2020 INFINITI QX50 do-it-yourself

MEMO
8-38Do-it-yourself

Some day-to-day and regular maintenance is
essential to maintain your vehicle good me-
chanical condition, as well as its emissions
and engine performance.
It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure
that the scheduled maintenance, as well as
general maintenance, is performed.
As the vehicle owner, you are the only one
who can ensure that your vehicle receives
proper maintenance. You are a vital link in the
maintenance chain.
GENERAL MAINTENANCE
General maintenance includes those items
which should be checked during normal day-
to-day operation. They are essential for
proper vehicle operation. It is your responsi-
bility to perform these procedures regularly
as prescribed.
Performing general maintenance checks re-
quires minimal mechanical skill and only a few
general automotive tools.
These checks or inspections can be done by
yourself, a qualified technician or, if you pre-
fer, an INFINITI retailer.
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE
The maintenance items listed in this section
are required to be serviced at regular inter-
vals. However under severe driving condi-
tions, additional or more frequent mainte-
nance will be required.
WHERE TO GO FOR SERVICE
If maintenance service is required or your
vehicle appears to malfunction, have the sys-
tems checked and serviced. It is recom-
mended that you visit an INFINITI retailer for
this service.
INFINITI technicians are well-trained spe-
cialists and are kept up-to-date with the lat-
est service information through technical bul-
letins, service tips and training programs.
They are fully qualified to work on INFINITI
vehiclesbeforework begins.
If your vehicle is involved in a collision, it is
recommended that you ask your INFINITI
retailer where the nearest INFINITI Certified
Collision Center is located, or go to
http://collision.infinitiusa.com.
You can be confident that an INFINITI retail-
er’s service department can perform the ser-
vice needed to meet the maintenance re-
quirements on your vehicle. During the normal day-to-day operation of
the vehicle, general maintenance should be
performed regularly as prescribed in this sec-
tion. If you detect any unusual sounds, vibra-
tions or smells, be sure to check for the cause
or have it checked promptly. In addition, it is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI re-
tailer if you think that repairs are required.
When performing any checks or maintenance
work, closely observe the “Maintenance pre-
cautions” in the “Do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
EXPLANATION OF GENERAL
MAINTENANCE ITEMS
Additional information on the following
items with“*”isfound in the “Do-it-
yourself” section of this manual.
Outside the vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should be
performed from time to time, unless other-
wise specified.
Doors and engine hood:
Check that the doors
and engine hood operate properly. Also en-
sure that all latches lock securely. Lubricate
hinges, latches, latch pins, rollers and links if
necessary. Make sure that the secondary
latch keeps the hood from opening when the
primary latch is released.
MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS GENERAL MAINTENANCE
9-2Maintenance and schedules

Underbody:The underbody is frequently ex-
posed to corrosive substances such as those
used on icy roads or to control dust. It is very
important to remove these substances, oth-
erwise rust may form on the floor pan, frame,
fuel lines and around the exhaust system. At
the end of winter, the underbody should be
thoroughly flushed with plain water, being
careful to clean those areas where mud and
dirt may accumulate. For additional informa-
tion, refer to the “Appearance and care” sec-
tion of this manual.
Windshield-washer fluid*: Check that there
is adequate fluid in the reservoir. The following descriptions are provided to
give you a better understanding of the sched-
uled maintenance items that should be regu-
larly checked or replaced. The maintenance
schedule indicates at which mileage/time in-
tervals each item requires service.
In addition to scheduled maintenance, your
vehicle requires that some items be checked
during normal day-to-day operation. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “General main-
tenance” in this section.
Items marked with
“*”are recommended by
INFINITI for reliable vehicle operation. You
are not required to perform maintenance on
these items in order to maintain the warran-
ties which come with your INFINITI. Other
maintenance items and intervals are required.
When applicable, additional information can
be found in the “Do-it-yourself” section of
this manual. NOTE:
INFINITI does not advocate the use of non-
OEM approved aftermarket flushing sys-
tems and strongly advises against perform-
ing these services on an INFINITI product.
Many of the aftermarket flushing systems
use non-OEM approved chemicals or sol-
vents, the use of which has not been vali-
dated by INFINITI.
For recommended fuel, lubricants, fluids,
grease, and refrigerant, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities” in
the “Technical and consumer information”
section of this manual.
EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM
MAINTENANCE:
Drive belt*:
Check engine drive belt for wear,
fraying or cracking and for proper tension.
Replace any damaged drive belt.
Engine air filter: Replace at specified inter-
vals. When driving for prolonged periods in
dusty conditions, check/replace the filter
more frequently.
EXPLANATION OF SCHEDULED
MAINTENANCE ITEMS
Maintenance and schedules9-5

