5-136Starting and driving
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
deicer through the key hole. If the lock
becomes frozen, heat the key before insert-
ing it into the key hole or use the Intelligent
Key system.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
outside temperature will drop below 32°F
(0°C), check antifreeze to assure proper
winter protection. For additional informa-
tion, see “Engine cooling system” (P.8-4).
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the bat-
tery fluid may freeze and damage the
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency,
the battery should be checked regularly. For
additional information, see “Battery” (P.8-
11).
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, includ-
ing the engine block. Refill before operating
the vehicle. For details, see “Engine cooling
system” (P.8-4).
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to
provide superior performance on dry pave-
ment. However, the performance of these
tires will be substantially reduced in snowy
and icy conditions. If you operate 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 you consult an INFINITI re-
tailer for the tire type, size, speed rating and
availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S.
states and Canadian provinces prohibit their
use. Check local, state and provincial laws
before installing 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.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see
“Tire chains” (P.8-33).
For four-wheel drive
If you install snow tires, they must also be
the same size, brand, construction and tread
pattern on all four wheels.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
.A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to
remove 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
snowdrifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
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
caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating or down-
shifting too fast, the drive wheels will
lose even more traction.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
.Rapidly push the push-button ignition
switch 3 consecutive times in less than
1.5 seconds, or
. Push and hold the push-button ignition
switch for more than 2 seconds.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
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 PRESSURE
warning appears in the vehicle information
display, one or more of your tires is sig-
nificantly under-inflated. If the vehicle is
being driven with low tire pressure, the
TPMS will activate and warn you of it by
the low tire pressure warning light. This
system will activate only when the vehicle is
driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h).
For more details, see “Warning lights, in-
dicator lights and audible reminders” (P.2-
11) and “Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)” (P.5-5).
WARNING
. If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates or Low Pressure informa-
tion is displayed on the monitor
screen while driving, avoid sudden
steering maneuvers or abrupt brak-
ing, 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 perma-
nently 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 recommended
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. If you
have a flat tire, replace it with a spare
tire as soon as possible.
. Since the spare tire is not equipped
with the TPMS, when a spare tire is
mounted or a wheel is replaced, the
TPMS will not function and the low
tire pressure warning 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 you visit an INFINITI
retailer for these services.
. Replacing tires with those not origin-
ally specified by INFINITI could affect
the proper operation of the TPMS.
In case of emergency6-3
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF FLAT TIRE
6-12In case of emergency
industrial safety spectacles) and re-
move rings, metal bands, or any other
jewelry. Do not lean over the battery
when jump starting.
. Do not attempt to jump start a
frozen battery. It could explode and
cause serious injury.
. Your vehicle has an automatic engine
cooling fan. It could come on at any
time. Keep hands and other objects
away from it.
JVE0495X
WARNING
Always follow the instructions below.
Failure to do so could result in damage to
the charging system and cause personal
injury.
1. Remove the engine compartment cover, if necessary. See “Engine compartment
check locations” (P.8-3).
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle
, position the two vehicles (and) to bring their batteries into close
proximity to each other. Do not allow the two vehicles to touch.
3. Apply parking brake. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position. Switch off all
unnecessary electrical systems (light,
heater, air conditioner, etc.).
4. Remove vent caps on the battery (if so equipped). Cover the battery with a
firmly wrung out moist cloth
to reduce
explosion hazard.
5. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as illustrated (
???).
6-14In case of emergency
CAUTION
.Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle fire.
. To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap or
coolant reservoir cap while the en-
gine is still hot. When the radiator
cap or coolant reservoir cap is re-
moved, 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 the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the climate control. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed. 3. If engine overheating is caused by climb-
ing a long hill on a hot day, run the engine
at a fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpm)
until the temperature gauge indication
returns to normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for steam or coolant escaping from the
radiator 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.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. 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
leaking 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.
