2023 NISSAN PATHFINDER automatic transmission fluid

4M (4th), 3M (3rd) and 2M (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or en-
gine braking on downhill grades.
1M (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
or for maximum engine braking on steep
downhill grades.
• Remember not to drive at high speeds forextended periods of time in lower than
the 8th range. This reduces fuel economy.
• Pulling the same paddle shif ter twice will shif t the ranges in succession. However, if
this motion is rapidly done, the second
shif ting may not be completed properly.
• In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
• In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to a
higher range than selected if the en-
gine speed is too high. When the ve-
hicle speed decreases, the transmis-
sion automatically shif ts down and
shif ts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tem-
peratures with heavy loads, such as when
towing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be de-
creased automatically to reduce the
chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelera-
tor pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed
may be limited.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, please
note that the transmission will be locked in
any of the forward gears according to the
condition.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” (P. 2-20). This will occur even if all
electrical circuits are functioning prop-
erly. In this case, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait for 10 sec-
onds. Then push the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have the transmission checked and
repaired, if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
Starting and driving5-25

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
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) .............8-10
Brake fluid ....................................... 8-11
Windshield-washer fluid .........................8-11
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-11
Battery......................................... 8-13
Jump starting ............................... 8-14
Variable voltage control system ................8-15
Drive belt ....................................... 8-15
Spark plugs .................................... 8-16
Replacing spark plugs .......................8-16
Air cleaner ..................................... 8-17
In-cabin microfilter .......................... 8-17Windshield wiper blades
........................8-18
Cleaning .................................... 8-18
Replacing ................................... 8-18
Brakes ......................................... 8-20
Fuses .......................................... 8-20
Engine compartment ....................... 8-21
Passenger compartment ...................8-22
Battery replacement ........................... 8-24
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-24
Lights .......................................... 8-26
Headlights .................................. 8-26
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-26
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-26
Wheels and tires ............................... 8-28
Tire pressure ................................ 8-28
Tire labeling ................................. 8-33
Types of tires ................................ 8-37
Tire chains .................................. 8-38
Changing
wheels and tires .................. 8-39

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. Push the park but-
ton to shif t to the P (Park) position.
• 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 warning, 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.
•
Because the fuel lines on gasoline en-
gine models are under high pressure
even when the engine is off, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for service of the fuel filter or fuel lines.
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 ve- hicle fluids can damage the environ-
ment. Always conform to local regula-
tions for disposal of vehicle fluid.
•
Never leave the engine or automatic
transmission related component
harnesses disconnected while the
ignition 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.
NOTE:
If the battery is completely drained the
transmission will not manually shif t to
other positions.
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. 10-38).
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

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: 11 to 15 f t-lb (15.0 to 21.0 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 7 inch (18
cm) Type A” (P. 2-23) or “Vehicle informa-
tion display 12.3 inch (31 cm) Type B”
(P. 2-48).
• 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)
8-10Do-it-yourself

Severe use maintenance:
Inspections:
• Brake pads and rotors
• Exhaust system
• Drive shaf t boots
• Propeller shaf t (4WD models)
• Steering gear and linkage, axle and sus-pension parts
Essential:
• Replace brake fluid
• Replace differential gear oil
• Replace transfer fluid
* Maintenance items and intervals with “*”
are recommended by NISSAN for reliable
vehicle operation. The owner need not per-
form such maintenance in order to main-
tain the emission warranty or manufac-
turer recall liability. Other maintenance
items and intervals are required.
(5) If the oil replacement indicator is dis-
played, change the engine oil and filter
within two weeks or less than 500 miles
(800 km).85,000 miles/(136,000 km)/
102 months
Perform at number of miles, kilometers or
months, whichever comes first.
Standard maintenance:
Not applicable. Proceed to next interval.
Severe use maintenance:
Inspections:
• Brake pads and rotors
• Exhaust system
• Drive shaf t boots
• Propeller shaf t (4WD models)
• Steering gear and linkage, axle and sus- pension parts
90,000 miles/(144,000 km)/
108 months
Perform at number of miles, kilometers or
months, whichever comes first.
Standard maintenance:
Inspections:
• Brake lines and cables
• Brake pads and rotors
• Drive belts*
• Drive shaf t boots
• Propeller shaf t (4WD models)
• Differential gear oil
• Coupling oil
• Transfer fluid
Essential:
• Replace air cleaner filter (1)
• Replace automatic transmission fluid (6)
• Replace engine oil & oil filter (5)
• Replace in-cabin microfilter
• Replace Intelligent Key battery
• Tire rotation
Maintenance and schedules9-17

The following are approximate capacities. The actual refill capacities may be slightly different. When refilling, follow the procedure
described in the “Do-it-yourself ” section to determine the proper refill capacity.
Fluid TypeCapacity (approximate)
Recommended Fluids/Lubricants
Metric
Measure US
Measure Imperial
Measure
Fuel 70 L 18-1/2 gal 15-3/8 gal • For additional information, see “Fuel recommendation”
(P. 10-4).
Engine oil*
Drain and refill
* For additional informa-
tion, see “Engine oil”
(P. 8-6). With oil filter
change 4.8 L 5-1/8 qt 4-1/4 qt • Genuine “NISSAN Motor Oil 0W-20 SP” (or equivalent) is recom-
mended.
• If the above motor oil (or engine oil) is not available, a syn-
thetic 0W-20 GF-6 SP motor oil (or engine oil) may be used.
Damage caused by the use of motor oil (or engine oil) other
than as recommended is not covered under NISSAN’s New Ve-
hicle Limited Warranty. For additional information, see “Engine
oil and oil filter recommendations” (P. 10-7).
Without oil filter
change 4.5 L 4-3/4 qt 4 qt
Engine coolant
with reservoir With tow pack-
age 11.9 L
3-1/8 gal 2-5/8 gal
• Pre-diluted Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) or equivalent
without tow
package 11.6 L
3-1/8 gal 2-1/2 gal
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) —— —• Genuine NISSAN Matic R ATF
• NISSAN recommends using Genuine NISSAN Matic R ATF
ONLY in NISSAN automatic transmissions. Do not mix with
other fluids. Using fluids that are not equivalent to Genuine
NISSAN Matic R ATF may damage the automatic transmission.
Damage caused by the use of fluids other than as recom-
mended is not covered under the NISSAN's New Vehicle Lim-
ited Warranty.
Differential gear oil —— —• Genuine NISSAN Differential Oil Hypoid Super Semi-synthetic
API GL-5, Viscosity SAE 75W-90
• The use of differential gear oil other than the specified may
cause vehicle malfunctions and result in non-warranty vehicle
repairs.
RECOMMENDED FLUIDS/
LUBRICANTS AND CAPACITIES
10-2Technical and consumer information

