2012 NISSAN MAXIMA manual transmission

To remove the engine compartment covers, un-
hook the clips
Alocated as illustrated.
To remove the engine cover, pull the cover up-
ward first
1and then toward the front of the
vehicle
2. The engine cooling system is filled at the factory
with a pre-diluted mixture of 50% Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) and
50% water to provide year-round anti-freeze and
coolant protection. The antifreeze solution con-
tains rust and corrosion inhibitors. Additional en-
gine cooling system additives are not necessary.
WARNING
●
Never remove the radiator or coolant
reservoir cap when the engine is hot.
Wait until the engine and radiator cool
down. Serious burns could be caused
by high pressure fluid escaping from
the radiator. See precautions in “If your
vehicle overheats” found in the “In case
of emergency” section of this manual.
● The radiator is equipped with a pres-
sure type radiator cap. To prevent en-
gine damage, use only a genuine
NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
● Never use any cooling system additives
such as radiator sealer. Additives may
clog the cooling system and cause
damage to the engine, transmission
and/or cooling system.
LDI0734
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-7

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be slightly different. When refilling, follow the procedure
described in the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Capacity (Approximate)Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
US measure Imp measure Liter
Fuel 20 gal16-5/8 gal 75.6 Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI (RON 96) *1
Engine oil *7 Drain and RefillWith oil filter change 5-1/8 qt 4-1/4 qt 4.8
Engine oil with API Certification Mark *2, *3
Viscosity SAE 5W-30 *2, *3
Without oil filter change 4-3/4 qt 4 qt 4.5
Cooling system With reservoir 2-3/8 gal 2 gal 9.0Pre-diluted Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent
CVT fluid See a NISSAN dealer for service. Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-2 *4
Power steering fluid (PSF) Refill to the proper level according to the instructions in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section. Genuine NISSAN PSF or equivalent.*8
Brake fluid Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid *5 or equivalent DOT 3
Multi-purpose grease —— —NLGI No. 2 (Lithium Soap base)
Air conditioning system refrigerant — ——HFC-134a (R-134a) *6
Air conditioning system oil —— —Genuine NISSAN A/C System Oil Type S or equivalent *6
Windshield-washer fluid 1-1/4 gal 1 gal4.5Genuine NISSAN Windshield Washer Concentrate Cleaner & Antifreeze or
equivalent
*1: For further details, see “Fuel recommendation” in this section.
*2: For further details, see “Engine oil and oil filter recommendation” in this section.
*3: NISSAN recommends Genuine NISSAN Ester Engine Oil available at a NISSAN dealer.
*4: Use only Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-2. Using transmission fluid other than Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-2 will damage the CVT, which is not covered by
the NISSAN new vehicle limited warranty.
*5: Available in mainland USA through a NISSAN dealer.
*6: For further details, see “Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil recommendations” in this section.
*7: For further details, see “Engine Oil” in the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
*8: DEXRON™ VI type ATF may also be used.
CAPACITIES AND RECOMMENDED
FUEL/LUBRICANTS
9-2Technical and consumer information

Temperature conditions also can affect towing.
For example, towing a heavy trailer in high outside
temperatures on graded roads can affect engine
performance and cause overheating. The trans-
mission high fluid temperature protection mode,
which helps reduce the chance of transmission
damage, could activate and automatically de-
crease engine power. Under some conditions,
engine and vehicle speed could be reduced. Plan
your trip carefully to account for trailer and vehicle
load, weather, and road conditions.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced engine
power and lower vehicle speed. Also,
when the high temperature mode oper-
ates, engine and vehicle speed may be
gradually reduced. On highways, the re-
duced speed may be lower than other traf-
fic which could increase the chance of a
collision. Be especially careful when driv-
ing. If the vehicle cannot maintain a safe
driving speed, pull to the side of the road
in a safe area and allow the engine to cool
or the transmission to return to normal
operation. See “If your vehicle overheats”
in the “In case of emergency” section of
this manual.
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from improper
towing procedures is not covered by
NISSAN warranties.
Tongue load
Keep the tongue load between 10 - 15 percent of
the total trailer load or use the trailer tongue load
specified by the trailer manufacturer. The tongue
load must be within the maximum tongue load
limits shown in the following “Towing
Load/Specification” chart. If the tongue load be-
comes excessive, rearrange cargo to allow for
proper tongue load.
WTI0160
9-16Technical and consumer information

