2010 INFINITI FX Owners Manual

TOWING RECOMMENDED BY INFINITI
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
INFINITI recommends that your vehicle be towed
with the driving (rear) wheels off the ground or
place the vehicle on a flat bed truck as illus-
trated.
CAUTION
●Never tow automatic transmission models
with the rear wheels on the ground or four
wheels on the ground (forward or backward),
as this may cause serious and expensive
damage to the transmission. If it is neces-
sary to tow the vehicle with the front wheels
raised, always use towing dollies under the
rear wheels. ●
When towing rear wheel drive models with
the front wheels on the ground or on towing
dollies: Push the ignition switch to the ACC
or ON position, and secure the steering
wheel in a straight-ahead position with a
rope or similar device. Never secure the
steering wheel by selecting the LOCK posi-
tion. This may damage the steering lock
mechanism.
Two-wheel drive models
SCE0768
6-12In case of emergency
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All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models
INFINITI recommends that towing dollies be
used when towing your vehicle or the vehicle be
placed on a flat bed truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
Never tow AWD models with any of the wheels
on the ground as this may cause serious and
expensive damage to the powertrain.
All-wheel drive models
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In case of emergency6-13
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VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a stuck
vehicle)
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.
Pulling a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use a tow strap or other device designed spe-
cifically for vehicle recovery. Always follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for the recovery de-
vice.
Securely install the vehicle recovery hook
1
stored with jacking tools as illustrated. Attach
the tow strap to the recovery hook. Make sure
that the hook is properly secured in the original
place after use.
Do not use the tie down hooks
2for towing or
vehicle recovery.
CAUTION
● Tow chains or cables must be attached only
to the vehicle recovery hooks or main struc-
tural members of the vehicle. Otherwise, the
vehicle body will be damaged.
● Do not use the vehicle tie downs to free a
vehicle stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.
● Never tow a vehicle using the vehicle tie
downs or recovery hooks.
● Always pull the cable straight out from the
front of the vehicle. Never pull on the vehicle
at an angle.
● Pulling devices should be routed so they do
not touch any part of the suspension, steer-
ing, brake or cooling systems.
● Pulling devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use in ve-
hicle towing or recovery.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
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 ser-
vice to remove the vehicle.
6-14In case of emergency
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7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior.................................. 7-2
Washing ....................................... 7-2
Waxing ........................................ 7-2
Removing spots ................................ 7-3
Underbody ..................................... 7-3
Glass ......................................... 7-3
Wheels ........................................ 7-3
Chrome parts .................................. 7-3
Tire dressing ................................... 7-4
Cleaning interior .................................. 7-4 Air fresheners
.................................. 7-4
Floor mats ..................................... 7-5
Seat belts ..................................... 7-5
Corrosion protection ............................... 7-6
Most common factors contributing to
vehicle corrosion ............................... 7-6
Environmental factors influence the rate of
corrosion ...................................... 7-6
To protect your vehicle from corrosion ........... 7-6
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In order to maintain the appearance of your
vehicle, it is important to take proper care of it.
To protect the paint surface, wash your vehicle
as soon as you can:
●after a rainfall to prevent possible damage
from acid rain
● after driving on coastal roads
● when contaminants such as soot, bird drop-
pings, tree sap, metal particles or bugs get
on the paint surface
● when dust or mud builds up on the surface
Whenever possible, store or park your vehicle
inside a garage or in a covered area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park in a
shady area or protect the vehicle with a body
cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint surface when
putting on or removing the body cover.
WASHING
Wash dirt off the vehicle with a wet sponge and
plenty of water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly
using a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or
general purpose dishwashing liquid mixed with
clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
CAUTION
● Do not use car washes that use acid in the
detergent. Some car washes, especially
brushless ones, use some acid for cleaning.
The acid may react with some plastic vehicle
components, causing them to crack. This
could affect their appearance, and also could
cause them not to function properly. Always
check with your car wash to confirm that acid
is not used.
● Do not wash the vehicle with strong house-
hold soap, strong chemical detergents,
gasoline or solvents.
● Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight or
while the vehicle body is hot, as the surface
may become water-spotted.
● Avoid using tight-napped or rough cloths,
such as washing mitts. Care must be taken
when removing caked-on dirt or other for-
eign substances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged.
Rinse the vehicle again with plenty of clean
water.
Inside flanges, seams and folds on the doors,
hatches and hood are particularly vulnerable to
the effects of road salt. Therefore, these areas
must be regularly cleaned. Make sure that the drain holes in the lower edge of the door are
open. Spray water under the body and in the
wheel wells to loosen the dirt and wash away
road salt.
Avoid leaving water spots on the paint surface
by using a damp chamois to dry the vehicle.
WAXING
Regular waxing protects the paint surface and
helps retain new vehicle appearance. Polishing
is recommended to remove built-up wax residue
and to avoid a weathered appearance before
reapplying wax.
An INFINITI retailer can assist you in choosing
the proper product.
●
Wax your vehicle only after a thorough wash-
ing. Follow the instructions supplied with
the wax.
● Do not use a wax containing any abrasives,
cutting compounds or cleaners that may
damage the vehicle finish.
