REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust, insects,
and tree sap as quickly as possible from the paint
surface to avoid lasting damage or staining. Spe-
cial cleaning products are available at a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer or any automotive acces-
sory stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This will
prevent dirt and salt from building up and causing
the acceleration of corrosion on the underbody
and suspension. Before the winter period and
again in the spring, the underseal must be
checked and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust film
from the glass surfaces. It is normal for glass to
become coated with a film after the vehicle is
parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner and a soft
cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the windows,
do not use sharp-edged tools, abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based disinfectant
cleaners. They could damage the electri-
cal conductors, radio antenna elements
or rear window defroster elements.
SOLAR CELL MODULE (IF SO
EQUIPPED)
The solar cell uses a plastic cover. When clean-
ing the cell:
• Do not polish the solar cell using a dry cloth or a
wax that contains a compound. Doing so may
strip off the hard coating.
• In order to maintain the solar cell’s effective- ness, be sure to remove any leaves or dirt from
the surface of the cell.
WHEELS
Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle to
maintain their appearance.
• Clean the inner side of the wheels when thewheel is changed or the underside of the vehicle
is washed.
• Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or corro- sion. Such damage may cause loss of pressure
or poor seal at the tire bead. • NISSAN recommends that the road wheels be
waxed to protect against road salt in areas
where it is used during winter.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when wash-
ing the wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid
staining or discoloring the wheels:
• Do not use a cleaner that uses strong acid or alkali contents to clean the
wheels.
• Do not apply wheel cleaners to the wheels when they are hot. The wheel
temperature should be the same as
ambient temperature.
• Rinse the wheel to completely remove the cleaner within 15 minutes after the
cleaner is applied.
Appearance and care7-3
8 Maintenance and do-it yourself
Maintenance requirement................. .8-2
Scheduled maintenance ................ .8-2
General maintenance .................. .8-2
Where to go for service ................ .8-2
General maintenance .................... .8-2
Explanation of maintenance items ...........8-2
Maintenance precautions ................. .8-5
Motor compartment check locations ............8-7
Cooling system ....................... .8-7
Checking coolant level ................. .8-8
Changing coolant .................... .8-9
Reduction gear fluid .................... .8-9
Brake fluid ......................... .8-10
Windshield washer fluid ................. .8-10
12-volt battery ....................... .8-11
Jump starting ...................... .8-13
Windshield wiper blades ................. .8-13
Cleaning ........................ .8-13
Replacing ........................ .8-13Rear window wiper blade
.................8-15
Brakes ........................... .8-15
Brake pad wear warning ................8-15
Fuses ............................ .8-16
Motor compartment .................. .8-16
Passenger compartment ................8-18
Nissan Intelligent Key® battery replacement ......8-19
Lights ............................ .8-21
Headlights ....................... .8-22
Exterior and interior lights ...............8-23
Wheels and tires ..................... .8-26
Tire pressure ...................... .8-26
Tire labeling ...................... .8-29
Types of tires ...................... .8-31
Tire chains .......................
.8-32
Changing wheels
and tires ...............8-32
Emergency tire puncture repair kit ..........8-35
keeps the motor hood from opening when the
primary latch is released.
When driving in areas using road salt or other
corrosive materials, check lubrication frequently.
Lights*:Clean the headlights on a regular basis.
Make sure that the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights and other lights are all
operating properly and installed securely. Also
check the aim of the headlights.
Road wheel nuts (lug nuts)*: When checking
the tires, make sure that no wheel nuts are miss-
ing, and check for any loose wheel nuts. Tighten
if necessary.
Tire rotation*: Tires should be rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km) .
Tires*: Check the pressure with a gauge often
and always prior to long distance trips. If neces-
sary, adjust the pressure in all tires to the pres-
sure specified. Check carefully for damage, cuts
or excessive wear.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
transmitter components (if so equipped):
Replace the TPMS transmitter grommet seal,
valve core and cap when the tires are replaced
due to wear or age. Wheel alignment and balance:
If the vehicle
pulls to either side while driving on a straight and
level road, or if you detect uneven or abnormal tire
wear, there may be a need for wheel alignment.
If the steering wheel or seat vibrates at normal
highway speeds, wheel balancing may be
needed.
For additional information regarding tires, refer to
“Important Tire Safety Information” (US) or “Tire
Safety Information” (Canada) in the Warranty In-
formation Booklet.
Windshield: Clean the windshield on a regular
basis. Check the windshield at least every six
months for cracks or other damage. Have a dam-
aged windshield repaired by a qualified repair
facility.
Wiper blades*: Check for cracks or wear if they
do not wipe properly.
Inside vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
checked on a regular basis, such as when per-
forming scheduled maintenance, cleaning the ve-
hicle, etc.
Accelerator pedal: Check the pedal for smooth
operation and make sure that the pedal does not catch or require uneven effort. Keep the floor mat
away from the pedal.
Brake pedal:
Check the pedal for smooth op-
eration and make sure that it is the proper dis-
tance when depressed fully. Check the brake
booster function. If the brake pedal suddenly
goes down further than normal, the pedal feels
spongy or the vehicle seems to take longer to
stop, contact a NISSAN certified LEAF 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.
