∙ Your vehicle will reach its ideal oper-ating temperature more quickly
while driving versus idling.
10. Keeping your Vehicle Cool
∙ Park your vehicle in a covered parking area or in the shade whenever pos-
sible.
∙ When entering a hot vehicle, opening the windows will help to reduce the
inside temperature faster, resulting in
reduced demand on your A/C sys-
tem. ∙ Keep your engine tuned up.
∙ Follow the recommended scheduled
maintenance.
∙ Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure. Low tire pressure increases
tire wear and lowers fuel economy.
∙ Keep the wheels in correct alignment. Improper alignment increases tire wear
and lowers fuel economy.
∙ Use the recommended viscosity engine oil. For additional information, refer to
“Recommended fluids/lubricants and
capacities” in the “Technical and con-
sumer information” section of this
manual.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY
Starting and driving5-117
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-3
Engine cooling system ..........................8-4
Checking engine coolant level ................8-5
Changing engine coolant .....................8-5
Engine oil ........................................8-6
Checking engine oil level .....................8-6
Changing engine oil and oil filter ..............8-6
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid ............................................ 8-10
Power Steering Fluid (PSF) .......................8-11
Brake fluid ....................................... 8-11
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-12
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-12
Battery......................................... 8-13
Jump starting ............................... 8-14
Drive belt ....................................... 8-15
Spark plugs .................................... 8-15
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-15
Air cleaner ...................................... 8-16
In-cabin microfilter .......................... 8-16Windshield wiper blades
........................8-17
Cleaning .................................... 8-17
Replacing ................................... 8-17
Brakes.......................................... 8-18
Fuses ........................................... 8-19
Engine compartment ....................... 8-19
Passenger compartment ....................8-20
Battery replacement ........................... 8-21
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-22
Lights .......................................... 8-23
Headlights ................................... 8-23
Front park/turn signal/side marker
light ......................................... 8-23
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-23
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-24
Wheels and tires ................................ 8-26
Tire pressure ................................ 8-26
Tire labeling ................................. 8-30
T
ypes of tires ................................ 8-33
Tire chains .................................. 8-34
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-34
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 fol-
lowing are general precautions which
should be closely observed.
WARNING
∙ Park the vehicle on a level surface, ap-ply the parking brake securely and
block the wheels to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving. Move the shif t le-
ver to P (Park).
∙ Be sure the ignition key is in the OFF or LOCK position when performing any
parts replacement or repairs.
∙ If you must work with the engine run- ning, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from moving fans,
belts and any other moving parts.
∙ It is advisable to secure or remove any loose clothing and remove any jew-
elry, such as rings, watches, etc. be-
fore working on your vehicle.
∙ Always wear eye protection whenever you work on your vehicle. ∙ Your vehicle is equipped with an auto-
matic engine cooling fan. It may come
on at any time without warning, even
if the ignition key is in the OFF position
and the engine is not running. To
avoid injury, always disconnect the
negative battery cable before work-
ing near the fan.
∙ If you must run the engine in an en- closed 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 neces-
sary to work under the vehicle, sup-
port it with safety stands.
∙ Keep smoking materials, flame and sparks away from the fuel tank and
battery.
∙ On gasoline engine models, the fuel filter or fuel lines should be serviced. It
is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service because
the fuel lines are under high pressure
even when the engine is off.
CAUTION
∙ Do not work under the hood while the
engine is hot. Turn the engine off and
wait until it cools down. ∙
Avoid contact with used engine oil and
coolant. Improperly disposed engine
oil, engine coolant and/or other vehicle
fluids can damage the environment. Al-
ways conform to local regulations for
disposal of vehicle fluid.
∙ Never leave the engine or the trans- mission related component harness
connector disconnected while the ig-
nition switch is in the ON position.
∙ Never connect or disconnect the bat- tery or any transistorized component
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
This “Do-it-yourself ” section gives instruc-
tions regarding only those items which are
relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A Genuine NISSAN service manual is also
available. For additional information, refer
to “Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order
information” in the “Technical and con-
sumer information” section of this manual.
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties or excessive emissions, and
could affect warranty coverage. If in doubt
about any servicing, it is recommended
that you have it done by a NISSAN dealer.
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself
VQ35DE engine
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Drive belt location
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Air cleaner
6. Fuse box
7. Fuse box/Fusible links
8. Fusible links
9. Battery
10. Engine oil dipstick
11. Radiator cap
12. Power steering fluid reservoir
13. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
LDI3419
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than
10 minutes for the oil to drain back
into the oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Reinsert it all the way. 5. Remove the dipstick again and check
the oil level. It should be between the H
(High) and L (Low) marksB. This is the
normal operating oil level range. If the
oil level is below the L (Low) mark
A,
remove the oil filler cap and pour rec-
ommended oil through the opening.
Do not overfill
C.
6. Recheck oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil
maintenance intervals or during the
break-in period, depending on the sever-
ity of operating conditions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly.
Operating the engine with an insuffi-
cient amount of oil can damage the en-
gine, and such damage is not covered
by warranty.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL AND OIL
FILTER
For additional information on engine oil
and oil filter change, refer to the instruc-
tions outlined in this section.
LDI2751WDI0214
ENGINE OIL
8-6Do-it-yourself
Removal of engine protectors
1. Remove clipsAand under engine pro-
tector.
