2012 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE check engine

E–85 fuel
E-85 fuel is a mixture of approximately 85% fuel
ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline. E-85 can
only be used in a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) . Do
not use E-85 in your vehicle. U.S. government
regulations require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to be identified by a small, square, orange
and black label with the common abbreviation or
the appropriate percentage for that region.
Aftermarket fuel additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of any
aftermarket fuel additives (for example, fuel injec-
tor cleaner, octane booster, intake valve deposit
removers, etc.) which are sold commercially.
Many of these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active solvents or
similar ingredients that can be harmful to the fuel
system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can cause
persistent, heavy “spark knock.” (“Spark
knock” is a metallic rapping noise.) If se-
vere, this can lead to engine damage. If you
detect a persistent heavy spark knock even
when using gasoline of the stated octane
rating, or if you hear steady spark knock
while holding a steady speed on levelroads, have a NISSAN dealer correct the
condition. Failure to correct the condition
is misuse of the vehicle, for which NISSAN
is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in spark
knock, after-run and/or overheating, which may
cause excessive fuel consumption or engine
damage. If any of the above symptoms are en-
countered, have your vehicle checked at a
NISSAN dealer.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is not a
cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
CAUTION
●
Your vehicle is not designed to run on
E-85 fuel. Using E-85 fuel in a vehicle
not specifically designed for E-85 fuel
can damage fuel system components
and is not covered by the NISSAN new
vehicle limited warranty.
● E-85 is a mixture of approximately 85%
fuel ethanol and 15% unleaded
gasoline. ●
U.S. government regulations require
ethanol dispensing pumps to be identi-
fied by a small, square, orange and
black label with the common abbrevia-
tion or the appropriate percentage for
that region.
9-4Technical and consumer information

WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system di-
rectly to the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
●Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded and/or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it
has an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition; check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other possible
causes of either condition.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Keep the cargo load as low as possible in
the trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
● Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.
● Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation, and
trailer wheel lug nuts every time you attach a
trailer to the vehicle. ●
Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not,
install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
● Determine the overall height of the vehicle
and trailer so the required clearance is
known.
Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding of the
vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turning,
stopping and backing up in an area which is free
from traffic. Steering stability and braking perfor-
mance will be somewhat different than under
normal driving conditions.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadver-
tently becoming unlatched.
● Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
● Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. ●
When backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
back up slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so:CAUTION
If you move the shift selector to the P
(Park) position before blocking the
wheels and applying the parking brake,
transmission damage could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks ab-
sorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park) .
6. Turn off the engine.
Technical and consumer information9-21

●Some states or provinces have specific
regulations and speed limits for vehicles that
are towing trailers. Obey the local speed
limits.
● Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When launching a boat, don’t allow the wa-
ter level to go over the exhaust tail pipe or
rear bumper.
● Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights
before backing the trailer into the water or
the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil
should be replaced and transmission
oil/fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see the
“Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
earlier in this manual.
FLAT TOWING
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a vehicle
behind a recreational vehicle, such as a motor
home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al-
ways tow forward, never backward.
● DO NOT tow any continuously variable
transmission vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground (flat towing) . Do-
ing so WILL DAMAGE internal transmis-
sion parts due to lack of transmission
lubrication.
● For emergency towing procedures refer
to “Towing recommended by NISSAN”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
Manual Transmission (if so equipped)
● Always tow with the manual transmission in
Neutral.
● After towing 500 miles (805 km) , start and
idle the engine with the transmission in Neu-
tral for two minutes. Failure to idle the engine
after every 500 miles (805 km) of towing
may cause damage to internal transmission
parts.
Continuously Variable Transmission (if
so equipped)
To tow a vehicle equipped with a continuously
variable transmission, an appropriate vehicle
dolly MUST be placed under the towed vehicle’s
drive wheels. Alwaysfollow the dolly manufac-
turer’s recommendations when using their prod-
uct.
Technical and consumer information9-23

Additional information concerning motor
vehicle safety may be obtained from Trans-
port Canada’s Road Safety Information
Centre at 1-800-333-0371 or online at
www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety (English speak-
ers) or www.tc.gc.ca/securiteroutiere
(French speakers) .
To notify NISSAN of any safety concerns
please contact our Consumer Information
Centre toll free at 1-800-387-0122.
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
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
9-26Technical and consumer information

