Inside the vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
checked on a regular basis, such as when
performing scheduled maintenance, cleaning
the vehicle, etc.
Accelerator pedal:Check the pedal for
smooth operation and make sure the pedal
does not catch or require uneven effort. Keep
the floor mat away from the pedal.
Transmission
&Pmechanism: On a fairly
steep hill, check that your vehicle is held
securely with the shift lever in the
&Pposition
without applying any brakes.
Brake pedal: Check the pedal for smooth
operation. If the brake pedal suddenly goes
down further than normal, the pedal feels
spongy or the vehicle seems to take longer to
stop, see a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer
immediately. Keep the floor mat away from the
pedal.
Brakes: Check that the brakes do not pull the
vehicle to one side when applied.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake
operation regularly. The vehicle should be
securely held on a fairly steep hill with only the
parking brake applied. If the parking brake needs
to be adjusted, see a GT-R certified NISSAN
dealer. Seat belts:
Check that all parts of the seat belt
system (for example, buckles, anchors, adjuster
and retractors) operate properly and smoothly,
and are installed securely. Check the belt
webbing for cuts, fraying, wear or damage.
Seats: Check seat position controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. to ensure
they operate smoothly and that all latches lock
securely in every position.
Steering wheel: Check for changes in the
steering conditions, such as excessive free play,
hard steering or strange noises.
Warning lights and chimes: Make sure that
all warning lights and chimes are operating
properly.
Windshield defroster: Check that the air
comes out of the defroster outlets properly and
in sufficient quantity when operating the heater
or air conditioner.
Windshield wiper and washer*: Check that
the wipers and washer operate properly and that
the wipers do not streak.
Under the hood and vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
checked periodically (for example, each time you
check the engine oil or refuel) . Battery*:
Check the fluid level in each cell. It
should be between the MAX and MIN lines.
Vehicles operated in high temperatures or under
severe condition require frequent checks of the
battery fluid level.
Brake fluid level*: Make sure that the brake
fluid level is between the MAX and MIN lines on
the reservoir.
Engine coolant level*: Check the coolant level
when the engine is cold.
Engine drive belts*: Make sure that no belt is
frayed, worn, cracked or oily.
Engine oil level*: Check the level after parking
the vehicle on a level spot and turning off the
engine. Wait at least 5 minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking the
oil.
Exhaust system: Make sure there are no loose
supports, cracks or holes. If the sound of the
exhaust seems unusual or there is a smell of
exhaust fumes in the engine compartment,
immediately have the exhaust system inspected
by a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer.
(“Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)” page
5-3)
Fluid leaks: Check under the vehicle for fuel,
oil, water or other fluid leaks after the vehicle has
been parked for a while. Water dripping from the
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-5
8-6Maintenance and do-it-yourself
air conditioner after use is normal. If you should
notice any leaks or if gasoline fumes are evident,
check for the cause and have it corrected
immediately.
Power steering fluid level* and lines:Check
the level when the fluid is cold, with the engine
off. Check the lines for proper attachment, leaks,
cracks, etc.
Radiator and hoses: Check the front of the
radiator and clean off any dirt, insects, leaves,
etc., that may have accumulated. Make sure the
hoses have no cracks, deformation, rot or loose
connections.
Underbody: The underbody is frequently ex-
posed to corrosive substances such as those
used on icy roads or to control dust. It is very
important to remove these substances, other-
wise rust will form on the floor pan, frame, fuel
lines and around the exhaust system. At the end
of winter, the underbody should be thoroughly
flushed with plain water, being careful to clean
those areas where mud and dirt may accumu-
late. (
“Underbody” page 7-3)
Windshield washer fluid*: Check that there is
adequate fluid in the reservoir.
When performing any inspection or mainte-
nance work on your vehicle, always take care
to prevent serious accidental injury to yourself or
damage to the vehicle. The following are general
precautions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
apply the parking brake securely
and block the wheels to prevent
the vehicle from moving. Move the
shift lever to the
&Pposition.
