2008 NISSAN 350Z do it yourself

Table of
Contents
Illustrated table of contentsSafety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental
restraint systemInstruments and controlsPre-driving checks and adjustmentsDisplay screen, heater, air conditioner and audio
systemsStarting and drivingIn case of emergencyAppearance and careMaintenance and do-it-yourselfTechnical and consumer informationIndex


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the strongest adult to resist the
forces of a severe accident. The child
could be crushed between the adult
and parts of the vehicle. Also, do not
put the same seat belt around both
your child and yourself.

Even with the NISSAN Advanced Air
Bag System, never install a rear-
facing child restraint in the front seat.
An inflating supplemental air bag
could seriously injure or kill your
child.

Never let an infant who requires the
use of a rear facing child restraint
ride in this vehicle.

Roadster models do not have an an-
chor for a top tether strap required
for most front facing child restraints.Never let children who require the
use of a front facing child restraint
ride in Roadster models.

Improper use or improper installation
of a child restraint can increase the
risk or severity of injury for both the
child and other occupants of the ve-
hicle and can lead to serious injury or
death in an accident.

Follow all of the child restraint manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation
and use. When purchasing a child
restraint, be sure to select one which
will fit your child and vehicle. It may
not be possible to properly install
some types of child restraints in your
vehicle.

If the child restraint is not anchored
properly, the risk of a child being
injured in a collision or a sudden stop
greatly increases.

Child restraint anchor point is de-
signed to withstand only those loads
imposed by correctly fitted child re-
straint. Under no circumstances is it
SSS0100
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PRECAUTIONS ON BOOSTER
SEATS
WARNING

Children should always be placed in
an appropriate child restraint while
riding in the vehicle. Failure to use a
child restraint or booster seat can
result in serious injury or death.

Children should never be carried on
your lap. It is not possible for eventhe strongest adult to resist the
forces of a severe accident. The child
could be crushed between the adult
and parts of the vehicle. Also, do not
put the same seat belt around both
your child and yourself.

A booster seat must only be installed
in a seating position that has a
lap/shoulder belt. Failure to use a
three-point type seat belt with a
booster seat can result in a serious
injury in sudden stop or collision.

Improper use or improper installation
of a booster seat can increase the
risk or severity of injury for both the
child and other occupants of the ve-
hicle and can lead to serious injury or
death in an accident.

Do not use towels, books, pillows or
other items in place of a booster
seat. Items such as these may move
during normal driving or a collision
and result in serious injury or death.
Booster seats are designed to be
used with a lap/shoulder belt.Booster seats are designed to prop-
erly route the lap and shoulder por-
tions of the seat belt over the stron-
gest portions of a child’s body to
provide the maximum protection dur-
ing a collision.

Follow all of the booster seat manu-
facturer’s instructions for installation
and use. When purchasing a booster
seat, be sure to select one which will
fit your child and vehicle. It may not
be possible to properly install some
types of booster seats in your ve-
hicle.

If the booster seat and seat belt are
not used properly, the risk of a child
being injured in a collision or a sud-
den stop greatly increases.

Adjustable seatbacks should be po-
sitioned to fit the booster seat, but as
upright as possible.

After placing the child in the booster
seat and fastening the seat belt,
make sure the shoulder portion of
SSS0099
BOOSTER SEATS
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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The air bag system and passenger air bag status
light will take a few seconds to register a change
in the passenger seat status. However, if the
seat becomes unoccupied, the air bag status
light will remain off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger air
bag system, the supplemental air bag warning
light
, located in the meter and gauges
area, will blink. Have the system checked by a
NISSAN dealer.
Other supplemental front-impact air
bag precautions
WARNING

Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the instru-
ment panel. Also, do not place any
objects between any occupant and
the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause in-
jury if the front air bag inflates.

Do not place objects with sharp
edges on the seat. Also, do not placeheavy objects on the seat that will
leave permanent impressions in the
seat. Such objects can damage the
seat or occupant classification sen-
sor (pattern sensor). This can affect
the operation of the air bag system
and result in serious personal injury.

