2012 NISSAN 370Z COUPE oil change

5-2Starting and driving
WARNING
.Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the support
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should not be left alone either. They
could accidentally injure themselves
or others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on hot,
sunny days, temperatures in a
closed vehicle could quickly become
high enough to cause severe or
possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
. Properly secure all cargo to help
prevent it from sliding or shifting.
Do not place cargo higher than the
seatbacks. In a sudden stop or
collision, unsecured cargo could
cause personal injury (Coupe mod-
els) .
. Closely supervise children when
they are around cars to prevent
them from playing and becoming
locked in the trunk where they could
be seriously injured. Keep the car
locked with the trunk closed when
not in use, and prevent children’s access to car keys (Roadster mod-
els) .
If the engine oil temperature is high, the
engine protection mode, which helps re-
duce the chance of engine damage, could
activate and automatically decrease en-
gine power. Driving while the engine oil
temperature is high may result in engine
damage.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
. Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless car-
bon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is
dangerous. It can cause uncon-
sciousness or death.
. If you suspect that exhaust fumes
are entering the vehicle, drive with
all windows fully open, and have the
vehicle inspected immediately.
. Do not run the engine in closed
spaces such as a garage.
. Do not park the vehicle with the
engine running for any extended
length of time. .
Keep the rear hatch/trunk lid closed
while driving, otherwise exhaust
gases could be drawn into the
passenger compartment. If you
must drive with the rear hatch/trunk
lid open, follow these precautions:
1) Open all the windows.
2) Set the
air recirculation to
off and the fan control to high to
circulate the air.
. The exhaust system and body
should be inspected by a qualified
mechanic whenever:
— The vehicle is raised for service.
— You suspect that exhaust fumes
are entering into the passenger
compartment.
— You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system.
— You have had an accident invol- ving damage to the exhaust
system, underbody, or rear of
the vehicle.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING

SSD0536
Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or down-
shifting, fully depress the clutch pedal, shift into
an appropriate gear, and then slowly and
smoothly release the clutch pedal.
This vehicle is equipped with a short throw
shifter manual transmission. To ensure smooth
gear changes, be sure to fully depress the clutch
pedal before operating the shift lever. If the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed before the
transmission is shifted, a gear noise may be
heard. Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and upshift to 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in sequence accord-ing to the vehicle speed.
To back up, depress the shift knob and then
move the shift lever to the R (Reverse) position
after stopping the vehicle completely.
The shift knob returns to its original position
when the shift lever is moved to the N (Neutral)
position.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into R
(Reverse) or 1st (Low gear), shift to N (Neutral) ,
then release the clutch pedal. Fully depress the
clutch pedal again and shift into R or 1st.
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) (if
so equipped for Manual Transmission
models)
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) auto-
matically adjusts the engine speed to match the
selecting gear ratio while changing gears.
Precautions:
.
Shift lever and clutch pedal operations are
not different than a conventional manual
transmission.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal. Insufficient
pedal depression may cause slow response
of this system.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed with
the gear still engaged, the engine speed is
kept at the proper level for the engaged gear. Thus, the engine speed may be kept
high depending on the gear position and
vehicle speed.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed with
the transmission in neutral, the system
operates for approximately 2 seconds, and
then the engine speed will decrease to the
idle speed.
. When the engine coolant temperature is low
right after starting the engine, engine speed
synchronization will be delayed or may be
insufficient.
. The system controls the engine speed up to
the rev limit. Note that S-MODE is not a
function that prevents over-revving resulting
from shifting mistakes.
. The system does not operate while the
vehicle is backing up.
. If the engine speed is limited lower than
usual when the engine oil temperature is
extremely high, the system will control up to
the limited engine speed.
. If the malfunction indicator light illuminates,
the system may not operate and the S-
MODE indicator turns off.
Starting and driving5-17

7-4Appearance and care
.If glass cleaner gets on the soft top,
immediately wash it off with clean
water.
. Do not apply direct water pressure,
such as high pressured water from
household hoses, on the lining of
the soft top and vehicle body, as this
may cause water to leak into the
inside of your vehicle.
After cleaning, always be sure the top and its
storage are completely drybefore opening the
top. Opening the top while it is wet or damp may
cause interior water damage, water stains or
mildew on the top.
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.
A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choosing the
proper product.
. Wax your vehicle only after a thorough
washing. 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.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the paint surface to avoid lasting damage
or staining. Special cleaning products are
available at a NISSAN dealer 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 conduc-
tors, radio antenna elements or rear
window defroster elements.
. If glass cleaner gets on the soft top,
immediately wash it off with clean
water (Roadster models) .
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.
. NISSAN recommends that the road wheels
be waxed to protect against road salt in
areas where it is used during winter.