. Be sure the ignition switch is in the
OFF or LOCK position when per-
forming any parts replacement or
repairs.
. If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from moving
fans, belts and any other moving
parts.
. It is advisable to secure or remove
any loose clothing and remove any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
. Always wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle. .
If you must run the engine in an
enclosed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape.
. Never get under the vehicle while it
is supported only by a jack. If it is
necessary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
. Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from fuel tank and the
battery.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic engine cooling fan. It may
come on at any time without warn-
ing, even if the ignition key is in the
OFF position and the engine is not
running. To avoid injury, always
disconnect the negative battery
cable before working near the fan.
. The fuel filter or fuel lines should be
serviced by a GT-R certified NISSAN
dealer because the fuel lines are
under high pressure even when the
engine is off.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
If the brakes do not operate properly, have the
brakes checked by a GT-R certified NISSAN
dealer.
SELF-ADJUSTING BRAKES
Your vehicle is equipped with self-adjusting
brakes.
The disc-type brakes self-adjust every time the
brake pedal is applied.
WARNING
See a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer for
a brake system check if the brake pedal
height does not return to normal.
BRAKE PAD WEAR WARNING
The disc brake pads have audible wear warn-
ings. When a brake pad requires replacement, it
will make a high pitched scraping sound when
the vehicle is in motion. This scraping sound will
first occur only when the brake pedal is
depressed. After more wear of the brake pad,
the sound will always be heard even if the brake
pedal is not depressed. Have the brakes
checked as soon as possible if the wear warning
sound is heard.
Under some driving or climate conditions,occasional brake squeak, squeal or other noise
may be heard. Occasional brake noise during
light to moderate stops is normal and does not
affect the function or performance of the brake
system.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.
For additional information, see the
maintenance log section of your NISSAN
Service and Maintenance Guide for mainte-
nance intervals.
HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKE SYS-
TEM
This vehicle is equipped with high performance
brake pads that provide appropriate braking
force in a broad range of driving environments.
Due to the material used for the brake pads, the
road wheels may become more easily covered
by brake dust, however this does not indicate
that there is a malfunction.
The GT-R brake pads use material that contains
a lot of iron to maintain steady braking perfor-
mance even in high and low temperatures.
However, if the brake system is wet and the
parking brake is applied for a long time, the iron
in this material may get rusty and the brake pad
and disc rotor may be fixed together. This may
cause noise and vibration while driving. Before
parking the vehicle, dry the brake by driving on a dry road, especially after washing the vehicle or
driving in rain. Contact a GT-R certified NISSAN
dealer if the noise and vibration continue.
Frequent hard braking may cause scorching of
the brake pads. This will require the brake pads
to be replaced, even if the wear limit has not
been reached. Have the brake pads and disc
rotors inspected at the regular vehicle inspec-
tions.
For more details, contact a GT-R certified
NISSAN dealer.
REPLACING THE BRAKE PADS
NISSAN generally recommends to replace all
four sets of brake pads and disc rotors at the
same time to maintain maximum brake perfor-
mance.
However, replacing only the brake pads may be
allowed in some cases (four wheels or only front
wheels depending on the conditions). A GT-R
certified technician must inspect the vehicle and
determine that only the brake pads need to be
replaced. In this case, replacing all brake pads
and disc rotors as a set is not necessary.
Note that the replacement of brake pads and the
disc rotors as a set on all four wheels should be
performed when a GT-R certified technician
determines that this is the correct repair.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-23
BRAKES
8-32Maintenance and do-it-yourself
If you have a flat tire, see the following
section. (“Flat tire” page 6-3)
CAUTION
A GT-R certified NISSAN dealer should
perform a tire change. It will be neces-
sary to reset the tire pressure sensors.
To change the tires, contact a GT-R
certified NISSAN dealer.
Be sure to use the tires and wheels together as
a set that are designated for use with this
vehicle.
