In order to maintain the appearance of
your vehicle, it is important to take proper
care of it.
To protect the paint surfaces, wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:
• Af ter a rainfall to prevent possible dam-age from acid rain.
• Af ter 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 ve-
hicle 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 sur-
face when putting on or removing the
body cover.
WASHING
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly us-
ing a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or
general purpose dishwashing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.
CAUTION
• Do not concentrate water spray di-
rectly on the sonar sensors (if so
equipped) on the bumper as this will
result in damage to the sensors. Do
not use pressure washers capable of
spraying water over 1,200 psi (8,274
kPa) to wash your vehicle. Use of
high-pressure washers over 1,200 psi
(8,274 kPa) can result in damage to or
removal of paint or graphics. Avoid
using a high-pressure washer closer
than 12 inches (30 cm) to the vehicle.
Always use a wide-angle nozzle only,
keep the nozzle moving and do not
concentrate the water spray on any
one area.
• 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 compo-
nents, causing them to crack. This
could affect their appearance, and
also could cause them not to func-
tion 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 de-
tergents, gasoline or solvents.
• Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun-
light 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 sub-
stances so the paint surface is not
scratched or damaged.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
clean water.
Inside edges, seams and folds on the
doors, hatches and hood are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of road salt. There-
fore, these areas must be cleaned regularly.
Take care 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.
A damp chamois can be used to dry the
vehicle to avoid water spots.
CLEANING EXTERIOR
7-2Appearance and care
TIRE DRESSINGS
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a
coating to the tires to help reduce discolor-
ation of the rubber. If a tire dressing is ap-
plied to the tires, it may react with the coat-
ing 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. Thecoating on the tire dissolves more easily
than 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 recom-
mended by the tire dressing manufacturer.
Occasionally remove loose dust from the
interior trim, plastic parts and seats using a
vacuum cleaner or sof t bristled brush. Wipe
the vinyl and leather (if so equipped) sur-
faces with a clean, sof t cloth dampened in
mild soap solution, then wipe clean with a
dry, sof t cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in
order to maintain the appearance of the
leather (if so equipped).
Before using any fabric protector, read the
manufacturer's recommendations. Some
fabric protectors contain chemicals that
may stain or bleach the seat material.
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 classifi-
cation sensor. This can also affect the
operation of the air bag system and re-
sult in serious personal injury.
CAUTION
• Never use benzine, thinner or any
similar material.
• Small dirt particles can be abrasive
and damaging to leather surfaces
and should be removed promptly.
Do not use saddle soap, car waxes,
polishes, oils, cleaning fluids, sol-
vents, detergents or ammonia-
based cleaners as they may damage
the leather’s natural finish.
• Never use fabric protectors unless
recommended by the manufacturer.
• Do not use glass or plastic cleaner on
meter or gauge lens covers. It may
damage the lens cover.
• Never use chloride solutions for
cleaning aluminum decoratives (if so
equipped), damage may occur.
CLEANING INTERIOR
7-4Appearance and care
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-4
Engine cooling system ..........................8-5
Checking engine coolant level ................8-6
Changing engine coolant ....................8-6
Engine oil .......................................8-7
Checking engine oil level .....................8-7
Changing engine oil and oil filter ..............8-7
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) ..............8-11
Brake fluid ...................................... 8-12
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-12
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ...........8-12
Battery......................................... 8-14
Jump starting ............................... 8-15
Variable voltage control system
(if so equipped) ................................. 8-16
Drive belt ....................................... 8-16
Spark plugs .................................... 8-17
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-17
Air cleaner ..................................... 8-18In-cabin microfilter
.......................... 8-18
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-19
Cleaning .................................... 8-19
Replacing ................................... 8-19
Brakes ......................................... 8-21
Fuses .......................................... 8-21
Engine compartment .......................8-22
Passenger compartment ...................8-23
Battery replacement ........................... 8-25
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-25
Lights .......................................... 8-27
Headlights .................................. 8-27
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-27
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-27
Wheels and tires ............................... 8-29
Tire pressure ................................ 8-29
Tire labeling ................................. 8-34
Types of tires ................................
8-36
Tir
e chains .................................. 8-37
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-38
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.
Oil filter tightening torque: 15.0 to 21.0 N·m (11 to 15 f t-lb)
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: 29.4 to 39.2 N·m (22 to 29 f t-lb)
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 7 inch (18
cm) Type A” (P. 2-22) or “Vehicle informa-
tion display 12.3 inch (31 cm) Type B”
(P. 2-45).
• Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
• Check your local regulations. When checking or replacement is required,
it is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
CAUTION
• NISSAN recommends using Genuine
NISSAN Matic R ATF. Do not mix with
other fluids.