8-12Maintenance and do-it-yourself
SDI2335
Engine oil and filter
1. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug.
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.
(Perform steps 4 to 7 only when the engine
oil filter change is needed.)
4. Loosen the oil filter
*2with an oil filter
wrench. Remove the oil filter by turning it by
hand.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter mounting surface with a clean rag.
CAUTION
Be sure to remove any old rubber
gasket remaining on the mounting sur-
face 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 additionally
more than 2/3 turn.
Oil filter tightening torque:11 to 15 ft-lb
(14.7 to 20.5 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 through the oil filler opening, and install the oil filler
cap securely.
See “Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants” (P.9-2) for drain and refill capa-
city. The drain and refill capacity depends on
the oil temperature and drain time. Use
these specifications for reference only. Al-
ways 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.
11. Turn the engine off and wait more than 15 minutes. Check the oil level with the dipstick.
Add engine oil if necessary.
After the operation
1. Install the engine undercover into position asthe following steps.
a. Pull the center of the small plastic clipout.
b. Hold the engine undercover into position.

9-2Technical and consumer information
The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be a little different. When refilling, follow the procedure
instructed in the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Capacity (Approximate)Recommended specifications
US measure Imp measure Liter
Fuel 19 gal 15-7/8 gal 71.9 See “Fuel recommendation” (P.9-4).
Engine oil*1
Drain and refill With oil filter change 5-1/8 qt 4-3/8 qt 4.9 .Engine oil with API Certification Mark*2, *3
. Viscosity SAE 5W-30*2, *3
Without oil filter change 4-7/8 qt 4 qt 4.6
Cooling system
Automatic transmission model With reservoir
9-5/8 qt8 qt 9.1
Pre-diluted Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent
Reservoir
7/8 qt3/4 qt 0.8
Manual transmission model With reservoir
9-3/4 qt8-1/8 qt 9.2
Reservoir 7/8 qt3/4 qt 0.8
Automatic transmission fluid —— —Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF*4
Manual transmission gear oil —— —Genuine NISSAN Manual Transmission Fluid (MTF)
HQ Multi 75W-85 or API GL-4, Viscosity SAE 75W-85
Differential gear oil —— —For AT models:
API GL-5 Synthetic Gear Oil, Viscosity SAE 75W-90*5
For MT models:
Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid Super GL-5 80W-90 or API GL-5,
Viscosity SAE 80W-90*9
Power steering fluid (PSF) Refill to the proper oil level according to the instructions in the “8.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section.Genuine NISSAN PSF or equivalent*6
Brake and clutch fluid Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid*7 or equivalent DOT 3
Multi-purpose grease NLGI No. 2 (Lithium soap base)
Air conditioning system refrigerant —— —HFC-134a (R-134a)*8
Air conditioning system lubricants —— —NISSAN UV Luminous Oil Type S or exact equivalent
Window washer fluid 4-3/444.5Genuine NISSAN Windshield Washer Concentrate Cleaner & Antifreeze or
equivalent
*1: For additional information, see “Engine oil” (P.8-11) for changing engine oil.
*2: For additional information, see “Engine oil and oil filter recommendation” (P.9-6).
*3: NISSAN recommends Genuine NISSAN Ester Oil available at a NISSAN dealer.
*4: 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 NISSAN new vehicle limited warranty.
*5: See a NISSAN dealer for service for synthetic oil.
CAPACITIES AND RECOMMENDED
FUEL/LUBRICANTS

9-6Technical and consumer information
STI0505
1. API certification mark
2. API service symbol
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER RE-
COMMENDATION
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality, and viscosity engine oil to ensure
satisfactory engine life and performance, see
“Capacities and recommended fuel/lubricants”
(P.9-2) . NISSAN recommends the use of an
energy conserving oil in order to improve fuel
economy.
Select only engine oils that meet the American
Petroleum Institute (API) certification or Interna-tional Lubricant Standardization and Approval
Committee (ILSAC) certification and SAE vis-
cosity standard. These oils have the API
certification mark on the front of the container.
Oils which do not have the specified quality
label should not be used as they could cause
engine damage.
Oil additives
NISSAN 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.
Oil which may contain foreign matter or has
been previously used should not be used.
Oil viscosity
The engine oil viscosity or thickness changes
with temperature. Because of this, it is important
that the engine oil viscosity be selected based
on the temperatures at which the vehicle will be
operated before the next oil change. Choosing
an oil viscosity other than that recommended
could cause serious engine damage.
Selecting the correct oil filter
Your new vehicle is equipped with a high-quality
genuine NISSAN oil filter. When replacing, use
the genuine oil filter or its equivalent for the
reason described in change intervals.
Change intervals
The oil and oil filter change intervals for your
engine are based on the use of the specified
quality oils and filters. Oil and filter other than the
specified quality, or oil and filter change intervals
longer than recommended could reduce engine
life. Damage to engines caused by improper
maintenance or use of incorrect oil and filter
quality and/or viscosity is not covered by the
new NISSAN vehicle limited warranties.
Your engine was filled with a high quality engine
oil when it was built. You do not have to change
the oil before the first recommended change
interval. Oil and filter change intervals depend
upon how you use your vehicle. Operation under

