7-4Appearance and care
CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non-
abrasive chrome polish to maintain the
finish.
TIRE DRESSING
NISSAN does not recommend the use of
tire dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a
coating to the tires to help reduce dis-
coloration of the rubber. If a tire dressing
is applied to the tires, it may react with
the coating 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. The
coating on the tire dissolves more
easily 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
recommended by tire dressing manu-
facturer.
Occasionally remove loose dust from the
interior trim, plastic parts and seats using
a vacuum cleaner or soft bristled brush.
Wipe the vinyl and leather surfaces with a
clean, soft cloth dampened in mild soap
solution, then wipe clean with a dry soft
cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in
order to maintain the appearance of the
leather.
Before using any fabric protector, read
the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Some fabric protectors contain chemicals
that may stain or bleach the seat materi-
al.
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
classification sensors. This can also
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious perso-
nal injury.
CAUTION
.Never use benzine, thinner, or any
similar material.
. For cleaning, use a soft cloth,
dampened with water. Never use
a rough cloth, alcohol, benzine,
thinner or any kind of solvent or
paper towel with a chemical
cleaning agent. They will scratch
or cause discoloration to the lens.
. Do not spray any liquid such as
water on the meter lens. Spraying
liquid may cause the system to
malfunction.
. Small dirt particles can be abra-
sive and damaging to the leather
surfaces and should be removed
promptly. Do not use saddle soap,
car waxes, polishes, oils, cleaning
fluids, solvents, detergents or
ammonia-based cleaners as they
may damage the leather’s natural
finish.
. Never use fabric protectors un-
less recommended by the manu-
facturer.
. Do not use glass or plastic cleaner
on meter or gauge lens covers. It
CLEANING INTERIOR
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions ...................................................... 8-2
Engine compartment check locations ........................ 8-3MR20DD engine model ..................................................... 8-4
Engine cooling system ............................................................. 8-4 Checking engine coolant level .................................... 8-5
Changing engine coolant ................................................ 8-6
Engine oil ........................................................................\
..................... 8-6 Checking engine oil level ................................................. 8-6
Changing engine oil and filter ..................................... 8-6
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) fluid ........................................................................\
.................... 8-9
Brake and clutch (if so equipped) fluid ....................... 8-9
Window washer fluid .............................................................. 8-10
Battery ........................................................................\
........................ 8-11 Jump starting ........................................................................\
. 8-12
Variable voltage control system ................................... 8-13
Drive belt ........................................................................\
.................. 8-13
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
............. 8-14 Replacing spark plugs ..................................................... 8-14
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
............... 8-15
Air duct removal .................................................................. 8-15
Air cleaner filter replacement ................................... 8-15 Windshield wiper blades ..................................................... 8-16
Cleaning ........................................................................\
........... 8-16
Replacing ........................................................................\
........ 8-16
Rear window wiper blade .................................................. 8-17
Brakes ........................................................................\
........................ 8-17 Self-adjusting brakes ..................................................... 8-17
Brake pad wear warning ............................................ 8-17
Fuses ........................................................................\
........................... 8-18 Engine compartment .................................................... 8-18
Passenger compartment ........................................... 8-20
Key fob battery replacement .......................................... 8-21
Intelligent Key battery replacement .......................... 8-23
Lights ........................................................................\
.......................... 8-25 Headlights ........................................................................\
...... 8-25
Exterior and interior lights ........................................ 8-27
Wheels and tires ........................................................................\
8-29
Tire pressure ........................................................................\
8-29
Tire labeling ........................................................................\
.. 8-33
Types of tires ....................................................................... 8-35
Tire chains ........................................................................\
...... 8-36
Changing wheels and tires ...................................... 8-37
If you have a flat tire, see “Flat tire” (P.6-
3).
TIRE PRESSURE
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). It
monitors tire pressure of all tires except
the spare (if so equipped). When the low
tire pressure warning light is lit, and the
“Tire Pressure Low - Add Air” warning
message is displayed in the vehicle in-
formation display, one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated.
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 more details, see “Low tire pressure
warning light” (P.2-14), “Tire Pressure Mon-
itoring System (TPMS)” (P.5-5) and “Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)” (P.6-
3).
Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure of the tires
(including the spare (if so
equipped)) often and always prior
to long distance trips. The recom-
mended tire pressure specifica-
tions are shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label under
the “Cold Tire Pressure” heading.
The Tire and Loading Information
label is affixed to the driver side
center pillar. Tire pressures should
be checked regularly because:
.Most tires naturally lose air over
time.
.Tires can lose air suddenly when
driven over potholes or other
objects 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 after
the vehicle has been parked for 3 or
more hours, or driven less than 1
mile (1.6 km) at moderate speeds.