Machine compound or aggressive polishing on
a base coat/clear coat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care
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REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust, in-
sects, and tree sap as quickly as possible from
the paint surface to avoid lasting damage or
staining. Special cleaning products are avail-
able at an INFINITI retailer or any automotive
accessory stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This will
prevent dirt and salt from building up and
causing the acceleration of corrosion on the
underbody and suspension. Before the winter
period and again in the spring, the underseal
must be checked and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust
film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for
glass to become coated with a film after the
vehicle is parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner
and a soft cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the windows, do
not use sharp-edged tools, abrasive cleaners or
chlorine-based disinfectant cleaners. They
could damage the electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window defroster
elements.
WHEELS
Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle to
maintain their appearance.
●Clean the inner side of the wheels when the
wheel is changed or the underside of the
vehicle is washed.
● Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. Such damage may cause loss of
pressure or poor seal at the tire bead.
● INFINITI recommends that the road wheels
be waxed to protect against road salt in
areas where it is used during winter.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when washing the
wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid staining or
discoloring the wheels:
● Do not use a cleaner that uses strong acid or
alkali contents to clean the wheels.
● Do not apply wheel cleaners to the wheels
when they are hot. The wheel temperature
should be the same as ambient temperature.
● Rinse the wheel to completely remove the
cleaner within 15 minutes after the cleaner is
applied.
CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non- abra-
sive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
Appearance and care7-3
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TIRE DRESSING
INFINITI does not recommend the use of tire
dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating
to the tires to help reduce discoloration of the
rubber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires,
it may react with the coating and form a com-
pound. This compound may come off the tire
while driving and stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
●Use a water-based tire dressing. The coating
on the tire dissolves more easily with an
oil-based tire dressing.
● Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help
prevent it from entering the tire
tread/grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove).
● Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry
towel. Make sure the tire dressing is com-
pletely removed from the tire tread/grooves.
● Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by tire dressing manufacturer. Occasionally remove loose dust from the inte-
rior trim, plastic parts and seats using a vacuum
cleaner or soft bristled brush. Wipe the vinyl
and leather surfaces with a clean, soft cloth
dampened in mild soap solution, then wipe
clean with a dry soft cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in order to
maintain the appearance of the leather.
Before using any fabric protector, read the
manufacturer’s recommendations. Some fabric
protectors contain chemicals that may stain or
bleach the seat material.
Use a cloth dampened only with water, to clean
the meter and gauge lens.
WARNING
Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot steam
cleaners) on the seat. This can damage the seat
or occupant classification sensors. This can
also affect the operation of the air bag system
and result in serious personal injury.
CAUTION
●
Never use benzine, thinner, or any similar
material. ●
Small dirt particles can be abrasive and dam-
aging to the leather surfaces and should be
removed promptly. Do not use saddle soap,
car waxes, polishes, oils, cleaning fluids,
solvents, detergents or ammonia-based
cleaners as they may damage the leather’s
natural finish.
● Only use fabric protectors approved by
INFINITI.
● Do not use glass or plastic cleaner on meter
or gauge lens covers. It may damage the lens
cover.
AIR FRESHENERS
Most air fresheners use a solvent that could
affect the vehicle interior. If you use an air
freshener, take the following precautions:
● Hanging-type air fresheners can cause per-
manent discoloration when they contact ve-
hicle interior surfaces. Place the air fresh-
ener in a location that allows it to hang free
and not contact an interior surface.
● Liquid-type air fresheners typically clip on
the vents. These products can cause imme-
diate damage and discoloration when
spilled on interior surfaces.
CLEANING INTERIOR
7-4Appearance and care
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Carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s
instructions before using air fresheners.
FLOOR MATS
WARNING
To avoid potential pedal interference that may
result in a collision or injury:
●NEVER place a floor mat on top of another
floor mat in the driver front position.
● Use only NISSAN Genuine Floor Mats specifi-
cally designed for use in your vehicle model.
See your INFINITI retailer.
● Properly position the mats in the floorwell
using the floor mat positioning aid, see
“Floor mat positioning aid” in this section.
The use of INFINITI floor mats can extend the life
of your vehicle carpet and make it easier to
clean the interior. No matter what mats are
used, be sure they are fitted for your vehicle and
are properly positioned in the footwell to pre-
vent interference with pedal operation. Mats
should be maintained with regular cleaning and
replaced if they become excessively worn.
Floor mat positioning aid
This model includes front floor mat brackets to
act as floor mat positioning aid. INFINITI floor
mats have been specially designed for your
vehicle model. The front floor mats have grom-
met holes in them. To install, simply position
the mat by placing the floor mat bracket
through the floor mat grommet hole while cen-
tering the mat in the floor pan contour.
Periodically check to make certain that the mats
are properly positioned.
SEAT BELTS
The seat belts can be cleaned by wiping them
with a sponge dampened in a mild soap solu-
tion. Allow the belts to dry completely before
using them.
See “SEAT BELTS” in the “1. Safety — Seats,
seat belts and supplemental restraint system”
section.
WARNING
Do not allow wet seat belts to roll up in the
retractor. NEVER use bleach, dye, or chemical
solvents to clean the seat belts, since these
materials may severely weaken the seat belt
webbing.SAI0039
Appearance and care7-5
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