DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, including
the engine block. Refill before operating the
vehicle. For additional information, refer to
“Changing engine coolant” in the “Do-it-
yourself” section of this manual.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
1. SUMMER tires have a tread designed toprovide superior performance on dry
pavement. However, the performance of
these tires will be substantially reduced
in snowy and icy conditions. If you oper-
ate your vehicle on snowy or icy roads,
INFINITI recommends the use of MUD &
SNOW or ALL SEASON TIRES on all
four wheels. It is recommended that you
visit an INFINITI retailer for the tire type,
size, speed rating and availability infor-
mation.
2. For additional traction on icy roads, studded tires may be used. However,
some U.S. states and Canadian prov-
inces prohibit their use. Check local,
state and provincial laws before install-
ing studded tires. Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires on wet or dry surfaces may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow tires.
3. Tire chains may be used. For additional information, refer to “Tire chains” in the
“Do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
∙ A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to re- move ice and snow from the windows
and wiper blades.
∙ A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the jack to give it firm support.
∙ A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow- drifts.
∙ Extra washer fluid to refill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
∙ Wet ice (32°F, 0°C and freezing rain),very cold snow or ice can be slick and very
hard to drive on. The vehicle will have
much less traction or “grip” under these
conditions. Try to avoid driving on wet
ice until the road is salted or sanded.
∙ Whatever the condition, drive with cau- tion. Accelerate and slow down with
care. If accelerating or downshifting too
fast, the drive wheels will lose even more
traction.
∙ Allow more stopping distance under these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
∙ Allow greater following distances on slippery roads.
∙ Watch for slippery spots (glare ice). These may appear on an otherwise clear
road in shaded areas. If a patch of ice is
seen ahead, brake before reaching it. Try
not to brake while on the ice, and avoid
any sudden steering maneuvers.
∙ Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads.
Starting and driving5-145
∙ If the low tire pressure warning light illu-minates while driving, avoid sudden
steering maneuvers or abrupt braking,
reduce vehicle speed, pull off the road to
a safe location and stop the vehicle as
soon as possible. Driving with under-
inflated tires may permanently damage
the tires and increase the likelihood of
tire failure. Serious vehicle damage could
occur and may lead to an accident and
could result in serious personal injury.
Check the tire pressure for all four tires.
Adjust the tire pressure to the recom-
mended COLD tire pressure shown on
the Tire and Loading Information label to
turn the low tire pressure warning light
OFF. If the light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pressure,
a tire may be flat or the TPMS may be
malfunctioning. If you have a flat tire, re-
place it with a spare tire as soon as pos-
sible, If no tire is flat and all tires are
properly inflated, have the vehicle
checked. It is recommended that you visit
a INFINITI retailer for this service. ∙ When replacing a wheel without TPMS
such as the spare tire, TPMS will not
function and the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will flash for approximately
1 minute. The light will remain on after
1 minute. Have your tires replaced
and/or TPMS system reset as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you visit
a INFINITI retailer for these services.
∙ Replacing tires with those not originally specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
∙ Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol tire sealant into the tires, as this may cause a
malfunction of the tire pressure sensors.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Move the shift lever to
P (Park). 4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and
to signal professional road assistance
personnel that you need assistance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the ve- hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
∙ Make sure the parking brake is securelyapplied and the Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) is shifted into
P (Park).
∙ Never change tires when the vehicle is on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
∙ Never change tires if oncoming traffic is close to your vehicle. Wait for profes-
sional road assistance.
6-4In case of emergency
WARNING
Always follow the instructions below. Fail-
ure to do so could result in damage to the
charging system and cause personal injury.1. If the booster battery is in another ve- hicle, position the two vehicles to bring
their batteries near each other.
Do not allow the two vehicles to touch.
2. Apply the parking brake. Move the shift lever to P (Park). Switch off all unneces-
sary electrical systems (lights, heater, air
conditioner, etc.). 3. Connect the jumper cables in the se-
quence illustrated (A,B,C,D).
CAUTION
∙ Always connect positive () to positive() and negative () to body ground (for
example, strut mounting bolt, engine lift
bracket, etc.) — not to the battery.
∙ Make sure the jumper cables do not touch moving parts in the engine compartment
and that the cable clamps do not contact
any other metal.
4. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and let it run for a few minutes. 5. Keep the engine speed of the booster
vehicle at about 2,000 rpm and start the
engine of the vehicle being jump started.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged for
more than 10 seconds. If the engine does
not start right away, place the ignition
switch in the OFF position and wait 3 to
4 seconds before trying again.
6. After starting the engine, carefully dis- connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
LCE2223
6-12In case of emergency
CAUTION
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission(CVT) models cannot be push-started or
tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. The three- way catalyst may be damaged.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicleoverheats. Doing so could cause engine
damage or a vehicle fire.
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never remove the radiator or coolant res-
ervoir cap while the engine is still hot.
When the radiator or coolant reservoir
cap is removed, pressurized hot water
will spurt out, possibly causing serious
injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading),
or if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc. take the following steps. 1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. (If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off the
engine.) Do not open the hood further
until no steam or coolant can be seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the engine,
stand clear to prevent getting burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leak-
ing, the water pump belt is missing or
loose, or the cooling fan does not run,
stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or the
engine cooling fan. The engine cooling fan
can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-13
When installing Genuine INFINITI floor mats,
follow the installation instructions provided
with the mat and the following:1. With the ignition in the OFF position, the shift lever in P (Park) position and with
the parking brake fully applied, position
the floor mat in the floorwell so that the
floor mat grommet holes are aligned
with the hook(s).