10 Index
A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ........5-25
Air bag (See supplemental restraint
system) .....................1-40
Air bag system Front (See supplemental front impact
air bag system) ...............1-49
Airbagwarninglight...........1-55,2-14
Air cleaner housing filter ............8-20
Air conditioner Air conditioner operation ..........4-21
Air conditioner service ...........4-28
Air conditioner specification label .....9-12
Air conditioner system refrigerant and
oil recommendations .............9-6
Heater and air conditioner
controls................4-19,4-26
Servicing air conditioner ..........4-28
Airflowcharts..................4-22
Alarm system
(See vehicle security system) .........2-25
Anchor point locations .............1-26
Antenna.....................4-99
Anti-lock brake warning light ..........2-11
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ........5-25
Armrests .....................1-9
Audible reminders ...............2-16
Audio system ..................4-29
Bluetooth audio..............4-93
Compact disc (CD)
player..........4-46,4-52,4-63,4-69 FM-AM radio with compact disc
(CD)
player ....................4-44
FM/AM/SAT radio with CD/DVD player . .4-59
FM/AM/SAT radio with compact disc
(CD) player
..............4-48,4-54
Audio System iPod Player..........4-78,4-80,4-82
Music Box hard-disk drive audio
system ....................4-85
Audio system Radio ....................4-29
Audio System Settings...................4-60
Audio system USB interface .........4-71,4-73,4-75
Autolight switch .................2-31
Automatic Automatic power window switch .....2-45
Transmission shift selector lock release . .5-16
Automatic anti-glare inside mirror .......3-31
Automatic door locks ..............3-5
AUXjack.................4-47,4-53
B
Battery ......................8-16
Chargewarninglight............2-11
Before starting the engine ...........5-10
Belt (See drive belt) ..............8-18
Block heater Engine ....................5-29 Bluetooth
audio................4-93
Bluetooth hands-free phone
system .................4- 100, 4-114
Boosterseats..................1-37
Brake Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ......5-25
Brakefluid..................8-14
Brakelight(Seestoplight).........8-30
Brake system ................5-24
Brake warning light .............2-11
Brake wear indicators ........2-16,8-22
Parking brake operation ..........5-19
Self-adjusting brakes ............8-22
Brakes ......................8-22
B

reak-inschedule ...............5-22
Brightness/contrast button ...........4-12
Brightness control Instrument panel ..............2-33
Bulb check/instrument panel ..........2-10
Bulbreplacement................8-30
C
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ...................9-2
Cargo (See vehicle loading information) . . .9-12
CarphoneorCBradio............4-100
CDcareandcleaning .............4-96
CD player
(See audio system) ....4-46,4-52,4-63,4-69
Check tire pressure ...............2-25
Child restraints .......1-20,1-21,1-22,1-24

Precautions on child
restraints.........1-22,1-28,1-33,1-37
Top tether strap anchor point locations . .1-26
Child safety rear door lock ............3-6
Chimes, audible reminders ...........2-16
Cleaningexteriorandinterior...........7-2
Clock ...................4-45,4-50 (models with navigation system) .......4-8
(models without navigation system) ....4-45
Clockset..................4-8,4-45
Clutch Clutchfluid..................8-15
C.M.V.S.S. certification label ..........9-10
Cold weather driving ..............5-28
Compact disc (CD) player ........4-46,4-52,
4-63, 4-69
Compass display .................2-6
Console box ...................2-41
Console light ...................2-49
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). . .5-12 Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) fluid ..................8-13
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-12
Transmission shift selector lock release . .5-16
Controlpanelbuttons...............4-2 Brightness/contrast button .........4-12
Enterbutton..................4-2
Setting button .................4-6
Controls Heater and air conditioner
controls ................4-19,4-26
Coolant Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changing engine coolant ...........8-9 Checking engine coolant level
........8-9
Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Corrosion protection ...............7-6
Cruisecontrol..................5-20
Cupholders................2-39,2-40
D
Daytime running light system (Canada only) . .2-32
Defroster switch Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch.....................2-28
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) player .......4-68
Dimensionsandweights.............9-8
Dimmer switch for instrument panel ......2-33
Display controls (see control panel buttons) . .4-2
Door locks .....................3-4
Drive belt .....................8-18
Driving Cold weather driving ............5-28
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) .............5-12
Driving with manual transmission ......5-17
Precautions when starting and driving ....5-2
E
Economy - fuel ..................5-22
Emission control information label .......9-11
Emission control system warranty .......9-25
Engine Before starting the engine ..........5-10
Block heater .................5-29 Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants
.................9-2
Changingenginecoolant...........8-9
Changingengineoil.............8-11
Changing engine oil filter ..........8-12
Checking engine coolant level ........8-9
Checking engine oil level ..........8-10
Engine compartment check locations ....8-6
Engine coolant temperature gauge .....2-5
Engine cooling system ............8-8
Engine

