Page 345 of 440
.Never allow water or other liquids to
come in contact with electronic com-
ponents inside the vehicle as this may
damage them.
Chemicals used for road surface deicing are
extremely corrosive. They accelerate corro-
sion and deterioration of underbody compo-
nents such as the exhaust system, fuel and
brake lines, brake cables, floor pan and
fenders.
In winter, the underbody must be cleaned
periodically.
For additional protection against rust and
corrosion, which may be required in some
areas, it is recommended you consult an
INFINITI retailer.
Appearance and care7-9
Page 346 of 440
7-10Appearance and care
MEMO
Page 347 of 440

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions ................................................ 8-2
Engine compartment check locations ......................... 8-3VQ35HR engine ........................................................... 8-3
Engine cooling system ..................................................... 8-5 Checking engine coolant level .................................. 8-6
Changing engine coolant ........................................... 8-7
Inverter cooling system ................................................... 8-7 Checking inverter coolant level ................................ 8-8
Changing inverter coolant ......................................... 8-9
Engine oil ........................................................................\
..... 8-9
Checking engine oil level ............................................ 8-9
Changing engine oil and oil filter .......................... 8-10
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ......................... 8-12
Brake fluid ........................................................................\
. 8-12
Window washer fluid ..................................................... 8-13
12-volt battery ................................................................. 8-14
Checking battery fluid level .................................... 8-15
Jump starting .............................................................. 8-15
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
8-15 Replacing spark plugs ............................................... 8-16
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
.. 8-16 Windshield wiper blades ............................................... 8-17
Cleaning ...................................................................... 8-17
Replacing .................................................................... 8-18
Brakes ........................................................................\
........ 8-18 Self-adjusting brakes .............................................. 8-18
Brake pad wear warning ....................................... 8-18
Fuses ........................................................................\
.......... 8-19 Engine compartment and trunk ........................... 8-19
Passenger compartment ....................................... 8-20
Intelligent Key battery replacement .......................... 8-21
Lights ........................................................................\
........ 8-24 Headlights .................................................................. 8-25
Exterior and interior lights .................................... 8-25
Wheels and tires ............................................................ 8-28 Tire pressure ............................................................. 8-28
Tire labeling ............................................................... 8-32
Types of tires ........................................................... 8-34
Tire chains .................................................................. 8-35
Changing wheels and tires .................................... 8-36
Jacking up the vehicle and replacing tires ........ 8-39
Page 348 of 440

8-2Do-it-yourself
When performing any inspection or main-
tenance work on your vehicle, always take
care to prevent serious accidental injury to
yourself or damage to the vehicle. The
following are general precautions which
should be closely observed.
WARNING
.This vehicle has high voltage DC and
AC systems as well as a 12-volt
system. DC and AC high voltage is
very dangerous and can cause severe
burns and electric shock that may
result in serious injury or death.
. Never touch, disassemble, remove or
replace the high voltage parts, har-
nesses and their connectors. High
voltage cables are orange. Touching,
disassembling, removing or replacing
those parts and harnesses can cause
severe burns or electric shock that
may result in serious injury or death.
. Never try to remove the service plug
located in the trunk room. The service
plug is used only when the vehicle is
serviced by trained technicians wear-
ing personal protection equipment
and is part of the high voltage
system. Touching the service plug
can cause severe burns or electric shock that may result in serious injury
or death.
. The INFINITI Direct Response Hy-
brid
®System uses high voltage up to
408 volts. The system can be hot
while and after starting. Be careful of
both the high voltage and the high
temperature. Obey the caution labels
attached to the vehicle.
. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
apply 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 switch is in the
OFF or LOCK position when per-
forming any parts replacement or
repairs.
. The engine can start at any time
without warning when the hybrid
system is in the READY to drive
mode. If you must work with the
hybrid system in the READY to drive
mode, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from fans, belts and
any other parts that can move.
. 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 when-
ever you work on your vehicle.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic engine cooling fan. It may
come on at any time without warn-
ing, even if the ignition key is in the
OFF position and the engine is not
running. To avoid injury, always dis-
connect the negative battery cable of
the 12-volt battery before working
near the fan.
. If you must run the engine in an
enclosed 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
necessary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
. Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from the fuel tank and
the 12-volt battery.
CAUTION
.Do not work under the hood while the
engine is hot. Turn the hybrid system
off and wait until it cools down.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
Page 349 of 440

.Avoid direct contact with used en-
gine oil and coolant. Improperly dis-
posed engine oil, coolant, and/or
other vehicle fluids can damage the
environment. Always conform to lo-
cal regulations for disposal of vehicle
fluid.
. Never leave the engine or the trans-
mission related component harness
connector disconnected while the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
. Never connect or disconnect the 12-
volt battery or any transistorized
component while the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
This “8. Do-it-yourself” section gives in-
structions regarding only those items which
are relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A genuine INFINITI Service Manual is also
available. (See “Owner’s Manual/Service
Manual order information” (P.10-22).)
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties 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.
JVM0249X
VQ35HR ENGINE
To remove the engine compartment cover,
unhook the clips located as illustrated.
Do-it-yourself8-3
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Page 350 of 440
8-4Do-it-yourself
JVM0294X
1. Engine oil filler cap
2. Brake fluid reservoir
3. Fuse/fusible link holder
4. Air cleaner
5. Inverter coolant reservoir
6. Radiator filler cap
7. Engine coolant reservoir
8. Engine oil dipstick
9. Window washer fluid reservoirThe 12-volt battery is located inside the
trunk.
Page 351 of 440

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 anti-freeze and coolant protec-
tion. The anti-freeze solution contains rust
and corrosion inhibitors. Additional engine
cooling system additives are not necessary.
WARNING
.Never remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Wait until the
engine and radiator cool down. Ser-
ious burns could be caused by high
pressure fluid escaping from the
radiator. See precautions in “If your
vehicle overheats” (P.6-8) of this
manual.
. The radiator is equipped with a
pressure type radiator cap. To pre-
vent engine damage, use only a
genuine NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
.Never use any cooling system addi-
tives such as radiator sealer. Addi-
tives may clog the cooling system and
cause damage to the engine, trans- mission 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 protec-
tion 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) con-
centrate following the directions on
the container. If an equivalent cool-
ant other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is
used, follow the coolant manufac-
ture’s instructions to maintain mini-
mum antifreeze protection to −34°F
(−37°C). The use of other types of
coolant solutions other than Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Cool-
ant (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 coolant other than Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Cool-
ant (blue), including Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/ Coolant
(green), or the use of non-distilled water will reduce the life expectancy
of the factory-fill coolant. Refer to
the “9. Maintenance and schedules”
section of this manual for more de-
tails.
Do-it-yourself8-5
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Page 352 of 440

8-6Do-it-yourself
JVM0251X
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Models with non-pressurized ra-
diator reservoir tank
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is cold. If the coolant level
is below MIN
, open the reservoir tank cap
and add coolant up to the MAXlevel. If the
reservoir tank 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 tank
up to the MAX level
. Tighten the cap securely after adding engine
coolant.
If the cooling system requires coolant fre-
quently, have it checked. It is recommended
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
JVM0343X
Models with pressurized radiator
reservoir tank
Check the coolant level in the reservoir tank
when the engine is running and after it
reaches normal operating temperature. If
the coolant level is below MIN level
, add
coolant up to the MAX level. If the
reservoir tank 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
cap above the radiator upper hose opening
and also add it to the reservoir tank up to the
MAX level
. Put on the filler cap above the
radiator upper hose and with the reservoir
cap open, start the engine. Run the engine