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 (if so
equipped)
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 ....................... .8-8
Checking coolant level ................. .8-9
Changing coolant .................... .8-9
Reduction gear fluid .................... .8-10
Brake fluid ......................... .8-10
Windshield-washer fluid ................. .8-11
12-volt battery ....................... .8-12
Jump starting ...................... .8-13
Windshield wiper blades ................. .8-13
Cleaning ........................ .8-13
Replacing ........................ .8-14Rear window wiper blade
...............8-16
Brakes ........................... .8-16
Brake pad wear warning ................8-16
Fuses ............................ .8-17
Motor compartment .................. .8-17
Passenger compartment ................8-19
Nissan Intelligent Key® battery replacement ......8-20
Lights ............................ .8-22
Headlights ....................... .8-22
Exterior and interior lights ...............8-24
Wheels and tires ..................... .8-26
Tire pressure ...................... .8-26
Tire labeling ...................... .8-30
Types of tires ...................... .8-32
Tire chains .......................
.8-33
Changing
wheels and tires .............. .8-33
Emergency tire puncture repair kit ..........8-36
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
5,000 miles (8,000 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: 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. If the brake pedal suddenly goes down
further than normal, the pedal feels spongy or the
vehicle seems to take longer to stop, it is recom-
mended that you visit 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, it is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer for this service.
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
head restraints/headrests move up and down
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-3
1. Remove the rear combination attachment bolt
1.
2. Pull the rear combination assembly evenly toward rear of the vehicle
2. 3. Turn the bulb socket and then remove the
bulb
3. If you have a flat tire, refer to “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 pressure of all tires. When
the low tire pressure warning light is lit,
and the CHECK TIRE PRESSURE warn-
ing appears on the vehicle informationRear combination light
Cargo light
WHEELS AND TIRES
8-26Maintenance and do-it yourself
display, one or more of your tires is signifi-
cantly 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 de-
tect a sudden drop in tire pressure (for
example a flat tire while driving) .
For additional information, refer to “Low
tire pressure warning light” in the “Instru-
ments and controls” section, “Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the
“Starting and driving” section and “Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)” in
the “In case of emergency” section of this
manual.
Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure of the tires often and
always prior to long distance trips. The
recommended tire pressure specifica-
tions are shown on the F.M.V.S.S/
C.M.V.S.S certification label or Tire and
Loading Information label under the “Cold
Tire Pressure” heading. The Tire andLoading 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 out-
side the vehicle for inflating the tires to the
recommended COLD tire pressure. For
additional information, refer to “TPMS
with Easy-Fill Tire Alert” in the “Starting
and driving” section of this manual.
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 certifica-
tion label. The vehicle weight ca-
pacity is indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Do not load your vehicle beyond
this capacity. Overloading your
vehicle may result in reduced tire
life, unsafe operating conditions
due to premature tire failure, or
unfavorable handling character-
istics and could also lead to a
serious accident. Loading be-
yond the specified capacity may
also result in failure of other ve-
hicle components.
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-27
•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.
2Original size: The size of the tires
originally installed on the vehicle at
the factory.
3Cold 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.
4Tire size — refer to “Tire labeling” in
this section.
5Spare tire size or compact spare tire
size (if so equipped)
6Vehicle load limit: For additional in-
formation, refer to “Vehicle loading
information” in the “Technical and
consumer information” section of
this manual.
8-28Maintenance and do-it yourself
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
REAR
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P205/55R16
89H 250 kPa,
36 PSI
REAR
ORIGI-
NAL TIRE P215/50R17
90V 250 kPa,
36 PSI
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-29
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. 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
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.
6Term of “tubeless” or “tube type”
Indicates whether the tire requires an
inner tube (“tube type”) or not (“tube-
less”) .
7The word “radial”
The word “radial” is shown, if the tire
has radial structure.
8Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is shown.
Example
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-31