• Do not use CVT fluid or manual trans-
mission fluid in this transmission.
Damage caused by the use of fluids
other than as recommended is not
covered under NISSAN’s New Vehicle
Limited Warranty outlined in your
Warranty Information Booklet.
• Using fluids that are not equivalent
to Genuine NISSAN Matic R ATF may
also damage the transmission. Dam-
age caused by the use of fluids other
than as recommended is not covered
under NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty outlined in your Warranty
Information Booklet.
The specified automatic transmission fluid
is also described on caution labels located
in the engine compartment.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID
(ATF)
Do-it-yourself8-11
WARNING
• Use only new fluid from a sealed con-
tainer. Old, inferior or contaminated
fluid may damage the brake system.
The use of improper fluids can dam-
age the brake system and affect the
vehicle's stopping ability.
• Clean the filler cap before removing.
• Brake fluid is poisonous and should
be stored carefully in marked con-
tainers out of reach of children.
CAUTION
Do not spill the fluid on any painted sur-
faces. This will damage the paint. If fluid
is spilled, immediately wash the sur-
face with water.
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the
brake fluid is below the MIN line
OB, the
brake warning light will illuminate. Add
brake fluid up to the MAX line
OA. For addi-
tional information on brake fluid type, see
“Recommended fluids/lubricants and ca-
pacities” (P. 10-2).
If the brake fluid must be added frequently,
the brake system should be thoroughly
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
RESERVOIR
Fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir
periodically. Add windshield-washer fluid
when the “Low Washer Fluid” warning ap-
pears in the vehicle information display.
To fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir,
lif t the cap off the reservoir and pour the
windshield-washer fluid into the reservoir
opening.
LDI2147LDI2583
BRAKE FLUID WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
8-12Do-it-yourself
If the brakes do not operate properly have
the brakes checked. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
Self-adjusting brakes
Your vehicle is equipped with self-adjusting
brakes.
The front and rear disc-type brakes self-
adjust every time the brake pedal is
applied.
WARNING
Have your brake system checked if the
brake pedal height does not return to
normal. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Brake pad wear indicators
The disc brake pads on your vehicle have
audible wear indicators. When a brake pad
requires replacement, a high pitched
scraping or screeching sound will be heard
when the vehicle is in motion. The noise will
be heard whether or not the brake pedal is
depressed. Have the brakes checked as
soon as possible if the wear indicator
sound is heard. Under some driving or climate conditions,
occasional brake squeak, squeal or other
noise may be heard. Occasional brake
noise during light to moderate stops is nor-
mal and does not affect the function or
performance of the brake system.
Proper brake inspection intervals should
be followed.
For additional information re-
garding brake inspections, see appropriate
maintenance schedule information in the
"Maintenance and schedules" section of
this manual.
If any electrical equipment does not oper-
ate, check for an open fuse.
Fuses are used in the passenger and en-
gine compartment. Spare fuses are pro-
vided and can be found in the passenger
compartment fuse box.
When installing a fuse make sure the fuse is
installed in the fuse box securely.
LDI2997
BRAKES FUSES
Do-it-yourself8-21
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
WARNING
Never use a fuse of higher or lower am-
perage rating than that specified on
the fuse box cover. This could damage
the electrical system or electronic con-
trol units or cause a fire.
If any electrical equipment does not come
on, check for an open fuse.
1. Be sure the ignition switch and the head- light switch are OFF.
2. Open the engine hood. 3. Remove the fuse box cover by pushing
the tab and lif ting the cover up.
4. Remove the fuse with the fuse puller. The fuse puller is located in the fuse
block in the passenger compartment.
5. If the fuse is open
OA, replace it with a
new fuse
OB.
6. If a new fuse also opens, have the elec- trical system checked and repaired. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Fusible links
If the electrical equipment does not oper-
ate and fuses are in good condition, check
the fusible links. If any of these fusible links
are melted, replace with only Genuine
NISSAN parts.
LDI3584LDI3200
8-22Do-it-yourself
PASSENGER COMPARTMENT
WARNING
Never use a fuse of higher or lower am-
perage rating than that specified on
the fuse box diagram. This could dam-
age the electrical system or electronic
control units or cause a fire.
If any electrical equipment does not oper-
ate, check for an open fuse.
1. Be sure the ignition switch and the head- light switch are OFF.
2. Remove the fuse with the fuse puller. 3. If the fuse is open
OA, replace it with an
equivalent good fuse
OB.
4. If a new fuse also opens, have the elec- trical system checked and repaired. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
LDI3586LDI3200
Do-it-yourself8-23