Page 455 of 682

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. Move the shif t le-
ver 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. ∙
The automatic engine cooling fan (if so
equipped) 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 bat-
tery cable before working near the fan.
∙ 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 rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for service 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
fluids can damage the environment. Al-
ways conform to local regulations for
disposal of vehicle fluid.
∙ Never leave the engine or automatic
transmission related component har-
nesses disconnected while the igni-
tion 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
Page 456 of 682
VK56VD engine (non-XD model)
1. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
2. Fuse box
3. Engine oil dipstick
4. Power steering fluid reservoir
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Air cleaner
8. Fuse/Fusible link box
9. Drive belt location
10. Radiator cap
11. Battery
12. Engine coolant reservoir
LDI3292
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3
Page 457 of 682
VK56VD engine (XD model)
1. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
2. Fuse box
3. Engine oil dipstick
4. Power steering fluid reservoir
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir
7. Air cleaner
8. Fuse/Fusible link box
9. Engine coolant reservoir
10. Drive belt location
11. Battery
12. Radiator cap
For additional information on the Cum-
mins 5.0L engine, refer to the Titan Diesel
Owner’s Manual.
LDI3293
8-4Do-it-yourself
Page 460 of 682

Engine coolant must be disposed of prop-
erly. Check your local regulations.
For additional information on changing the
Cummins 5.0L engine coolant, refer to the
Titan Diesel Owner’s Manual.
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle 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 between the H
(High) and L (Low) marksB. This is the
normal operating oil level range. If the
oil level is below the L (Low) mark
A,
remove the oil filler cap and pour rec-
ommended oil through the opening.
Do not overfill
C.
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 sever-
ity of operating conditions.
VK56VD engine
LDI2956
VK56VD engine
LDI0371
ENGINE OIL
Do-it-yourself8-7
Page 461 of 682

CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly.
Operating the engine with an insuffi-
cient amount of oil can damage the en-
gine, and such damage is not covered
by warranty.
For additional information on checking the
Cummins 5.0L engine oil level, refer to the
Titan Diesel Owner’s Manual.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake. 2. Start the engine and let it idle until it
reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait more than 15 minutes.
4. Remove the oil filler cap
Aby turning it
counterclockwise.
5. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug
B.
6. Remove the drain plug
Bwith a
wrench by turning it counterclockwise
and completely drain the oil.
If the oil filter is to be changed, remove
and replace it at this time. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Changing
engine oil filter” in this section.
∙ Waste oil must be disposed of prop-
erly.
∙ Check your local regulations.
VK56VD engine
LDI2957
8-8Do-it-yourself
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WARNING
∙ Prolonged and repeated contact withused engine oil may cause skin
cancer.
∙ Try to avoid direct skin contact with used oil. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner
as soon as possible.
∙ Keep used engine oil out of reach of children.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself. The en-
gine oil may be hot.
7. Clean and reinstall the drain plug and a new washer. Securely tighten the drain
plug with a wrench. Do not use exces-
sive force.
Drain plug tightening torque: 25 f t-lb (34 N·m) 8. Refill engine with recommended oil
through the oil filler opening, then in-
stall the oil filler cap securely.
For additional information on drain
and refill capacity, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capaci-
ties” in the “Technical and consumer
information” section of this manual.
The drain and refill capacity depends
on the oil temperature and drain time.
Use these specifications for reference
only. Always use the dipstick to deter-
mine when the proper amount of oil is
in the engine.
9. Start the engine. Check for leakage around the drain plug and oil filter. Cor-
rect as required.
10. Turn the engine off and wait more than 15 minutes. Check the oil level with the
dipstick. Add engine oil if necessary.
For additional information on changing the
Cummins 5.0L engine oil, refer to the Titan
Diesel Owner’s Manual.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL FILTER
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the engine off.
3. Remove bolts
Aand skid plate.
Skid plate (Type A) (if so equipped)
LDI3005
Do-it-yourself8-9
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4. Place a large drain pan under the oilfilter
B.
5. Loosen the oil filter with an oil filter wrench by turning it counterclockwise.
Then remove the oil filter by turning it
by hand.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself. The en-
gine oil may be hot.
6. Wipe the engine oil filter sealing surface with a clean rag.
CAUTION
Be sure to remove any old gasket mate-
rial remaining on the sealing surface of
the engine. Failure to do so could lead to
an oil leak and engine damage.
7. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil.
8. Screw on the oil filter until a slight resis- tance is felt, then tighten an additional
2/3 turn.
Oil filter tightening torque:
13 f t-lb (18 N·m) 9. Start the engine and check for leakage
around the oil filter. Correct as required.
10. Install skid plate in reverse order of re- moval.
11. Turn the engine off and wait more than 15 minutes. Check the oil level. Add en-
gine oil if necessary.
Skid plate (Type B) (if so equipped)
LDI2875
Skid plate (Type C) (if so equipped)
LDI2876
VK56VD engine
LDI3294
8-10Do-it-yourself
Page 502 of 682

9 Maintenance and schedules
Maintenance requirements......................9-2
General maintenance ........................9-2
Scheduled maintenance .....................9-2
Where to go for service .......................9-2
General maintenance ...........................9-2
Explanation of general maintenance
items .........................................9-2
Explanation of scheduled maintenance items . . . 9-5 Emission control system maintenance: .......9-5
Chassis and body maintenance: ..............9-6
Maintenance schedules .........................9-7
Additional maintenance items for
severe operating conditions ..................9-7
Oil change monitor (diesel engine only) .......9-7Gasoline standard maintenance.................9-8
Emission control system maintenance .......9-8
Chassis & body maintenance ................9-10
Gasoline maintenance under severe
operating conditions ........................... 9-12
Severe driving conditions ....................9-12
Diesel standard maintenance ..................9-13
Emission control system maintenance ......9-13
Chassis & body maintenance ................9-15
Diesel maintenance under severe operating
conditions ...................................... 9-17
Severe driving conditions ....................9-17
Oil change monitor .......................... 9-17
Maintenance log ............................... 9-18