8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions ....................................................... 8-2
Engine compartment check locations ......................... 8-3VQ37VHR engine model .................................................... 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 and filter ...................................... 8-6
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) .............................. 8-8
Power steering fluid .................................................................... 8-8
Brake and clutch fluid ................................................................ 8-9 Brake fluid ........................................................................\
............. 8-9
Clutch fluid (Manual transmission models) ..... 8-10
Window washer fluid ............................................................... 8-10
Battery ........................................................................\
........................... 8-11
Jump starting ........................................................................\
... 8-13
Variable voltage control system ..................................... 8-13
Drive belts ........................................................................\
.................. 8-14
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
............... 8-14
Replacing spark plugs ....................................................... 8-15
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
................. 8-15 Windshield wiper blades ....................................................... 8-16
Cleaning ........................................................................\
............. 8-16
Replacing ........................................................................\
.......... 8-16
Brakes ........................................................................\
.......................... 8-17 Self-adjusting brakes ....................................................... 8-17
Brake pad wear warning .............................................. 8-17
Fuses ........................................................................\
............................. 8-18 Engine compartment ...................................................... 8-18
Passenger compartment ............................................. 8-19
Intelligent Key battery replacement ........................... 8-20
Lights ........................................................................\
........................... 8-22 Coupe ........................................................................\
................. 8-22
Roadster ........................................................................\
........... 8-23
Headlights ........................................................................\
....... 8-23
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 (if
so equipped) ........................................................................\
.. 8-37
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 precau-
tions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
.Park the vehicle on a level sur-
face, apply the parking brake
securely and block the wheels to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
For manual transmission models,
move the shift lever to N (Neutral).
For automatic transmission mod-
els, move the shift lever to P
(Park).
. Be sure the ignition switch is in
the OFF or LOCK position when
performing any parts replace-
ment or repairs.
. Never connect or disconnect the
battery or any transistorized
component while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
. Never leave the engine or auto-
matic transmission related com-
ponent harnesses disconnected
while the ignition switch is in the
ON position. .
If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, cloth-
ing, hair and tools away from
moving fans, belts and any other
moving parts.
. It is advisable to secure or re-
move any loose clothing and
remove any jewelry, such as
rings, watches, etc. before work-
ing on your vehicle.
. Always wear eye protection
whenever you work on your ve-
hicle.
. 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 fuel tank
and the battery.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic engine cooling fan. It
may come on at any time without
warning, even if the ignition key is
in the OFF position and the en-
gine is not running. To avoid injury, always disconnect the ne-
gative battery cable before work-
ing near the fan.
. Because the fuel lines are under
high pressure even when the
engine is off, it is recommended
you visit a NISSAN dealer for
service of the fuel filter or fuel
lines.
CAUTION
.Do not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn the engine
off and wait until it cools down.
. Avoid direct contact with used
engine oil and coolant. Impro-
perly disposed engine oil, coolant,
and/or other vehicle fluids can
damage the environment. Always
conform to local regulations for
disposal of vehicle fluid.
This “8. Do-it-yourself” section gives in-
structions regarding only those items
which are relatively easy for an owner to
perform.
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is also
available. (See “Owner’s Manual/Service
Manual order information” (P.10-26).)
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-4Do-it-yourself
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 pro-
tection. The antifreeze solution contains
rust and corrosion inhibitors. Additional
engine cooling system additives are not
necessary.
WARNING
.Never remove the radiator or
coolant reservoir cap when the
engine is hot. Wait until the en-
gine and radiator cool down.
Serious burns could be caused
by high pressure fluid escaping
from the radiator. See precau-
tions in “If your vehicle overheats”
(P.6-17) of this manual.
. The radiator is equipped with a
pressure type radiator cap. To
prevent engine 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 damage to
the engine, transmission and/or
cooling system.
. When adding or replacing cool-
ant, be sure to use only Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/
Coolant (blue) or equivalent. Gen-
uine 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 Anti-
freeze/Coolant (blue) is used, fol-
low the coolant manufacturer’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/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent may damage the en-
gine cooling system.
. The life expectancy of the fac-
tory-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/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 coolant. Refer to the
“9. Maintenance and schedules”
section of this manual for more
details.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
JVM0087X
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is running and after it
reaches normal operating temperature.
If the coolant level is below the MIN level
,
add coolant up to the MAX level. 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 radiator filler cap above the radia-
tor upper hose opening and also add it to
the reservoir 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 until it
reaches normal operating temperature. Add coolant up to the MAX level
. Tighten
the cap securely after adding engine
coolant.
If the cooling system requires coolant
frequently, have it checked. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
It is recommended that major cooling
system repairs be performed by a NISSAN
dealer. The service procedures can be
found in the appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual.
Improper servicing can result in re-
duced heater performance and engine
overheating.
WARNING
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never change the cool-
ant when the engine 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 pos-
sible.
. Keep coolant out of reach of
children and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of
properly. Check your local regulations.
