7-2Appearance and care
In order to maintain the appearance of
your vehicle, it is important to take proper
care of it.
To protect the paint surface, wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:
.after a rainfall to prevent possible
damage from acid rain
. after driving on coastal roads
. when contaminants such as soot, bird
droppings, tree sap, metal particles or
bugs get on the paint surface
. when dust or mud builds up on the
surface
Whenever possible, store or park your
vehicle inside a garage or in a covered
area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park
in a shady area or protect the vehicle with
a body cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint
surface when putting on or removing
the body cover.
WASHING
Wash dirt off the vehicle with a wet
sponge and plenty of water. Clean the
vehicle thoroughly using a mild soap, a
special vehicle soap or general purpose
dishwashing liquid mixed with clean, lu-
kewarm (never hot) water.
CAUTION
. Do not use car washes that use
acid in the detergent. Some car
washes, especially brushless
ones, use some acid for cleaning.
The acid may react with some
plastic vehicle components, caus-
ing them to crack. This could
affect their appearance, and also
could cause them not to function
properly. Always check with your
car wash to confirm that acid is
not used.
. Do not wash the vehicle with
strong household soap, strong
chemical detergents, gasoline or
solvents.
. Do not wash the vehicle in direct
sunlight or while the vehicle body
is hot, as the surface may become
water-spotted.
. Avoid using tight-napped or
rough cloths, such as washing
mitts. Care must be taken when
removing caked-on dirt or other
foreign substances so the paint
surface is not scratched or da-
maged. .
For models with decorative stick-
er, observe the following:
— Wash dirt off the vehicle with a
wet sponge and plenty of
water. Then wipe the vehicle
gently using a soft cloth.
— Do not apply direct water pressure, such as high-pres-
sure sprayer, on the vehicle
body around the sticker. This
may cause the sticker edges
to peel away or come off from
the vehicle.
. For Roadster models, observe the
following:
— Do not use an automatic car
wash or a high pressure car
wash. The soft top may be
damaged.
— Avoid applying direct water pressure, such as high pres-
sured water from household
hoses, on the lining of the soft
top and vehicle body. Avoid
applying continuous water on
the parts around the soft top
and the windows. These may
cause water to leak into the
inside of your vehicle.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty
of clean water.
Inside flanges, seams and folds on the
doors, hatches and hood are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of road salt.
Therefore, these areas must be regularly
cleaned. Make sure that the drain holes in
the lower edge of the door are open.
Spray water under the body and in the
wheel wells to loosen the dirt and wash
away road salt.
Avoid leaving water spots on the paint
surface by using a damp chamois to dry
the vehicle.
JVA0019X
NISMO models
CAUTION
Do not use an automatic car wash for
NISMO models. The rear spoiler may
be damaged.
SOFT TOP CARE AND CLEANING
(Roadster models)
Proper care and handling should be
observed to maintain a good appearance
of the soft top. Improper care may cause
the top cloth’s surface to stiffen, stain, or
mat. Follow the instructions shown in this
section.
It is not necessary to wash the soft top
every time you wash the vehicle body, but
clean the top regularly before it becomes
quite dirty. Leaving the soft top dirty or
soiled for a long period will cause dete-
rioration to the quality of the top material.
Remove dust or dirt on the soft top with a
soft brush or sponge, then rinse it with
plenty of clean water. When the top is
quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent,
such as a general cleaner especially made
for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-
washing liquid, mixed with clean, luke-
warm (never hot) water. Rinse the top
again with plenty of clean water to
remove all traces of soap.
CAUTION
.Do not use strong household
soap, strong chemical deter-
gents, gasoline or solvents.
Appearance and care7-3
7-4Appearance and care
.If glass cleaner gets on the soft
top, immediately wash it off with
clean water.
. Do not apply direct water pres-
sure, such as high pressured
water from household hoses, on
the lining of the soft top and
vehicle body, as this may cause
water to leak into the inside of
your vehicle.
After cleaning, always be sure the top and
its storage are completely drybefore
opening the top. Opening the top while
it is wet or damp may cause interior water
damage, water stains or mildew on the
top.
WAXING
Regular waxing protects the paint surface
and helps retain new vehicle appearance.