oil ...................8-10
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . . .9-5
Engine oil pressure warning light ......2-12
Engine oil viscosity ..............9-5
Engine serial number ............9-10
Engine specifications .............9-7
Starting the engine .............5-11
Enterbutton....................4-2
Eventdatarecorders ..............9-26
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .........5-2
Extended storage switch ............8-26
Eyeglass case ..................2-38
F
Flashers
(See hazard warning flasher switch) ......2-34
Flat tire .......................6-2
Floor mat positioning aid .............7-5
Fluid Brake fluid ..................8-14
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Clutch fluid ..................8-15
10-2

Emission control information label.....9-11
Engine serial number ............9-10
F.M.V.S.S. certification label .........9-10
Tire and Loading Information label .....9-11
Vehicle identification number (VIN) plate . .9-9
Warning labels (for SRS) ..........1-55
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
System ......................1-24
License plate Installing the license plate ..........9-12
Light Airbagwarninglight.........1-55,2-14
Brakelight(Seestoplight).........8-30
Bulb check/instrument panel ........2-10
Bulb replacement ..............8-30
Chargewarninglight ............2-11
Console light .................2-49
Foglightswitch ...............2-34
Headlight and turn signal switch ......2-29
Headlightcontrolswitch ..........2-30
Headlights..................8-28
Interiorlight..................2-49
Lightbulbs..................8-28
Low tire pressure warning light .......2-12
Low windshield-washer fluid warning
light......................2-24
Passenger air bag and status light .....1-50
Personal lights ................2-50
Security indicator light ............2-16
Spotlights (See map light) .........2-50
Trunklight ..................2-51
Warning/indicator lights and audible
reminders ...................2-10
Lights Maplights ..................2-50 Lock
Child safety rear door lock ..........3-6
Door locks ...................3-4
Fuel-filler door lock opener lever ......3-26
Gloveboxlock................2-41
Power door locks ...............3-5
Trunk lid lock opener lever ..........3-24
Loose fuel cap warning ..........2-25,3-26
Lowfuelwarninglight ..........2-13,2-24
Low tire pressure warning light .........2-12
Low windshield-washer fluid warning light . . .2-24
Luggage (See vehicle loading information) . .9-12
M
Maintenance Generalmaintenance.............8-2
Insidethevehicle...............8-3
Maintenance precautions ...........8-5
Outside the vehicle ..............8-2
Seatbeltmaintenance............1-19
Underthehoodandvehicle .........8-4
Malfunction indicator light ............2-15
Manual front seat adjustment ...........1-2
Maplights ....................2-50
Map pocket ....................2-37
Meters and gauges ................2-3
Instrument brightness control ........2-33
Mirror Automatic anti-glare inside mirror ......3-31
Inside mirror .................3-30
Outside mirrors ...............3-32
Vanity mirror .................3-30
Moonroof .....................2-46
Music Box hard-disk drive audio system . . .4-85 N
NISSAN Intelligent Key™ ............3-18
NISSAN vehicle immobilizer
system ................2-27,3-3,5-10
NISSAN voice recognition system ......4-125
O
Octane rating (See fuel octane rating) ......9-4
Odometer .....................2-4
Oil Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants .................9-2
Changingengineoil.............8-11
Changing
engine oil filter ..........8-12
Checking engine oil level ..........8-10
Engine oil ...................8-10
Engine oil and oil filter recommendation . . .9-5
Engine oil viscosity ..............9-5
Outside mirrors .................3-32
Overheat If your vehicle overheats ...........6-10
Owner’s manual order form ...........9-27
Owner’s manual/service manual order
information ....................9-27
P
Parking Parking brake operation ...........5-19
Parking/parking on hills ...........5-23
Personallights..................2-50
10-4