Do-it-yourself8-5
8-8Do-it-yourself
d. Install the bolts that hold the un-dercover in place. Be careful not to
strip the bolts or over-tighten them.
2. Lower the vehicle carefully to the ground.
3. Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
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 pos-
sible.
. Keep used engine oil out of reach
of children. When checking or replacement is re-
quired, we recommend a NISSAN dealer
for servicing.
CAUTION
.
It is recommended that you use
only Genuine NISSAN Matic S ATF.
Do not mix with other fluids.
. Using automatic transmission
fluid other than Genuine NISSAN
Matic S ATF may cause deteriora-
tion in driveability and automatic
transmission durability, and may
damage the automatic transmis-
sion. Damage caused by the use
of fluid other than as recom-
mended is not covered by the
NISSAN new vehicle limited war-
ranty.
SDI1765A
Check the fluid level in the reservoir.
The fluid level should be checked with the
engine off using the HOT range (
: HOT
MAX.,: HOT MIN.) at fluid temperatures
of 122 to 176°F (50 to 80°C) or using the
COLD range (
: COLD MAX.,: COLD MIN.)
at fluid temperatures of 32 to 86°F (0 to
30°C).
If the fluid is below the MIN line, add
Genuine NISSAN PSF or equivalent. Re-
move the cap and fill through the open-
ing.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF)POWER STEERING FLUID
CAUTION
.Do not overfill.
. Use Genuine NISSAN PSF or
equivalent. For further brake and clutch fluid infor-
mation, see “Capacities and recom-
mended fluids/lubricants” (P.10-2) of this
manual.
WARNING
.
Use only new fluid from a sealed
container. Old, inferior or con-
taminated fluid may damage the
brake and clutch systems. The
use of improper fluids can da-
mage the brake and clutch sys-
tems, and affect the vehicle’s
stopping ability.
. Clean the filler cap before remov-
ing.
. Brake fluid and clutch fluid are
poisonous and should be stored
carefully in marked containers
out of the reach of children.
CAUTION
Do not spill the fluid on painted
surfaces. This will damage the paint.
If fluid is spilled, wash the surface
with water.
SDI2025A
BRAKE FLUID
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the
fluid is below the MIN lineor the brake
warning light comes on, add Genuine
NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or
equivalent DOT3(except for NISMO mod-
els), or Genuine NISSAN Brake Fluid R35
Special ll fluid (for NISMO models) up to
the MAX line
. If fluid must be added
frequently, the system should be checked.
It is recommended you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Do-it-yourself8-9
BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID
8-10Do-it-yourself
WARNING
For NISMO models: Genuine NISSAN
Brake Fluid R35 Special II is the
factory fill brake fluid. The Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) unit and other
related parts were specially de-
signed for this brake fluid. Using
any other non-equivalent brake fluid
may result in improper operation of
the brake system which result in
serious injury or death.
SDI1906A
CLUTCH FLUID (Manual transmis-
sion models)
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the
fluid level is below the MIN line, add
Genuine NISSAN Brake Fluid R35 Special II
or equivalent DOT 4up to the MAX line
.
If fluid must be added frequently, the
system should be checked. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
SDI2349
Fill the window washer fluid reservoir
periodically. Add window washer fluid
when the low window washer fluid warn-
ing appears.
To fill the window washer fluid reservoir,
lift the cap off the reservoir tank and pour
the window washer fluid into the tank
opening.
Add a washer solvent to the water for
better cleaning. In the winter season, add
a windshield washer antifreeze. Follow
the manufacturer’s instructions for the
mixture ratio.
Refill the reservoir more frequently when
driving conditions require an increased
amount of window washer fluid.
WINDOW WASHER FLUID
8-12Do-it-yourself
WARNING
.Do not expose the battery to
flames or electrical sparks. Hy-
drogen gas generated by the
battery is explosive. Do not allow
battery fluid to contact your skin,
eyes, fabrics, or painted surfaces.
After touching a battery or bat-
tery cap, do not touch or rub your
eyes. Thoroughly wash your
hands. If the acid contacts your
eyes, skin or clothing, immedi-
ately flush with water for at least
15 minutes and seek medical
attention.
. Do not operate the vehicle if the
fluid in the battery is low. Low
battery fluid can cause a higher
load on the battery which can
generate heat, reduce battery life,
and in some cases lead to an
explosion.
. When working on or near a bat-
tery, always wear suitable eye
protection and remove all jew-
elry.
. Battery posts, terminals and re-
lated accessories contain lead
and lead compounds. Wash
hands after handling. .
Keep the battery out of the reach
of children.
DI0137MF
Check the fluid level in each cell (Remove
the battery cover if it is necessary). It
should be between the UPPER LEVEL
and LOWER LEVELlines.
If it is necessary to add fluid, add only
distilled water to bring the level to the
indicator in each filler opening. Do not
overfill.
1. Remove the cell plugs
.