When tire replacement is required, replacing the
tires as a set of four with new tires is
recommended. However, if a tire is punctured
or damaged, it may be possible to replace only
the damaged tire. Determining whether one tire
or a complete set of tires should be replaced is
based on a number of factors including tire wear
and condition. Contact your GT-R certified
NISSAN dealer. They can recommend if an
individual tire or a complete set should be
replaced.
NOTICE
Make sure the tire valve stem cap is
installed and that the valve stem is
tight. When installing the cap, make
sure to tighten the cap by hand. If a tool
is used to tighten the cap, the cap may
be damaged.
TIRE PRESSURE
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) . It monitors tire
pressure of all tires. When the low tire pressure
warning light is lit, one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. The system also
displays pressure of all tires on the multi function
display by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel.
The TPMS will activate only when the vehicle is
driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h).
Also, this system may not detect a sudden drop
in tire pressure. (
“Low tire pressure warn-
ing light” page 2-27) (“Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS)” page 5-4)
(
“Flat tire” page 6-3)
Tire inflation pressure
Check the tire pressure often and always
prior to long distance trips. The recom-
mended tire pressure specifications are
shown on the F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. label
or the Tire and Loading Information label (if
so equipped) under the “Cold Tire Pres-
sure” heading. The Tire and Loading
Information label is affixed to the driver
side door end. Tire pressures should be
checked regularly because:
.Most tires naturally lose air over time.
.Tires can lose air suddenly when driven
over potholes or other objects or if the
vehicle strikes a curb while parking.
NOTE:
. You can check the pressure of all four
tires on the multi function display. See
the separate Multi Function Display
Owner’s Manual.
. The tires of this vehicle are filled with
nitrogen gas. When the tire pressure is
low, fill the tires with nitrogen. Contact
a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer for
information on filling the tires with
nitrogen.
WHEELS AND TIRES
.If nitrogen is not available, compressed
air may be safely used under normal
driving conditions. However, NISSAN
recommends refilling with nitrogen for
maximum tire performance.
The tire pressures should be checked
when the tires are cold. The tires are
considered COLD after the vehicle has
been parked for 3 or more hours, or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) at moderate
speeds.
Incorrect tire pressure, including un-
der inflation, may adversely affect tire
life and vehicle handling.
WARNING
.Improperly inflated tires can fail
suddenly and cause an accident.
.The Gross Vehicle Weight rating
(GVWR) is located on the F.M.V.
S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification la-
bel. The vehicle weight capacity
is indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information label (if so
equipped) . Do not load your vehicle beyond this capacity.
Overloading your vehicle may
result in reduced tire life, unsafe
operating conditions due to pre-
mature tire failure, or unfavor-
able handling characteristics
and could also lead to a serious
accident. Loading beyond the
specified capacity may also re-
sult in failure of other vehicle
components.
.Before taking a long trip, or
whenever you heavily load your
vehicle, use a tire pressure
gauge to ensure that the tire
pressures are at the specified
level.
.For additional information re-
garding tires, refer to “Important
Tire Safety Information” (US) or
“Tire Safety Information” (Cana-
da) in the Warranty Information
Booklet.
NOTE:
.
Use only genuine GT-R tires and road
wheels.
The GT-R uses specially designed run-
flat tires and matching road wheels.
Use of these specially developed tires
and wheels provides the greatest po-
tential for maximum performance.
—Genuine GT-R tires and road wheels
help achieve maximum cornering
and braking performance.
— Genuine GT-R tires and road wheels
help achieve maximum tire durabil-
ity during acceleration.
— Genuine GT-R tires and road wheels
help achieve maximum handling
capability during performance driv-
ing.
— Genuine GT-R tires and road wheels
help provide road holding in the
event of decreasing tire pressure
and punctures.
— Genuine GT-R tires and road wheels
help prevent the decrease of
straight-running stability caused by
uneven tire wear due to high rigidity
wheels and wide tires.
