2018 NISSAN MAXIMA service

2WD models with Continuously
Variable Transmission (CVT)
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flatbed
truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
∙ Never tow CVT models with the frontwheels on the ground or four wheels
on the ground (forward or backward),
as this may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the transmission. If it
is necessary to tow the vehicle with
the rear wheels raised always use
towing dollies under the front wheels.
∙ When towing CVT models with the rear wheels on the ground or on tow-
ing dollies: – Place the ignition switch in the OFF
position, and secure the steering
wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a rope or similar device. Never
secure the steering wheel by plac-
ing the ignition switch in the LOCK
position. This may damage the
steering lock mechanism (for
models with a steering lock
mechanism).
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a
stuck vehicle)
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious per-
sonal injury or death when recovering a
stuck vehicle:
∙ Contact a professional towing serviceto recover the vehicle if you have any
questions regarding the recovery
procedure.
∙ Tow chains or cables must be at- tached only to main structural mem-
bers of the vehicle.
∙ Do not use the vehicle tie-downs to tow or free a stuck vehicle.
LCE2369
6-12In case of emergency

∙ Only use devices specifically designedfor vehicle recovery and follow the
manufacturer’s instructions.
∙ Always pull the recovery device straight out from the front of the ve-
hicle. Never pull at an angle.
∙ Route recovery devices so they do not touch any part of the vehicle except
the attachment point.
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use a tow strap or other device de-
signed specifically for vehicle recovery. Al-
ways follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions for the recovery device.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
WARNING
∙ Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
∙ Do not spin your tires at high speed. This could cause them to explode and
result in serious injury. Parts of your
vehicle could also overheat and be
damaged. If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud,
etc., use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and lef t to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and backward.
∙ Shif t back and forth between R (Re- verse) and D (Drive).
∙ Apply the accelerator as little as pos- sible to maintain the rocking motion.
∙ Release the accelerator pedal before shif ting between R (Reverse) and D
(Drive).
∙ Do not spin the tires above 35 mph (55 km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed af ter a few tries, contact a professional towing
service to remove the vehicle.
In case of emergency6-13

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

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 insuffi-
cient 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 ex-
pectancy 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 reduce the life ex-
pectancy of the factory-fill coolant. For ad-
ditional 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 “En-
gine compartment 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 over-
heating.
WARNING
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the
engine is hot.
∙ Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Serious burns could
be caused by high pressure fluid es-
caping 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 prop-
erly. Check your local regulations.
LDI2750
Do-it-yourself8-5

3. Place a large drain pan under the oilfilter
B.
4. Remove clips
Afrom the right engine
protector located inside the right
wheel well and then remove protector.
Remove oil filter
Bwith an oil filter
wrench by turning it counterclockwise.
Then remove the oil filter by turning it
by hand.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself. The en-
gine oil may be hot.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter sealing surface with a clean rag.
CAUTION
∙ Be sure to remove any old gasketmaterial 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 resis- tance is felt, then tighten an additional
2/3 turn.
8. Start the engine and check for leakage around the oil filter. Correct as required.
9. Turn the engine off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level. Add en-
gine oil if necessary.
CAUTION
∙ NISSAN recommends using GenuineNISSAN 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 dam-
age the CVT. Damage caused by the
use of fluids other than as recom-
mended 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 rec-
ommended is not covered under
NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
When checking or replacement of CVT fluid
is required, it is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) FLUID
Do-it-yourself8-9

∙ Brake fluid is poisonous and shouldbe stored carefully in marked contain-
ers out of reach of children.
CAUTION
Do not spill the fluid on any painted sur-
faces. This will damage the paint. If fluid
is spilled, immediately wash the surface
with water.
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the
brake fluid is below the MIN line
B, the
brake warning light will illuminate. Add
brake fluid up to the MAX line
A. For addi-
tional information on recommended type
of brake fluid, refer to “Recommended
fluids/lubricants and capacities" in the “
Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual.
If the brake fluid must be added frequently,
the brake system should be thoroughly
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
RESERVOIR
Fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir
periodically. Add windshield-washer fluid
when the “Low Washer Fluid” warning mes-
sage shows on the vehicle information dis-
play.
To fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir,
lif t the cap off the reservoir and pour the
windshield-washer fluid into the reservoir
opening. Add a washer solvent to the washer for
better cleaning. In the winter season, add a
windshield-washer antifreeze. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for the mix-
ture ratio.
Refill the reservoir more frequently when
driving conditions require an increased
amount of windshield-washer fluid.
Recommended fluid is Genuine NISSAN
Windshield Washer Concentrate Cleaner &
Anti-freeze or equivalent.
CAUTION
∙ Do not substitute engine antifreeze
coolant for windshield-washer fluid.
This may result in damage to the
paint.
∙ Do not fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir with washer fluid concen-
trates at full strength. Some methyl
alcohol based washer fluid concen-
trates may permanently stain the
grille if spilled while filling the
windshield-washer fluid reservoir.LDI2754
WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
Do-it-yourself8-11

Vehicles operated in high temperatures or
under severe conditions require frequent
checks of the battery fluid level.
JUMP STARTING
If jump starting is necessary, refer to “Jump
starting” in the “In case of emergency” sec-
tion of this manual. If the engine does not
start by jump starting, the battery may
have to be replaced. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this ser-
vice.
1. Crankshaf t pulley
2. Drive belt automatic tensioner pul-ley
3. Generator pulley
4. Air conditioner compressor pulley
WARNING
Be sure the ignition switch is placed in
the OFF or LOCK position before servic-
ing drive belt. The engine could rotate
unexpectedly. 1. Visually inspect the belt for signs of un-
usual wear, cuts, fraying or looseness. If
the belt is in poor condition or is loose,
have it replaced or adjusted. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
2. Have the belt checked regularly for condition and tension in accordance
with the maintenance schedule found
in the “Maintenance and schedules”
section of this manual.
VQ35DE engine
LDI2131
DRIVE BELT
8-14Do-it-yourself

REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
Iridium-tipped spark plugs
It is not necessary to replace iridium-
tipped
Aspark plugs as frequently as con-
ventional type spark plugs because they
last much longer. Follow the maintenance
log shown in the “Maintenance and sched-
ules” section of this manual. Do not service
iridium-tipped spark plugs by cleaning or
regapping.
∙ Always replace spark plugs with rec-
ommended or equivalent ones.
WARNING
Be sure the engine and ignition switch
are off and that the parking brake is
engaged securely.
CAUTION
Be sure to use the correct socket to re-
move the spark plugs. An incorrect
socket can damage the spark plugs.
If replacement is required, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
The air cleaner filter should not be cleaned
and reused. Replace it according to the
maintenance log shown in the “Mainte-
nance and schedules” section of this
manual. When replacing the filter, wipe the
inside of the air cleaner filter housing and
the cover with a damp cloth.
To remove the air cleaner filter:∙ Unlatch the clips
Aand move the air
cleaner cover upward.
∙ Remove the air cleaner filter.
∙ Wipe the inside of the air cleaner filter housing and cover with a damp cloth.
SDI1895LDI2756
SPARK PLUGS AIR CLEANER
Do-it-yourself8-15