In order to maintain the appearance of your ve-
hicle, 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, store or park your vehicle
inside a garage or in a covered area.
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, espe-
cially 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
household soap, strong chemical deter-
gents, gasoline or solvents.
● Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun-
light or while the vehicle body is hot, as
the 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 foreign sub-
stances 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 areas
must 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 retain new vehicle appearance. Polishing is
recommended to remove built-up wax residue
and to avoid a weathered appearance before
re-applying wax.
A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choosing the
proper product.
● Wax your vehicle only after a thorough wash-
ing. 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, insects,
and tree sap as quickly as possible from the
surface of the paint to avoid lasting damage or
staining. Special cleaning products are available
at a NISSAN dealer or any automotive accessory
store. It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for these products.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, it is
necessary to clean the underbody regularly in
order to prevent dirt and salt from building up and
causing the acceleration of corrosion on the un-
derbody and suspension. Before the winter pe-
riod 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.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS
Wash the wheels regularly with a sponge damp-
ened in a mild soap solution, especially during
winter months in areas where road salt is used. If
not removed, road salt can discolor the wheels.
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 am-
bient temperature.
● 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 non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
TIRE DRESSINGS
NISSAN does not recommend the use of tire
dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating to
the tires to help reduce discoloration of the rub-
ber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires, it may
react with the coating and form a compound. 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 than
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 com-
pletely removed from the tire tread/grooves.
● Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by the tire dressing manufacturer.
Appearance and care7-3
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
Inverter cooling system .............................8-6
Checking inverter coolant level ...................8-6
Changing inverter coolant .......................8-7
Engine oil .........................................8-7
Checking engine oil level ........................8-7
Changing engine oil ............................8-8
Changing engine oil filter ........................8-9
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) fluid ......8-10
Brake fluid ....................................... 8-11
Windshield-washer fluid ........................... 8-11
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ...............8-11
12-Volt Battery ................................... 8-12
Jump starting ................................. 8-14
Spark plugs ...................................... 8-14
Replacing spark plugs ......................... 8-14
Air cleaner ....................................... 8-15In-cabin microfilter
............................. 8-15
Windshield wiper blades .......................... 8-16
Cleaning ..................................... 8-16
Replacing .................................... 8-16
Brakes .......................................... 8-18
Fuses ........................................... 8-19
Engine compartment ........................... 8-19
Passenger compartment .......................8-21
Battery replacement .............................. 8-22
NISSAN Intelligent Key® .......................8-23
Lights ........................................... 8-24
Headlights .................................... 8-24
Fog lights (if so equipped) ......................8-25
Exterior and interior lights .......................8-25
Wheels and tires ................................. 8-28
Tire pressure .................................. 8-28
Tire labeling ................................... 8-32
T ypes
of tires .................................. 8-34
Tire chains .................................... 8-36
Changing wheels and tires .....................8-37
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
4. Remove pinsCfrom 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 hybrid system and check for leak-
age around the oil filter. Correct as required.
9. Turn the hybrid system off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level. Add
engine oil if necessary.
CAUTION
●NISSAN recommends using Genuine
NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or equivalent)
ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix with
other fluids.
● Do not use Automatic transmission
fluid (ATF) or Manual transmission fluid
in a NISSAN CVT, as it may damage the
CVT. Damage caused by the use of flu-
ids other than as recommended is not
covered under NISSAN’s New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
● Using fluids that are not equivalent to
Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 may
also damage the CVT. Damage caused
by the use of fluids other than as recom-
mended is not covered under NISSAN’s
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
When checking or replacement of CVT fluid is
required, we recommend your NISSAN dealer for
servicing.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) FLUID
8-10Do-it-yourself
If you have a flat tire, refer to “Flat tire” in
the “In case of emergency” section of this
manual.
TIRE PRESSURE
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
WARNING
Radio waves could adversely affect elec-
tric medical equipment. Those who use a
pacemaker should contact the electric
medical equipment manufacturer for the
possible influences before use.
