Black plate (208,1)
Model "R35-D" EDITED: 2008/ 5/ 20
WARNING
If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be harder to operate.
The power assisted steering uses a hydraulic
pump, driven by the engine, to assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
BRAKING PRECAUTIONSThe brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
You may feel a small click and hear a sound
when the brake pedal is fully depressed slowly.
This is not a malfunction and indicates that the
brake assist mechanism is operating properly.Vacuum assisted brakesThe brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be
required to stop the vehicle and the stopping
distance will be longer.Wet brakesWhen the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your
braking distance will be longer and the vehicle
may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly tapping the brake pedal to heat-up
the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to
normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds
until the brakes function correctly.
Using the brakesAvoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake and pads faster
and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result in
loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
. While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
or accelerating could cause the
wheelstoskidandresultinan
accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
5-38
Starting and driving
POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM
, Q I R U P D W L R Q 3 U R Y L G H G E \
Black plate (220,1)
Model "R35-D" EDITED: 2008/ 5/ 20
6. Keep the engine speed of the boostervehicle
*A
at about 2,000 rpm, and start
the engine of the vehicle being jump started
*B.
NOTE:Do not keep the starter motor engaged for
more than 10 seconds. If the engine does
not start right away, push the ignition
switch to the OFF position and wait 10
seconds before trying again.
7. After starting your engine, carefully discon- nect the negative cable and then the positive
cable (
*4
?
*3
?
*2
?
*1).
8. Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover the vent holes as it may be contami-
nated with corrosive acid.
9. Put the battery cover on.
NOTE:If the clamp clip is difficult to connect to
the battery terminal, remove the cowl top
cover to make it easier. (
“REMOVING
THE COWL TOP COVER” page 8-8)
Do not attempt to start the engine by pushing.
NOTICE
Your NISSAN cannot be push-started or
tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet or
Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-free
number to call (U.S.) or Warranty & Roadside
Assistance Information Booklet (Canada) .
WARNING
. Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle
fire.
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never remove the radiator
filler cap and the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine is still hot.
When the cap is removed, pressur-
ized hot water will spurt out, possi-
bly causing serious injury.
. Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading) , or if
you feel a lack of engine power, detect unusual
noise, etc., take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the shift lever to
the
&Pposition.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the temperature control to
maximum hot and fan control to high speed.
6-6
In case of emergency
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
, Q I R U P D W L R Q 3 U R Y L G H G E \
Black plate (221,1)
Model "R35-D" EDITED: 2008/ 5/ 20
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbinga long hill on a hot day, run the engine at a
fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpm) until the
temperature gauge indication returns to
normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for steam or coolant escaping from the radiator
before opening the hood. (If steam or
coolant is escaping, turn off the engine.)
Do not open the hood further until no steam
or coolant can be seen.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. 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 drive belts are missing or loose, or the
cooling fan does not run, stop the engine.
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.
7. When the coolant temperature gauge goes down to the midpoint, stop the engine and
wait until the gauge goes down further to
“C” (cold) .
8. After the engine cools down, check the coolant level in the reservoir tank. Add
coolant to the reservoir, if necessary, after
opening the coolant reservoir cap with a
heavy cloth covering it. (
“ENGINE
COOLING SYSTEM” page 8-9)
9. Have your vehicle repaired at the nearest GT-R certified NISSAN dealer.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet or
Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-free
number to call (U.S.) or Warranty & Roadside
Assistance Information Booklet (Canada) .
When towing your vehicle, all State (Provincial in
Canada) and local regulations for towing must
be followed. Incorrect towing equipment could
damage your vehicle. Towing instructions are
available from a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer.
Local service operators are familiar with the
applicable laws and procedures for towing. To
assure proper towing and to prevent accidental
damage to your vehicle, NISSAN recommends
that you have a service operator tow your
vehicle. It is advisable to have the service
operator carefully read the following precau-
tions.
WARNING
. Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
. Never get under your vehicle after it
has been lifted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
Always attach safety chains before
towing.
NOTICE
When towing, make sure that the
transmission, axles, steering system
and powertrain are in working condi-
In case of emergency
6-7
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
, Q I R U P D W L R Q 3 U R Y L G H G E \
Black plate (241,1)
Model "R35-D" EDITED: 2008/ 5/ 20
1. Fuse/fusible link holder
2. Battery
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Engine oil dipstick
5. Brake fluid reservoir
6. Air cleaner7. Power steering fluid reservoir
8. Radiator filler cap
9. Coolant reservoir cap (pressure type)
10. Coolant reservoir
11. Window washer fluid reservoir
NOTICE
The coolant reservoir is equipped with a
pressure type cap, and the radiator is
equipped with a non-pressure type cap.
Do not switch the radiator filler cap and
the coolant reservoir cap. Doing so will
cause substandard cooling perfor-
mance and overheating.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-7
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
, Q I R U P D W L R Q 3 U R Y L G H G E \
Black plate (245,1)
Model "R35-D" EDITED: 2008/ 5/ 20
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LE-
VELCheck the coolant levelin the reservoir when
the engine is cold . If the coolant level is below
the MIN level
*2, open the reservoir cap
(pressure type)
*B
and add coolant up to the
MAX level
*1. If the reservoir is empty, open the
radiator filler cap
*A
and check the coolant
level in the radiator when the engine is cold .If
there is insufficient coolant in the radiator, fill the
radiator with coolant up to the filler opening and
also add it to the reservoir up to the MAX level
*1.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked by a GT-R certified
NISSAN dealer.
Check that the level of coolant is between MAX
and MIN on the pressurized radiator reservoir. If
the level is below the midpoint, the amount of
coolant circulating may be insufficient for max-
imum vehicle performance, possibly causing
engine overheating or other trouble.
If it is difficult to determine the midpoint between
MAX and MIN, remove the coolant reservoir cap
and look inside through the opening to check
that the coolant level is above the divider
*3
between the top half and bottom half of the
pressurized coolant reservoir.
NOTICE
. The coolant reservoir is equipped
with a pressure type cap, and the
radiator is equipped with a non-
pressure type cap. Do not switch
the radiator filler cap and the cool-
ant reservoir cap. Doing so will
cause substandard cooling perfor-
mance and overheating.
. If you have added only water as the
coolant in an emergency, change it
to a coolant mixture ratio specified
as soon as possible.CHANGING ENGINE COOLANTIf major cooling system repairs are required,
contact a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer. The
service procedures can be found in the appro-
priate NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheat-
ing.
WARNING
.To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never change the coolant
when the engine is hot. .
Never remove the radiator filler cap
and the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is hot. Serious burns
could be caused by high pressure
fluid escaping from the radiator and
reservoir.
. 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 chil-
dren and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself
8-11
, Q I R U P D W L R Q 3 U R Y L G H G E \
Black plate (282,1)
Model "R35-D" EDITED: 2008/ 5/ 20
NOTICE
Take care not to spill gasoline during
refueling. Gasoline containing oxyge-
nates can cause paint damage.E-85 fuelE-85 fuel is a mixture of approximately 85% fuel
ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline. E-85 can
only be used in a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) . Do
not use E-85 fuel in your vehicle. U.S. govern-
ment regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to be identified by a small, square,
orange and black label with the common
abbreviation or the appropriate percentage for
that region.Aftermarket fuel additives
NOTICE
NISSAN does not recommend the use
of any aftermarket fuel additives (Ex-
ample: fuel injector cleaner, intake
valve deposit removers, etc.) which are
sold commercially. Many of these ad-
ditives 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 tipsUsing unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended above can
cause persistent, heavy spark knock.
(Spark knock is a metallic rapping noise.)
If severe, this can lead to engine damage.
If you detect a persistent heavy spark
knock even when using gasoline of the
stated octane rating, or if you hear steady
spark knock while holding a steady speed
on level roads, have a GT-R certified
NISSAN dealer correct the condition. Fail-
ure to correct the condition is misuse of
the vehicle, for which NISSAN is not
responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing will result in knocking,
after-run or overheating. This in turn may cause
excessive fuel consumption or damage to the
engine. If any of the above symptoms are
encountered, have your vehicle checked at a
GT-R certified NISSAN dealer or other compe-
tent service facility.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating 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.
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER RE-
COMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oilIt is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality, and viscosity engine oil to ensure
satisfactory engine life and performance.
(
“CAPACITIES AND RECOMMENDED
FUEL/LUBRICANTS” page 9-2)
Mobil 1, 0W-40 (100% synthetic) is the factory
fill oil. The VR38 engine with its plasma-sprayed
bores was developed using this oil. NISSAN
cannot ensure proper engine operation and
durability if other 0W-40 synthetic oil is used.
If Mobil 1, 0W-40 is not available, Mobil 1,
10W-40 (100% synthetic) may be used; how-
ever, some performance loss may be noticed.
NOTICE
Using an engine oil other than that
specified could adversely affect the
engine. See the 2009 Nissan GT-R
Warranty Information Booklet for de-
tails and exclusions.Oil additivesNISSAN 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 followed.
9-4
Technical and consumer information
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