Engine coolant*:Replace coolant at the
specified interval. When adding or replacing
coolant, be sure to use only Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent with the proper mixture. (For ad-
ditional information on the proper mixture for
your area, refer to “Engine cooling system” in
the “Do-it-yourself” section of this manual.)
NOTE: Mixing any other type of coolant or
the use of non-distilled water may reduce
the recommended service interval of the
coolant.
Engine oil and oil filter: Replace engine oil
and oil filter at the specified intervals. For
recommended oil grade and viscosity refer to
“Recommended fluids/lubricants and capaci-
ties” in the “Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section of this manual.
Engine valve clearance*: Inspect only if valve
noise increases. Adjust valve clearance if nec-
essary.
Evaporative emissions control vapor lines*:
Check vapor lines for leaks or looseness.
Tighten connections or replace parts as nec-
essary. Fuel lines*:
Check the fuel hoses, piping and
connections for leaks, looseness, or deterio-
ration. Tighten connections or replace parts
as necessary.
Spark plugs: Replace at specified intervals.
Install new plugs of the same type as origi-
nally equipped.
CHASSIS AND BODY
MAINTENANCE:
Brake lines and cables: Visually inspect for
proper installation. Check for chafing, cracks,
deterioration, and signs of leaking. Replace
any deteriorated or damaged parts immedi-
ately.
Brake pads and rotors: Check for wear, de-
terioration and fluid leaks. Replace any dete-
riorated or damaged parts immediately.
Exhaust system: Visually inspect the exhaust
pipes, muffler and hangers for leaks, cracks,
deterioration, and damage. Tighten connec-
tions or replace parts as necessary.
In-cabin microfilter: Replace at specified in-
tervals. When driving for prolonged periods in
dusty conditions, replace the filter more fre-
quently. Propeller shaft(s):
Check for damage, loose-
ness, and grease leakage. (AWD)
Steering gear and linkage, axle and suspen-
sion parts, drive shaft boots: Check for dam-
age, looseness, and leakage of oil or grease.
Under severe driving conditions, inspect more
frequently.
Tire rotation: Tires should be rotated every
7,500 miles (12,000 km) according to the
instructions under “Explanation of general
maintenance items” in this section. When ro-
tating tires, check for damage and uneven
wear. Replace if necessary.
Transmission fluid/oil, differential oil and
transfer case oil: Visually inspect for signs of
leakage at specified intervals.
Replace at specified intervals.
9-6Maintenance and schedules

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be slightly different. When refilling, follow the procedure described
in the “Do-it-yourself” section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Fluid typeCapacity (approximate)
Recommended Fluids/Lubricants
Metric
Measure US
Measure Imperial
Measure
Fuel 60 L 15-7/8 gal 13-1/4 gal• For additional information, refer to “Fuel recommendation” in this
section.
Engine oil*1
Drain and refill
*1 For additional information,
refer to “Engine oil” in the “Do-it-
yourself” section of this manual. With oil filter
change 4.7 L 5 qt 4-1/8 qt • Genuine “NISSAN Motor Oil Ester 5W-30 SN” (or equivalent) is
recommended.
• If the above motor oil (or engine oil) is not available, a synthetic SAE
5W-30 GF-5 SN motor oil (or engine oil) may be used. Damage caused
by the use of motor oil (or engine oil) other than as recommended is
not covered under INFINITI’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Engine oil and oil filter recommendations”
in this section.
Without oil filter
change 4.6 L 4-7/8 qt 4 qt
Engine coolant
(with reservoir) 7.7 L 2 gal 1-3/4 gal• Pre-diluted Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) fluid ———• Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3
• INFINITI recommends using Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or
equivalent) ONLY in INFINITI CVTs. Do not mix with other fluids. Us-
ing fluids that are not equivalent to Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3
may damage the CVT. Damage caused by the use of fluids other than
as recommended is not covered under INFINITI’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Differential gear oil ——— • Genuine NISSAN HYPOID FLUID•S1 GL-5 75W-80 or equivalent
Transfer oil ———• Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid Super GL-5 80W-90 or
equivalent conventional (non-synthetic) oil
Brake fluid ———
• Genuine NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid*2 or equivalent DOT 3
*2: Available in mainland USA through an INFINITI retailer.
Multi-purpose grease ——— • NLGI No. 2 (Lithium Soap base)
RECOMMENDED FLUIDS/
LUBRICANTS AND CAPACITIES
10-2Technical and consumer information

