CAUTION
NEVER tow automatic transmission (DCT) mod-
els with the front wheels on the ground or with
all four wheels on the ground (forwards or
backwards), as this may cause serious and ex-
pensive damage to the transmission. If it is
necessary to tow the vehicle with the rear
wheels raised, always use towing dollies un-
der the front wheels.
Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) models
INFINITI recommends that towing dollies be
used under the front or rear wheels when
towing your vehicle or the vehicle be placed on
a flatbed tow truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
Never tow 4WD models with any of the wheels
on the ground. Doing so will cause serious and
expensive damage to the drivetrain.
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck
vehicle)
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious personal in-
jury or death when recovering a stuck vehicle:
•Contact a professional towing service to
recover the vehicle if you have any ques-
tions regarding the recovery procedure.
•Tow chains or cables must be attached only
to the vehicle recovery hooks or main struc-
tural members of the vehicle.
•Do not use the vehicle tie downs to tow or
free a stuck vehicle.
NCE4504WD models
In case of emergency6-15
•Only use devices specifically designed for
vehicle recovery and follow the manufactur-
er’s instructions.
•Always pull the recovery device straight out
from the front of the vehicle. Never pull at an
angle.
•Route recovery devices so they do not touch
any part of the vehicle except the attach-
ment point.
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, or mud,
and the vehicle is unable to free itself without
being pulled, use the recovery hook stored in
the vehicle trunk.
WARNING
•Use the recovery hook only. Do not attach
the pulling device to any other part of the
vehicle body. Otherwise, the vehicle body
may be damaged.
•Use the recovery hook to free a vehicle only.
Never tow a vehicle using only the recovery
hook.
•The recovery hook is under tremendous
stress when used to free a trapped vehicle.
Always pull the pulling device straight out
from the vehicle. Never pull on the recovery
hook at an angle.
Securely install the recovery hook (stored in the
vehicle trunk) to the attaching mount located on
the front or rear bumper.
Make sure that the recovery hook is properly
secured in its storage location after use and the
license plate is properly reinstalled before driv-
ing the vehicle.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
WARNING
•To avoid potential injury, stand clear of a
stuck vehicle.
•Do not spin your tires at high speed. This
could cause them to explode and result in
serious injury. Parts of your vehicle could
also overheat and be damaged.If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the
vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to
clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back-
ward.
•Shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and D (Drive).
•Apply the accelerator as little as possible to
maintain the rocking motion.
•Release the accelerator pedal before shifting
between R (Reverse) and D (Drive).
•Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH (55
km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few
tries, contact a professional towing service
to remove the vehicle.
6-16In case of emergency
7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior.......................7-2
Washing..........................7-2
Waxing...........................7-2
Removing spots......................7-3
Underbody.........................7-3
Glass............................7-3
Wheels...........................7-3
Aluminum alloy wheels..................7-3
Chrome parts.......................7-3
Tire dressings.......................7-4
Cleaning interior........................7-4Air fresheners.......................7-4
Floor mats (if equipped).................7-5
Seat belts..........................7-5
Cleaning the seat tracks.................7-6
Genuine leather seat covers..............7-6
Corrosion protection.....................7-7
Most common factors contributing to vehicle
corrosion..........................7-7
Environmental factors influence the rate of
corrosion..........................7-7
To protect your vehicle from corrosion........7-7
In order to maintain the appearance of your
vehicle, 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, park your vehicle inside a
garage or in a covered area to minimize the
chances of damaging the paint surface of your
vehicle.
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, especially
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 house-
hold soap, strong chemical detergents,
gasoline or solvents.
•Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight or
while the vehicle body is hot, as the paint
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 for-
eign substances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
clean water.
Inside edges, seams and folds on the doors,
hatches and hood are particularly vulnerable to
the effects of road salt. Therefore, these areasmust 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 maintain a new vehicle appearance.
After waxing, polishing is recommended to re-
move built-up residue and to avoid a weathered
appearance.
An INFINITI retailer can assist you in choosing
the appropriate waxing products.
•Wax your vehicle only after a thorough
washing. 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
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust, in-
sects, and tree sap as quickly as possible from
the paint surface to avoid lasting damage or
staining. Special cleaning products are avail-
able at an INFINITI retailer or any automotive
accessory store.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in the winter, it
is necessary to clean the vehicle’s underbody
regularly in order to prevent dirt and salt from
building up and causing the acceleration of
corrosion on the underbody and suspension.
Before the winter 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 electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window defroster
elements.
WHEELS
•Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle
to maintain their appearance.
•Clean the inner side of the wheels when the
wheel is changed or the underside of the
vehicle is washed.
•Do not use abrasive cleaners when washing
the wheels.
•Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. This may cause loss of pressure or
damage the tire bead.
•INFINITI recommends that the road wheels
be waxed to protect against road salt in
areas where it is used during winter.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS
Wash the wheels regularly with a sponge damp-
ened in a mild soap solution, especially during
winter in areas where road salt is used. The salt
residue from road salt could discolor the wheels
if it is not washed off regularly.
