CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
TIRE DRESSING
NISSAN does not recommend the use of tire
dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating to
the tires to help reduce discoloration of the
rubber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires, it
may react with the coating and form a com-
pound. This compound may come off the tire
while driving and stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
.Use a water-based tire dressing. The coat-
ing on the tire dissolves more easily with an
oil-based tire dressing.
. Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help
prevent it from entering the tire tread/
grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove) .
. Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry
towel. Make sure the tire dressing is
completely removed from the tire tread/
grooves.
. Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by tire dressing manufacturer. Occasionally remove loose dust from the interior
trim, plastic parts and seats using a vacuum
cleaner or soft bristled brush. Wipe the vinyl and
leather surfaces with a clean, soft cloth dam-
pened in mild soap solution, then wipe clean
with a dry soft cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in order to
maintain the appearance of the leather.
Before using any fabric protector, read the
manufacturer’s recommendations. Some fabric
protectors contain chemicals that may stain or
bleach the seat material.
Use a cloth dampened only with water, to clean
the meter and gauge lens.
WARNING
Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can
damage the seat or occupant classifica-
tion sensor. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.
CAUTION
.
Never use benzine, thinner, or any
similar material.
. For cleaning, use a soft cloth, dam-
pened with water. Never use a rough
cloth, alcohol, benzine, thinner or
any kind of solvent or paper towel
with a chemical cleaning agent.
They will scratch or cause discolora-
tion to the lens.
. Do not spray any liquid such as
water on the meter lens. Spraying
liquid may cause the system to
malfunction.
. Small dirt particles can be abrasive
and damaging to the leather sur-
faces and should be removed
promptly. Do not use saddle soap,
car waxes, polishes, oils, cleaning
fluids, solvents, detergents or am-
monia-based cleaners as they may
damage the leather’s natural finish.
. Only use fabric protectors approved
by NISSAN.
. Do not use glass or plastic cleaner
on meter or gauge lens covers. It
Appearance and care7-5
CLEANING INTERIOR
8 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Maintenance requirements ...................................................... 8-3Scheduled maintenance .................................................... 8-3
General maintenance ......................................................... 8-3
Where to go for service .................................................... 8-3
General maintenance ............................................................... 8-3 Explanation of maintenance items ................................... 8-3
Maintenance precautions ........................................................ 8-6
Engine compartment check locations .................................. 8-7 VQ37VHR engine model .................................................. 8-7
Engine cooling system ............................................................. 8-8
Checking engine coolant level ......................................... 8-9
Changing engine coolant .................................................. 8-9
Engine oil ........................................................................\
......... 8-10
Checking engine oil level ............................................... 8-10
Changing engine oil and filter ....................................... 8-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) .................................. 8-12
Power steering fluid ............................................................... 8-12
Brake and clutch fluid ........................................................... 8-13 Brake fluid ........................................................................\
.. 8-13
Clutch fluid (Manual transmission models) ............... 8-14
Window washer fluid ............................................................ 8-14
Battery ........................................................................\
............... 8-15 Jump starting ..................................................................... 8-17 Variable voltage control system ......................................... 8-17
Drive belts ........................................................................\
....... 8-18
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
..... 8-18
Replacing spark plugs .................................................. 8-19
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
....... 8-19
Windshield wiper blades ..................................................... 8-20
Cleaning ........................................................................\
... 8-20
Replacing ........................................................................\
. 8-20
Brakes ........................................................................\
.............. 8-21 Self-adjusting brakes .................................................... 8-21
Brake pad wear warning .............................................. 8-21
Fuses ........................................................................\
................ 8-22 Engine compartment ..................................................... 8-22
Passenger compartment .............................................. 8-23
Intelligent Key battery replacement ................................... 8-24
Lights ........................................................................\
................ 8-26
Coupe ........................................................................\
....... 8-26
Roadster ........................................................................\
... 8-27
Headlights ........................................................................\
8-27
Exterior and interior lights ............................................ 8-28
Wheels and tires ................................................................... 8-30 Tire pressure ................................................................... 8-30
Tire labeling ..................................................................... 8-33
Types of tires ..................................................................... 8-35
Tire chains ........................................................................\
.. 8-36
Changing wheels and tires ............................................ 8-37Emergency tire puncture repair kit
(if so equipped) .............................................................. 8-40
8-4Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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 headlight aim.
