plug for any sign of leakage.
QG18DE engine
WDI0171
QG18DE engine
WDI0172
8-10Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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The air cleaner filter should not be cleaned and
reused. Replace it according to the maintenance
log shown in the “NISSAN Service and Mainte-
nance Guide.” When replacing the filter, wipe the
inside of the air cleaner filter housing and the
cover with a damp cloth.
WARNING
cOperating the engine with the air
cleaner removed can cause you or oth-
ers 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 careful when working
on the engine with the air cleaner
removed.
cNever pour fuel into the throttle body or
attempt to start the engine with the air
cleaner removed. Doing so could result
in serious injury.
IN-CABIN MICROFILTER (if so
equipped)
The in-cabin microfilter restricts the entry of air-
borne dust and pollen particles and reduces
some objectionable outside odors. The filter is
located behind the glove box. Refer to the
“NISSAN Service and Maintenance Guide” for
change intervals.
To change the filter, perform the following proce-
dure:1. Remove the glove box door by removing the
two lower hinge pins.
ADI0631LDI0139
AIR CLEANER
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-23
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Self-adjusting brakes
Your vehicle is equipped with self-adjusting
brakes.
The front (and rear, if so equipped) disc-type
brakes self-adjust every time the brake pedal is
applied. The rear drum-type brakes also self-
adjust every time the brake pedal is applied.
If the brake pedal goes down farther than normal,
it may be due to a lack of adjustment of the rear
drum brakes. To adjust, apply the parking brake
several times.
WARNING
See a NISSAN dealer for a brake system
check if the brake pedal height does not
return to normal.
Brake pad wear indicators
The disc brake pads on your vehicle have audible
wear indicators. When a brake pad requires re-
placement, a high pitched scraping or screech-
ing sound will be heard when the vehicle is in
motion. The noise will be heard 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 maybe heard. Occasional brake noise during light to
moderate stops is normal and does not affect the
function or performance of the brake system.
The rear drum brakes (if so equipped) do not
have audible wear indicators. Should you ever
hear an unusually loud noise from the rear drum
brakes, have them inspected as soon as possible
by a NISSAN dealer.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.For more information regarding
brake inspections, see the appropriate mainte-
nance schedule information in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
BRAKE BOOSTER
Check the brake booster function as follows:
1. With the engine off, press 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. Keep 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, have the
brakes checked by a NISSAN dealer.
8-28Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
cBe 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 abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition; check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cLoad the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half.
cCheck your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and
trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a
trailer to the vehicle.
cBe certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
Trailer towing tips
In 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 perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
cAlways secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
cAvoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
cAvoid sharp turns or lane changes.
cAlways drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. Some states or provinces have spe-
cific speed limits for vehicles that are towing
trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
cWhen backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
back up slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing up.
cAlways 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 an
automatic transmission, first block the
wheels and apply the parking brake, andthen move the transmission shift selector
lever into the P (Park) position. If you move
the shift selector lever to the P (Park) posi-
tion before blocking the wheels and applying
the parking brake, transmission damage
could occur.
cWhen going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When going up a long grade, downshift the
transmission to a lower gear and reduce
speed to reduce chances of engine over-
loading and/or overheating.
cIf the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioner
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the HOT position.
cTrailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.
cAvoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) .
cFor the first 500 miles that you do tow, do
not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
Technical and consumer information9-19
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cAfter towing 500 miles (805 km) , start and
idle the engine with the transmission in Neu-
tral for two minutes. Failure to idle the engine
after every 500 miles (805 km) of towing
may cause damage to internal transmission
parts.DOT (Department of Transportation) Quality
Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as a tire graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B and C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent the
tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature A, B and C
The temperature grades are A (the highest) , B,
and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat, and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the
tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and exces-
sive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
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Due to legal requirements in some states and
Canadian Provinces, your vehicle may be re-
quired to be in what is called the “ready condi-
tion” for an Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of
the emission control system.
The vehicle is set to the “ready condition” when it
is driven through certain driving patterns. Usually,
the ready condition can be obtained by ordinary
usage of the vehicle.