2. Secure the grommet holes into the hook(s) and ensure that the floor mat is
properly positioned.
3. Make sure the floor mat does not inter- fere with pedal operation. With the igni-
tion still in the OFF position, the shift
lever in the P (Park) position and with the
parking brake applied, fully apply and
release all pedals. The floor mat must not
interfere with pedal operation or prevent
the pedal from returning to its normal
position.
It is recommended that you visit an INFINITI
retailer for details about installing the floor
mats in your vehicle. The illustration shows the location of the
floor mat positioning hooks.
Floor mat installation for 3rd row
seats (if so equipped)
When installing Genuine INFINITI floor mats
in the 3rd row seating positions:
1. Position the floor mat in the floorwell so that the floor mat’s installation tabs are
aligned with the rearmost part of 2nd
row seat tracks.
2. Insert the floor mat installation tabs
A
underneath the 2nd row seat tracksB
and ensure that the floor mat is properly
positioned.
Positioning hooks
LAI2003LAI2089
7-6Appearance and care
Relative humidity
Corrosion will be accelerated in areas of high
relative humidity, especially those areas
where the temperatures stay above freezing
and where atmospheric pollution exists and
road salt is used.
Temperature
High temperatures accelerate the rate of cor-
rosion to those parts which are not well ven-
tilated.
Air pollution
Industrial pollution, the presence of salt in the
air in coastal areas, or heavy road salt use
accelerates the corrosion process. Road salt
also accelerates the disintegration of paint
surfaces.
PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE FROM
CORROSION
∙ Wash and wax your vehicle often to keepthe vehicle clean.
∙ Always check for minor damage to the paint and repair it as soon as possible.
∙ Keep drain holes at the bottom of the doors open to avoid water accumulation.
∙ Check the underbody for accumulation of sand, dirt or salt. If present, wash with
water as soon as possible.
CAUTION
∙ NEVER remove dirt, sand or other debrisfrom the passenger compartment by
washing it out with a hose. Remove dirt
with a vacuum cleaner or broom.
∙ Never allow water or other liquids to come in contact with electronic compo-
nents inside the vehicle as this may dam-
age them. Chemicals used for road surface de-icing are
extremely corrosive. They accelerate corro-
sion and deterioration of underbody compo-
nents such as the exhaust system, fuel and
brake lines, brake cables, floor pan and fend-
ers.
In winter, the underbody must be cleaned
periodically.
For additional protection against rust and
corrosion, which may be required in some
areas, it is recommended that you consult an
INFINITI retailer.
7-8Appearance and care
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 ....8-9
Power Steering Fluid (PSF) .......................8-9
Brake fluid ..................................... 8-10
Windshield-washer fluid ......................... 8-11
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir .............8-11
Battery ........................................ 8-12
Jump starting ............................... 8-15
Drive belt ...................................... 8-15
Spark plugs .................................... 8-16
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-16
Air cleaner ..................................... 8-16In-cabin microfilter
.......................... 8-17
Windshield wiper blades ........................ 8-17
Cleaning .................................... 8-17
Replacing ................................... 8-18
Brakes ......................................... 8-19
Fuses .......................................... 8-20
Engine compartment ........................ 8-20
Passenger compartment .....................8-21
Battery replacement ............................ 8-22
INFINITI Intelligent Key ......................8-22
Lights ......................................... 8-24
Headlights .................................. 8-24
Fog lights ................................... 8-24
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-25
Wheels and tires ............................... 8-27
Tire pressure ................................ 8-27
Tire labeling ................................. 8-31
Types of tires ............................... 8-33
Tire chains .................................. 8-34
Changing
wheels and tires ................... 8-35
When performing any inspection or mainte-
nance work on your vehicle, always take care
to prevent serious accidental injury to your-
self or damage to the vehicle. The following
are general precautions which should be
closely observed.
WARNING
∙ Park the vehicle on a level surface, applythe parking brake securely and block the
wheels to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. Move the shift lever to P (Park).
∙ Be sure the ignition switch is in the OFF or LOCK position when performing any
parts replacement or repairs.
∙ If you must work with the engine running, 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 jewelry,
such as rings, watches, etc. before work-
ing 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 switch is in the OFF position and
the engine is not running. To avoid injury,
always disconnect the negative battery
cable before working near the fan.
∙ 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 the fuel tank and
battery.
∙ Because the fuel lines on gasoline engine models are under high pressure even
when the engine is off, it is recommended
that you visit an INFINITI retailer for ser-
vice of the fuel filter or fuel lines.
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 flu-
ids can damage the environment. Always
conform to local regulations for disposal
of vehicle fluid.
∙ Never leave the engine or Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) related
component harnesses disconnected
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
∙ Never connect or disconnect the battery 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 INFINITI service manual is also
available. For additional information, refer to
“Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order in-
formation” in the “Technical and consumer
information” section of this manual.
You should be aware that incomplete or im-
proper servicing may result in operating diffi-
culties or excessive emissions, and could af-
fect warranty coverage. If in doubt about any
servicing, it is recommended that you have it
done by an INFINITI retailer.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself