engine NISSAN LEAF 2018 Owner´s Manual

The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a pre-diluted mixture of 50%
Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) and 50% water to
provide year-round antifreeze and coolant
protection. The antifreeze solution con-
tains rust and corrosion inhibitors. Addi-
tional engine cooling system additives are
not necessary.
WARNING
∙ Never remove the radiator or coolantreservoir cap when the engine is hot.
Wait until the engine and radiator cool
down. Serious burns could be caused
by high pressure fluid escaping from
the radiator. For additional informa-
tion on precautions, refer to “If your
vehicle overheats” found in the “In
case of emergency ” section of this
manual.
∙ The radiator is equipped with a pres- sure type radiator cap. To prevent en-
gine damage, use only a Genuine
NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
∙ Never use any cooling system addi-tives such as radiator sealer. Additives
may clog the cooling system and
cause damage to the engine, trans-
mission and/or cooling system.
∙ When adding or replacing coolant, be sure to use only Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-
diluted to provide antifreeze protec-
tion to -34° F (-37° C). If additional
freeze protection is needed due to
weather where you operate your ve-
hicle, add Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) concen-
trate following the directions on the
container. If an equivalent coolant
other than Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is used, fol-
low the coolant manufacturer’s in-
structions to maintain minimum anti-
freeze protection to -34° F (-37° C). The
use of other types of coolant solu-
tions other than Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent may damage the engine
cooling system. ∙ The life expectancy of the factory-fill
coolant is 105,000 miles (168,000 km)
or 7 years. Mixing any other type of
coolant other than Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue),
including Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (green), or the use
of non-distilled water will reduce the
life expectancy of the factory-fill cool-
ant. For additional information, refer
to the “Maintenance and schedules”
section of this manual.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
8-4Do-it-yourself

CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant level in the reservoir
when the engine is cold.If the coolant
level is below the MIN level
B, add coolant
up to the MAX level
A.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
For additional information on the location
of the engine coolant reservoir, refer to “En-
gine compartment check locations” in this
section.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
A NISSAN dealer can change the engine
coolant. The service procedure can be
found in the NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine over-
heating.
WARNING
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never change the coolant when the
engine is hot.
∙ Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Serious burns could
be caused by high pressure fluid es-
caping from the radiator.
∙ Avoid direct skin contact with used coolant. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner
as soon as possible.
∙ Keep coolant out of the reach of chil- dren and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of prop-
erly. Check your local regulations.
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
2. Start the engine and warm it up until the engine temperature reaches the
normal operating temperature (ap-
proximately 5 minutes).
3. Stop the engine.
4. Wait at least 10 minutes for the engine oil to drain back to the oil pan.
5. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean.
6. Reinsert the dipstick all the way.
LDI3221LDI3222
ENGINE OIL
Do-it-yourself8-5

7. Remove the dipstick and check the oillevel. It should be within the range
B.
8. If the oil level is below
A, remove the oil
filler cap and pour recommended oil
into the opening. Do not overfill
C.
When filling the engine oil, do not re-
move the dipstick.
9. Recheck the 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 or depending
on the property of the engine oil used. More engine oil is consumed by frequent
acceleration/deceleration especially
when engine rpm is high. Consumption
is likely to be higher when the engine is
new. if the rate of oil consumption, af ter
driving for 3,000 miles (5,000 km), is
more than 0.5 liter per 600 miles
(1,000 km), consult a NISSAN dealer.
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
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
apply the parking brake.
LDI0371
LDI3026
8-6Do-it-yourself

2. Start the engine and let it idle until itreaches operating temperature, then
turn it off.
3. Remove the oil filler cap
Aby turning it
counterclockwise.
4. Place a large drain pan under the drain plug
B.
5. Remove the drain plug
Bwith a
wrench by turning it counterclockwise
and completely drain the oil.
If the oil filter is to be changed, remove
and replace it at this time. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Changing
engine oil filter” in this section.
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.
CAUTION
∙ Be careful not to burn yourself. Theengine oil may be hot.
∙ Waste oil must be disposed of properly.
∙ Check your local regulations.
6. Clean and reinstall the drain plug
B
and a new washer. Securely tighten the
drain plug
Bwith a wrench. Do not use
excessive force.
Drain plug tightening torque: 25 f t-lb (34 N·m)
7. Refill engine with recommended oil through the oil filler opening, then install
the oil filler cap
Asecurely.
For additional information on drain
and refill capacity, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capaci-
ties” in the “Technical and consumer
information” section of this manual.
The drain and refill capacity depends
on the oil temperature and drain time.
Use these specifications for reference
only. Always use the dipstick to deter-
mine when the proper amount of oil is
in the engine. 8. Start the engine. Check for leakage
around the drain plug
Band oil filter.
Correct as required.
9. Turn the engine off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level with the
dipstick. Add engine oil if necessary.
Do-it-yourself8-7

CHANGING ENGINE OIL FILTER
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the parking brake.
2. Turn the engine off. 3. Place a large drain pan under the oil
filter
B.
4. Loosen the oil filter with an oil filter wrench by turning it counterclockwise.
Then remove the oil filter by turning it
by hand.
CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself. The en-
gine oil may be hot.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter sealing surface with a clean rag.
CAUTION
Be sure to remove any old gasket mate-
rial remaining on the sealing surface of
the engine. Failure to do so could lead to
engine damage.
6. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil .
7. Screw on the oil filter until a slight resis- tance is felt, then tighten an additional
2/3 turn.
Oil filter tightening torque: 13 f t-lbs (18 N·m) 8. Start the engine and check for leakage
around the oil filter. Correct as required.
9. Turn the engine off and wait more than 10 minutes. Check the oil level. Add en-
gine oil by removing the oil filler cap
A
if necessary.
LDI3027
8-8Do-it-yourself

WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
RESERVOIR
Fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir
periodically. Add windshield-washer fluid
when the low windshield-washer fluid
warning light (if so equipped) comes on.
To fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir,
lif t the cap off the reservoir and pour the
windshield-washer fluid into the reservoir
opening.Add a washer solvent to the washer for
better cleaning. In the winter season, add a
windshield-washer antifreeze. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for the mix-
ture ratio.
Refill the reservoir more frequently when
driving conditions require an increased
amount of windshield-washer fluid.
Recommended fluid is Genuine NISSAN
Windshield-Washer Concentrate Cleaner &
Antifreeze or equivalent.
CAUTION
∙ Do not substitute engine antifreeze
coolant for windshield-washer solu-
tion. This may result in damage to the
paint.
∙ Do not fill the windshield-washer res- ervoir with washer fluid concentrates
at full strength. Some methyl alcohol
based washer fluid concentrates may
permanently stain the grille if spilled
while filling the windshield-washer
reservoir. ∙ Pre-mix washer fluid concentrates
with water to the manufacturer’s rec-
ommended levels before pouring the
fluid into the windshield-washer res-
ervoir. Do not use the windshield-
washer reservoir to mix the washer
fluid concentrate and water.LDI3223
WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
8-10Do-it-yourself

∙ Keep the battery surface clean and dry.Clean the battery with a solution of bak-
ing soda and water.
∙ Make certain the terminal connections are clean and securely tightened.
∙ If the vehicle is not to be used for 30 days or longer, disconnect the nega-
tive (-) battery terminal cable to prevent
discharge.
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
running (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.WARNING
∙ Do not expose the battery to flames, an electrical spark or a cigarette. Hy-
drogen gas generated by the battery
is explosive. Explosive gases can
cause blindness or injury. Do not allow
battery fluid to contact your skin,
eyes, fabrics or painted surfaces. Sul-
furic acid can cause blindness or in-
jury. Af ter touching a battery or bat-
tery cap, do not touch or rub your
eyes. Thoroughly wash your hands. If
the acid contacts your eyes, skin or
clothing, immediately flush with wa-
ter for at least 15 minutes and seek
medical attention.
∙ Do not operate the vehicle if the fluid in the battery is low. Low battery fluid
can cause a higher load on the battery
which can generate heat, reduce bat-
tery life, and in some cases lead to an
explosion.
∙ When working on or near a battery, always wear suitable eye protection
and remove all jewelry. ∙ Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds. Wash hands af ter
handling.
∙ Keep battery out of the reach of children.
∙ Do not tip the battery. Keep the vent caps tight and the battery level.
BATTERY
Do-it-yourself8-11

1. Remove the vent lidAwith a screw-
driver as shown.
2. Check the fluid level in each cell. If it isnecessary to add fluid, add only dis-
tilled water to bring the level up to the
bottom of the filler opening. Do not
overfill. Reinstall the vent caps. Vehicles operated in high temperatures or
under severe conditions require frequent
checks of the battery fluid level.
JUMP STARTING
If jump starting is necessary, refer to “Jump
starting” in the “In case of emergency” sec-
tion of this manual. If the engine does not
start by jump starting, the battery may
have to be replaced. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this ser-
vice.
LDI3224
WDI0529
8-12Do-it-yourself

CAUTION
∙ Do not ground accessories directly tothe battery terminal. Doing so will by-
pass the variable voltage control sys-
tem and the vehicle battery may not
charge completely.
∙ Use electrical accessories with the en- gine running to avoid discharging the
vehicle battery.
Your vehicle is equipped with a variable
voltage control system
A. This system
measures the amount of electrical dis-
charge from the battery and controls volt-
age generated by the generator. The current sensor is located near the bat-
tery along the negative battery cable. If you
add electrical accessories to your vehicle,
be sure to ground them to a suitable body
ground such as the frame or engine block
area.
1. Automatic tensioner pulley
2. Generator pulley
3. Water pump pulley
4. Air conditioner compressor pulley
5. Crankshaf t pulley
WARNING
Be sure the ignition switch is placed in
the OFF or LOCK position before servic-
ing drive belt. The engine could rotate
unexpectedly.
LDI3246LDI3028
VARIABLE VOLTAGE CONTROL
SYSTEM
DRIVE BELT
Do-it-yourself8-13

1. Visually inspect the belt for signs of un-usual wear, cuts, or fraying. If the belt is
in poor condition, have it replaced or
adjusted. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
2. Have the belt checked regularly for condition.
REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
Iridium-tipped spark plugs
It is not necessary to replace iridium-
tipped
Aspark plugs as frequently as con-
ventional type spark plugs because they
last much longer. Follow the maintenance
log shown in the “Maintenance and sched-
ules” section of this manual. Do not service
iridium-tipped spark plugs by cleaning or
regapping.
∙ Always replace spark plugs with rec-
ommended or equivalent ones.
WARNING
Be sure the engine and ignition switch
are off and that the parking brake is
engaged securely.
CAUTION
Be sure to use the correct socket to re-
move the spark plugs. An incorrect
socket can damage the spark plugs.
If replacement is required, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
SDI1895
SPARK PLUGS
8-14Do-it-yourself