TPMS with Easy Fill Tire Alert pro-
vides visual and audible signals outside the vehicle for inflating the
tires to the recommended COLD
tire pressure. (See “TPMS with Easy
Fill Tire Alert” (P.5-8).)
Incorrect tire pressure, including
under inflation, may adversely
affect tire life and vehicle hand-
ling.
WARNING
.Improperly inflated tires can
fail suddenly and cause an
accident.
.The Gross Vehicle Weight
rating (GVWR) is located on
the F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. cer-
tification label. The vehicle
weight capacity is indicated
on the Tire and Loading In-
formation label. Do not load
your vehicle beyond this ca-
pacity. Overloading your ve-
hicle may result in reduced
tire life, unsafe operating
conditions due to premature
tire failure, or unfavorable
Do-it-yourself8-29
WHEELS AND TIRES
8-30Do-it-yourself
handling characteristics and
could also lead to a serious
accident. Loading beyond
the specified capacity may
also result in failure of other
vehicle components.
.Before taking a long trip, or
whenever you heavily load
your vehicle, use a tire pres-
sure gauge to ensure that
the tire pressures are at the
specified level.
.For additional information
regarding tires, refer to “Im-
portant Tire Safety Informa-
tion” (US) or “Tire Safety
Information” (Canada) in the
Warranty Information Book-
let.
SDI2503
Tire and Loading Information label
Seating capacity: The max-
imum number of occu-
pants that can be seated
in the vehicle.
Vehicle load limit: See “Ve-hicle loading information”
(P.10-12).
Original size: The size of
the tires originally installed
on the vehicle at the fac-
tory.
Cold tire pressure: Inflate
the tires to this pressure
when the tires are cold.
Tires are considered COLD
after 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.
Tire size — see “Tire label-
ing” (P.8-33).
Spare tire size or compact
spare tire size (if so
equipped)
Do-it-yourself8-31
8-32Do-it-yourself
SDI1949
Checking the tire pressure
1. Remove the valve stem cap fromthe tire.
2.Press the pressure gauge
squarely onto the valve stem.
Do not press too hard or force
the valve stem sideways, or air
will escape. If the hissing sound
of air escaping from the tire is
heard while checking the pres-
sure, reposition 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 needed. If
too much air is added, press the
core of the valve stem briefly
with the tip of the gauge stem to
release pressure. Recheck the
pressure and add or release air
as needed.
6.Install the valve stem cap.
7.Check the pressure of all other
tires, including the spare (if so
equipped).
SIZECOLD TIRE INFLATION
PRESSURE
FRONT ORIGINAL TIRE 215/65 R16 98H
230 kPa, 33 PSI
215/60 R17 96H 230 kPa, 33 PSI
225/45 R19 92W 240 kPa, 35 PSI
REAR ORIGINAL TIRE 215/65 R16 98H
230 kPa, 33 PSI
215/60 R17 96H 230 kPa, 33 PSI
225/45 R19 92W 240 kPa, 35 PSI
SPARE TIRE (if so equipped) T145/90 D16 106M
T135/90 D16 102M
420 kPa, 60 PSI
SDI1575
Example
TIRE LABELING
Federal law requires tire manufac-
turers to place standardized infor-
mation on the sidewall of all tires.
This information identifies and de-
scribes the fundamental character-
istics of the tire and also provides
the tire identification number (TIN)
for safety standard certification.
The TIN can be used to identify
the tire in case of a recall.
Do-it-yourself8-33
8-34Do-it-yourself
SDI1606
Example
Tire size (example: P215/60R16
94H)
1. P: The “P” indicates the tire is designed for passenger vehicles.
(Not all tires have this informa-
tion.)
2. Three-digit number (215): This number gives the width in milli-
meters of the tire from sidewall
edge to sidewall edge.
3. Two-digit number (60): This number, known as the aspect
ratio, gives the tire’s ratio of height to width.
4. R: The “R” stands for radial.
5. Two-digit number (16): This number is the wheel or rim
diameter in inches.
6. Two- or three-digit number (94): This number is the tire’s load
index. It is a measurement of
how much weight each tire can
support. You may not find this
information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
7. H: Tire speed rating. You should not drive the vehicle faster than
the tire speed rating.
JVM0694X
Example
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
for a new tire (example: DOT XX XX
XXX XXXX)
1. DOT: Abbreviation for the “De- partment of Transportation”.
The symbol can be placed
above, below or to the left or
right of the Tire Identification
Number.
2. Two-digit code: Manufacturer’s identification mark
3. Two-digit code: Tire size