If you use oxygenate-blend gasoline,
please take the following precautions as
the usage of such fuels may cause vehicle
performance problems and/or fuel system
damage.∙ The fuel should be unleaded and have
an octane rating no lower than that
recommended for unleaded gasoline.
∙ If an oxygenate-blend other than
methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 15% oxygenate.
∙ If a methanol blend is used, it should
contain no more than 5% methanol
(methyl alcohol, wood alcohol). It
should also contain a suitable
amount of appropriate cosolvents
and corrosion inhibitors. If not prop-
erly formulated with appropriate co-
solvents and corrosion inhibitors,
such methanol blends may cause fuel
system damage and/or vehicle per-
formance problems. At this time, suf-
ficient data is not available to ensure
that all methanol blends are suitable
for use in NISSAN vehicles.
If any driveability problems such as engine
stalling and difficult hot-starting are expe-
rienced af ter using oxygenate-blend fuels, immediately change to a non-oxygenate
fuel or a fuel with a low blend of MTBE.
Take care not to spill gasoline during re-
fueling. Gasoline containing oxygenates
can cause paint damage.
E–15 fuel
E-15 fuel is a mixture of approximately 15%
fuel ethanol and 85% unleaded gasoline.
E-15 can only be used in vehicles designed
to run on E-15 fuel. U.S. government regula-
tions require fuel ethanol dispensing
pumps to be identified with small, square,
orange and black label with the common
abbreviation or the appropriate percent-
age for that region.
E–85 fuel
E-85 fuel is a mixture of approximately 85%
fuel ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline.
E-85 can only be used in a Flexible Fuel
Vehicle (FFV). Do not use E-85 in your ve-
hicle. U.S. government regulations require
fuel ethanol dispensing pumps to be iden-
tified by a small, square, orange and black
label with the common abbreviation or the
appropriate percentage for that region.
Fuel containing MMT
MMT, or methylcyclopentadienyl manga-
nese tricarbonyl, is an octane boosting ad-
ditive. NISSAN does not recommend the
use of fuel containing MMT. Such fuel may
adversely affect vehicle performance, in-
cluding the emissions control system. Note
that while some fuel pumps label MMT
content, not all do, so you may have to
consult your gasoline retailer for more de-
tails.
Af termarket fuel additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
any af termarket fuel additives (for ex-
ample, fuel injector cleaner, octane
booster, intake valve deposit removers,
etc.) which are sold commercially. Many of
these additives intended for gum, varnish
or deposit removal may contain active sol-
vents or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended can
cause persistent, heavy “spark knock.”
(“Spark knock” is a metallic rapping
noise.) If severe, this can lead to engine
damage. If you detect a persistent heavy
Technical and consumer information10-5
spark knock even when using gasoline
of the stated octane rating, or if you hear
steady spark knock while holding a
steady speed on level roads, it is recom-
mended that you have a NISSAN dealer
correct the condition. Failure to correct
the condition is misuse of the vehicle, for
which NISSAN is not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing may result in
spark knock, af ter-run and/or overheating,
which may cause excessive fuel consump-
tion or engine damage. If any of the above
symptoms are encountered, have your ve-
hicle checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for servicing.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is not
a cause for concern, because you get the
greatest fuel benefit when there is light
spark knock for a short time under heavy
engine load.
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATIONS
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality and viscosity engine oil to ensure
satisfactory engine life and performance.
For additional information, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities”
in this section. NISSAN recommends the
use of an energy conserving oil in order to
improve fuel economy.Select only engine oils that meet the
American Petroleum Institute (API) certifi-
cation or International Lubricant Standard-
ization and Approval Committee (ILSAC)
certification and SAE viscosity standard.
These oils have the API certification mark
on the front of the container. Oils which do
not have the specified quality label should
not be used as they could cause engine
damage.
LTI2051
10-6Technical and consumer information
Oil additives
NISSAN does not recommend the use of oil
additives. The use of an oil additive is not
necessary when the proper oil type is used
and maintenance intervals are followed.
Oil which may contain foreign matter or
has been previously used should not be
used.
