2020 NISSAN 370Z overheating

5-28Starting and driving
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes when-
ever the stopping effect of the parking
brake is weakened or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drums/ro-
tors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This will cause over-
heating of the brakes, wearing out the
brake and pads faster and reduce gas
mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce
speed and downshift to a lower gear
before going down a slope or long grade.
Overheated brakes may reduce braking
performance and could result in loss of
vehicle control.
WARNING
.While driving on a slippery sur-
face, be careful when braking,
accelerating or downshifting.
Abrupt braking or accelerating could cause the wheels to skid
and result in an accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the
power assist for the brakes will
not work. Braking will be harder.
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking
force than a conventional brake booster
even with light pedal force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to
assist braking operation and is not a
collision warning or avoidance de-
vice. It is the driver’s responsibility to
stay alert, drive safely and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) is a sophisticated device,
but it cannot prevent accidents
resulting from careless or dan-
gerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control dur-
ing braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping dis-
tances on slippery surfaces will
be longer than on normal sur-
BRAKE ASSIST

7. After starting your engine, carefullydisconnect the negative cable and
then the positive cable (
???).
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to
cover the vent holes as it may be
contaminated with corrosive acid.
9. Put the battery cover on. Do not attempt to start the engine by
pushing.CAUTION
.
Automatic transmission models
cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
. Three way catalyst equipped
models should not be started by
pushing since the three way cat-
alyst may be damaged.
. Never try to start the vehicle by
towing it; when the engine starts,
the forward surge could cause
the vehicle to collide with the
tow vehicle.
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 radia-
tor cap while the engine is still
hot. When the radiator 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 the P (Park) position
(Automatic transmission models).
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (Manual transmission mod-
els).
Do not stop the engine.
In case of emergency6-17
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS

6-18In case of emergency
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open allthe windows, move the heater or air
conditioner temperature control to
maximum hot and fan control to high
speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbing a long hill on a hot day, run
the engine at a fast idle (approxi-
mately 1,500 rpm) until the tempera-
ture 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 get-
ting burned.
6. Visually check if the cooling fan is running. The radiator hoses and ra-
diator 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 with
the engine running. Add coolant to
the reservoir if necessary. Have your
vehicle repaired. It is recommended
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.

JVM0087X
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is running and after it
reaches normal operating temperature.
If the coolant level is below the MIN level
,
add coolant up to the MAX level. 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 radiator filler cap above the radia-
tor upper hose opening and also add it to
the reservoir up to the MAX level
. Put on
the filler cap above the radiator upper
hose and with the reservoir cap open,
start the engine. Run the engine until it
reaches normal operating temperature. Add coolant up to the MAX level
. Tighten
the cap securely after adding engine
coolant.
If the cooling system requires coolant
frequently, have it checked. It is recom-
mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
It is recommended that major cooling
system repairs be performed by a NISSAN
dealer. The service procedures can be
found in the appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual.
Improper servicing can result in re-
duced heater performance and engine
overheating.
WARNING
. To avoid the danger of being
scalded, never change the cool-
ant when the engine is hot.
. Never remove the radiator 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 coolant. If skin contact is
made, wash thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner as soon as pos-
sible.
. Keep coolant out of reach of
children and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of
properly. Check your local regulations.
Do-it-yourself8-5

10-6Technical and consumer information
vent or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating lower than recommended above
can cause persistent, heavy spark
knock. (Spark knock is a metallic rap-
ping noise.) If severe, this can lead to
engine damage. If you detect a persis-
tent heavy spark knock even when
using gasoline of the stated octane
rating, or if you hear steady spark knock
while holding a steady speed on level
roads, it is recommended you have a
NISSAN dealer correct the condition.
Failure to correct the condition is mis-
use of the vehicle, for which NISSAN is
not responsible.
Incorrect ignition timing will result in
knocking, after-run or overheating. This
in turn may cause excessive fuel con-
sumption or damage to the engine. If any
of the above symptoms are encountered,
have your vehicle checked at a NISSAN
dealer or other competent service facility.
However, now and then you may notice
light spark knock for a short time while
accelerating or driving up hills. This is
no cause for concern, because you get
the greatest fuel benefit when there is
light spark knock for a short time underheavy engine load.