∙ 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.
∙ Only use devices specifically designed for 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) (continuously
variable transmission models) or 1st
(Low) and R (Reverse) (manual trans-
mission models). ∙ 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) (continuously variable trans-
mission models) or 1st (Low) and R
(Reverse) (manual transmission
models).
∙ 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.
6-18In case of emergency
7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior................................ 7-2
Washing ...................................... 7-2
Waxing ....................................... 7-2
Removing spots .............................. 7-3
Underbody ................................... 7-3
Glass ......................................... 7-3
Aluminum alloy wheels (if so equipped) ....... 7-3
Chromeparts................................ 7-3
Tire dressings ................................ 7-3
Cleaning interior ................................. 7-4 Air fresheners
................................ 7-5
Floor mats (if so equipped) ................... 7-5
Seatbelts ....................................7-6
Corrosion protection ............................ 7-7
Most common factors contributing to
vehicle corrosion ............................. 7-7
Environmental factors influence the
rate of corrosion .............................. 7-7
Protect your vehicle from corrosion .......... 7-7
In order to maintain the appearance of
your vehicle, it is important to take proper
care of it.
To protect the paint surfaces, wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:∙ Af ter a rainfall to prevent possible dam- age from acid rain.
∙ Af ter driving on coastal roads.
∙ When contaminants such as soot, bird droppings, tree sap, metal particles or
bugs get on the paint surface.
∙ When dust or mud builds up on the sur- face.
Whenever possible, store or park your ve-
hicle 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 sur-
face when putting on or removing the
body cover.WASHING
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly us-
ing 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, es-
pecially brushless ones, use some
acid for cleaning. The acid may react
with some plastic vehicle compo-
nents, 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 de-
tergents, 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. There-
fore, 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 weath-
ered appearance before re-applying wax.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer to assist you in choosing the proper
product.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care
∙ Wax your vehicle only af ter a thoroughwashing. Follow the instructions sup-
plied with the wax.
∙ Do not use a wax containing any abra- sives, cutting compounds or cleaners
that may damage the vehicle finish.
Machine compounding or aggressive pol-
ishing on a base coat/clear coat paint fin-
ish may dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
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 last-
ing 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 regu-
larly in order to prevent dirt and salt from
building up and causing the acceleration of
corrosion on the underbody and suspen-
sion. Before the winter period 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 nor-
mal for glass to become coated with a film
af ter the vehicle is parked in the hot sun.
Glass cleaner and a sof t cloth will easily
remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could dam-
age the electrical conductors, radio an-
tenna elements or rear window de-
froster elements.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS (if so
equipped)
Wash the wheels regularly with a sponge
dampened in a mild soap solution, espe-
cially 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
ambient temperature.
∙ Rinse the wheel to completely remove the cleaner within 15 minutes af ter
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 discolor-
ation of the rubber. If a tire dressing is ap-
plied to the tires, it may react with the coat-
ing and form a compound. This compound
may come off the tire while driving and
stain the vehicle paint.
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
Engine oil ........................................8-6
Checking engine oil level .....................8-6
Changing engine oil ..........................8-7
Changing engine oil filter .....................8-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid (if so equipped) .............................8-9
Brake and clutch (if so equipped) fluid ...........8-9
Brake fluid ................................... 8-10
Clutch (if so equipped) fluid ..................8-10
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-10
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-10
Battery.......................................... 8-11
Jump starting ............................... 8-13
Variable voltage control system ................8-13
Drive belt ....................................... 8-14
Spark plugs .................................... 8-15
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-15Air cleaner
...................................... 8-15
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-16
Cleaning .................................... 8-16
Replacing ................................... 8-16
Brakes.......................................... 8-18
Fuses ........................................... 8-18
Engine compartment ....................... 8-19
Passenger compartment ....................8-19
Battery replacement ........................... 8-21
Key fob (if so equipped) ......................8-21
NISSAN Intelligent Key® (if so equipped) ......8-23
Lights .......................................... 8-24
Headlights ................................... 8-24
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-25
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-26
Wheels and tires ................................ 8-29
Tire pressure ................................ 8-29
Tir
e labeling ................................. 8-32
Types of tires ................................ 8-35
Tire chains .................................. 8-36
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-37
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. For manual trans-
mission models, move the shif t lever
to N (Neutral). For CVT models, move
the shif t lever to P (Park).
∙ Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF or LOCK position when perform-
ing 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. ∙ 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.
∙
Because the fuel lines on gasoline en-
gine models are under high pressure
even when the engine is off, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for service of the fuel filter or fuel lines.
∙ 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.
CAUTION
∙ Do not work under the hood while theengine 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
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) (if so equipped)
WARNING
Radio waves could adversely af-
fect electric medical equipment.
Those who use a pacemaker
should contact the electric medi-
cal equipment manufacturer for
the possible influences before
use.
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
It monitors tire pressure of all tires
except the spare. When the low tire
pressure warning light is lit, and the
CHECK TIRE PRES (pressure) warning
message displays in the odometer,
one or more of your tires is signifi-
cantly under-inflated.
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 pressure warning light” in
the “Instruments and controls” sec-
tion, “Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem (TPMS)” in the “Starting and driv-
ing” section, and “Flat tire” in the “In
case of emergency” section of this
manual.
Tire inflation pressure
Check the tire pressures (including
the spare) of ten and always prior to
long distance trips. The recom-
mended tire pressure 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 af-
fixed 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 ob-
jects 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 af ter 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 (if
so equipped) provides visual and au-
dible signals outside the vehicle for
inflating tires to the recommended
COLD tire pressure. For additional in-
formation, refer to “TPMS with Easy-
Fill Tire Alert” in the “Starting and driv-
ing” section of this manual.
Incorrect tire pressure, including
under inflation, may adversely af-
fect tire life and vehicle handling.
WHEELS AND TIRES
Do-it-yourself8-29
1Tire size (example: P215/65R15
95H)
1. P: The “P” indicates the tire is de- signed for passenger vehicles
(not all tires have this informa-
tion).
2. Three-digit number (215): This number gives the width in milli-
meters of the tire from sidewall
edge to sidewall 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 num- ber is the wheel or rim diameter
in inches. 6. Two- or three-digit number (95):
This number is the tire’s load in-
dex. It is a measurement of how
much weight each tire can sup-
port. You may not find this infor-
mation on all tires because it is
not required by law.
7. H: Tire speed rating. You should not drive the vehicle faster than
the tire speed rating.
Example
WDI0395
Do-it-yourself8-33