Road wheel nuts (lug nuts)*: When checking
the tires, make sure no wheel nuts are missing,
and check for any loose wheel nuts. Tighten if
necessary.
Tire rotation*: Tires cannot be rotated, as the
front tires are a different size from the rear tires
and the direction of wheel rotation is fixed in
each tire.
Tires*: Check the pressure with a gauge often
and always prior to long distance trips. If
necessary, adjust the pressure in all tires,
including the spare, to the pressure specified.
Check carefully for damage, cuts or excessive
wear.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
transmitter components: Replace the TPMS
transmitter grommet seal, valve core and cap
when the tires are replaced due to wear or age.
Tire, wheel alignment and balance: If the
vehicle should pull 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
NISSAN Warranty Information Booklet.
Windshield:
Clean the windshield on a regular
basis. Check the windshield at least every six
months for cracks or other damage. Have a
damaged windshield repaired by a qualified
repair facility.
Windshield wiper blades*: Check for cracks
or wear if they do not wipe properly.
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.
Automatic transmission P (Park) mechan-
ism: On a fairly steep hill, check that your
vehicle is held securely with the shift lever in the
P (Park) position 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 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
adjusted, see a 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. Check that the head
restraints move up and down smoothly and that
the locks (if so equipped) hold securely in all
latched positions.
Steering wheel: Check for changes in the
steering conditions, such as excessive free play,
hard steering or strange noises.
8-30Maintenance and do-it-yourself
If you have a flat tire, see “Flat tire” (P.6-3) .
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 except the spare. When
the low tire pressure warning light is lit and the
CHECK TIRE PRESSURE warning appears on
the vehicle information display, 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” (P.2-13) , “Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem (TPMS)” (P.5-3) and “Tire Pressure Mon-
itoring System (TPMS)” (P.6-3) .
Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure of the tires (including
the spare) often and always prior to long
distance trips. The recommended tire
pressure specifications are shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label under
the “Cold Tire Pressure” heading. The Tire
and Loading Information label is affixed tothe 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.
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. label. The vehi-
cle weight capacity is indicated
on the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label. 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.
WHEELS AND TIRES
SDI2462
Tire and Loading Information label*1Seating capacity: The maximum num-
ber of occupants that can be seated in
the vehicle.
*2Vehicle load limit: See “Vehicle load-
ing information” (P.9-18) .
*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 morehours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km) at moderate speeds. The recom-
mended 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” (P.8-
33) .
*6Spare tire size or compact spare tire
size (if so equipped)
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-31
8-32Maintenance and do-it-yourself
SDI1949
Checking the tire pressure
1. Remove the valve stem cap from thetire.
2. Press the pressure gauge squarely onto the valve stem. Do not press too hard or
force the valve stem sideways, or air will
escape. If the hissing sound of air
escaping from the tire is heard while
checking the pressure, reposition 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 needed. 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 needed.
6. Install the valve stem cap.
7. Check the pressure of all other tires, including the spare.
Coupe models (except for NISMO models):
SIZE COLD TIRE
INFLATION PRES-
SURE
FRONT
ORIGINAL TIRE 225/50R18
95W
240 kPa,
35 PSI
245/40R19
94W 220 kPa,
32 PSI
REAR ORI- GINALTIRE 245/45R18
96W
240 kPa,
35 PSI
275/35R19
96W 220 kPa,
32 PSI
SPARE TIRE T145/80-
D17 107M
420 kPa,
60 PSI
T145/70-
R18 107M 420 kPa,
60 PSI
Roadster models:
SIZECOLD TIRE
INFLATION PRES-
SURE
FRONT
ORIGINAL TIRE 225/50R18
95W
260 kPa,
38 PSI
245/40R19
94W 220 kPa,
32 PSI
REAR ORI- GINALTIRE 245/45R18
96W
260 kPa,
38 PSI
275/35R19
96W 220 kPa,
32 PSI
SPARE TIRE T145/80-
D17 107M
420 kPa,
60 PSI
T145/70-
R18 107M 420 kPa,
60 PSI
Coupe models (NISMO models):
SIZECOLD TIRE
INFLATION PRES-
SURE
FRONT
ORIGINAL TIRE 245/40R19
98Y
240 kPa,
35 PSI
REAR ORI- GINAL
TIRE 285/35R19
99Y
240 kPa,
35 PSI
SPARE TIRE T145/70-
R18 107M 420 kPa,
60 PSI
SDI1575Example
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.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-33