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. There-
fore, 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 sur-
face 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 weath-
ered appearance before reapplying wax.
A NISSAN certified LEAF dealer can assist
you in choosing the proper product.
• Wax your vehicle only af ter a thoroughwashing. Follow the instructions supplied
with the wax.
• Do not use a wax containing any abra- sives, cutting compounds or cleaners
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 possible
from the paint surface to avoid lasting
damage or staining. Special cleaning prod-
ucts are available at a NISSAN certified
LEAF 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 building
up and causing the acceleration of corro-
sion on the underbody and suspension.
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 nor-
mal for glass to become coated with a film
af ter the vehicle is parked in the hot sun.
Glass cleaner and a sof t cloth will easily
remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based
disinfectant cleaners. They could dam-
age the electrical conductors, radio an-
tenna elements or rear window de-
froster 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 win-
ter.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when
washing the wheels.
Appearance and care7-3
8 Maintenance and do-it yourself
Maintenance requirement.......................8-2
Scheduled maintenance .....................8-2
General maintenance ........................8-2
Where to go for service .......................8-2
General maintenance ...........................8-2
Explanation of maintenance items ...........8-2
Maintenance precautions .......................8-5
Motor compartment check locations ...........8-7
Cooling system .................................8-8
Checking coolant level .......................8-9
Changing coolant ............................8-9
Reduction gear fluid ............................ 8-10
Brake fluid ...................................... 8-10
Windshield-washer fluid .........................8-11
12-volt battery .................................. 8-12
Jump starting ............................... 8-14
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-14
Cleaning .................................... 8-14
Replacing ................................... 8-14Rear window wiper blade
...................8-17
Brakes ......................................... 8-17
Brake pad wear warning ....................8-17
Fuses .......................................... 8-18
Motor compartment ........................ 8-18
Passenger compartment ...................8-21
Nissan Intelligent Key® battery replacement ....8-22
Lights .......................................... 8-24
Headlights .................................. 8-25
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-25
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-26
Wheels and tires ............................... 8-28
Tire pressure ................................ 8-28
Tire labeling ................................. 8-33
Types of tires ................................ 8-35
Tire chains .................................. 8-36
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-37
Emergency tire puncture repair kit ..........8-39
that the secondary latch keeps the motor
hood from opening when the primary latch
is released.
When driving in areas using road salt or
other corrosive materials, check lubrica-
tion frequently.
Lights*:Clean the headlights on a regular
basis. Make sure that the headlights, stop
lights, tail lights, turn signal lights and other
lights are all operating properly and in-
stalled securely. Also check the aim of the
headlights.
Road wheel nuts (lug nuts)*: When check-
ing the tires, make sure that no wheel nuts
are missing, and check for any loose wheel
nuts. Tighten if necessary.
Tire rotation*: Tires should be rotated ev-
ery 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Tires*: Check the pressure with a gauge
of ten and always prior to long distance
trips. If necessary, adjust the pressure in all
tires to the pressure specified. Check care-
fully for damage, cuts or excessive wear.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
transmitter components: Replace the
TPMS transmitter grommet seal, valve core
and cap when the tires are replaced due to
wear or age. Wheel alignment and balance:
If the ve-
hicle pulls to either side while driving on a
straight and level road, or if you detect un-
even or abnormal tire wear, there may be a
need for wheel alignment.
If the steering wheel or seat vibrates at
normal highway speeds, wheel balancing
may be needed.
For additional information regarding tires,
refer to “Important Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information” (Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.
Windshield: Clean the windshield on a
regular basis. Check the windshield at least
every six months for cracks or other dam-
age. Have a damaged windshield repaired
by a qualified repair facility.
Wiper blades*: Check for cracks or wear if
they do not wipe properly.
Inside vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should
be checked on a regular basis, such as
when performing scheduled maintenance,
cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Accelerator pedal: Check the pedal for
smooth operation and make sure that the pedal does not catch or require uneven
effort. Keep the floor mat away from the
pedal.
Brake pedal:
Check the pedal for smooth
operation. If the brake pedal suddenly goes
down further than normal, the pedal feels
spongy or the vehicle seems to take longer
to stop, it is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer immediately.
Keep the floor mat away from the pedal.
Brakes: Check that the brakes do not pull
the vehicle to one side when applied.
Electric shif t P (Park) position mecha-
nism: On a steep hill, check that the vehicle
is held securely while the vehicle is in the P
(Park) position without applying the brakes.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake
operation regularly. The vehicle should be
securely held on a steep hill with only the
parking brake applied. If the parking brake
cannot keep a vehicle position, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer for this service.
Seat: Check seat position controls such as
the seat adjusters, seatback recliners, etc.
to ensure that they operate smoothly and
that all latches lock securely in every posi-
tion. Check that the head restraints/
headrests move up and down smoothly
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-3
1. Remove the rear combination attach-ment bolts
O1.
2. Pull the rear combination assembly as shown in the illustration
O2. 3. Turn the bulb sockets and then remove
the bulbs
O3. If you have a flat tire, refer to “Flat tire” in
the “In case of emergency ” section.
TIRE PRESSURE
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
WARNING
Radio waves could adversely affect
electric medical equipment. Those who
use a pacemaker should contact the
electric medical equipment manufac-
turer for the possible influences before
use.
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
It monitors tire pressure of all tires.
When the low tire pressure warning
light is lit, and the “Tire Pressure Low -
Add Air” warning appears on the ve-
hicle information display, one or
more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated.
LDI3243
Rear combination light
WHEELS AND TIRES
8-28Maintenance and do-it yourself
The TPMS will activate only when the
vehicle is driven at speeds above 16
mph (25 km/h). Also, this system
may not detect a sudden drop in tire
pressure (for example a flat tire while
driving).
For additional information, refer to
“Low tire pressure warning light” in
the “Instruments and controls” sec-
tion, “Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem (TPMS)” in the “Starting and driv-
ing” section and “Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the “In
case of emergency” section of this
manual.
Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure of the tires of ten
and always prior to long distance
trips. The recommended tire pres-
sure specifications are shown on the
F.M.V.S.S/C.M.V.S.S certification label
or Tire and Loading Information la-
bel under the “Cold Tire Pressure”heading. The Tire and Loading Infor-
mation label is affixed to the driver
side center pillar. Tire pressures
should be checked regularly be-
cause:
• Most tires naturally lose air over
time.
• Tires can lose air suddenly when driven over potholes or other ob-
jects or if the vehicle strikes a curb
while parking.
The tire pressures should be
checked when the tires are cold. The
tires are considered COLD af ter the
vehicle has been parked for 3 or
more hours, or driven less than 1 mile
(1.6 km) at moderate speeds.
The TPMS with Easy-Fill Tire Alert
also provides visual and audible sig-
nals outside the vehicle for inflating
the tires to the recommended COLD
tire pressure. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “TPMS with Easy-Fill Tire Alert” in the “Starting and driving”
section of this manual.
Incorrect tire pressure, including
under inflation, may adversely af-
fect tire life and vehicle handling.
WARNING
•
Improperly inflated tires can
fail suddenly and cause an
accident.
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-29
•The Gross Vehicle Weight rating
(GVWR) is located on the
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S certification
label. The vehicle weight capac-
ity is indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information label. Do
not load your vehicle beyond
this capacity. Overloading your
vehicle may result in reduced
tire life, unsafe operating condi-
tions due to premature tire fail-
ure, or unfavorable handling
characteristics and could also
lead to a serious accident. Load-
ing beyond the specified capac-
ity may also result in failure of
other vehicle components.
• Before taking a long trip, or
whenever you heavily load
your vehicle, use a tire pressure
gauge to ensure that the tire
pressures are at the specified
level. •
For additional information re-
garding tires, refer to “Impor-
tant Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Informa-
tion” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information Booklet.
8-30
Maintenance and do-it yourself
Tire and Loading Information
label
O1Seating capacity: The maximum
number of occupants that can be
seated in the vehicle.
O2Original size: The size of the tires
originally installed on the vehicle at
the factory.
O3Cold tire pressure: Inflate the tires
to this pressure when the tires are
cold. Tires are considered COLD af- ter the vehicle has been parked for 3
or more hours, or driven less than 1
mile (1.6 km) at moderate speeds.
The recommended cold tire inflation
is set by the manufacturer to pro-
vide the best balance of tire wear,
vehicle handling, driveability, tire
noise, etc., up to the vehicle’s GVWR.O4Tire size — refer to “Tire labeling” in
this section.
O5Spare tire size or compact spare
tire size (if so equipped)
O6Vehicle load limit: For additional
information, refer to “Vehicle loading
information” in the “Technical and
consumer information” section of
this manual.
LDI2644
Maintenance and do-it yourself8-31
Checking tire pressure
1. Remove the valve stem cap fromthe tire.
2. Press the pressure gauge se- curely onto the valve stem. Do not
press too hard or force the valve
stem sideways, otherwise air will
escape. If the hissing sound of air
escaping from the tire is heard
while checking the pressure, re-
position the gauge to eliminate
this leakage. 3. Remove the gauge.
4. Read the tire pressure on the
gauge stem and compare it to
the specification shown on the
Tire and Loading Information
label.
5. Add air to the tire as necessary. If too much air is added, press the
core of the valve stem briefly with
the tip of the gauge stem to re-
lease pressure. Recheck the pres-
sure and add or release air as
necessary.
6. Install the valve stem cap.
7. Check the pressure of all of the tires.
SIZE COLD TIRE INFLATION
PRESSURE
Front
Original
TireP205/
55R16 89H
P215/50R17
90V 250 kPa,
36 PSI
Rear
Original
Tire P205/
55R16 89H
P215/50R17
90V 250 kPa,
36 PSI
SDI1949
8-32Maintenance and do-it yourself