If a powertrain system component is repaired or
the battery is disconnected, the vehicle may be
reset to a “not ready” condition. Before taking the
I/M test, check the vehicle’s
inspection/maintenance test readiness condi-
tion. Turn the ignition switch ON without starting
the engine. If the Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL) comes on steady for 20 seconds and then
blinks for 10 seconds , the I/M test condition is
9not ready9. If the MIL does not blink after 20
seconds, the I/M test condition is9ready.9If the
MIL indicates the vehicle is in a9not ready9con-
dition, drive the vehicle through the following
pattern to set the vehicle to the ready condition. If
you cannot or do not want to perform the driving
pattern, a NISSAN dealer can conduct it for you.WARNING
Always drive the vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner according to traffic con-
ditions and obey all traffic laws.
1. Start the engine when the engine coolant
temperature gauge needle points to C. Al-
low the engine to idle until the gauge needle
points between the C and H (normal oper-
ating temperature) .
2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88
km/h) , then quickly release the accelerator
pedal completely and keep it released for at
least 10 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for a
moment, then drive the vehicle at a speed of
53 - 60 MPH (86 - 96 km/h) for at least 9
minutes.
4. Stop the vehicle.
5. Accelerate the vehicle to 35 MPH (55 km/h)
and maintain the speed for 20 seconds.
6. Repeat steps 4 through 5 at least 10 times.
7. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h)
and maintain the speed for at least 3 min-
utes.8. Stop the vehicle. Place the transmission se-
lector lever in the P (Park) or N (Neutral)
position.
9. Turn the engine off.
10. Repeat steps1-8atleast one more time.
If steps 1 through 7 are interrupted, repeat the
preceding step. Any safe driving mode is accept-
able between steps. Do not stop the engine until
step 7 is completed.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
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10 Index
A
Air bag (See supplemental restraint
system).....................1-31
Air bag warning light...........1-42, 2-11
Air cleaner housing filter............8-23
Air conditioner
Air conditioner operation...........4-5
Air conditioner service............4-9
Air conditioner specification label.....9-11
Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil
recommendations..............9-6
Heater and air conditioner controls.....4-2
Servicing air conditioner...........4-9
Air flow charts..................4-6
Alarm system (See vehicle security system) .2-13
Anchor point locations.............1-23
Antenna.....................4-20
Anti-lock brake system (ABS).........5-18
Anti-lock brake warning light..........2-9
Audible reminders................2-12
Audio system..................4-10
Compact Disc (CD) changer.......4-18
Compact disc (CD) player.........4-16
FM-AM radio with compact disc (CD)
player....................4-13
Radio....................4-10
Automatic
Automatic power window switch.....2-27
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF). . . .8-14
Driving with automatic transmission.....5-7Transmission selector lever lock
release....................5-10
B
Battery......................8-19
Charge warning light............2-10
Before starting the engine............5-6
Belts (See drive belts).............8-21
Booster seats..................1-27
Brake
Anti-lock brake system (ABS).......5-18
Brake booster................8-28
Brake fluid..................8-17
Brake light (See stop light).........8-35
Brake pedal.................8-27
Brake system................5-18
Brake warning light..............2-9
Brake wear indicators........2-12, 8-28
Parking brake check............8-27
Parking brake operation..........5-13
Self-adjusting brakes............8-28
Break-in schedule................5-15
Brightness control
Instrument panel..............2-19
Bulb check/instrument panel..........2-9
Bulb replacement................8-35C
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants...................9-2
Car phone or CB radio.............4-20
Cargo (See vehicle loading information) . . .9-12
CD care and cleaning.............4-19
CD changer (See audio system)........4-18
CD player (See audio system).........4-16
Child restraint with top tether strap......1-23
Child restraints........1-8, 1-9, 1-14, 1-22
Precautions on child restraints . . .1-14, 1-27
Top tether strap anchor point locations . .1-23
Child safety rear door lock............3-5
Chimes, audible reminders...........2-12
Cleaning exterior and interior..........7-2
Clock......................4-14
Clutch
Clutch fluid.................8-18
C.M.V.S.S. certification label..........9-10
Coin box.....................2-24
Cold weather driving..............5-20
Compact disc (CD) player...........4-16
Console box...................2-24
Controls
Heater and air conditioner controls.....4-2
Coolant
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants.................9-2
Changing engine coolant..........8-9
Checking engine coolant level........8-8
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