the following conditions may require more
frequent oil and filter changes.
.repeated short distance driving at cold
outside temperatures,
. driving in dusty conditions,
. extensive idling,
. stop and go “rush hour” traffic,
Refer to the “NISSAN Service and Maintenance
Guide” for the maintenance schedule.
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM RE-
FRIGERANT AND LUBRICANT RE-
COMMENDATIONS
The air conditioning system in your
NISSAN vehicle must be charged with the
refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a) and the
lubricant, NISSAN UV Luminous Oil Type
S or the exact equivalents.
CAUTION
The use of any other refrigerant or
lubricant will cause severe damage to
the air conditioning system and will
require the replacement of all air con-
ditioner system components.
The refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a) in your
NISSAN vehicle will not harm the earth’s ozone layer. Although this refrigerant does not affect
the earth’s atmosphere, certain governmental
regulations require the recovery and recycling of
any refrigerant during automotive air condition-
ing system service. Your NISSAN dealer has the
trained technicians and equipment needed to
recover and recycle your air conditioning system
refrigerant.
Contact a NISSAN dealer when servicing your
air conditioning system.
Technical and consumer information9-7

10-2
Console box ................................................................. 2-42
CoolantCapacities and
recommended fuel/lubricants............................... 9-2
Changing engine coolant................................... 8-10
Checking engine coolant level.......................... 8-10
Corrosion protection .................................................... 7-8
Cover, Cargo cover.................................................... 2-43
Cruise control............................................................... 5-21
Cup holders.................................................................. 2-40
D
Dampers, Performance dampers ............................ 5-30
Daytime running light system................................... 2-34
Defroster switch, Rear window
defroster switch........................................................... 2-31
Dimensions ................................................................... 9-10
Drive belts..................................................................... 8-18
Driving Cold weather driving........................................... 5-31
Driving with automatic transmission................ 5-12
Driving with manual transmission..................... 5-16
Precautions when starting and driving .............. 5-2
DVD player operation................................................. 4-56
E
Economy, Fuel.............................................................. 5-23
Elapsed time................................................................. 2-23
Emergency tire puncture repair kit ........................... 6-8
Emission control information label.......................... 9-12
Emission control system warranty........................... 9-22
Engine Before starting the engine................................. 5-11
Break-in schedule ................................................ 5-23 Capacities and
recommended fuel/lubricants............................... 9-2
Changing engine coolant................................... 8-10
Changing engine oil and filter........................... 8-11
Checking engine coolant level.......................... 8-10
Checking engine oil level................................... 8-11
Coolant temperature gauge ................................. 2-7
Emergency engine shut off................................ 5-10
Engine block heater............................................. 5-32
Engine compartment check locations................ 8-8
Engine cooling system........................................... 8-9
Engine oil................................................................ 8-11
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation........... 9-6
Engine oil replacement indicator...................... 2-21
Engine oil temperature gauge.............................. 2-8
Engine oil viscosity.................................................. 9-6
Engine serial number........................................... 9-12
Engine specifications ............................................. 9-8
Engine start operation indicator ....................... 2-18
Engine start operation indicator (Manual
Transmission models) ......................................... 2-19
If your vehicle overheats..................................... 6-16
Starting the engine .............................................. 5-11
Event Data Recorders (EDR)................................... 9-23
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)................................ 5-2
F
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label ............... 9-12
Filter Air cleaner housing filter .................................... 8-19
Changing engine oil and filter........................... 8-11
Flashers (See hazard warning flasher switch)..... 2-35
Flat tire............................................................................. 6-2 Repairing flat tire (with emergency tire
puncture repair kit) ................................................. 6-8 Flat towing .................................................................... 9-20
Floor mat cleaning ........................................................ 7-6
Fluid Automatic transmission fluid (ATF).................. 8-13
Brake and clutch fluid......................................... 8-14
Brake fluid.............................................................. 8-14
Capacities and
recommended fuel/lubricants............................... 9-2
Engine coolant......................................................... 8-9
Engine oil................................................................ 8-11
Power steering fluid............................................. 8-13
Window washer fluid .......................................... 8-15
FM-AM radio with Compact Disc (CD) player.... 4-43
FM-AM-SAT radio with compact disc (CD)
changer (models without navigation system) ...... 4-47
FM-AM-SAT radio with compact disc (CD)
player (models with navigation system) ................ 4-52
Fog light switch........................................................... 2-35
Front manual seat adjustment.................................... 1-4
Front passenger air bag and status light.............. 1-35
Front power seat adjustment ..................................... 1-2
Front seat, Front seat adjustment............................. 1-2
Fuel Capacities and
recommended fuel/lubricants............................... 9-2
Fuel economy........................................................ 5-23
Fuel economy information (display).................... 4-9
Fuel octane rating ................................................... 9-4
Fuel recommendation............................................. 9-4
Fuel-filler cap......................................................... 3-34
Fuel-filler door....................................................... 3-34
Gauge ........................................................................ 2-7
LOOSE FUEL CAP warning ............................. 3-35
Fuses.............................................................................. 8-22
Fusible links.................................................................. 8-23