VQ35DD engine
1. Power steering fluid reservoir(P. 8-9)
2. Engine coolant reservoir (P. 8-4)
3. Drive belt location (P. 8-15)
4. Fuse box (P. 8-20)
5. Engine oil filler cap (P. 8-6)
6. Brake fluid reservoir (P. 8-10)
7. Air cleaner (P. 8-16)
8. Fuse box (P. 8-20)
9. Fuse/Fusible link box (P. 8-20)
10. Battery (P. 8-12)
11. Engine oil dipstick (P. 8-6)
12. Radiator cap (P. 8-4)
13. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
(P. 8-11)
Refer to the page number indicated in paren-
theses for operating details.
LDI3238
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
0-8Illustrated table of contents
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
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
6. After the engine cools down, check thecoolant level in the engine coolant reser-
voir tank with the engine running. Add
coolant to the engine coolant reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle re-
paired. It is recommended that you visit
an INFINITI retailer for this service. When towing your vehicle, all jurisdictions
and local regulations for towing must be fol-
lowed. Incorrect towing equipment could
damage your vehicle. Towing instructions are
available from an INFINITI retailer. Local ser-
vice operators are generally familiar with the
applicable laws and procedures for towing.
To assure proper towing and to prevent ac-
cidental damage to your vehicle, INFINITI
recommends having a service operator tow
your vehicle. It is advisable to have the service
operator carefully read the following precau-
tions:
WARNING
∙ Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
∙ Never get under your vehicle after it has been lifted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
∙ When towing, make sure that the trans-mission, axles, steering system and pow-
ertrain are in working condition. If any of
these conditions apply, dollies or a flat-
bed tow truck must be used.
∙ Always attach safety chains before towing. For additional information, refer to “Flat
towing” in the “Technical and consumer infor-
mation” section of this manual.
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
INFINITI
INFINITI recommends towing your vehicle
based upon the type of drivetrain. For addi-
tional information, refer to the diagrams in
this section to ensure that your vehicle is
properly towed.
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
6-14In case of emergency
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
VQ35DD engine
1. Power steering fluid reservoir
2. Engine coolant reservoir
3. Drive belt location
4. Fuse box
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Air cleaner
8. Fuse box
9. Fuse/Fusible link box
10. Battery
11. Engine oil dipstick
12. Radiator cap
13. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
NOTE:
Some engine covers removed for clarity.
LDI3238
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3
The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a pre-diluted mixture of 50%
Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) and 50% water to
provide year-round antifreeze and coolant
protection. The antifreeze solution contains
rust and corrosion inhibitors. Additional en-
gine cooling system additives are not neces-
sary.
WARNING
∙ Never remove the radiator or coolantreservoir cap when the engine is hot.
Wait until the engine and radiator cool
down. Serious burns could be caused by
high pressure fluid escaping from the ra-
diator. For additional information on
precautions, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this manual.
∙ The radiator is equipped with a pressure type radiator cap. To prevent engine
damage, use only a Genuine NISSAN ra-
diator cap.
CAUTION
∙ Never use any cooling system additivessuch as radiator sealer. Additives may
clog the cooling system and cause dam-
age to the engine, transmission and/or
cooling system.
∙ When adding or replacing coolant, be sure to use only Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-diluted
to provide antifreeze protection to -34°
F (-37° C). If additional freeze protection
is needed due to weather where you op-
erate your vehicle, add Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) con-
centrate following the directions on the
container. If an equivalent coolant other
than Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is used, follow
the coolant manufacturer’s instructions
to maintain minimum antifreeze protec-
tion to -34° F (-37° C). The use of other
types of coolant solutions other than
Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent
may damage the engine cooling system. ∙ The life expectancy of the factory-fill
coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km)
or 7 years. Mixing any other type of cool-
ant other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue), including
Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (green), or the use of
non-distilled water will reduce the life
expectancy of the factory-fill coolant.
For additional information, refer to the
“Maintenance and schedules” section of
this manual.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
8-4Do-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 insufficient coolant in the
radiator, fill the radiator with coolant up to
the filler opening and also add it to the reser-
voir 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 expec-
tancy of the factory-fill coolant. For addi-
tional information, refer to the "Maintenance
and schedules" section of this manual.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked. It is recommended
that you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
For additional information on the location of
the engine coolant reservoir, refer to “Engine
compartment check locations” in this section.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
An INFINITI retailer can change the engine
coolant. The service procedure can be found
in the INFINITI Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheating.
WARNING
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the en-
gine is hot.
∙ Never remove the radiator or engine coolant reservoir cap when the engine is
hot. Serious burns could be caused by
high pressure fluid escaping from the
radiator.
∙ Avoid direct skin contact with used cool- ant. If skin contact is made, wash thor-
oughly with soap or hand cleaner as soon
as possible.
∙ Keep coolant out of the reach of children and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
LDI2860
Do-it-yourself8-5