2021 NISSAN MAXIMA engine oil

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 ............................... 8-15
Drive belt ....................................... 8-15
Spark plugs .................................... 8-16
Replacing spark plugs .......................8-16
Air cleaner ..................................... 8-16
In-cabin microfilter .......................... 8-17Windshield 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,
apply 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 switch is in the
OFF or LOCK position when perform-
ing 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
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
• Always wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle. •
Your vehicle is equipped with an au-
tomatic engine cooling fan. It may
come on at any time without warn-
ing, even if the ignition switch is in
the OFF position and the engine is
not running. To avoid injury, always
disconnect the negative battery
cable before working 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 nec-
essary to work under the vehicle,
support 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 be-
cause 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. Always conform to lo-
cal 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 compo-
nent 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, see
“Owner's Manual/Service Manual order in-
formation” (P. 10-22).
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

3.5L 6 cylinder (VQ35DE engine model)
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Drive belt location
3. Engine oil filler cap4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Air cleaner
6. Fuse box
7. Fuse box/Fusible links8. 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) marksOB. This is the
normal operating oil level range. If the oil
level is below the L (Low) mark
OA,re-
move the oil filler cap and pour recom-
mended oil through the opening. Do not
overfill
OC.
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.
Vehicle set-up
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for 15 minutes.
4. Raise and support the vehicle using a suitable floor jack and safety jack
stands.
• Place the safety jack stands under the vehicle jack-up points.
• A suitable adapter should be attached to the jack stand saddle.
LDI2751WDI0214
ENGINE OIL
8-6Do-it-yourself

LDI3350
O3Oil filter
LDI3386
O4Under engine protector
LDI3430
O5Right engine protector
8-8Do-it-yourself

Removal of engine protectors
1. Remove clipsOBand right engine
protector.
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 com-
pletely drain the oil.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself, as the
engine oil is hot.
WARNING
• Prolonged and repeated contact
with used 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 ma-
terial 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
place to prevent oil spillage from the
dipstick hole when filling the engine
with oil.
6. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil.
7. Screw in the oil filter clockwise until a slight resistance is felt, then tighten addi-
tionally more than 2/3 turn.LDI3352
Under-engine protector
1. Remove clips
OAand under engine
protector.
LDI3429
Right engine protector
Do-it-yourself8-9

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 exces-
sive force.
Drain plug tightening torque: 22 to 29 f t-lb (29.4 to 39.2 N·m)
9. Refill the engine with the recommended oil through the oil filler opening, and in-
stall the oil filler cap securely.
For additional information about drain and
refill capacity, see “Recommended fluids/
lubricants and capacities” (P. 10-2). The
drain and refill capacity depends on the oil
temperature and drain time. Use these
specifications for reference only. Always
use the dipstick to determine 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 reverse or-der of removal.
2. Lower the vehicle carefully to the ground.
3. Reset oil and oil filter maintenance re- minder. For additional information, see
“Vehicle information display” (P. 2-17).
• Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
• Check your local regulations.
CAUTION
• NISSAN recommends using Genuine
NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or equiva-
lent) 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 War-
ranty outlined in your Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.
• 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 recommended is not covered un-
der NISSAN's New Vehicle Limited
Warranty outlined in your Warranty
Information Booklet.
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

Brakes:Check that the brakes do not pull
the vehicle to one side when applied.
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) P (Park) position mechanism: On a
fairly steep hill check that the vehicle is held
securely with the shif t lever in the P (Park)
position without applying any brakes.
Parking brake: Check the parking brake
operation regularly. The vehicle should be
securely held on a fairly steep hill with only
the parking brake applied. If the parking
brake needs adjustment, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
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 run-
ning (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.
9-4Maintenance and schedules