2017 NISSAN MAXIMA Do it yourself

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions...........................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ................8-3
Engine cooling system .............................8-4
Checking engine coolant level ...................8-5
Changing engine coolant ........................8-5
Engine oil .........................................8-6
Checking engine oil level ........................8-6
Changing engine oil ............................8-7
Changing engine oil filter ........................8-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) fluid .......8-9
Power steering fluid ............................... 8-10
Brake fluid ....................................... 8-10
Windshield-washer fluid ........................... 8-11
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ...............8-11
Battery .......................................... 8-12
Jump starting ................................. 8-13
Variable voltage control system .....................8-14
Drive belt ........................................ 8-14
Spark plugs ...................................... 8-15
Replacing spark plugs ......................... 8-15
Air cleaner ....................................... 8-16In-cabin microfilter
............................. 8-16
Windshield wiper blades .......................... 8-16
Cleaning ..................................... 8-16
Replacing .................................... 8-17
Brakes .......................................... 8-18
Fuses ........................................... 8-18
Engine compartment ........................... 8-19
Passenger compartment .......................8-20
Battery replacement .............................. 8-21
NISSAN Intelligent Key® .......................8-21
Lights ........................................... 8-23
Headlights .................................... 8-23
Front park/turn signal/side marker light ...........8-23
Fog lights ..................................... 8-23
Exterior and interior lights .......................8-24
Wheels and tires ................................. 8-26
Tire pressure .................................. 8-26
Tire
labeling ................................... 8-31
Types of tires .................................. 8-33
Tire chains .................................... 8-34
Changing wheels and tires .....................8-34

When performing any inspection or maintenance
work on your vehicle, always take care to prevent
serious accidental injury to yourself or damage to
the vehicle. The following are general precau-
tions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
●Park the vehicle on a level surface, ap-
ply the parking brake securely and
block the wheels to prevent the vehicle
from moving. Move the shift lever to P
(Park) .
● Be sure the ignition key is in the OFF or
LOCK position when performing any
parts replacement or repairs.
● If you must work with the engine run-
ning, 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 remove any jewelry,
such as rings, watches, etc. before
working on your vehicle.
● Always wear eye protection whenever
you work on your vehicle. ●
Your vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic engine cooling fan. It may come on
at any time without warning, even if the
ignition key is in the OFF position and the
engine is not running. To avoid injury,
always disconnect the negative battery
cable before working near the fan.
● If you must run the engine in an en-
closed space such as a garage, be sure
there is proper ventilation for exhaust
gases to escape.
● Never get under the vehicle while it is
supported only by a jack. If it is neces-
sary to work under the vehicle, support
it with safety stands.
● Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from the fuel tank and
battery.
● On gasoline engine models, the fuel
filter or fuel lines should be serviced. It
is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service because
the fuel lines are under high pressure
even when the engine is off.
CAUTION
● Do not work under the hood while the
engine is hot. Turn the engine off and
wait until it cools down. ●
Avoid contact with used engine oil and
coolant. Improperly disposed engine
oil, engine coolant and/or other vehicle
fluids can damage the environment. Al-
ways conform to local regulations for
disposal of vehicle fluid.
● Never leave the engine or the transmis-
sion related component harness con-
nector disconnected while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
● Never connect or disconnect the battery
or any transistorized component while
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
This “Do-it-yourself” section gives instructions
regarding only those items which are relatively
easy for an owner to perform.
A Genuine NISSAN service manual is also avail-
able. For additional information, refer to “Owner’s
Manual/Service Manual order information” in the
“Technical and consumer information” section of
this manual.
You should be aware that incomplete or improper
servicing may result in operating difficulties or
excessive emissions, and could affect warranty
coverage. If in doubt about any servicing, it
is recommended that you have it done by a
NISSAN dealer.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself

VQ35DE engine
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Drive belt location
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Air cleaner
6. Fuse block
7. Fuse block/Fusible links
8. Fusible links
9. Battery
10. Engine oil dipstick
11. Radiator cap
12. Power steering fluid reservoir
13. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
LDI2749
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3