Electric shift P (Park) position mechanism:
On a steep hill, check that the vehicle is held
securely while the vehicle is in the P (Park) posi-
tion without applying the brakes.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake opera-
tion regularly. The vehicle should be securely held
on a steep hill with only the parking brake applied.
If the parking brake cannot keep a vehicle posi-
tion contact a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
Seat: Check seat position controls such as the
seat adjusters, seatback recliners, etc. to ensure
that they operate smoothly and that all latches
lock securely in every position. Check that the
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-3
If you have a flat tire, see “Flat tire” in the
“In case of emergency” section.
TIRE PRESSURE
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) . It monitors tire pres-
sure of all tires. When the low tire pressure warn-
ing light is lit, and the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE
warning appears on the vehicle information dis-
play, one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated.
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 (for example a flat tire while driving) .
For more details, see “Low tire pressure warning
light” in the “Instruments and controls” section,
“Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the
“Starting and driving” section and “Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the “In case of
emergency” section.
Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure of the tires often and
always prior to long distance trips. Therecommended tire pressure specifica-
tions are shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label under the “Cold Tire
Pressure” heading. The Tire and Loading
Information label is affixed to the driver
side center pillar. 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.
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.
The TPMS with Easy Fill Tire Alert also provides
visual and audible signals outside the vehicle for
inflating the tires to the recommended COLD tire
pressure. (See “TPMS with Easy Fill Tire Alert” in
the “Starting and driving” section.)
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. certification label. The ve-
hicle weight capacity is indicated
on the Tire and Loading Informa-
tion label. Do not load your ve-
hicle beyond this capacity. Over-
loading your vehicle may result
in reduced tire life, unsafe oper-
ating conditions due to prema-
ture tire failure, or unfavorable
handling characteristics and
could also lead to a serious acci-
dent. Loading beyond the speci-
fied capacity may also result in
failure of other vehicle
components.
WHEELS AND TIRES
8-26Maintenance and do-it yourself
•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”
(Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.
Tire and loading information label
1Seating capacity: The maximum
number of occupants that can be
seated in the vehicle.
2Vehicle load limit: See “Vehicle load-
ing information” in the “Technical
and consumer information” section.
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-27
3Original size: The size of the tires
originally installed on the vehicle at
the factory.
4Cold tire pressure: Inflate the tires to
this pressure when the tires are
cold. 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.
The recommended cold tire inflation
is set by the manufacturer to provide
the best balance of tire wear, vehicle
handling, driveability, tire noise, etc.,
up to the vehicle’s GVWR.
5Tire size — see “Tire labeling” in this
section.
6Spare tire size or compact spare tire
size (if so equipped)
Checking tire pressure
1. Remove the valve stem cap from thetire.
2. Press the pressure gauge securely onto the valve stem. Do not press too
hard or force the valve stem sideways,
otherwise air will escape. If the hissing
sound of air escaping from the tire is
heard while checking the pressure, re-
position the gauge to eliminate this
leakage. 3. Remove the gauge.
4. Read the tire pressure on the gauge
stem and compare it to the specifica-
tion shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label.
5. Add air to the tire as necessary. If too much air is added, press the core of
the valve stem briefly with the tip of the
gauge stem to release pressure. Re-
check the pressure and add or release
air as necessary.
6. Install the valve stem cap.
7. Check the pressure of all of the tires.
SIZE COLD TIRE
INFLATION
PRESSURE
FRONT
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P205/55R16
89H 250 kPa,
36 PSI
FRONT
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P215/50R17
90V 250 kPa,
36 PSI
8-28Maintenance and do-it yourself
SIZECOLD TIRE
INFLATION
PRESSURE
FRONT
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P205/55R16
89H 250 kPa,
36 PSI
REAR
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P205/55R16
89H 250 kPa,
36 PSI
REAR
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P215/50R17
90V 250 kPa,
36 PSI
TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This information iden-
tifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also pro-
vides the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The TIN
can be used to identify the tire in case of a
recall.
1Tire size (example: P215/
60R16 94H)
1. P: The “P” indicates the tire is de- signed for passenger vehicles. (Not all
tires have this information.)
2. Three-digit number (215): This num- ber gives the width in millimeters of the
tire from sidewall edge to sidewall
edge.
ExampleExample
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-29
3. Two-digit number (60): This number,known as the aspect ratio, gives the
tire’s ratio of height to width.
4. R: The “R” stands for radial.
5. Two-digit number (16): This number is the wheel or rim diameter in inches.
6. Two- or three-digit number (94): This number 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.
7. H: Tire speed rating. You should not drive the vehicle faster than the tire
speed rating.
2TIN (Tire Identification Number) for a
new tire (example: DOT XX XX XXX
XXXX)
1. 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.
2. Two-digit code: Manufacturer’s identi- fication mark
3. Two-digit code: Tire size 4. Three-digit code: Tire type code
(Optional)
5. Three-digit code: Date of Manufacture
6. 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.
3Tire 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.
4Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
This number is the greatest amount of
air pressure that should be put in the
tire. Do not exceed the maximum per-
missible inflation pressure.
5Maximum load rating
This number indicates the maximum
load in kilograms and pounds that can
Example
8-30Maintenance and do-it yourself