Page 417 of 528
.The 4 bolts are tightened to
temporarily install the 4WD shift
motor so that water, dirt or sand
does not enter inside the system.
Therefore, they should only be
tightened to the proper tighten-
ing torque. It is recommended
you contact a NISSAN dealer for
inspection and repair.
9. With the 4WD system in the 4L posi- tion, free the stuck vehicle. (See “Ve-
hicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle)”
(P.6-19) for details.)
CAUTION
After manually shifting the vehicle to
the 4L position, it is recommended
you contact a NISSAN dealer for
inspection and repair as soon as
possible.
In case of emergency6-23
Page 418 of 528
6-24In case of emergency
MEMO
Page 419 of 528

7 Appearance and care
Cleaning exterior ........................................................................\
... 7-2Washing ........................................................................\
................. 7-2
Waxing ........................................................................\
.................... 7-2
Removing spots ...................................................................... 7-3
Underbody ........................................................................\
........... 7-3
Glass ........................................................................\
......................... 7-3
Wheels ........................................................................\
..................... 7-3
Chrome parts ........................................................................\
.... 7-4
Tire dressing ........................................................................\
...... 7-4 Cleaning interior ........................................................................\
... 7-5
Air fresheners ........................................................................\
. 7-5
Floor mats ........................................................................\
......... 7-5
Seat belts ........................................................................\
........... 7-7
Corrosion protection ................................................................ 7-7 Most common factors contributing to
vehicle corrosion .................................................................. 7-7
Environmental factors influence the rate
of corrosion ........................................................................\
...... 7-7
To protect your vehicle from corrosion ............ 7-8
Page 420 of 528

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. .
Lock all doors before going
through automatic car wash.
Locking doors helps prevent
fuel-filler door from opening and
becoming damaged.
Rinse the vehicle again 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.
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.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
Page 421 of 528

.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 cleaners. They
could damage the electrical conduc-
tors, radio antenna elements or rear
window defroster elements.
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.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when
washing the wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened
in a mild soap solution, especially during
winter months in areas where road salt is
used. Salt could discolor the wheels if not
removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid
staining or discoloring the wheels:
.
Do not use a cleaner that uses
strong acid or alkali contents to
clean the wheels.
. Do not apply wheel cleaners to
the wheels when they are hot.
The wheel temperature should be
the same as ambient tempera-
ture.
Appearance and care7-3
Page 422 of 528

7-4Appearance and care
.Rinse the wheel to completely
remove the cleaner within 15
minutes after the cleaner is ap-
plied.
Bright wheels (if so equipped)
The bright wheels use a different coating
process than typical aluminum alloy
wheel and they are not plated wheels.
These wheels are clear-coated and re-
quire the following special cleaning. They
should be regularly washed with a soft
sponge soaked in a lot of water. After
washing with water, wipe clean with a
dry, soft cloth and dry completely. When
there is chemical or tire wax, or dirt such
as an antifreeze agent on the surface,
wash them with water as soon as possi-
ble.
CAUTION
.The surfaces of the wheels use a
different coating process than
typical aluminum alloy wheels.
Do not use aluminum alloy wheel
cleaners or abrasive cleaners to
clean the wheels. Using such
cleaners could damage the wheel
surfaces. .
Do not use an automatic car wash
if the vehicle is equipped with
bright wheels. The wheel coating
may be damaged.
. Do not use a brush to wash the
wheels if the vehicle is equipped
with bright wheels. The wheel
coating may be damaged.
CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the
finish.
TIRE DRESSING
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a
coating to the tires to help reduce dis-
coloration of the rubber. If a tire dressing
is applied to the tires, it may react with
the coating and form a compound. This
compound may come off the tire while
driving and stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take
the following precautions:
.Use a water-based tire dressing. The
coating on the tire dissolves more
easily with an oil-based tire dressing.
. Apply a light coat of tire dressing to
help prevent it from entering the tire
tread/grooves (where it would be difficult to remove).
. Wipe off excess tire dressing using a
dry towel. Make sure the tire dressing
is completely removed from the tire
tread/grooves.
. Allow the tire dressing to dry as
recommended by tire dressing manu-
facturer.
Page 423 of 528

Occasionally remove loose dust from the
interior trim, plastic parts and seats using
a vacuum cleaner or soft bristled brush.
Wipe the vinyl and leather surfaces with a
clean, soft cloth dampened in mild soap
solution, then wipe clean with a dry soft
cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in
order to maintain the appearance of the
leather.
Before using any fabric protector, read
the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Some fabric protectors contain chemicals
that may stain or bleach the seat materi-
al.
Use a cloth dampened only with water, to
clean the meter and gauge lens.
WARNING
Do not use water or acidic cleaners
(hot steam cleaners) on the seat. This
can damage the seat or occupant
classification sensors. This can also
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious perso-
nal injury.
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.
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.
Appearance and care7-5
CLEANING INTERIOR
Page 424 of 528

7-6Appearance and care
.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 hooks. See “Floor mat
installation” (P.7-6).
. 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.
JVA0034X
Front (example)
Floor mat installation
Your vehicle is equipped with floor mat
positioning hook(s). The number and
shape of the floor mat positioning hooks
for each seating position varies depend-
ing 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 floorwell so 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,
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.
It is recommended you see a NISSAN
dealer for details about installing the
floor mats in your vehicle.