Polishing is recommended to remove
built-up wax residue and to avoid a
weathered appearance before reapplying
wax.
A NISSAN dealer can assist you in choos-
ing the proper product.
. Wax your vehicle only after a thorough
washing. Follow the instructions sup-
plied with the wax. .
Do not use a wax containing any
abrasives, cutting compounds or clea-
ners that may damage the vehicle
finish.
Machine compound or aggressive polish-
ing on a base coat/clear coat paint finish
may dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possi-
ble from the paint surface to avoid lasting
damage or staining. Special cleaning
products are available at a NISSAN dealer
or any automotive accessory stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter,
the underbody must be cleaned regularly.
This will prevent dirt and salt from build-
ing up and causing the acceleration of
corrosion on the underbody and suspen-
sion. Before the winter period and again
in the spring, the underseal must be
checked and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and
dust film from the glass surfaces. It is
normal for glass to become coated with a
film after the vehicle is parked in the hot
sun. Glass cleaner and a soft cloth will
easily remove this film.
CAUTION
. When cleaning the inside of the
windows, do not use sharp-
edged tools, abrasive cleaners or
chlorine-based disinfectant clea-
ners. They could damage the
electrical conductors, radio an-
tenna elements or rear window
defroster elements.
. If glass cleaner gets on the soft
top, immediately wash it off with
clean water (Roadster models).
WHEELS
Wash the wheels when washing the
vehicle to maintain their appearance.
.Clean the inner side of the wheels
when the wheel is changed or the
underside of the vehicle is washed.
. Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents
or corrosion. Such damage may cause
loss of pressure or poor seal at the tire
bead.
. NISSAN recommends that the road
wheels be waxed to protect against
road salt in areas where it is used
during winter.
7-6Appearance and care
CAUTION
.Never use benzine, thinner, or any
similar material.
. For cleaning, use a soft cloth,
dampened with water. Never use
a rough cloth, alcohol, benzine,
thinner or any kind of solvent or
paper towel with a chemical
cleaning agent. They will scratch
or cause discoloration to the lens.
. Do not spray any liquid such as
water on the meter lens. Spraying
liquid may cause the system to
malfunction.
. Small dirt particles can be abra-
sive and damaging to the leather
surfaces and should be removed
promptly. Do not use saddle soap,
car waxes, polishes, oils, cleaning
fluids, solvents, detergents or
ammonia-based cleaners as they
may damage the leather’s natural
finish.
. Only use fabric protectors ap-
proved by NISSAN.
. Do not use glass or plastic cleaner
on meter or gauge lens covers. It
may damage the lens cover. .
For models with patterned seat-
backs, do not apply direct pres-
sure at high temperatures, such
as with an iron, on the pattern of
the seatback. This may cause the
pattern to disappear from the
seatback.
AIR FRESHENERS
Most air fresheners use a solvent that
could affect the vehicle interior. If you use
an air freshener, take the following pre-
cautions:
.Hanging-type air fresheners can
cause permanent discoloration when
they contact vehicle interior surfaces.
Place the air freshener in a location
that allows it to hang free and not
contact an interior surface.
. Liquid-type air fresheners typically clip
on the vents. These products can
cause immediate damage and disco-
loration when spilled on interior sur-
faces.
Carefully read and follow the manufac-
turer’s instructions before using air fresh-
eners.
FLOOR MATS
WARNING
To avoid potential pedal interference
that may result in a collision, injury
or death:
. NEVER place a floor mat on top of
another floor mat in the driver
front position or install them up-
side down or backwards.
. It is recommended that you use
only genuine NISSAN floor mats
or equivalent floor mats that are
specifically designed for use in
your vehicle model and model
year.
. Properly position the mats in the
floorwell using the floor mat po-
sitioning hook. See “Floor mat
installation” (P.7-7).
. Make sure the floor mat does not
interfere with pedal operation.
. Periodically check the floor mats
to make sure they are properly
installed.
. After cleaning the vehicle interior,
check the floor mats to make
sure they are properly installed.
The use of genuine NISSAN floor mats can
extend the life of your vehicle carpet and
make it easier to clean the interior. Mats
should be maintained with regular clean-
ing and replaced if they become exces-
sively worn.