. The GT-R uses specially designed run-
flat tires which feature an extremely
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-33
8-34Maintenance and do-it-yourself
rigid side wall. Special techniques and
equipment are therefore required when
replacing these tires. NISSAN recom-
mends that tire replacement be per-
formed at a GT-R certified NISSAN
dealer.
. Specific tire changing equipment must
be used to remove the GT-R tires from
the wheel and to install the GT-R tires
onto the wheel. It is only possible to
reuse the tires when they have no
cracks and/or deformations on the
bead portion of the tire. If the incorrect
equipment is used to remove the GT-R
tires from the wheel and to install the
GT-R tires onto the wheel, cracks and
deformation may occur on the bead
portion of the tires meaning that the
tires cannot be reused. Contact a GT-R
certified NISSAN dealer if the tires
need to be removed from the wheels.TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL
*1Seating capacity: The maximum number
of occupants that can be seated in the
vehicle.
*2Vehicle load limit: See the following
section. (
“Vehicle loading informa- tion” page 9-14)
*3Original size: The size of the tires
originally installed on the vehicle at the
factory.
8-36Maintenance and do-it-yourself
filling with nitrogen for maximum
tire performance.
Summer tires:
SIZE COLD TIRE
INFLATION
PRESSURE
FRONT ORI- GINAL TIRE 255/40ZR-
F20 (97Y) 29 PSI (200
kPa)
REAR ORI-
GINAL TIRE 285/35ZR-
F20 (100Y) 29 PSI (200
kPa)
All-season tires:
SIZE
COLD TIRE
INFLATION
PRESSURE
FRONT ORI- GINAL TIRE 255/40RF20
97W 29 PSI (200
kPa)
REAR ORI-
GINAL TIRE 285/35RF20
100W 29 PSI (200
kPa)
See “Additional maintenance items” in the
“GT-R Overview” section for the tire pressure
specifications necessary for the driving condi-
tions listed in that section. (
“Wheels and
tires” page GTR-17)
Example
TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the side-
wall of all tires. This information identifies
and describes the fundamental character-
istics of the tire and also provides the tire
identification number (TIN) for safety stan-
dard certification. The TIN can be used to
identify the tire in case of a recall.
Example
1.Tire size (example: P215/65R15 95H)
a.P: The “P” indicates the tire is designed for passenger vehicles.
(Not all tires have this information.)
b.Three-digit number (215): This num-
ber gives the width in millimeters of
the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge.
c.Two-digit number (65): This number, known as the aspect ratio, gives the
tire’s ratio of height to width.
d.R: The “R” stands for radial.
e.Two-digit number (15): This number
is the wheel or rim diameter in
inches.
f.Two- or three-digit number (95): Thisnumber is the tire’s load index. It is a
measurement of how much weight
each tire can support. You may not
find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
g.H: Tire speed rating. You should notdrive the vehicle faster than the tire
speed rating.
Example
2.TIN (Tire Identification Number) for a
new tire (example: DOT XX XX XXX
XXXX)
a.DOT: Abbreviation for the “Depart- ment of Transportation”. The symbol
can be placed above, below or to the
left or right of the Tire Identification
Number.
b.Two-digit code: Manufacturer’s iden-tification mark
c.Two-digit code: Tire size
d.Three-digit code: Tire type code(Optional)
e.Three-digit code: Date of Manufac-
ture
f.Four numbers represent the week and year the tire was built. For
example, the numbers 3103 means
the 31st week of 2003. If these
numbers are missing, then look on
the other sidewall of the tire.
3.Tire ply composition and material
The number of layers or plies of rubber-
coated fabric in the tire.
Tire manufacturers also must indicate
the materials in the tire, which include
steel, nylon, polyester, and others.
4.Maximum permissible inflation pressure
This number is the greatest amount of
air pressure that should be put in the
tire. Do not exceed the maximum
permissible inflation pressure.
5.Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that can
be carried by the tire. When replacing
the tires on the vehicle, always use a
tire that has the same load rating as the
factory installed tire.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-37