This vehicle is equipped with TPMS. It monitors
tire pressure of all tires except the spare. When
the low tire pressure warning light is lit and the
Tire Pressure Low - Add Air warning appears in
the vehicle information display, one or more of
your tires is significantly under-inflated. If
equipped, the system also displays pressure of
all tires (except the spare tire) on the display
screen by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel.
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 additional information, refer to “Low tire pres-
sure warning light” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section and “Flat tire” in the “In case of
emergency” section.
Tire inflation pressure
Check the tire pressures (including the
spare) often and always prior to long dis-
tance trips. The recommended tire pres-
sure specifications are shown on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label
or the Tire and Loading Information label
under the “Cold Tire Pressure” heading.
The Tire and Loading 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 pro-
vides visual and audible signals outside
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.
WHEELS AND TIRES
8-28Do-it-yourself
TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the
sidewall of all tires. This information iden-
tifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics of the tire and also pro-
vides the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification. The TIN
can be used to identify the tire in case of a
recall.
1Tire size (example: P215/65R15 95H)
1. P: The “P” indicates the tire is de- signed for passenger vehicles (not all
tires have this information) .
2. Three-digit number (215): This num- ber gives the width in millimeters of
the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge.
3. Two-digit number (65): This number, known as the aspect ratio, gives the
tire’s ratio of height to width. 4. R: The “R” stands for radial.
5. Two-digit number (15): This number
is the wheel or rim diameter in inches.
6. Two- or three-digit number (95): This number is the tire’s load index. It is a
measurement of how much weight
each tire can support. You may not
find this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
7. H: Tire speed rating. You should not drive the vehicle faster than the tire
speed rating.
Example
WDI0394
Example
WDI0395
8-32Do-it-yourself
Other Tire-related Terminology
In addition to the many terms that are
defined throughout this section, Intended
Outboard Sidewall is (1) the sidewall that
contains a whitewall, bears white lettering
or bears manufacturer, brand, and/or
model name molding that is higher or
deeper than the same molding on the
other sidewall of the tire, or (2) the out-
ward facing sidewall of an asymmetrical
tire that has a particular side that must
always face outward when mounted on a
vehicle.
TYPES OF TIRES
WARNING
●When changing or replacing tires, be
sure all four tires are of the same type
(i.e., Summer, All Season or Snow) and
construction. A NISSAN dealer may be
able to help you with information about
tire type, size, speed rating and
availability. ●
Replacement tires may have a lower
speed rating than the factory equipped
tires, and may not match the potential
maximum vehicle speed. Never exceed
the maximum speed rating of the tire.
● Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by NISSAN could affect the
proper operation of the low tire pres-
sure warning system.
● For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety In-
formation” (US) or “Tire Safety Informa-
tion” (Canada) in the Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet.
● Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Failure to do so may
result in a circumference difference be-
tween tires on the front and rear axles
which can cause the VDC system to mal-
function resulting in personal injury or
death, excessive tire wear and may
damage the transmission, transfer case
and differential gears. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models
CAUTION
●
ONLY use spare tires specified for the
AWD model.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is recommended
that all four tires be replaced with tires of the
same size, brand, construction and tread pattern.
The tire pressure and wheel alignment should
also be checked and corrected as necessary.
Contact a NISSAN dealer.
All season tires
NISSAN specifies All Season tires on some mod-
els to provide good performance all year, includ-
ing snowy and icy road conditions. All Season
tires are identified by ALL SEASON and/or M&S
on the tire sidewall. Snow tires have better snow
traction than All Season tires and may be more
appropriate in some areas.
Summer tires
NISSAN specifies summer tires on some models
to provide superior performance on dry roads.
Summer tire performance is substantially re-
duced in snow and ice. Summer tires do not have
the tire traction rating “M&S” on the tire sidewall.
8-34Do-it-yourself