2. Remove clips
Band right engine pro-
tector.
Engine oil and filter
1. Place a large drain pan under the drain
plug and oil filter.
2. Remove the oil filler cap.
3. Remove the drain plug with a wrench by turning it counterclockwise and
completely drain the oil.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself, as the
engine oil is hot.
WARNING
∙ Prolonged and repeated contact withused engine oil may cause skin
cancer.
∙ Try to avoid direct skin contact with used oil. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner
as soon as possible.
∙ Keep used engine oil out of reach of children.
4. Loosen the oil filter with an oil filter wrench by turning it counterclockwise.
Remove the oil filter by turning it by
hand.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter mounting sur- face with a clean rag.
CAUTION
Be sure to remove any old gasket mate-
rial remaining on the sealing surface of
the engine. Failure to do so could lead to
an oil leak and engine damage.
∙ The dipstick must be inserted in placeto prevent oil spillage from the dip-
stick hole when filling the engine with
oil.
Under-engine protector
LDI3352
Right engine protector
LDI3429
Do-it-yourself8-9
6. Coat the gasket on the new filter withclean engine oil.
7. Screw in the oil filter clockwise until a slight resistance is felt, then tighten ad-
ditionally more than 2/3 turn.
Oil filter tightening torque: 11 to 15 f t-lb (14.7 to 20.6 N·m)
8. Clean and re-install the drain plug with a new washer. Securely tighten the
drain plug with a wrench. Do not use
excessive force.
Drain plug tightening torque: 22 to 29 f t-lb (29.4 to 39.2 N·m)
9. Refill the engine with the recom- mended oil through the oil filler open-
ing, and install the oil filler cap securely.
For additional information about drain and
refill capacity, refer to “Recommended
fluids/lubricants and capacities” in the
“Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual. The drain and refill ca-
pacity depends on the oil temperature and
drain time. Use these specifications for ref-
erence only. Always use the dipstick to de-
termine the proper amount of oil in the
engine. 10. Start the engine and check for leakage
around the drain plug and the oil filter.
Correct as required. Turn the engine off
and wait more than 15 minutes. Check
the oil level with the dipstick. Add en-
gine oil if necessary.
Af ter the operation
1. Reinstall engine protectors in reverseorder of removal.
2. Lower the vehicle carefully to the ground.
3. Reset oil and oil filter maintenance re- minder. For additional information, re-
fer to “Vehicle information display” in
the “Instruments and controls” section
of this manual.
∙ Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
∙ Check your local regulations.
CAUTION
∙ NISSAN recommends using Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or equivalent)
ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix with
other fluids.
∙ Do not use Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) or manual transmission
fluid in a NISSAN CVT, as it may dam-
age the CVT. Damage caused by the
use of fluids other than as recom-
mended is not covered under
NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
∙ Using fluids that are not equivalent to Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 may
also damage the CVT. Damage caused
by the use of fluids other than as rec-
ommended is not covered under
NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
When checking or replacement of CVT fluid
is required, it is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) FLUID
8-10Do-it-yourself
Seats:Check seat position controls such
as seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc., to
ensure they operate smoothly and all
latches lock securely in every position.
Check that the head restraints/headrests
move up and down smoothly and the locks
(if so equipped) hold securely in all latched
positions.
Seat belts: Check that all parts of the seat
belt system (for example, buckles, anchors,
adjusters and retractors) operate properly
and smoothly, and are installed securely.
Check the belt webbing for cuts, fraying,
wear or damage.
Steering wheel: Check for changes in the
steering system, such as excessive free
play, hard steering or strange noises.
Warning lights and chimes: Make sure all
warning lights and chimes are operating
properly.
Windshield defroster: Check that the air
comes out of the defroster outlets properly
and in sufficient quantity when operating
the heater or air conditioner.
Windshield wiper and washer*: Check
that the wipers and washer operate prop-
erly and that the wipers do not streak.Under the hood and vehicle
The maintenance items listed here should
be checked periodically (for example, each
time you check the engine oil or refuel).
Battery* (for maintenance free batter-
ies): This vehicle is equipped with a sealed
maintenance free battery. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
service.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as:
1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (Phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or
only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
Brake fluid level*: Make sure that the brake
fluid level is between the MAX and MIN lines
on the reservoir. Engine coolant level*:
Check the coolant
level when the engine is cold.
Engine drive belts*: Make sure the drive
belts are not frayed, worn, cracked or oily.
Engine oil level*: Check the level af ter
parking the vehicle on a level spot and
turning off the engine. Wait more than
15 minutes for the oil to drain back into the
oil pan.
Exhaust system: Make sure there are no
loose supports, cracks or holes. If the
sound of the exhaust seems unusual or
there is a smell of exhaust fumes, immedi-
ately have the exhaust system inspected. It
is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Exhaust gas (carbon mon-
oxide)” in the “Starting and driving” section
of this manual.
Fluid leaks: Check under the vehicle for
fuel, oil, water or other fluid leaks af ter the
vehicle has been parked for a while. Water
dripping from the air conditioner af ter use
is normal. If you should notice any leaks or if
fuel fumes are evident, check for the cause
and have it corrected immediately.
9-4Maintenance and schedules