Steps for determining correct load
limit
1. Locate the statement “The com-bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
lbs. or XXX kg” on your vehicle’s
Tire and Loading Information la-
bel.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX lbs. or XXX kg.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex-
ample, if the XXX amount equals
1,400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lbs. passengers in your ve-
hicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs. (1,400-750 (5 X 150)
= 650 lbs.) or (640-340 (5 X 70) =
300 kg.) 5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being
loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle.
Before driving a loaded vehicle, con-
firm that you do not exceed the GVWR
or the GAWR for your vehicle. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “Mea-
surement of weights” in this section.
Also check tires for proper inflation
pressures. For additional information,
refer to “Tire and Loading Information
label” in the “Do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
SECURING THE LOAD
There are luggage hooks located in the cargo
area as shown. The hooks can be used to
secure cargo with ropes or other types of
straps.
When securing items using luggage hooks
located on the side finisher do not apply a
load over more than 6.5 lbs. (29 N) to a single
hook.
The luggage hooks that are located on the
floor should have loads less than 110 lbs.
(490 N) to a single hook.
Cargo area luggage hooks
LTI2331
10-16Technical and consumer information

FUEL RECOMMENDATION:
Use unleaded premium gasoline with an oc-
tane rating of at least 91 AKI (Anti-Knock
Index) number (Research octane number 96).
If unleaded premium gasoline is not available,
unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rat-
ing of at least 87 AKI number (Research oc-
tane number 91) may be temporarily used,
but only under the following precautions:∙ Have the fuel tank filled only partially with unleaded regular gasoline, and fill up
with unleaded premium gasoline as soon
as possible.
∙ Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt ac- celeration.
Use unleaded premium gasoline for maxi-
mum vehicle performance.
CAUTION
∙ Using a fuel other than that specified could adversely affect the emission con-
trol system, and may also affect the war-
ranty coverage.
∙ Under no circumstances should a leaded gasoline be used, because this will dam-
age the three-way catalyst. ∙ Do not use a fuel containing more than
15% ethanol in your vehicle. Your vehicle
is not designed to run on a fuel containing
more than 15% ethanol. Using a fuel con-
taining more than 15% ethanol in a ve-
hicle not specifically designed for a fuel
containing more than 15% ethanol can
adversely affect the emission control de-
vices and systems of the vehicle. Damage
caused by such fuel is not covered by the
INFINITI New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
∙ Do not use fuel that contains the octane booster methylcyclopentadienyl manga-
nese tricarbonyl (MMT). Using fuel con-
taining MMT may adversely affect ve-
hicle performance and vehicle emissions.
Not all fuel dispensers are labeled to indi-
cate MMT content, so you may have to
consult your gasoline retailer for more
details. Note that Federal and California
laws prohibit the use of MMT in reformu-
lated gasoline.
∙ U.S. government regulations require ethanol dispensing pumps to be identi-
fied by a small, square, orange and black
label with the common abbreviation or
the appropriate percentage for that
region. For additional information, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities” in
the “Technical and consumer information”
section of this manual.
ENGINE OIL
RECOMMENDATION:
Refer to “Recommended fluids/lubricants
and capacities” in the “Technical and con-
sumer information” section of this manual.
COLD TIRE PRESSURE:
Refer to the Tire and Loading Information
label.
The label is typically located on the driver side
center pillar or on the driver’s door. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Wheels and tires”
in the “Do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
GAS STATION INFORMATION