In order to maintain the appearance of your ve-
hicle, it is important to take proper care of it.
To protect the paint surfaces, please wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:● after a rainfall to prevent possible damage
from acid rain.
● after driving on coastal roads.
● when contaminants such as soot, bird drop-
pings, tree sap, metal particles or bugs get
on the paint surface.
● when dust or mud builds up on the surface.
Whenever possible, store or park your vehicle
inside a garage or in a covered area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park in a
shady area or protect the vehicle with a body
cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint surface
when putting on or removing the body
cover.
WASHING
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of
water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly using a mild
soap, a special vehicle soap or general purpose
dishwashing liquid mixed with clean, lukewarm
(never hot) water.
CAUTION
● Do not use car washes that use acid in
the detergent. Some car washes, espe-
cially brushless ones, use some acid for
cleaning. The acid may react with some
plastic vehicle components, causing
them to crack. This could affect their
appearance, and also could cause them
not to function properly. Always check
with your car wash to confirm that acid
is not used.
● Do not wash the vehicle with strong
household soap, strong chemical deter-
gents, gasoline or solvents.
● Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun-
light or while the vehicle body is hot, as
the surface may become water-spotted.
● Avoid using tight-napped or rough
cloths, such as washing mitts. Care
must be taken when removing
caked-on dirt or other foreign sub-
stances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of clean
water. Inside flanges, seams and folds on the doors,
hatches and hood are particularly vulnerable to
the effects of road salt. Therefore, these areas
must be cleaned regularly. Take care that the
drain holes in the lower edge of the door are
open. Spray water under the body and in the
wheel wells to loosen the dirt and wash away
road salt.
A damp chamois can be used to dry the vehicle to
avoid water spots.
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
re-applying wax.
A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choosing the
proper product.
● Wax your vehicle only after a thorough wash-
ing. 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 compounding or aggressive polishing
on a base coat/clear coat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care
If replacement is required, see your NISSAN
dealer for assistance.
Iridium-tipped spark plugs (VQ40DE
models)
It is not necessary to replace iridium-tippedA
spark plugs as frequently as conventional type
spark plugs because they last much longer. Fol-
low the maintenance log shown in the “NISSAN
Service and Maintenance Guide”. Do not service
iridium-tipped spark plugs by cleaning or regap-
ping.● Always replace spark plugs with rec-
ommended or equivalent ones.
If replacement is required, see your NISSAN
dealer for assistance. The air cleaner filter should not be cleaned and
reused. Replace it according to the maintenance
log shown in the “NISSAN Service and Mainte-
nance Guide.” When replacing the filter, wipe the
inside of the air cleaner filter housing and the
cover with a damp cloth.
To remove the VQ40DE air cleaner filter:
1Push down on the clips and remove the air
cleaner cover. Remove the air cleaner filter.
To remove the QR25DE air cleaner filter: 1. Unlatch the clips
A,B,C. 2. Push down half of air cleaner to clear the
bottom retainers.
3. Lift up on half of air cleaner to remove the air cleaner filter
VQ40DE
WDI0686
QR25DE
LDI0465
AIR CLEANER
8-20Maintenance and do-it-yourself
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LIGHTS
ItemWattage (W)Bulb No.*1
Headlight 60/559007 (HB5)
Turn signal light/Parking light 28/8HT7444NA
Side marker 5168
Rear combination light Turn signal 273156AK
Stop/Tail 27/83157K
Back-up 18921
License plate light 5W5W
Fog light*
2(if so equipped) 55H11
Map lights (if so equipped) 8AL12
Interior light 8AL25
High-mounted stop light/cargo light*
212.8 912LF
Always check with the Parts Department at a NISSAN dealer for the latest parts information.
* The bulb is not serviceable in-vehicle. See a NISSAN dealer for assistance.1. Map lights (if so equipped)
2. Interior light
3. High-mounted stop light/cargo light
4. License plate light
5. Rear combination light
6. Fog light (if so equipped)
7. Headlight assembly
LDI0713
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-31
