2014 INFINITI Q50-HYBRID maintenance

8-36Maintenance and do-it-yourself
or icy conditions, INFINITI recommends the
use of SNOW tires or ALL SEASON tires on
all four wheels.
Snow tires
If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to
select tires equivalent in size and load
rating to the original equipment tires. If
you do not, it can adversely affect the
safety and handling of your vehicle.
Generally, snow tires will have lower speed
ratings than factory equipped tires and
may not match the potential maximum
vehicle speed. Never exceed the maximum
speed rating of the tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the
same size, brand, construction and tread
pattern on all four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads,
studded tires may be used. However, some
U.S. states and Canadian provinces prohi-
bit their use. Check local, state and
provincial laws before installing studded
tires. Skid and traction capabilities of
studded snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces,
may be poorer than that of non-studded
snow tires.
Run-flat tires
Your vehicle is equipped with run-flat tires.
You can continue driving to a safe location
even if they are punctured. Always use run-
flat tires of the specified size on all four
wheels. Mixing tire sizes or construction
may reduce vehicle handling stability. If
necessary, contact an INFINITI retailer for
assistance.
Frequently check the tire pressure and
adjust pressure of each tire properly. The
tire pressure can be also checked in the
vehicle information display.
It can be difficult to tell if a run-flat tire is
under-inflated or flat. Check the tire
pressures as described earlier in this
section. If the tire becomes under-inflated
while driving, the low tire pressure warning
light will illuminate. If the tire becomes flat
while driving, the low tire pressure warning
light and the“Flat Tire - Visit dealer”
warning will appear.
Low tire pressure:
If the vehicle is being driven with low tire
pressure, the low tire pressure warning
light will illuminate. Flat tire:
If the vehicle is being driven with one or
more flat tires, the low tire pressure
warning light will illuminate continuously
and a chime will sound for 10 seconds. A
“
Flat Tire - Visit dealer” warning also
appears in the vehicle information display.
The chime will only sound at the first
indication of a flat tire and the warning
light will illuminate continuously. When the
flat tire warning is activated, have the
system reset and the tire checked and
replaced if necessary by an INFINITI retai-
ler. Even if the tire is inflated to the
specified COLD tire pressure, the warning
light will continue to illuminate until the
system is reset by an INFINITI retailer.
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates continuously and the “Flat Tire
- Visit dealer” warning appears in the
vehicle information display:
. Do not exceed 50 MPH (80 km/h).
. Increase your following distance to
allow for increased stopping distances.
. Avoid sudden maneuvers, hard corner-
ing and hard braking.

WARNING
.Although you can continue driving with a
punctured run-flat tire, remember that
vehicle handling stability is reduced,
which could lead to an accident and
personal injury. Also, driving a long
distance at high speeds may damage
the tire.
. Do not drive at speeds above 50 MPH
(80 km/h) and do not drive more than
approximately 93 miles (150 km) with a
punctured run-flat tire. The actual dis-
tance the vehicle can be driven on a flat
tire depends on outside temperature,
vehicle load, road conditions and other
factors.
. Drive safely at reduced speeds. Avoid
hard cornering or braking, which may
cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
. If you detect any unusual sounds or
vibrations while driving with a punctured
run-flat tire, pull off the road to a safe
location and stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. The tire may be seriously
damaged and need to be replaced.
CAUTION
.Never install tire chains on a punctured
run-flat tire, as this could damage your
vehicle.
. Avoid driving over any projection or
pothole, as the clearance between the
vehicle and the ground is smaller than
normal.
. Do not enter an automated car wash with
a punctured run-flat tire.
. Have the punctured tire inspected by an
INFINITI retailer or other authorized
repair shop. Replace the tire as soon
as possible if the tire is seriously
damaged.
TIRE CHAINS
Use of tire chains may be prohibited
according to location. Check the local laws
before installing tire chains. When instal-
ling tire chains, make sure they are the
proper size for the tires on your vehicle and
are installed according to the chain man-
ufacturer’ s suggestions. Use only SAE
Class S chains. Class“S”chains are used
on vehicles with restricted tire to vehicle clearance. Vehicles that can use Class
“S”
chains are designed to meet the SAE
standard minimum clearances between
the tire and the closest vehicle suspension
or body component required to accommo-
date the use of a winter traction device (tire
chains or cables). The minimum clearances
are determined using the factory equipped
tire size. Other types may damage your
vehicle. Use chain tensioners when recom-
mended by the tire chain manufacturer to
ensure a tight fit. Loose end links of the
tire chain must be secured or removed to
prevent the possibility of whipping action
damage to the fenders or underbody. If
possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle
when using tire chains. In addition, drive at
a reduced speed. Otherwise, your vehicle
may be damaged and/or vehicle handling
and performance may be adversely af-
fected.
Tire chains must be installed only on the
rear wheels and not on the front wheels.
Never install tire chains on a punctured
run-flat tire, as this could damage your
vehicle.
Do not use tire chains on dry roads. Driving
with tire chains in such conditions can
cause damage to the various mechanisms
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-37

8-38Maintenance and do-it-yourself
of the vehicle due to some overstress.
SDI1662
CHANGING WHEELS AND TIRES
Tire rotation
INFINITI recommends rotating the
tires every 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
(See“Jacking up the vehicle and
replacing tires” (P.8-40) for tire re-
placing procedures.)
As soon as possible, tighten the
wheel nuts to the specified torque
with a torque wrench.
Wheel nut tightening torque:80 ft-lb (108 N·m) The wheel nuts must be kept tigh-
tened to the specification at all
times. It is recommended that wheel
nuts be tightened to the specifica-
tion at each tire rotation interval.
WARNING
.
After rotating the tires, check and
adjust the tire pressure.
. Retighten the wheel nuts when
the vehicle has been driven for
600 miles (1,000 km) (also in
cases of a flat tire, etc.).
. For additional information regard-
ing tires, refer to “Important Tire
Safety Information ”(US) or “Tire
Safety Information ”(Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.

SDI1663
1.Wear indicator
2.Wear indicator location mark
Tire wear and damage
WARNING
.Tires should be periodically in-
spected for wear, cracking, bul-
ging or objects caught in the
tread. If excessive wear, cracks,
bulging or deep cuts are found,
the tire(s) should be replaced. .
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.
. 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” (P.9-8) for recommended
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, radial or run-flat), or tread
patterns can adversely affect the ride,
braking, handling, ground clearance,
body-to-tire clearance, tire chain clear-
ance, speedometer calibration, head-
light aim and bumper height. Some of
these effects may lead to accidents and
could result in serious personal injury.
. For Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models, if
your vehicle was originally equipped
with 4 tires that were the same size
and you are only replacing 2 of the 4
tires, install the new tires on the rear
axle. Placing new tires on the front axle
may cause loss of vehicle control in
some driving conditions and cause an
accident and 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-
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-39

8-40Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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” (P.9-
9) of this manual for wheel off-set
dimensions.
. When r 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 reset-
ting.
. 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-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty In- formation Booklet.
Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
models
CAUTION
Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), and tread pattern on all four wheels.
Failure to do so may result in a circumfer-
ence difference between tires on the front
and rear axles which will cause excessive
tire wear and may damage the transmission,
transfer case and differential gears.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is
recommended that all four tires be re-
placed with tires of the same size, brand,
construction and tread pattern. The tire
pressure and wheel alignment should also
be checked and corrected as necessary.
Contact an INFINITI retailer.
Wheel balance
Unbalanced wheels may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Even with regular
use, wheels can get out of balance. There- fore, they should be balanced as required.
Wheel balance service should be per-
formed with the wheels off the vehicle.
Spin balancing the wheels on the vehicle
could lead to mechanical damage.
For additional information regarding tires,
refer to
“Important Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information” (Canada)
in the INFINITI Warranty Information Book-
let.
Care of wheels
See “Cleaning exterior” (P.7-2) for details
about care of the wheels.
JACKING UP THE VEHICLE AND
REPLACING TIRES
Your vehicle is equipped with run-flat tires
and you can continue driving to a safe
location even if they are punctured. (See
“Run-flat tires” (P.6-4) and“Run-flat tires”
(P.8-36).)
This section contains the information
about the vehicle jack-up procedures and
the tire replacement.
NOTE:
Jacking tools are not equipped as standard
with this vehicle. Contact an INFINITI

retailer about acquiring the tools.
WARNING
.Make sure the parking brake is securely
applied and the transmission into the P
(Park) position.
. Never change tires when the vehicle is
on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
. Never change tires if oncoming traffic is
close to your vehicle. Wait for profes-
sional road assistance.
MCE0001A
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks*1at both the front
and back of the wheel diagonally opposite
the flat tire to prevent the vehicle from
moving when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the vehicle
may move and result in personal injury.
Jacking up the vehicle and remov-
ing a tire
WARNING
. Never get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by the jack. If it is
necessary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
. Use the correct jack-up points. Never use
any other part of the vehicle for jack
support.
. Never jack up the vehicle more than
necessary.
. Never use blocks on or under the jack.
. Do not start or run the INFINITI Direct
Response Hybrid
®System while vehicle
is on the jack, as it may cause the
vehicle to move. This is especially true
for vehicles with limited slip differen-
tials.
. Do not allow passengers to stay in the
vehicle while it is on the jack.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-41

8-42Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Carefully read the caution label attached to
the jack body and the following instruc-
tions.
CE1089-A
Jack-up point
1. Place the jack directly under the jack-up
point as illustrated so the top of the
jack contacts the vehicle at the jack-up
point. Align the jack head between the
two notches in the front or the rear as
shown. Also fit the groove of the jack
head between the notches as shown.
The jack should be used on level firm
ground.

SCE0504
2. Loosen each wheel nut one or two turnsby turning counterclockwise with the
wheel nut wrench. Do not remove the
wheel nuts until the tire is off the
ground.
3. Carefully raise the vehicle until the tire clears the ground. To lift the vehicle,
securely hold the jack lever and rod
with both hands as shown above.
Remove the wheel nuts, and then
remove the tire.
Installing a tire
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surfacebetween the wheel and hub. 2. Carefully put the tire on and tighten the
wheel nuts finger tight.
3. With the wheel nut wrench, tighten wheel nuts alternately and evenly in the
sequence as illustrated (
*1,*2,*3,
*4,*5) until they are tight.
4. Lower the vehicle slowly until the tire touches the ground. Then, with the
wheel nut wrench, tighten the wheel
nuts securely in the sequence as
illustrated. Lower the vehicle comple-
tely.
WARNING
. Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tigh-
tened wheel nuts can cause the wheel to
become loose or come off. This could
cause an accident.
. Do not use oil or grease on the wheel
studs or nuts. This could cause the nuts
to become loose.
. Retighten the wheel nuts when the
vehicle has been driven for 600 miles
(1,000 km).
.As soon as possible, tighten the
wheel nuts to the specified torque
with a torque wrench.
Wheel nut tightening torque: 80 ft-lb (108 N·m)
The wheel nuts must be kept tigh-
tened to specification at all times. It
is recommended that wheel nuts be
tightened to specifications at each
lubrication interval.
.Adjust tire pressure to the COLD pressure.
COLD tire pressure:
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-43