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 tempera-
ture.
•Rinse the wheel to completely remove the
cleaner within 15 minutes after the cleaner
is applied.
CHROME PARTS
Clean all chrome parts regularly with a nonabra-
sive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
Appearance and care7-3
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions..................8-2
Engine compartment check locations...........8-3
2.0L Gasoline engine...................8-3
Engine cooling system....................8-3
Checking engine coolant level.............8-4
Changing engine coolant................8-5
Engine oil............................8-5
Checking engine oil level................8-5
Changing engine oil...................8-5
Changing engine oil filter................8-6
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)............8-7
Brake fluid...........................8-7
Window washer fluid.....................8-8
Battery.............................8-9
Accessing Vehicle battery...............8-10
Maintenance free battery................8-10
Models with Idle Stop/Start System.........8-11
Battery replacement...................8-11
Reinitialisation procedure after battery
reconnection.......................8-12
Jump-starting.......................8-12
Drive belt...........................8-12
Spark plugs..........................8-13
Air cleaner filter.......................8-13
Wiper blades.........................8-13Cleaning..........................8-13
Replacing front window wiper blades........8-14
Replacing rear window wiper blade..........8-15
Brakes.............................8-17
Self-adjusting brakes..................8-17
Fuses..............................8-17
Before replacing a fuse.................8-17
Engine compartment...................8-17
Passenger compartment................8-18
Intelligent key battery replacement..........
.8-20
Checking the battery..................8-20
Replacing the battery..................8-20
Lights.............................8-22
Exterior and interior lights...............8-22
Replacement procedures................8-24
Wheels and tires.......................8-27
Tire Pressure.......................8-27
Tire inflation pressure.................8-29
Tire labeling.......................8-30
Types of tires.......................8-31
Tire chains........................8-33
Tire wear and damage.................8-33
Tire rotation.......................8-34
Replacing wheels and tires..............8-34
Wheel balance......................8-36
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 gen-
eral precautions which should be closely ob-
served.
WARNING
•Park the vehicle on a level surface, apply
the parking brake securely and block the
wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving.
Press the P (Park) button.
•Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF
position when performing any parts re-
placement or repairs.
•Do not work under the hood while the en-
gine is hot. Always turn off the engine and
wait until it cools down.
•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 any jewelry, such as rings,
watches, etc. before working on your ve-
hicle.
•If you must run the engine in an enclosedspace such as a garage, be sure there is
proper ventilation for exhaust gases to es-
cape.
•Never get under the vehicle while it is sup-
ported by a jack.
•Keep smoking materials, flame and sparks
away from fuel and the battery.
•Never connect or disconnect either the bat-
tery or any transistorized component con-
nector while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
•On gasoline engine models with the Multi-
port Fuel Injection system, the fuel filter and
fuel lines should be serviced by an INFINITI
retailer or qualified workshop because the
fuel lines are under high pressure even
when the engine is turned off.
•Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic
engine cooling fan. It may come on at any
time without warning, even if the ignition
switch is in the OFF position and the engine
is not running. To avoid injury, always dis-
connect the negative battery cable before
working near the fan.
•Always wear eye protection whenever you
work on your vehicle.
•Never leave the engine or the transmission
related component harness connector dis-
connected while the ignition switch is in the
ON position.
•Avoid direct contact with used engine oil
and coolant. Improperly disposed engine
oil, engine coolant, and/or other vehicle flu-
ids can hurt the environment. Always con-
form to local regulations for disposal of ve-
hicle fluids.
This “ 8. Do-it-yourself” section provides in-
structions regarding only those items which are
relatively easy for an owner to perform.
You should be aware that incomplete or im-
proper servicing may result in operating diffi-
culties or excessive emissions, and could affect
your warranty coverage.If in doubt about any
servicing, it is recommended you have it done by
an INFINITI retailer.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself
Halogen headlight bulb
Fitting/removing the access cover on the front
wheel arch:
You must remove the cover of the front wheel
arch before you can change the halogen head-
light bulb.
To remove: switch off the lights, turn the steer-
ing so that the wheel behind the light in
question is pointing inwards . Slide cover
1up
and remove it.
To fit: inset cover
1again and slide it down
until it engages.
The headlight is a semi-sealed beam type which
uses a replaceable headlight (halogen) bulb. A
bulb can be replaced from inside the engine
compartment without removing the headlight
assembly.If you need assistance for bulb replacement, it
is recommended that you visit an INFINITI re-
tailer.
Low/High beam Headlight bulb replacement
:
1. Open the hood. For details, seeHoodin
the3. Pre-driving checks and adjustments
section.
2. Disconnect the negative (—) battery cable.
3. Remove the corresponding access cover
from the wheel arch.
4. Turn housing cover
1counterclockwise
and remove it.
5. Turn bulb holder
2counterclockwise and
pull out
6. Take the headlight bulb out of bulb holder
2.
7. Insert the new bulb into bulb holder
2.
8. Insert bulb holder
2and turn it clockwise.
NDI1626NDI1611
Do-it-yourself8-25