VQ35DD engine
1. Power steering fluid reservoir
2. Engine coolant reservoir
3. Drive belt location
4. Fuse box
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Air cleaner
8. Fuse box
9. Fuse/Fusible link box
10. Fuse/Fusible link box
11. Battery
12. Engine oil dipstick
13. Radiator cap
14. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
NOTE:
Engine cover removed for clarity.
LDI3012
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and applythe parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than
10 minutes for the oil to drain back into
the oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Re- insert it all the way. 5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil
level. It should be between the H (High) and
L (Low) marksB. This is the normal oper-
ating oil level range. If the oil level is below
the L (Low) mark
A, remove the oil filler cap
and pour recommended oil through the
opening. Do not fill oil level above H
(High) mark
C.
6. Recheck the oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil
maintenance intervals or during the
break-in period, depending on the severity
of operating conditions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly. Op-
erating the engine with an insufficient
amount of oil can damage the engine, and
such damage is not covered by warranty.
LDI2087WDI0214
ENGINE OIL
8-6Do-it-yourself
CHANGING ENGINE OIL
WARNING
●Prolonged and repeated contact with
used engine oil may cause skin cancer. ●
Try to avoid direct skin contact with
used oil. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner as
soon as possible.
● Keep used engine oil out of reach of
children.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself. The engine
oil may be hot.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches operating temperature, then turn it off.
3. Remove the oil filler cap
Aby turning it
counterclockwise.
4. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug
B.
5. Remove the drain plug
Bwith a wrench by
turning it counterclockwise and completely
drain the oil.
If the oil filter is to be changed, remove and
replace it at this time. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Changing engine oil filter” in
this section. ●
Waste oil must be disposed of prop-
erly.
● Check your local regulations.
6. Clean and reinstall the drain plug and a new washer. Securely tighten the drain plug with
a wrench. Do not use excessive force.
Drain plug tightening torque: 25 ft-lb (34 N·m)
7. Refill engine with recommended oil through the oil filler opening, then install the oil filler
cap securely.
For additional information on drain and refill
capacity, refer to “Recommended
fluids/lubricants and capacities” in the
“Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual.
The drain and refill capacity depends on the
oil temperature and drain time. Use these
specifications for reference only. Always use
the dipstick to determine when the proper
amount of oil is in the engine.
8. Start the engine. Check for leakage around the drain plug and oil filter. Correct as re-
quired.
9. Turn the engine off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level with the
dipstick. Add engine oil if necessary.LDI2937
Do-it-yourself8-7
CHANGING ENGINE OIL FILTER
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and applythe parking brake.
2. Turn the engine off.
3. Place a large drain pan under the oil filter
B. 4. Remove pins
Afrom the right engine pro-
tector located inside right wheel well, re-
move protector. Remove oil filter
Bwith an
oil filter wrench by turning it counterclock-
wise. Then remove the oil filter by turning it
by hand.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself. The engine
oil may be hot.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter sealing surface with a clean rag.
CAUTION
●Be sure to remove any old gasket
material remaining on the sealing
surface of the engine. Failure to do
so could lead to an oil leak and en-
gine damage.
● The dipstick must be inserted in
place to prevent oil spillage from the
dipstick hole when filling the engine
with oil.
6. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil.
7. Screw on the oil filter until a slight resistance is felt, then tighten an additional 2/3 turn. 8. Start the engine and check for leakage
around the oil filter. Correct as required.
9. Turn the engine off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level. Add engine
oil if necessary.
LDI2562
8-8Do-it-yourself
WARNING
●Use only new fluid from a sealed con-
tainer. Old, inferior or contaminated
fluid may damage the brake system.
The use of improper fluids can damage
the brake system and affect the vehi-
cle’s stopping ability.
● Clean the filler cap before removing.
● Brake fluid is poisonous and should be
stored carefully in marked containers
out of reach of children.
CAUTION
Do not spill the fluid on any painted sur-
faces. This will damage the paint. If fluid is
spilled, immediately wash the surface with
water.
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the brake
fluid is below the MIN line
B, the brake warning
light will illuminate. Add brake fluid up to the MAX
line
A. For additional information on the recom-
mended type of brake fluid, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities” in the
“Technical and consumer information” section of
this manual.
If the brake fluid must be added frequently, the
brake system should be thoroughly checked. It is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
For additional information on the location of the
brake fluid reservoir, refer to “Engine compart-
ment check locations” in this section.
WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
RESERVOIR
Fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir periodi-
cally. Add windshield-washer fluid when the low
windshield-washer fluid warning light comes on.
To fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir, lift
the cap off the reservoir and pour the windshield-
washer fluid into the reservoir opening.
Add a washer solvent to the washer for better
cleaning. In the winter season, add a windshield-
washer antifreeze. Follow the manufacturer’s in-
structions for the mixture ratio.
LDI2463LDI2583
BRAKE FLUID WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
8-10Do-it-yourself
REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
Iridium-tipped spark plugs
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 theMainte-
nance and schedules section of this manual. Do
not service iridium-tipped spark plugs by clean-
ing or regapping.
● Always replace spark plugs with rec-
ommended or equivalent ones.
WARNING
Be sure the engine and ignition switch are
off and that the parking brake is engaged
securely.
CAUTION
Be sure to use the correct socket to re-
move the spark plugs. An incorrect socket
can damage the spark plugs.
If replacement is required, it is recommended that
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
WARNING
● Operating the engine with the air
cleaner filter off can cause you or others
to be burned. The air cleaner filter not
only cleans the intake air, it also stops
the flame if the engine backfires. If the
air cleaner is not installed and the en-
gine backfires, you could be burned.
Never drive with the air cleaner filter off.
Be cautious working on the engine
when the air cleaner is off.
SDI1895LDI2553
SPARK PLUGS AIR CLEANER
8-14Do-it-yourself
If the brakes do not operate properly, it is recom-
mended that you have the brakes checked. It is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
Self-adjusting brakes
Your vehicle is equipped with self-adjusting
brakes.
The front and rear disc-type brakes self-adjust
every time the brake pedal is applied.
WARNING
Have your brake system checked if the
brake pedal height does not return to nor-
mal. It is recommended that you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service.
Brake pad wear indicators
The disc brake pads on your vehicle have audible
wear indicators. When a brake pad requires re-
placement, a high pitched scraping or screech-
ing sound will be heard when the vehicle is in
motion. The noise will be heard whether or not the
brake pedal is depressed. Have the brakes
checked as soon as possible if the wear indicator
sound is heard.Under some driving or climate conditions, occa-
sional 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 regard-
ing brake inspections, refer to the appropriate
maintenance schedule information in the Main-
tenance and schedules section of this manual.
BRAKES
Do-it-yourself8-17
●The original tires have built-in
tread wear indicators. When the
wear indicators are visible, the
tire(s) should be replaced.
● Tires degrade with age and use.
Have tires, including the spare,
over 6 years old checked by a
qualified technician because
some tire damage may not be ob-
vious. Replace the tires as neces-
sary to prevent tire failure and
possible personal injury.
● Improper service of the spare tire
may result in serious personal in-
jury. If it is necessary to repair the
spare tire, it is recommended that
you visit an INFINITI retailer for
this service.
● For additional information re-
garding tires, refer to “Important
Tire Safety Information” (US) or
“Tire Safety Information”
(Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.Replacing wheels and tires
When replacing a tire, use the same size, tread
design, speed rating and load carrying capacity
as originally equipped. For additional information,
refer to “Wheels and tires” in the “Technical and
consumer information” section of this manual.
WARNING
● The use of tires other than those recom-
mended or the mixed use of tires of
different brands, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial) , or tread patterns
can adversely affect the ride, braking,
handling, VDC system, ground clear-
ance, body-to-tire clearance, tire chain
clearance, speedometer calibration,
headlight aim and bumper height.
Some of these effects may lead to acci-
dents and could result in serious per-
sonal injury.
● For 2WD models, if your vehicle was
originally equipped with four tires that
were the same size and you are only
replacing two of the four tires, install
the new tires on the rear axle. Placing
new tires on the front axle may cause
loss of vehicle control in some driving
conditions and cause an accident and
personal injury. ●
If the wheels are changed for any rea-
son, always replace with wheels which
have the same off-set dimension.
Wheels of a different off-set could
cause premature tire wear, degrade ve-
hicle handling characteristics, affect the
VDC system and/or interference with
the brake discs. Such interference can
lead to decreased braking efficiency
and/or early brake pad wear. For addi-
tional information on wheel off-set di-
mensions, refer to “Wheels and tires” in
the “Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section of this manual.
● Since the spare tire is not equipped with
the TPMS, when a spare tire is mounted
or a wheel is replaced, tire pressure will
not be indicated, the TPMS will not
function and the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will flash for approximately
1 minute. The light will remain on after
1 minute. Have your tires replaced
and/or TPMS system reset as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
● Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
Do-it-yourself8-33