Do not use water or acidic cleaners
(hot steam cleaners) on the seat. This
can damage the seat or occupant
classification sensor. This can also
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious personal
injury.

Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will
be hot. Do not touch them; you may
severely burn yourself.

No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the supplemental air bag system.
This is to prevent accidental inflation
of the supplemental air bag or dam-
age to the supplemental air bag
system.
Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or front end
structure. This could affect proper
operation of the front air bag system.

Tampering with the front air bag sys-
tem may result in serious personal
injury. Tampering includes changes
to the steering wheel and the instru-
ment panel assembly by placing ma-
terial over the steering wheel pad
and above the instrument panel or by
installing additional trim material
around the air bag system.

Modifying or tampering with the front
passenger seat may result in serious
personal injury. For example, do not
change the front seats by placing
material on the seat cushion or by
installing additional trim material,
such as seat covers, on the seat that
are not specifically designed to as-
sure proper air bag operation. Addi-
tionally, do not stow any objects un-
der the front passenger seat or the1-38
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system


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SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHTThe supplemental air bag warning light, display-
ing
in the instrument panel, monitors the
circuits of the supplemental front-impact air bag,
front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air
bag (if so equipped), roof-mounted curtain side-
impact supplemental air bag (if so equipped for
Coupe models) and seat belt pretensioner sys-
tems. The monitored circuits include the Air bag
Control Unit (ACU), crash zone sensor, satellite
sensors, front air bag modules, side air bag
modules, curtain air bag modules, pretensioners
and all related wiring.After turning the ignition key to the ON position,
the supplemental air bag warning light illumi-
nates. The supplemental air bag warning light
will turn off after about 7 seconds if the system is
operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the front
air bag, side air bag and curtain air bag, and
pretensioner systems need servicing:

The supplemental air bag warning light re-
mains on after approximately 7 seconds.

The supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.

The supplemental air bag warning light does
not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the front air bag, side air
bag, curtain air bag and/or pretensioner systems
may not operate properly. They must be checked
and repaired. Take your vehicle to a NISSAN
dealer.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning
light is on, it could mean that the front
air bag, side air bag, curtain air bag,
and/or pretensioner systems will notoperate in an accident. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle checked by a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible.
Repair and replacement procedureThe front air bags, side air bags (if so equipped),
curtain air bags (if so equipped for Coupe
models) and pretensioners are designed to in-
flate on a one-time-only basis. As a reminder,
unless it is damaged, the supplemental air bag
warning light will remain illuminated after inflation
has occurred. Repair and replacement of these
systems should be done only by a NISSAN
dealer.
When maintenance work is required on the
vehicle, the front air bags, side air bags, curtain
air bags, pretensioners and related parts should
be pointed out to the person conducting the
maintenance. The ignition key should always be
in the LOCK position when working under the
hood or inside the vehicle.
WARNING

Once a front air bag, side air bag or
SPA1097
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
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ENGINE OIL PRESSURE GAUGEThe gauge indicates the engine lubrication sys-
tem oil pressure while the engine is running.
When the engine speed is high, the engine oil
pressure is also high. When it is low, the gauge
indicates the low oil pressure.
CAUTION

This gauge is not designed to indi-
cate low engine oil level. Use the
dipstick to check the oil level. (See
“Engine oil” in the “8. Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section.)

If the gauge needle does not move
with the proper amount of engine oil,
have the vehicle checked by a
NISSAN dealer. Continued vehicleoperation in such a condition could
cause serious damage to the engine.
SIC1954A
Type A
SIC1953A
Type B
Instruments and controls
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Automatic transmission check
warning light (A/T models)
When the ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, the automatic transmission check
warning light comes on and then turns off. This
indicates that the automatic transmission system
is operational.
If the light comes on while the engine is running
or while driving, it may indicate that the auto-
matic transmission system is not functioning
properly. Have a NISSAN dealer check and
repair the transmission.
or
Brake warning light
This light functions for both the parking brake
and the foot brake systems.
Parking brake indicator:
When the ignition switch is in the ON position,
the light comes on when the parking brake is
applied.
Low brake fluid warning light:
The light warns of a low brake fluid level. If the
light comes on while the engine is running with
the parking brake not applied, stop the vehicle
and perform the following:
1. Check the brake fluid level. Add brake fluid as
necessary. See “Brake and clutch fluid” in the
“8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section.
WARNING

Your brake system may not be work-
ing properly if the warning light is on.
Driving could be dangerous. If you
judge it to be safe, drive carefully to
the nearest service station for re-
pairs. Otherwise, have your vehicle
towed because driving it could be
dangerous.

Pressing the brake pedal with the
engine stopped and/or a low brake
fluid level may increase your stop-
ping distance and braking will re-
quire greater pedal effort as well as
pedal travel.

If the brake fluid level is below the
MINIMUM or MIN mark on the brake
fluid reservoir, do not drive until the
brake system has been checked at a
NISSAN dealer.
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the
warning system checked by a NISSAN
dealer.Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning
indicator:
When the parking brake is released and the
brake fluid level is sufficient, if both the brake
warning light and the ABS warning light illumi-
nate, it may indicate the ABS is not functioning
properly. Have the brake system checked by a
NISSAN dealer. See “Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) warning light” earlier in this section.
Charge warning light
If the light comes on while the engine is running,
it may indicate that the charging system is not
functioning properly. Turn the engine off and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is loose,
broken, missing or if the light remains on, see a
NISSAN dealer immediately.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving if the belt is
loose, broken or missing.
Door open warning light
This light comes on when any of the doors
and/or rear hatch are not closed securely while
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
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Instruments and controls


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Engine oil pressure warning
light
This light warns of low engine oil pressure. If the
light flickers or comes on during normal driving,
pull off the road in a safe area, stop the engine
immediatelyand call a NISSAN dealer or other
authorized repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is not
designed to indicate a low oil level. Use the
dipstick to check the oil level.See “Engine
oil” in the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself”
section.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause
serious damage to the engine almost
immediately. Turn off the engine as
soon as it is safe to do so.
Low tire pressure warning light
Your vehicle is equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that monitors the tire
pressure of all tires except the spare.
The low tire pressure warning light warns of lowtire pressure or indicates that the TPMS is not
functioning properly.
After the ignition switch is turned ON, this light
illuminates for about 1 second and turns off.
Low tire pressure warning:
If the vehicle is being driven with low tire pres-
sure, the warning light will illuminate.
When the low tire pressure warning light illumi-
nates, you should stop and adjust the tire pres-
sure to the recommended COLD tire pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading Information label.
The low tire pressure warning light does not
automatically turn off when the tire pressure is
adjusted. After the tire is inflated to the recom-
mended pressure, the vehicle must be driven at
speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h) to activate the
TPMS and turn off the low tire pressure warning
light. Use a tire pressure gauge to check the tire
pressure.
For additional information, see “Tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS)” in the “5. Starting
and driving” section and in the “6. In case of
emergency” section.
TPMS malfunction:
If the TPMS is not functioning properly, the low
tire pressure warning light will flash for approxi-
mately 1 minute when the ignition switch isturned ON. The light will remain on after the 1
minute. Have the system checked by a NISSAN
dealer.
For additional information, see “Tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS)” in the “5. Starting
and driving” section.
WARNING

If the light does not illuminate with
the ignition switch turned ON, have
the vehicle checked by a NISSAN
dealer as soon as possible.

If the light illuminates while driving,
avoid sudden steering maneuvers or
abrupt braking, reduce vehicle speed,
pull off the road to a safe location
and stop the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible. Driving with under-inflated
tires may permanently damage the
tires and increase the likelihood of
tire failure. Serious vehicle damage
could occur and may lead to an acci-
dent and could result in serious per-
sonal injury. Check the tire pressure
for all four tires. Adjust the tire pres-
Instruments and controls
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