Oil viscosity
The engine oil viscosity or thickness
changes with temperature. Because of
this, it is important to select the engine oil
viscosity based on the temperatures at
which the vehicle will be operated before
the next oil change. Choosing an oil viscos-
ity other than that recommended could
cause serious engine damage.
Selecting the correct oil filter
Your new NISSAN vehicle is equipped with a
high-quality Genuine NISSAN oil filter. When
replacing, use a Genuine NISSAN oil filter or
its equivalent for the reason described in
“Change intervals.”
Change intervals
The oil and oil filter change intervals for
your engine are based on the use of thespecified quality oils and filters. Using en-
gine oil and filters that are not of the speci-
fied quality, or exceeding recommended oil
and filter change intervals could reduce
engine life. Damage to the engine caused
by improper maintenance or use of incor-
rect oil and filter quality and/or viscosity is
not covered by the NISSAN New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Your engine was filled with a high-quality
engine oil when it was built. You do not have
to change the oil before the first recom-
mended change interval. Oil and filter
change intervals depend upon how you
use your vehicle.
Operation under the following conditions
may require more frequent oil and filter
changes:
∙ repeated short distance driving at cold outside temperatures
∙ driving in dusty conditions
∙ extensive idling
∙ stop and go commuting
For additional information, refer to the
“Maintenance and schedules” section of
this manual.
AIR CONDITIONER SYSTEM
REFRIGERANT AND OIL
RECOMMENDATIONS
The air conditioner system in your
NISSAN vehicle must be charged with the
refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a) and
NISSAN A/C system oil Type R (KLH00-
PAGRO) or the exact equivalents.
CAUTION
The use of any other refrigerant or oil
will cause severe damage to the air con-
ditioning system and will require the re-
placement of all air conditioner system
components.
The refrigerant HFC-134a (R-134a) in your
NISSAN vehicle does not harm the earth’s
ozone layer. Although this refrigerant does
not affect the earth’s atmosphere, certain
government regulations require the recov-
ery and recycling of any refrigerant during
automotive air conditioner system service. A
NISSAN dealer has the trained technicians
and equipment needed to recover and re-
cycle your air conditioner system refrigerant.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer when servicing your air conditioner
system.
Technical and consumer information10-7
ENGINE
ModelHR16DE
Type Gasoline, 4-cycle, DOHC
Cylinder arrangement 4-cylinder, inline
Bore x Stroke in (mm) 3.071 x 3.291 (78.0 x 83.6)
Displacement cu in (cm
3)97.51 (1,598)
Firing order 1–3–4–2
Idle speed
No adjustment is necessary.
M/T
CVT in N (Neutral) position
Ignition timing (degree B.T.D.C. at idle speed)
CO%atidle
Spark plug
PLZKAR6A-11
Spark plug gap (Nominal) in (mm)0.043 (1.1)
Camshaf t operation Timing chain
This spark ignition system complies with the Canadian standard ICES-002.
SPECIFICATIONS
10-8Technical and consumer information
When planning to drive your NISSAN ve-
hicle in another country,you should first
find out if the fuel available is suitable for
your vehicle's engine.
Using fuel with an octane rating that is too
low may cause engine damage. All gaso-
line vehicles must be operated with un-
leaded gasoline. Therefore, avoid taking
your vehicle to areas where appropriate
fuel is not available.
When transferring the registration of
your vehicle to another country, state,
province or district, it may be necessary
to modif y the vehicle to meet local laws
and regulations.
The laws and regulations for motor vehicle
emission control and safety standards
vary according to the country, state, prov-
ince or district; therefore, vehicle specifica-
tions may differ.
When any vehicle is to be taken into an-
other country, state, province or district
and registered, its modifications, trans-
portation and registration are the re-
sponsibility of the user. NISSAN is not re-
sponsible for any inconvenience that
may result.
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
(VIN) PLATE
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
plate is attached as shown. This number is
the identification for your vehicle and is
used in the vehicle registration.
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
(chassis number)
The vehicle identification number is lo-
cated as shown.
LTI2050LTI2274
WHEN TRAVELING OR REGISTERING
IN ANOTHER COUNTRY VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION
10-10Technical and consumer information
ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER
The number is stamped on the engine as
shown.