• When launching a boat, don't allow thewater level to go over the exhaust tail
pipe or rear bumper.
• Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights before backing the trailer into the
water or the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, differential gear
oil, transfer fluid and transmission oil/
fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see
the “Maintenance and schedules” sec-
tion of this manual.
Tow mode
Using TOW mode is recommended when
pulling a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy
load. Push or turn the Drive Mode Selector
to activate TOW mode. Push or turn the
Drive Mode Selector again to turn TOW
mode off. TOW mode is automatically can-
celed when the ignition switch is turned off.
The Idling Stop System is disabled when
the vehicle is in TOW mode.
Driving the vehicle in the TOW mode with
no trailer/load or light trailer/light load will
not cause any damage. However, fuel
economy may be reduced and the
transmission/engine driving characteris-
tics may feel unusual. When towing a trailer, differential gear
oil, transfer fluid and transmission oil/
fluid should be changed more fre-
quently. For additional information, see
the “Maintenance and schedules” sec-
tion of this manual.
FLAT TOWING FOR 4–WHEEL DRIVE
VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is sometimes called flat towing.
This method is sometimes used when
towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home.
CAUTION
• Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission
damage.
• Never flat tow your 4-wheel drive
(4WD) vehicle.
• DO NOT tow your 4-wheel drive (4WD)
vehicle with any wheels on the
ground. Doing so may cause serious
and expensive damage to the
powertrain.
• For emergency towing procedures,
see “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” (P. 6-15).
FLAT TOWING FOR FRONT WHEEL
DRIVE VEHICLE (if so equipped)
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is sometimes called flat towing.
This method is sometimes used when
towing a vehicle behind a recreational ve-
hicle, such as a motor home.
CAUTION
• Failure to follow these guidelines can
result in severe transmission
damage.
• Whenever flat towing your vehicle,
always tow forward, never backward.
• Never tow your front wheel drive ve-
hicle with the front tires on the
ground. Doing so may cause serious
and expensive damage to the
powertrain.
• DO NOT tow your front wheel drive
automatic transmission vehicle with
all four wheels on the ground (flat
towing). Doing so WILL DAMAGE inter-
nal transmission parts due to lack of
transmission lubrication.
• For emergency towing procedures,
see “Towing recommended by
NISSAN” (P. 6-15).
10-32Technical and consumer information

11 Index
A
Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS)
system....................5-180Active Ride Control.............5-181Air bag (See supplemental restraint
system).....................1-59Air bag system
Front (See supplemental front impact air
bag system)
................1-67Air bag warning labels............1-80Air bag warning light.........1-80, 2-16Air bag warning light,
supplemental.............1-80, 2-16Air cleaner...................8-17Air cleaner housing filter..........8-17Air conditionerAir conditioner operation........4-33Air conditioner specification label. .10-13Air conditioner system refrigerant and oil
recommendations............10-8Air conditioner system refrigerant
recommendations............10-8Heater and air conditioner controls. .4-33Servicing air conditioner........4-39Alarm system (See vehicle security
system).....................2-76Anchor point locations...........1-40Antenna................... .4-39Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).....5-175Antifreeze...................5-196
Approach unlock function.........3-17Armrests....................1-10Autolight switch...............2-83Automatic
Automatic power window switch. .2-119Driving with automatic transmission.5-18Automatic anti-glare inside mirror. . . .3-37Automatic brake hold............5-28Automatic door locks.............3-6Automatic Emergency Braking
(AEB)....................2-17,2-71Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) with
Pedestrian Detection............5-137
B
Battery.................5- 196, 8-13Charge warning light...........2-15Battery replacement............8-24Key fob...................8-24NISSAN Intelligent Key®.........8-24Before starting the engine.........5-16Belt (See drive belt)..............8-15Blind Spot Warning (BSW).........5-52Booster seats.................1-56Brake
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). . . .5-175Brake fluid..................8-11Brake light (See stop light).......8-26Brake system...............5-175
Brake warning light............2-14Brake wear indicators......2-23,8-20Parking brake operation.........5-26Self-adjusting brakes..........8-20Brake Assist.................5-177Brake fluid...................8-11Brake system................5-175Brakes.....................8-20Break-in schedule.............5-169Brightness controlInstrument panel.............2-88Bulb check/instrument panel.......2-14Bulb replacement..............8-26
C
C.M.V.S.S. certification label........10-12Camera Aiding Sonar (parking sensor).4-23Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants................10-2Car phone or CB radio...........4-40Cargo (See vehicle loading
information)................ .10-15Cargo area storage bin..........2-114Cargo light..................2-124Chassis control...............5-181Check tire pressure..........2-43, 2-70Child restraint with top tether strap. . .1-40Child restraints.......1-30, 1-31, 1-33, 1-35