Page 332 of 467
∙ Your vehicle will reach its ideal oper-ating temperature more quickly
while driving versus idling.
10. Keeping your Vehicle Cool
∙ Park your vehicle in a covered parking area or in the shade whenever pos-
sible.
∙ When entering a hot vehicle, opening the windows will help to reduce the
inside temperature faster, resulting in
reduced demand on your A/C sys-
tem. ∙ Keep your engine tuned up.
∙ Follow the recommended scheduled
maintenance.
∙ Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure. Low tire pressure increases
tire wear and lowers fuel economy.
∙ Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Improper alignment increases tire wear
and lowers fuel economy.
∙ Use the recommended viscosity engine oil. For additional information, refer to
“Recommended fluids/lubricants and
capacities” in the “Technical and con-
sumer information” section of this
manual.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY
5-78Starting and driving
Page 373 of 467

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-3
Engine cooling system ..........................8-5
Checking engine coolant level ................8-6
Changing engine coolant .....................8-6
Engine oil ........................................8-7
Checking engine oil level .....................8-7
Changing engine oil ..........................8-8
Changing engine oil filter ....................8-10
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid ............................................. 8-11
Power Steering Fluid (PSF) .......................8-11
Brake fluid ...................................... 8-12
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-13
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-13
Battery......................................... 8-14
Jump starting ............................... 8-15
Variable voltage control system ................8-16
Drive belt ....................................... 8-16
Spark plugs .................................... 8-17
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-17Air cleaner
...................................... 8-18
In-cabin microfilter .......................... 8-19
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-19
Cleaning .................................... 8-19
Replacing ................................... 8-20
Brakes.......................................... 8-21
Fuses ........................................... 8-21
Engine compartment .......................8-22
Passenger compartment ....................8-23
Battery replacement ........................... 8-24
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-25
Lights .......................................... 8-26
Headlights ................................... 8-26
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-26
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-28
Wheels and tires ................................ 8-31
Tire pressure ................................ 8-31
Tir
e labeling ................................. 8-35
Types of tires ................................ 8-38
Tire chains .................................. 8-39
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-40
Page 374 of 467

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 fol-
lowing are general precautions 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 ve-
hicle from moving. Move the shif t le-
ver 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 jew-
elry, such as rings, watches, etc. be-
fore 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 work-
ing 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, sup-
port 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 trans- mission related component harness
connector disconnected while the ig-
nition switch is in the ON position.
∙ Never connect or disconnect the bat- tery or any transistorized component
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
This “Do-it-yourself ” section gives instruc-
tions regarding only those items which are
relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A Genuine NISSAN service manual is also
available. For additional information, refer
to “Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order
information” in the “Technical and con-
sumer 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
Page 375 of 467
QR25DE engine
1. Power steering fluid reservoir
2. Engine coolant reservoir
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Air cleaner
6. Fuse/Fusible link box
7. Battery
8. Engine oil dipstick
9. Radiator cap
10. Drive belt location
11. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
LDI2111
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3
Page 376 of 467
VQ35DE engine
1. Power steering fluid reservoir
2. Engine coolant reservoir
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Air cleaner
6. Fuse/Fusible link box
7. Battery
8. Engine oil dipstick
9. Radiator cap
10. Drive belt location
11. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
LDI2112
8-4Do-it-yourself
Page 379 of 467
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the 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. Reinsert 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 operating oil level range. If the
oil level is below the L (Low) mark
A,
remove the oil filler cap and pour rec-
ommended 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 sever-
ity of operating conditions.
QR25DE engine
LDI2120
VQ35DE engine
LDI2121
QR25DE engine
LDI2812
ENGINE OIL
Do-it-yourself8-7
Page 380 of 467
CAUTION
∙ Oil level should be checked regularly.Operating the engine with an insuffi-
cient amount of oil can damage the
engine, and such damage is not cov-
ered by warranty.
∙ It is normal to add some oil between oil maintenance intervals or during
the break-in period, depending on the
severity of operating conditions.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the 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 the pins
Bfrom the under-
cover. Gently pull the undercover to
gain access to the drain plug. (VQ35DE
engine only)
VQ35DE engine
WDI0214LDI2866
VQ35DE engine only
LDI2558
8-8Do-it-yourself
Page 381 of 467

5. Place a large drain pan under the drainplug
C.
6. Remove the drain plug
Cwith a
wrench by turning it counterclockwise
and completely drain the oil.
If the oil filter is to be changed, remove
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.
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 en-
gine oil may be hot.
7. Clean and reinstall the drain plug
C
and a new washer. Securely tighten the
drain plug with a wrench. Do not use
excessive force. Drain plug tightening torque: 25 f t-lb (34 N·m)
8. Refill engine with recommended oil through the oil filler opening, then in-
stall the oil filler cap securely.
For additional information on drain
and refill capacity, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capaci-
ties” in the “Technical and consumer
information” section 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 deter-
mine when the proper amount of oil is
in the engine.
9. Start the engine. Check for leakage around the drain plug and oil filter. Cor-
rect as required.
QR25DE
LDI2927
VQ35DE
LDI2634
Do-it-yourself8-9