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. CERTIFICATION
LABEL
The Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard (F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S.) certifi-
cation label is affixed as shown. This label
contains valuable vehicle information, such
as: (GVWR), (GAWR), month and year of
manufacture, (VIN), etc. Review it carefully.
EMISSION CONTROL
INFORMATION LABEL
The emission control information label is
attached to the underside of the hood as
shown.
HR16DE engine
LTI2020WTI0172LTI2004
Technical and consumer information10-11
Do not tow a trailer with your vehicle.
FLAT TOWING
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is sometimes called flat towing.
This method is sometimes used when
towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home.
CAUTION
∙ Failure to follow these guidelines canresult in severe transmission damage.
∙ Whenever flat towing your vehicle, al- ways tow forward, never backward.
∙ Never tow your front wheel drive ve- hicle with the front tires on the
ground. Doing so may cause serious
and expensive damage to the
powertrain.
∙ DO NOT tow any continuously variable transmission vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground (flat towing).
Doing so WILL DAMAGE internal trans-
mission parts due to lack of transmis-
sion lubrication. ∙ For emergency towing procedures re-
fer to “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” in the “In case of emergency ”
section of this manual.
Manual Transmission (if so
equipped)
∙ Always tow with the manual transmis- sion in N (Neutral).
∙ Af ter towing 500 miles (805 km), start and idle the engine with the transmis-
sion in N (Neutral) for two minutes. Fail-
ure to idle the engine af ter every
500 miles (805 km) of towing may cause
damage to internal transmission parts.
Continuously Variable
Transmission (if so equipped)
To tow a vehicle equipped with a continu-
ously variable transmission, an appropriate
vehicle dolly MUSTbe placed under the
towed vehicle’s drive wheels. Alwaysfollow
the dolly manufacturer’s recommenda-
tions when using their product. DOT (Department of Transportation) Qual-
ity Grades: All passenger car tires must
conform to federal safety requirements in
addition to these grades.
Quality grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.
TOWING A TRAILER
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
Technical and consumer information10-17
Due to legal requirements in some states
and Canadian Provinces, your vehicle may
be required to be in what is called the
“ready condition” for an
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of the
emission control system.
The vehicle is set to the “ready condition”
when it is driven through certain driving
patterns. Usually, the ready condition can
be obtained by ordinary usage of the ve-
hicle.
If a powertrain system component is re-
paired or the battery is disconnected, the
vehicle may be reset to a “not ready” condi-
tion. Before taking the I/M test, check the
vehicle’s inspection/maintenance test
readiness condition. Place the ignition
switch in the ON position without starting
the engine. If the Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL) comes on steady for 20 seconds
and then blinks for 10 seconds, the I/M test
condition is “not ready”. If the MIL does not
blink af ter 20 seconds, the I/M test condi-
tion is “ready”. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer to set the “ready con-
dition” or to prepare the vehicle for testing.This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an
EDR is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air bag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data
that will assist in understanding how a ve-
hicle’s systems performed. The EDR is de-
signed to record data related to vehicle dy-
namics and safety systems for a short
period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to re-
cord such data as:
∙ How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
∙ Whether or not the driver and passen- ger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
∙ How far (if at all) the driver was depress- ing the accelerator and/or brake pedal;
and,
∙ How fast the vehicle was traveling.
∙ Sounds are not recorded. These data can help provide a better un-
derstanding of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data
are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-
trivial crash situation occurs; no data are
recorded by the EDR under normal driving
conditions and no personal data (e.g.
name, gender, age and crash location) are
recorded. However, other parties, such as
law enforcement, could combine the EDR
data with the type of personally identif ying
data routinely acquired during a crash in-
vestigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required and access to the
vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer and NISSAN
dealer, other parties, such as law enforce-
ment, that have the special equipment, can
read the information if they have access to
the vehicle or the EDR. EDR data will only be
accessed with the consent of the vehicle
owner or lessee or as otherwise required or
permitted by law.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
EVENT DATA RECORDERS (EDR)
10-20Technical and consumer information