Page 462 of 534

CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than 15
minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Reinsert it all the way.
5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil level. It should be within the range
1.
If the oil level is below
2, remove the oil
filler cap and pour recommended oil
through the opening. Do not overfill
3.6. Recheck oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil mainte-
nance intervals or during the break-in period,
depending on the severity of operating condi-
tions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly. Operat-
ing the engine with an insufficient amount of oil
can damage the engine, and such damage is
not covered by warranty.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL AND FILTER
Vehicle set-up
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 and wait more than 15 minutes.
4. Raise and support the vehicle using a suitable floor jack and safety jack stands.
●Place the safety jack stands under the
vehicle jack-up points.
● A suitable adapter should be attached to
the jack stand saddle.
5. Remove the engine undercover.
● Remove the bolts that hold the under-
cover in place.
CAUTION
Make sure the correct lifting and support
points are used to avoid vehicle damage.
SDI2531
ENGINE OIL
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-9
Page 463 of 534

Engine oil and filter
1. Place a large drain pan under the drainplug.
2. Remove the oil filler cap.
3. Remove the drain plug
1with a wrench
and completely drain the oil.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself, as the engine oil
is hot.
●Waste oil must be disposed of properly.
● Check your local regulations.
4. (Perform steps 4 to 7 only when the
engine oil filter change is needed.)
Loosen the oil filter2with an oil filter
wrench. Remove the oil filter by turning it by
hand.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter mounting sur- face with a clean rag.
CAUTION
Be sure to remove any old rubber gasket re-
maining on the mounting surface of the engine.
Failure to do so could lead to engine damage.
6. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil.
7. Screw in the oil filter clockwise until a slight resistance is felt, then tighten ad-
ditionally more than 2/3 turn.
Oil filter tightening torque:11 to 15 ft-lb
(15 to 21 N·m)
8. Clean and re-install the drain plug with a
new washer. 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.
9. Refill engine with recommended oil and install the oil filler cap securely.
CAUTION
The dipstick must be inserted in place to pre-
vent oil spillage from the dipstick hole while
filling the engine with oil.
See “CAPACITIES AND RECOMMENDED FUEL/ LU-
BRICANTS” in the “9. Technical and consumer
information” section for drain and refill capacity.
The drain and refill capacity depends on the oil
temperature and drain time. Use these specifica-
tions for reference only. Always use the dipstick
to determine the proper amount of oil in the
engine.
10. Start the engine and check for leakage around the drain plug and the oil filter.
Correct as required.
SDI2528
8-10Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Page 464 of 534

11. Turn the engine off and wait more than 15minutes. Check the oil level with the
dipstick. Add engine oil if necessary.
After the operation
1. Install the engine undercover into positionas the following steps.
a. Pull the center of the small plastic clip out.
b. Hold the engine undercover into position.
c. Insert the clip through the undercover into the hole in the frame, then push the
center of the clip in to lock the clip in
place.
d. Install the other bolts that hold the un- dercover in place. Be careful not to strip
the bolts or over-tighten them.
2. Lower the vehicle carefully to the ground.
3. Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
WARNING
●Prolonged and repeated contact with used
engine oil may cause skin cancer.
● Try to avoid direct skin contact with used oil.
If skin contact is made, wash thoroughly
with soap or hand cleaner as soon as
possible.
● Keep used engine oil out of reach of children. Contact an INFINITI retailer if replacement is
required.
CAUTION
●
Use only Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF. Do
not mix with other fluids.
● Using automatic transmission fluid other
than Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF will cause
deterioration in driveability and automatic
transmission durability, and may damage
the automatic transmission, which is not
covered by the INFINITI new vehicle limited
warranty.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-11
Page 466 of 534

CAUTION
●Do not add brake fluid with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position or the engine
running. Doing so could make the brake fluid
overfill when the ignition switch is turned
off.
● Do not spill the fluid on painted surfaces.
This will damage the paint. If fluid is spilled,
wash the surface with water.
BRAKE FLUID
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the fluid
is below the MIN line
1or the brake warning
light comes on, add Genuine NISSAN Super
Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or equivalent DOT 3fluid
up to the MAX line
2.
To add brake fluid:
1. Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF or LOCK position.
2. Depress and release the foot brake pedal more than 40 times. 3. Open the reservoir filler cap and add
brake fluid up to the MAX line
2. (See
“CAPACITIES AND RECOMMENDED FUEL/
LUBRICANTS” in the “9. Technical and
consumer information” section for the
recommended types of brake fluid.)
NOTE:
When the ignition switch is placed in the “ON”
position after adding brake fluid up to the MAX
line
2in the reservoir, the brake fluid de-
creases below the MAX line
2. This is normal.
If fluid must be added frequently, the system
should be checked by an INFINITI retailer.SDI2513
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-13
Page 467 of 534

