CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir when
the engine is cold. If the coolant level is below
the MIN level
B, add coolant to the MAX level
A. If the reservoir 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 up to the MAX level
A. This vehicle contains Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) . The life expectancy of
the factory-fill coolant is 105,000 miles
(168,000 km) or 7 years. Mixing any other type of
coolant or the use of non-distilled water will re-
duce the life expectancy of the factory-fill coolant.
Refer to the NISSAN Service and Maintenance
Guide for more details.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked by a NISSAN dealer.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
A NISSAN dealer can change the engine coolant.
The service procedure can be found in the
NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheating.
WARNING
●
To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the en-
gine 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 the reach of chil-
dren and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
LDI2167
8-8Maintenance and do-it-yourself
●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.
If any driveability problems such as engine stall-
ing and difficult hot-starting are experienced after
using oxygenate-blend fuels, immediately
change to a non-oxygenate fuel or a fuel with a
low blend of MTBE.
Take care not to spill gasoline during refu-
eling. Gasoline containing oxygenates can
cause paint damage.
E–15 fuel
E-15 fuel is a mixture of approximately 15% fuel
ethanol and 85% unleaded gasoline. E-15 can
only be used in vehicles designed to run on E-15
fuel. Do not use E-15 in your vehicle. U.S. gov-
ernment regulations require fuel ethanol dispens-
ing pumps to be identified with small, square, orange and black label with the common abbre-
viation or the appropriate percentage for that
region.
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 youdetect 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 level
roads, 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.
9-4Technical and consumer information