●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.
To drive away: 1. Start the vehicle. 2. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer are
clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks. ● While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and use the manual shift mode (M5) . Avoid
long or repeated use of the brakes when
descending a hill, as this reduces their effec-
tiveness and could cause overheating. Shift-
ing the manual shift mode to M5 (5th) pro-
vides “engine braking” and reduces the need
to brake as frequently.
● If the engine coolant temperature rises to a
high temperature, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this owner’s manual.
● Trailer towing requires more fuel than normal
circumstances.
● Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (805 km) . ●
For the first 500 miles (805 km) that you do
tow, do not drive over 50 MPH (80 km/h) .
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
Maintenance Schedule in the “NISSAN Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide”.
● When making a turn, your trailer wheels will
be closer to the inside of the turn than your
vehicle wheels. To compensate for this,
make a larger than normal turning radius
during the turn.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly caus-
ing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway: 1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions allow.
This combination will help stabilize the ve-
hicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering or applying the brakes.
Technical and consumer information9-21

2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply thebrakes and pull to the side of the road in a
safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is bal- anced as described earlier in this section.
● Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember, the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
● Use the Tow Mode or downshift the trans-
mission to a lower gear for engine braking
when driving down steep or long hills. This
will help slow the vehicle without applying
the brakes.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● NISSAN recommends that the cruise con-
trol not be used while towing a trailer. ●
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, transmission fluid
should be changed more frequently. For
additional information, see the “Mainte-
nance 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 automatic transmis-
sion vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground (flat towing) . Doing so WILL
DAMAGE internal transmission 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.
Continuously Variable Transmission
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.
9-22Technical and consumer information

Phone, Bluetoothhands-free
system.................4- 115, 4-129
Power Power door locks ...............3-5
Power outlet .................2-38
Power rear windows .............2-45
Power steering fluid .............8-12
Power steering system ...........5-22
Power windows ...............2-44
Rear power windows ............2-45
Precautions Maintenanceprecautions...........8-5
Precautions on child
restraints .........1-19,1-25,1-29,1-33
Precautionsonseatbeltusage.......1-11
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ....................1-37
Precautions when starting and driving ....5-2
Programmable features ..........4-9,4-24
Push starting ....................6-9
R
Radio Car phone or CB radio ..........4-114
Compact Disc (CD) changer ........4-65
FM-AM radio with compact disc
(CD) changer ................4-63
FM/AM/SAT radio with CD/DVD player . .4-75
FM/AM/SAT radio with compact disc
(CD) player ..................4-68
Steering wheel audio control switch . . .4-112
Readiness for inspection maintenance
(I/M) test .....................9-25
Rear power windows ..............2-45 Rearseat......................1-5
Rearsunshade .................2-50
RearViewMonitor................4-34
Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch
.......................2-29
Recorders Eventdata..................9-25
Refrigerant recommendation ...........9-6
Registering your vehicle in another country . . .9-9
Reporting safety defects (US only) .......9-24
Resetting the fuel economy ........4-7,4-21
S
Safety Child safety rear door lock ..........3-6
Child seat belts .....1-19,1-25,1-29,1-33
Reporting safety defects (US only) .....9-24
Seat adjustment Front power seat adjustment .........1-3
Seatback pockets ................2-39
Seat belt Childsafety..................1-17
Infants and small children ..........1-18
Injured Person ................1-14
Largerchildren................1-18
Precautions on seat belt usage .......1-11
Pregnant women ...............1-14
Seatbeltextenders .............1-17
Seatbeltmaintenance............1-17
Seatbelts...................1-11
Shoulder belt height adjustment ......1-16
Three-point type with retractor .......1-14
Seat belt warning light ..............2-13 Seats
Adjustment ...................1-2
Automatic drive positioner ..........3-29
Frontseats...................1-2
Heated seats .............2-35,2-37
Rearseat....................1-5
Security indicator light ..............2-15
Security system (NISSAN vehicle immobilizer
system) , engine start ........2-26,3-3,5-10
Self-adjusting brakes ..............8-20
Service manual order form ...........9-26
Servicing air conditioner .............4-47
Setting button ...............
4-9,4-24
Shifting Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT).....................5-13
Shiftlockrelease.................5-16
Shoulder belt height adjustment ........1-16
Spark plug replacement .............8-17
Speedometer ...................2-4
Spotlights(Seemaplight) ...........2-53
SRSwarninglabel................1-51
Starting Before starting the engine ..........5-10
Jump starting .................6-7
Precautions when starting and driving ....5-2
Push starting ..................6-9
Starting the engine .............5-11
Steering Heated steering wheel ...........2-37
Power steering fluid .............8-12
Power steering system ...........5-22
Steering wheel audio control switch .....4-112
Stoplight.....................8-27
Storage......................2-39
Sunglasses case .................2-40
10-5