WARNING
Antifreeze is poisonous and should be stored
carefully in marked containers out of the reach
of children.Fill the window washer fluid reservoir periodi-
cally. Add window washer fluid when the low
window washer fluid warning illuminates.
To fill the window washer fluid reservoir, lift the
cap off the reservoir tank and pour the window
washer fluid into the tank opening.
Add a washer solvent to the washer for better
cleaning. In the winter season, add a wind-
shield washer antifreeze. Follow the manufac-
turer’s instructions for the mixture ratio.
Refill the reservoir more frequently when driv-
ing conditions require an increased amount of
window washer fluid.
Recommended fluid is Genuine NISSAN Wind-
shield Washer Concentrate Cleaner & Antifreeze
or equivalent.
CAUTION
●
Do not substitute engine anti-freeze coolant
for window washer solution. This may result
in damage to the paint.
● Do not fill the window washer reservoir tank
with washer fluid concentrates at full
strength. Some methyl alcohol based
washer fluid concentrates may permanently
stain the grille if spilled while filling the win-
dow washer reservoir tank.
● Pre-mix washer fluid concentrates with wa-
ter to the manufacturer’s recommended lev-
els before pouring the fluid into the window
washer reservoir tank. Do not use the win-
dow washer reservoir tank to mix the washer
fluid concentrate and water.
SDI2517
WINDOW WASHER FLUID
8-14Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Page 469 of 534

1. Remove the cell plugsA.
2. Add distilled water up to the UPPER LEVEL
1line.
If the side of the battery is not clear, check
the distilled water level by looking directly
above the cell; the condition
1indicates
OK and the conditions
2needs more to be
added.
3. Tighten cell plugsA.
Vehicles operated in high temperatures or un-
der severe conditions require frequent checks
of the battery fluid level.
JUMP STARTING
If jump starting is necessary, see “JUMP START-
ING” in the “6. In case of emergency” section. If
the engine does not start by jump starting, the
battery may have to be replaced. Contact an
INFINITI retailer.
CAUTION
● Do not ground accessories directly to the
battery terminal. Doing so will bypass the
variable voltage control system and the ve-
hicle battery may not charge completely.
● Use electrical accessories with the engine
running to avoid discharging the vehicle
battery.
The variable voltage control system measures
the amount of electrical discharge from the
battery and controls voltage generated by the
generator.
SDI1480C
VARIABLE VOLTAGE CONTROL SYSTEM
8-16Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Page 470 of 534
1. Power steering fluid pump
2. Water pump
3. Alternator
4. Crankshaft pulley
5. Air conditioner compressor
WARNING
Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF or LOCK
position before servicing drive belts. The en-
gine could rotate unexpectedly.
1. Visually inspect each belt for signs ofunusual wear, cuts, fraying or looseness.
If the belt is in poor condition or loose,
have it replaced or adjusted by an INFINITI
retailer.
2. Have the belts checked regularly for con- dition and tension in accordance with the
maintenance schedule in your “INFINITI
Service and Maintenance Guide”.WARNING
Be sure the engine and the ignition switch are
off and that the parking brake is engaged
securely.
CAUTION
Be sure to use the correct socket to remove the
spark plugs. An incorrect socket can damage
the spark plugs.
SDI2533
DRIVE BELTS SPARK PLUGS
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-17
Page 471 of 534

REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
If replacement is required, see an INFINITI re-
tailer for servicing.
Iridium-tipped spark plugs
It is not necessary to replace the iridium-tipped
spark plugs as frequently as the conventional
type spark plugs since they will last much
longer. Follow the maintenance schedule in
“INFINITI Service and Maintenance Guide”, but
do not reuse them by cleaning or regapping.
Always replace spark plugs with recommended
or equivalent ones.To remove the filter, release the lock pins
1
and pull the unit upward2.
The filter element should not be cleaned and
reused. Replace it according to the mainte-
nance intervals. See “INFINITI Service and Main-
tenance Guide” for maintenance intervals.
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 air cleaner
removed can cause you or others to be
burned. The air cleaner not only cleans the
air, it stops 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 work-
ing on the engine with the air cleaner
removed.
● Never pour fuel into the throttle body or at-
tempt to start the engine with the air cleaner
removed. Doing so could result in serious
injury.
SDI2020SDI2515
AIR CLEANER
8-18Maintenance and do-it-yourself