2012 INFINITI M service

vehicle has been parked for a while. Water
dripping from the air conditioner after use
is normal. If you should notice any leaks or
if gasoline fumes are evident, check for the
cause and have it corrected immediately.
Power steering fluid level* and lines:
Check the level when the fluid is cold,
with the engine off. Check the lines for
proper attachment, leaks, cracks, etc.
Radiator and hoses:Check the front of the
radiator and clean off any dirt, insects,
leaves, etc., that may have accumulated.
Make sure the hoses have no cracks,
deformation, rot or loose connections.
Underbody: The underbody is frequently
exposed to corrosive substances such as
those used on icy roads or to control dust.
It is very important to remove these
substances, otherwise rust will form on
the floor pan, frame, fuel lines and around
the exhaust system. At the end of winter,
the underbody should be thoroughly
flushed with plain water, being careful to
clean those areas where mud and dirt may
accumulate. For additional information,
see “Cleaning exterior ”in the “7. Appear-
ance and care ”section.
Windshield washer fluid*: Check that there
is adequate fluid in the reservoir. When performing any inspection or main-
tenance work on your vehicle, always take
care to prevent serious accidental injury to
yourself or damage to the vehicle. The
following are general precautions which
should be closely observed.
WARNING
.
Park the vehicle on a level surface, apply
the parking brake securely and block the
wheels to prevent the vehicle from
moving. Move the selector lever to P
(Park).
. Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF
or LOCK position when performing any
parts replacement or repairs.
. Never connect or disconnect the battery
or any transistorized component while
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
. Never leave the engine or automatic
transmission related component har-
nesses disconnected while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
. If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from moving fans, belts
and any other moving parts. .
It is advisable to secure or remove any
loose clothing and remove any jewelry,
such as rings, watches, etc. before
working on your vehicle.
. Always wear eye protection whenever
you work on your vehicle.
. Ifyoumustruntheengineinan
enclosed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape.
. Never get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by a jack. If it is
necessary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
. Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from fuel tank and the
battery.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic engine cooling fan. It may come on
at any time without warning, even if the
ignition key is in the OFF position and
the engine is not running. To avoid
injury, always disconnect the negative
battery cable before working near the
fan.
. The fuel filter or fuel lines should be
serviced by an INFINITI retailer because
the fuel lines are under high pressure
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-5
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS

8-6Maintenance and do-it-yourself
even when the engine is off.
CAUTION
.Do not work under the hood while the
engine is hot. Turn the engine off and
wait until it cools down.
. Avoid direct contact with used engine oil
and coolant. Improperly disposed engine
oil, coolant, and/or other vehicle fluids
can damage the environment. Always
conform to local regulations for disposal
of vehicle fluid.
This “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself ”
section gives instructions regarding only
those items which are relatively easy for an
owner to perform.
A genuine INFINITI Service Manual is also
available. (See “Owner ’s Manual/Service
Manual order information ”in the “9.
Technical and consumer information ”sec-
tion.)
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties or excessive emissions, and
could affect your warranty coverage. If indoubt about any servicing, we recommend
that it be done by an INFINITI retailer.

The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a pre-diluted mixture of 50%
Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Cool-
ant (blue) and 50% water to provide year-
round anti-freeze and coolant protection.
The anti-freeze solution contains rust and
corrosion inhibitors. Additional engine
cooling system additives are not neces-
sary.
WARNING
.Never remove the radiator cap when the
engine is hot. Wait until the engine and
radiator cool down. Serious burns could
be caused by high pressure fluid escap-
ing from the radiator. See precautions in
“If your vehicle overheats ”in the “6. In
case of emergency ”section of this
manual.
. The radiator is equipped with a pressure
type radiator cap. To prevent engine
damage, use only a genuine NISSAN
radiator cap.
CAUTION
.When adding or replacing coolant, be
sure to use only Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equiva-
lent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life Anti-
freeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-diluted to
provide antifreeze protection to −348F
( −37 8C). If additional freeze protection is
needed due to weather where you
operate your vehicle, add Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) concentrate following the direc-
tions on the container. If an equivalent
coolant other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is used,
follow the coolant manufacture ’s instruc-
tions to maintain minimum antifreeze
protection to −348F( −37 8C). The use of
other types of coolant solutions other
than Genuine NISSAN Long Life Anti-
freeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent may
damage the engine cooling system.
. The life expectancy of the factory-fill
coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km)
or 7 years. Mixing any other type of
coolant other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) , including Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/
Coolant (green), or the use of non-
distilled water will reduce the life
expectancy of the factory-fill coolant.
Refer to the INFINITI Service and Main-
tenance Guide for more details.
. Never use any additives in the coolant
such as radiator sealer in the cooling
system. This may cause damage to
electrical equipment such as the motor
and inverter, and also to engine and
transmission.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-11
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM

8-12Maintenance and do-it-yourself
SDI2043
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is cold. If the coolant
level is below MIN
*2, open the reservoir
tank cap and add coolant up to the MAX
*1
level. If the reservoir tank is empty, 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 tank up to the
MAX level
*1.
Tighten the cap securely after adding
engine coolant. If the cooling system requires coolant
frequently, have it checked by an INFINITI
retailer.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
Major cooling system repairs should be
performed by an INFINITI retailer. The
service procedures can be found in the
appropriate INFINITI 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 cap when the
engine is hot. Serious burns could be
caused by high pressure fluid escaping
from the radiator.
. 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 children and
pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of
properly. Check your local regulations.

SDI2545
VK56VD engine
SDI2119
VQ37VHR engine1. Power steering fluid pump
2. Alternator
3. Crankshaft pulley
4. Air conditioner compressor
5. Drive belt auto-tensioner
WARNING
Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF or
LOCK position before servicing drive belts.
The engine could rotate unexpectedly.
1. Visually inspect each belt for signs of
unusual wear, cuts, fraying or loosen-
ess. 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 condition 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.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-21
DRIVE BELTS SPARK PLUGS

8-22Maintenance and do-it-yourself
SDI2020
REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
If replacement is required, see an INFINITI
retailer 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 main-
tenance schedule in“INFINITI Service and
Maintenance Guide ”, but do not reuse
them by cleaning or regapping. Always replace spark plugs with recom-
mended or equivalent ones.SDI2549
VK56VD engine
AIR CLEANER

8-26Maintenance and do-it-yourself
occasional brake squeak, squeal or other
noise may be heard. Occasional brake
noise during light to moderate stops is
normal and does not affect the function or
performance of the brake system.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.For additional information,
see the maintenance log section of your
“ INFINITI Service and Maintenance Guide ”
for maintenance intervals.
SDI2584
SDI2566
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
CAUTION
Never use a fuse of a higher or lower
amperage rating than that specified on the
fuse box cover. This could damage the
electrical system or cause a fire.
If any electrical equipment does not
operate, check for an open fuse.
1. Be sure the ignition switch is pushed to the OFF or LOCK position and the
headlight switch is turned to OFF.
2. Open the engine hood and remove the cover on the battery and the fuse/
fusible link holder.
3. Remove the fuse/fusible link holder cover.
4. Remove the fuse with the fuse puller.
FUSES

.The original tires have built-in
tread wear indicators. When wear
indicators are visible, the tire(s)
should be replaced.
. Tires degrade with age and use.
Have tires, including the spare,
over 6 years old checked by a
qualified technician, because
some tire damage may not be
obvious. Replace the tires as
necessary to prevent tire failure
and possible personal injury.
. Improper service of the spare tire
may result in serious personal
injury. If it is necessary to repair
the spare tire, contact an INFINITI
retailer.
. For additional information regard-
ing tires, refer to “Important Tire
Safety Information ”(US) or “Tire
Safety Information ”(Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.Replacing wheels and tires
When replacing a tire, use the same size,
tread design, speed rating and load carry-
ing capacity as originally equipped. (See
“ Specifications ”in the “9. Technical and
consumer information ”section for recom-
mended types and sizes of tires and
wheels.)
WARNING
. The use of tires other than those
recommended or the mixed use of tires
of different brands, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial), or tread patterns
can adversely affect the ride, braking,
handling, ground clearance, body-to-tire
clearance, tire chain clearance, speed-
ometer calibration, headlight aim and
bumper height. Some of these effects
may lead to accidents and could result in
serious personal injury.
. If the wheels are changed for any
reason, always replace with wheels
which have the same off-set dimension.
Wheels of a different off-set could cause
premature tire wear, degrade vehicle
handling characteristics and/or interfer- ence with the brake discs/drums. Such
interference can lead to decreased brak-
ing efficiency and/or early brake pad/
shoe wear. See
“Wheels and tires ”in the
“ 9. Technical and consumer information ”
section of this manual for wheel off-set
dimensions.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, the TPMS will not function
and the low tire pressure warning light
will flash for approximately 1 minute.
The light will remain on after 1 minute.
Contact your INFINITI retailer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/or
system resetting.
. Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
. Do not install a damaged or deformed
wheel or tire even if it has been repaired.
Such wheels or tires could have struc-
tural damage and could fail without
warning.
. The use of retread tire is not recom-
mended.
. For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information ”(US) or “Tire Safety Infor-
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-43