7. After the engine cools down, check the coolant level in the reservoir tank with
the engine running. Add coolant to the
reservoir tank if necessary. Have your
vehicle repaired. It is recommended you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions ............................................... 8-2
Engine compartment check locations ......................... 8-3VK56VD engine model .............................................. 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 and filter .................................. 8-6
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) .......................... 8-8
Power steering fluid ......................................................... 8-8
Brake fluid ........................................................................\
... 8-9 Brake fluid .................................................................. 8-10
Window washer fluid ................................................... 8-10
Battery ........................................................................\
....... 8-11 Jump starting ............................................................. 8-13
Variable voltage control system ................................. 8-13
Drive belts ........................................................................\
. 8-13
Spark plugs ....................................................................... 8-14 Replacing spark plugs .............................................. 8-14
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
. 8-15 Windshield wiper blades .............................................. 8-16
Cleaning ..................................................................... 8-16
Replacing ................................................................... 8-16
Rear window wiper blades .......................................... 8-17
Brakes ........................................................................\
........ 8-17 Self-adjusting brakes ............................................. 8-17
Brake pad wear warning ....................................... 8-17
Brake booster ........................................................... 8-17
Fuses ........................................................................\
.......... 8-18 Engine compartment .............................................. 8-18
Passenger compartment ...................................... 8-20
Intelligent Key battery replacement ......................... 8-21
Lights ........................................................................\
......... 8-23
Headlights ................................................................ 8-24
Exterior and interior lights ................................... 8-24
Wheels and tires ............................................................. 8-27
Tire pressure ............................................................. 8-27
Tire labeling .............................................................. 8-31
Types of tires ........................................................... 8-33
Tire chains ................................................................. 8-33
Changing wheels and tires .................................. 8-34
JVC0976X
VK56VD ENGINE MODEL
1. Window washer fluid reservoir
2. Fuse/fusible link holder
3. Engine oil dipstick
4. Power steering fluid reservoir
5. Engine oil filler cap6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Fuse/fusible link holder
8. Battery
9. Radiator filler cap
10. Engine coolant reservoir
11. Drive belts12. Air cleaner
Do-it-yourself8-3
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
JVM0744X
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is cold. If the coolant level
is below MIN
, open the reservoir tank cap
and add coolant up to the MAXlevel. If the
reservoir tank 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 reservoir tank
up to the MAX level
.
Tighten the cap securely after adding engine
coolant.
If the cooling system requires coolant fre- quently, have it checked. It is recommended
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
It is recommended that major cooling system
repairs be performed by an INFINITI retailer.
The service procedures can be found in the
appropriate INFINITI Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheat-
ing.
WARNING
.
To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the
engine is hot.
. Never remove the radiator cap or
coolant reservoir cap when the en-
gine is hot. Serious burns could be
caused by high pressure fluid escap-
ing 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 reach of children
and pets. Engine coolant must be disposed of prop-
erly. Check your local regulations.
Do-it-yourself8-5
8-6Do-it-yourself
JVM0728X
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than 15
minutes for the oil to drain back into the
oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Reinsert it all the way.
5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil level. It should be within the range
.
If the oil level is below, remove the oil
filler cap and pour recommended oil
through the opening. Do not overfill
.6. Recheck oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil
maintenance intervals or during the break-
in period, depending on the severity of
operating conditions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly.
Operating the engine with an insuffi-
cient amount of oil can damage the
engine, and such damage is not covered
by warranty.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL AND
FILTER
Vehicle set-up
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
apply the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait more than 15 minutes.
4. Raise and support the vehicle using a suitable floor jack and safety jack stands.
.Place the safety jack stands under thevehicle jack-up points.
.A suitable adapter should be attachedto the jack stand saddle.
5. Remove the engine undercover.
.Remove the bolts that hold the under- cover in place.
CAUTION
Make sure the correct lifting and sup-
port points are used to avoid vehicle
damage.
ENGINE OIL