NISSAN ALTIMA 1998 L30 / 2.G Workshop Manual

Key reminder chime
A chime sounds if the driver's door is
opened while the key is left in the ignition
switch. Remove the key and take it with you
when leaving the vehicle.
Light reminder chime
A chime sounds when the driver's door is
opened if the headlight switch is turned on
(ignition switch is turned OFF).
Turn the headlight switch OFF when leaving
the vehicle.
Malfunction indicator light
(MIL)
If the malfunction indicator light comes on
steady or blinks while the engine is running,
it may indicate a potential emission control
problem.
The malfunction indicator light may also
come on steady or blink if the fuel filler cap
has not been closed tightly or if the fuel tank
is nearly empty. Check to make sure the
fuel cap is secure and that you have at least
three gallons of fuel in the fuel tank.
After driving for a while, the light should
remain off if no other potential emission
control system problem exists.
Operation
The malfunction indicator light will come on
in one of two ways:
1. Malfunction indicator light on steady - An
emission control system malfunction has
been detected. Have the vehicle in-
spected by an authorized NISSAN
dealer. You do not need to have your
vehicle towed to the dealer.
2. Malfunction indicator light blinking - An
engine misfire has been detected which
may damage the emission control sys-
tem. To reduce or avoid emission control
system damage:
cdo not drive at speeds above 45 MPH
(72 km/h).
cavoid hard acceleration or decelera-
tion.
cavoid steep uphill grades.
cif possible, reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled or towed.
The malfunction indicator light may stop
blinking and come on steady. Have the
vehicle inspected by an authorized NISSAN
dealer. You do not need to have your ve-
hicle towed to the dealer.
CAUTION
Continued vehicle operation without
having the emission control system
checked and repaired as necessary
could lead to poor driveability, reduced
fuel economy, and possible damage to
the emission control system.
Some conditions may cause the malfunc-
tion indicator light to come on steady or
blink. Examples are as follows:
cvehicle ran out of fuel, which caused the
engine to misfire.
cfuel filler cap was left off or improperly
installed, allowing fuel to evaporate into
the atmosphere.
If you suspect that you experienced one or
both of the above conditions, drive the ve-
hicle to an authorized NISSAN dealer and
have the vehicle inspected. Avoid any un-
necessary diagnosis during the service by
informing the dealer of the condition that
may have occurred.
2-8Instruments and controls
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The theft warning system provides visual
and audio alarm signals if parts of the
vehicle are disturbed.
How to activate the theft warning
system
1. Close all windows.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Close the hood, trunk lid and all doors.
4. Push the
button on the multi-remote
controller. All doors lock. The hazard
lights flash twice and the horn beeps
once to indicate all doors are locked.cWhen the
button is pushed with all
doors locked, the hazard lights flash
twice and the horn beeps once as a
reminder that the doors are already
locked. The horn may or may not beep
once. Refer to ``silencing the horn beep
feature'' later in this section.
The system can be activated even if the
windows are open.
5.
Confirm that the SECURITY indicator light
comes on. The SECURITY light glows for
about 30 seconds and then begins to flash
once every three seconds. The system is
now activated. If, during this 30-second
time period, the door is unlocked by the
key or the multi-remote controller, or the
ignition key is turned to ACC or ON, the
system will not activate.
If the key is turned slowly when locking
the door, the system may not activate.
Furthermore, if the key is turned exces-
sively to the unlock position, the system
may be deactivated when the key is re-
moved. If the indicator light fails to glow
for 30 seconds, unlock the door once
and lock it again.
Even when the driver and/or passengersare in the vehicle, the system will acti-
vate with all doors, hood and trunk lid
locked and ignition key off. Turn the
ignition key to ACC or ON to turn the
system off.
Theft warning system operation
The theft warning system emits the follow-
ing alarm:
cThe headlights blink and the horn sounds
intermittently. In addition, the starter mo-
tor does not operate.
cThe alarm automatically turns off after 2
to 3 minutes. However, the alarm reacti-
vates if the vehicle is tampered with
again. The alarm can be shut off by
unlocking a door or trunk lid with the key,
or by pressing the
button on the
multi-remote controller.
The alarm is activated by:
copening the door or trunk lid without
using the key (even if the door is un-
locked by releasing the door inside lock
switch) or opening the trunk lid by oper-
ating the opener lever.
copening the hood.
IC0005
THEFT WARNING
(if so equipped)
Instruments and controls2-9
ZX

How to stop the alarm
The alarm stops only by unlocking a door or
the trunk lid with the key, or by pressing
the
button on the multi-remote control-
ler. The alarm does not stop if the ignition
switch is turned to ACC or ON.
Silencing the horn beep feature
If desired, the horn beep feature can be
deactivated using the multi-remote control-
ler. The instructions are on the back of the
multi-remote controller.
To deactivate:Press and hold the
andbuttonsfor at least two seconds.
The hazard lights will quickly flash three
times to confirm that the horn beep feature
has been deactivated.
To activate:Press and hold the
andbuttonsfor at least two seconds once
more.The hazard lights will quickly flash three
times to confirm that the horn beep feature
has been reactivated.
Deactivating the horn feature does not si-
lence the horn if the alarm is triggered.
If the system does not operate as de-
scribed above, have it checked by an
authorized NISSAN dealer.
AIC1037
2-10Instruments and controls
ZX

Push the lever down to operate the wind-
shield wipers. Pull the lever toward you to
operate the washer.
Intermittent operation can be adjusted from
2 to approximately 20 seconds by turning
the knob (Type B only).The wipers automatically cycle twice when
the washer is activated.
CAUTION
The following could damage the
washer system:
cDo not operate the washer continu-
ously for more than 30 seconds.
cDo not operate the washer if the
reservoir tank is empty.
WARNING
In freezing temperatures the washer
solution may freeze on the windshield
and obscure your vision which may
lead to an accident. Warm the wind-
shield with the defroster before you
wash the windshield.To defog the rear window glass, start the
engine and push the rear window defogger
switch on. The rear window defogger indi-
cator light on the switch comes on. Push the
switch again to turn the defogger off.
The rear window defogger switch automati-
cally turns off after approximately 15 minutes.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inner side of the
window, be careful not to scratch or
damage the rear window defogger.
AIC0520
AIC1004
WINDSHIELD WIPER AND
WASHER SWITCHREAR WINDOW DEFOGGER
SWITCH
Instruments and controls2-11
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NOTE: On some vehicles, the top few rows
of wires on the rear window are not part of
the rear window defogging system. These
wires, if so equipped, make up the diversity
antenna for the audio system.
Lighting
Turn the switch to theposition: The
front turn signal/parking, rear combination,
side marker, license plate and instrument
panel lights come on.
Turn the switch to the
position:The headlights come on and all the other
lights remain on.
To select the high beam function, push the
lever forward. The high beam lights come
on and the indicator light illuminates. Pull it
back to select the low beam.
AIC0505
HEADLIGHT AND TURN
SIGNAL SWITCH
2-12Instruments and controls
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DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT SYS-
TEM (Canada only)
The headlights automatically illuminate at a
reduced intensity when the engine is started
with the parking brake released. The day-
time running lights operate with the head-
light switch in the OFF position or in the
position. Turn the headlight switch to
the
position for full illumination when
driving at night.
If the parking brake is applied before the
engine is started, the daytime running lights
do not illuminate. The daytime running lights
illuminate once the parking brake is re-
leased. The daytime running lights will re-
main on until the ignition switch is turned off.
WARNING
When the daytime running light system
is active, tail lights on your vehicle are
not on. It is necessary at dusk to turn
on your headlights. Failure to do so
could cause an accident injuring your-
self and others.
Passing signal
Pulling and releasing the lever flashes the
headlight high beams on and off.
Turn signal
Move the lever up or down to signal the
turning direction. When the turn is com-
pleted, the turn signals cancel automati-
cally.
Lane change signal
To signal a lane change, move the lever up
or down to the point where the indicator light
begins to flash, but the lever does not latch.
The instrument brightness control operates
when the light switch is in the
orposition.
Turn the control to adjust the brightness of
instrument panel lights.
AIC0608
INSTRUMENT BRIGHTNESS
CONTROL
Instruments and controls2-13
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To turn the front fog lights on, rotate the
switch to theposition.
To turn them off, turn the switch to the OFF
position.
The headlight switch must be in
posi-
tion (low-beam headlights on) for the fog
lights to operate. The fog lights automati-
cally turn off whenever the high-beam head-
light function is selected.Push the switch on to warn other drivers
when you must stop or park under emer-
gency conditions. All turn signal lights flash.
WARNING
cWhen stalled or stopped on the road-
way under emergency conditions,
move the vehicle well off the road.cDo not use the switch while moving
on the highway unless unusual cir-
cumstances force you to drive so
slowly that your vehicle might be-
come a hazard to other traffic.
cTurn signals do not work when the
hazard warning flasher lights are on.
The flashers can be actuated with the igni-
tion switch either OFF or ON.
Some state laws may prohibit the use of
the hazard warning flasher switch while
driving.
IC1292AIC1011
FRONT FOG LIGHT SWITCH
(if so equipped)HAZARD WARNING FLASHER
SWITCH
2-14Instruments and controls
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The cigarette lighter element is an acces-
sory. A genuine NISSAN cigarette lighter can
be purchased from an authorized NISSAN
dealer.
The cigarette lighter operates when the
ignition switch is in the ACC or ON position.
Push the lighter in all the way. When the
lighter is heated, it springs out.
Return the lighter to its original position after
use.
CAUTION
The cigarette lighter socket is a power
source for the cigarette lighter element
only. The use of the cigarette lighter
socket as a power source for any other
accessory is not recommended.
WARNING
The cigarette lighter should not be
used while driving in order that full
attention may be given to the driving
operation.
AIC0509
CIGARETTE LIGHTER
(ACCESSORY) AND ASH TRAY
Instruments and controls2-15
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To open, lift the console covers.
To close, lower the console covers.
WARNING
The driver should not open the cup
holder or remove or insert cups into the
cup holder while driving in order that
full attention may be given to the driv-
ing operation.
CAUTION
cAvoid abrupt starting and braking
when the cup holder is being used to
prevent spilling the drink. If the liq-
uid is hot, it can scald you or your
passenger.
cUse only soft cups in the cupholder.
Hard objects can injure you in an
accident.
AIC1005
CUP HOLDER
2-16Instruments and controls
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WARNING
cMake sure that all passengers have
their hands, etc. inside the vehicle
before closing the windows. Use the
window lock switch to prevent unex-
pected use of the power windows.
cDo not leave children unattended in-
side the vehicle. They could un-
knowingly activate switches or con-
trols and become trapped in a
window. Unattended children could
become involved in serious acci-
dents.
The power windows operate only when the
ignition key is in the ON position. To open a
window, press down on the switch. To close
a window, pull up on the switch. To stop the
opening or closing function at any time,
simply release the switch.
The driver side control panel is equipped
with switches to open or close all of the
windows.
AUTOMATIC POWER WINDOW
SWITCH
To fully open the driver's side window, com-
pletely press the driver's side window switch
down and release it; it need not be held. The
window automatically opens all the way. To
stop the window, pull up on the switch while
the window is opening.
AIC1017AIC1018
POWER WINDOWS
Instruments and controls2-17
ZX