2011 NISSAN MAXIMA technical data

9 Technical and consumer information
Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants.........9-2
Fuel recommendation . . .........................9-3
Engine oil and oil filter recommendations ..........9-5
Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil
recommendations ..............................9-6
Specifications .....................................9-7
Engine ........................................9-7
Wheels and tires ...............................9-8
Dimensions and weights ........................9-8
When traveling or registering your vehicle in
another country ...................................9-9
Vehicle identification ...............................9-9
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate ..........9-9
Vehicle identification number
(chassis number) ...............................9-9
Engine serial number ........................... 9-10
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label ..........9-10
Emission control information label ...............9-10
Tire and loading information label ................9-11Air conditioner specification label
................9-11
Installing front license plate ........................9-11
Vehicle loading information ........................9-12
Terms ........................................ 9-12
Vehicle load capacity .......................... 9-13
Loading tips .................................. 9-15
Measurement of weights .......................9-15
Towing a trailer ................................... 9-16
Maximum load limits ........................... 9-16
Towing load/specification .......................9-19
Towing safety ................................. 9-19
Flat towing .................................... 9-23
Uniform tire quality grading ........................9-24
Emission control system warranty ..................9-24
Reporting safety defects .......................... 9-25
Readiness for inspection/maintenance (I/M) test .....9-26
Event Data Recorders (EDR) .......................9-26
Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order information . . . 9-27 In the event of a collision .......................9-27

FUEL RECOMMENDATION
NISSAN recommends the use of premium un-
leaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least
91 AKI (Anti-Knock Index) number (Research
octane number 96) . If unleaded premium gaso-
line is not available, you may use unleaded regular
gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 AKI
number (Research octane number 91) , but you
may notice a decrease in performance.
CAUTION
●Using a fuel other than that specified
could adversely affect the emission
control system, and may also affect the
warranty coverage.
● Under no circumstances should a
leaded gasoline be used, because this
will damage the three-way catalyst.
● Do not use E-85 fuel in your vehicle.
Your vehicle is not designed to run on
E-85 fuel. Using E-85 fuel can damage
the fuel system components and is not
covered by the NISSAN new vehicle lim-
ited warranty.
Gasoline specifications
NISSAN recommends using gasoline that meets
the World-Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) specifi-
cations where it is available. Many of the automo-
bile manufacturers developed this specification
to improve emission control system and vehicle
performance. Ask your service station manager if
the gasoline meets the WWFC specifications.
Reformulated gasoline
Some fuel suppliers are now producing reformu-
lated gasolines. These gasolines are specially
designed to reduce vehicle emissions. NISSAN
supports efforts towards cleaner air and sug-
gests that you use reformulated gasoline when
available.
Gasoline containing oxygenates
Some fuel suppliers sell gasoline containing oxy-
genates such as ethanol, MTBE and methanol
with or without advertising their presence.
NISSAN does not recommend the use of fuels of
which the oxygenate content and the fuel com-
patibility for your NISSAN cannot be readily de-
termined. If in doubt, ask your service station
manager. If you use oxygenate-blend gasoline, please take
the following precautions as the usage of such
fuels may cause vehicle performance problems
and/or fuel system damage.
● The fuel should be unleaded and have
an octane rating no lower than that
recommended for unleaded gasoline.
● If an oxygenate-blend other than
methanol blend is used, it should con-
tain no more than 10% oxygenate.
(MTBE may, however, be added up to
15%.)
● If a methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 5% methanol
(methyl alcohol, wood alcohol) . It
should also contain a suitable amount
of appropriate cosolvents and corro-
sion inhibitors. If not properly formu-
lated with appropriate cosolvents and
corrosion inhibitors, such methanol
blends may cause fuel system damage
and/or vehicle performance problems.
At this time, sufficient data is not avail-
able to ensure that all methanol blends
are suitable for use in NISSAN ve-
hicles.
Technical and consumer information9-3

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. Place the ignition switch in the ON position
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 “not ready”. If the MIL does not
blink after 20 seconds, the I/M test condition is
“ready”. Contact a NISSAN dealer to set the
“ready condition” or to prepare the vehicle for
testing.This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re-
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa-
tions, such as an air bag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand-
ing how a vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
● How various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
● Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
● How far (if at all) the driver was depressing
the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
● How fast the vehicle was traveling.
● Sounds are not recorded.
These data can help provide a better understand-
ing of the circumstances in which crashes and
injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by
your vehicle only if a nontrivial crash situation
occurs; no data are recorded by the EDR under
normal driving conditions and no personal data
(e.g. name, gender, age and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of personally identifying data routinely
acquired during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip-
ment is required and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manu-
facturer and NISSAN dealer, other parties, such
as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have ac-
cess to the vehicle or the EDR. EDR data will only
be accessed with the consent of the vehicle
owner or lessee or as otherwise required or per-
mitted by law.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
9-26Technical and consumer information