The engine cooling system is filled at the factory
with a pre-diluted mixture of 50% Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) and
50% water to provide year-round antifreeze and
coolant protection. The antifreeze solution con-
tains rust and corrosion inhibitors. Additional en-
gine cooling system additives are not necessary.
WARNING
●Never remove the radiator or coolant
reservoir cap when the engine is hot.
Wait until the engine and radiator cool
down. Serious burns could be caused
by high pressure fluid escaping from
the radiator. For additional information
on precautions, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emer-
gency” section of this manual.
● The radiator is equipped with a pres-
sure type radiator cap. To prevent en-
gine damage, use only a Genuine
NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
● Never use any cooling system additives
such as radiator sealer. Additives may
clog the cooling system and cause dam-
age to the engine, transmission and/or
cooling system. ●
When adding or replacing coolant, be
sure to use only Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-diluted
to provide antifreeze protection to -34°
F (-37° C) . If additional freeze protection
is needed due to weather where you
operate your vehicle, add Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) concentrate following the direc-
tions on the container. If an equivalent
coolant other than Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is
used, follow the coolant manufacturer’s
instructions to maintain minimum anti-
freeze protection to -34° F (-37° C) . The
use of other types of coolant solutions
other than Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent
may damage the engine cooling
system. ●
The life expectancy of the factory-fill
coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km) or
7 years. Mixing any other type of cool-
ant other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) , includ-
ing Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (green) , or the use
of non-distilled water will reduce the
life expectancy of the factory-fill cool-
ant. For additional information, refer to
the “Maintenance and schedules” sec-
tion of this manual.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
8-4Do-it-yourself

CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir when
the engine is cold. If the coolant level is below
the MIN level
B, add coolant to the MAX level
A. If the reservoir is empty, check the coolant
level in the radiator when the engine is cold. If
there is insufficient coolant in the radiator, fill the
radiator with coolant up to the filler opening and
also add it to the reservoir up to the MAX level
A.
This vehicle contains Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) . The life expectancy of
the factory-fill coolant is 105,000 miles
(168,000 km) or 7 years. Mixing any other type of coolant or the use of non-distilled water will re-
duce the life expectancy of the factory-fill coolant.
For additional information, refer to the “Mainte-
nance and schedules” section of this manual.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, it is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
For additional information on the location of the
engine coolant reservoir, refer to “Engine com-
partment check locations” in this section.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
A NISSAN dealer can change the engine coolant.
The service procedure can be found in the
NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheat-
ing.
WARNING
●
To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the en-
gine is hot.
● Never remove the radiator cap when the
engine is hot. Serious burns could be
caused by high pressure fluid escaping
from the radiator. ●
Avoid direct skin contact with used
coolant. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner as
soon as possible.
● Keep coolant out of the reach of chil-
dren and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
LDI2750
Do-it-yourself8-5

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 overfill
C.
6. Recheck 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.
LDI2751WDI0214
ENGINE OIL
8-6Do-it-yourself

CHANGING ENGINE OIL
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, then turn it off.
3. Remove the oil filler cap
Aby turning it
counterclockwise. 4. Remove clips
Bfrom the under-engine pro-
tector. 5. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug
C.
6. Remove the drain plug
Cwith a wrench by
turning it counterclockwise and completely
drain the oil.
If the engine oil filter is to be changed, re-
move and replace it at this time. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Changing engine
oil filter” in this section.
● Waste oil must be disposed of prop-
erly.
● Check your local regulations.
LDI2763LDI2558LDI2634
Do-it-yourself8-7

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.
7. 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)
8. 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.
9. Start the engine. Check for leakage around the drain plug and oil filter. Correct as re-
quired.
10. Turn the engine off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level with the
dipstick. Add engine oil if necessary.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL FILTER
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply
the parking brake.
2. Turn the engine off.
3. Place a large drain pan under the oil filter
B.
LDI2764
8-8Do-it-yourself