SAI0044
Floor mat installation
Your vehicle is equipped with floor mat
positioning hook(s). The number and
shape of the floor mat positioning hook
(s) for each seating position varies de-
pending on the vehicle.
When installing genuine NISSAN floor
mats, follow the installation instructions
provided with the floor mat and the
following:
1. Position the floor mat in the floorwellso that the 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 interfere with pedal operation. With
the ignition in the OFF position and
the shift lever in the P (Park) position
(Automatic Transmission models) or
the shift lever in the N (Neutral) posi-
tion (Manual Transmission models),
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.
See a NISSAN dealer for details about
installing the floor mats in your vehi-
cle.
Appearance and care7-7
8-2Do-it-yourself
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 following are general precau-
tions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
.Park the vehicle on a level sur-
face, apply the parking brake
securely and block the wheels to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
For manual transmission models,
move the shift lever to N (Neutral).
For automatic transmission mod-
els, move the shift lever to P
(Park).
. Be sure the ignition switch is in
the OFF or LOCK position when
performing any parts replace-
ment or repairs.
. Never connect or disconnect the
battery or any transistorized
component while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
. Never leave the engine or auto-
matic transmission related com-
ponent harnesses disconnected
while the ignition switch is in the
ON position. .
If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, cloth-
ing, hair and tools away from
moving fans, belts and any other
moving parts.
. It is advisable to secure or re-
move 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 ve-
hicle.
. 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 fuel tank
and the battery.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic engine cooling fan. It
may come on at any time without
warning, even if the ignition key is
in the OFF position and the en-
gine is not running. To avoid injury, always disconnect the ne-
gative battery cable before work-
ing near the fan.
. Because the fuel lines are under
high pressure even when the
engine is off, it is recommended
you visit a NISSAN dealer for
service of the fuel filter or fuel
lines.
CAUTION
.Do not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn the engine
off and wait until it cools down.
. Avoid direct contact with used
engine oil and coolant. Impro-
perly disposed engine oil, coolant,
and/or other vehicle fluids can
damage the environment. Always
conform to local regulations for
disposal of vehicle fluid.
This “8. Do-it-yourself” section gives in-
structions regarding only those items
which are relatively easy for an owner to
perform.
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is also
available. (See “Owner’s Manual/Service
Manual order information” (P.10-26).)
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operat-
ing difficulties or excessive emissions, and
could affect your warranty coverage.If in
doubt about any servicing, it is recom-
mended you have it done by a NISSAN
dealer.
JVC0785X
VQ37VHR ENGINE MODEL1. Fuse/fusible link holder
2. Battery
3. Radiator filler cap
4. Engine oil dipstick
5. Engine oil filler cap
6. Brake fluid reservoir 7. Clutch fluid reservoir (Manual Transmis-
sion models)
8. Power steering fluid reservoir
9. Window washer fluid reservoir
10 Air cleaner
11. Drive belt location
12. Engine coolant reservoir
13. Fuse/fusible link holder
Do-it-yourself8-3
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK LOCATIONS
CAUTION
.Do not overfill.
. Use Genuine NISSAN PSF or
equivalent. For further brake and clutch fluid infor-
mation, see “Capacities and recom-
mended fluids/lubricants” (P.10-2) of this
manual.
WARNING
.
Use only new fluid from a sealed
container. Old, inferior or con-
taminated fluid may damage the
brake and clutch systems. The
use of improper fluids can da-
mage the brake and clutch sys-
tems, and affect the vehicle’s
stopping ability.
. Clean the filler cap before remov-
ing.
. Brake fluid and clutch fluid are
poisonous and should be stored
carefully in marked containers
out of the reach of children.
CAUTION
Do not spill the fluid on painted
surfaces. This will damage the paint.
If fluid is spilled, wash the surface
with water.
SDI2025A
BRAKE FLUID
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the
fluid is below the MIN lineor the brake
warning light comes on, add Genuine
NISSAN Super Heavy Duty Brake Fluid or
equivalent DOT3(except for NISMO mod-
els), or Genuine NISSAN Brake Fluid R35
Special ll fluid (for NISMO models) up to
the MAX line
. If fluid must be added
frequently, the system should be checked.
It is recommended you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Do-it-yourself8-9
BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID