service indicator NISSAN SENTRA 2021 User Guide
Page 137 of 528
will be a small reserve of fuel in the tank
when the fuel gauge needle reaches 0
(Empty).
Loose Fuel Cap
This warning appears when the fuel-filler
cap is not tightened correctly af ter the ve-
hicle has been refueled. For additional in-
formation, refer to “Fuel-filler cap” in the
“Pre-driving checks and adjustments” sec-
tion of this manual.
EngineOilServiceduein–––km
This distance to oil change is displayed if
the distance to oil change is less than 100
km (62 miles).
Low Washer Fluid (if so equipped)
This warning illuminates when the
windshield-washer fluid is at a low level.
Add windshield-washer fluid as necessary.
For additional information, refer to
“Windshield-washer fluid” in the “Do-it-
yourself ” section of this manual.
Tire Pressure Low - Add Air
This warning appears when the low tire
pressure warning light in the meter illumi-
nates and low tire pressure is detected. The
warning appears each time the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position as long
as the low tire pressure warning light re-mains illuminated. If this warning appears,
stop the vehicle and adjust the tire pres-
sures of all four tires to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. For additional
information, refer to “Low tire pressure
warning light” in this section and “Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System (TPMS)” in the
“Starting and driving” section of this
manual.
Door/Trunk Open
This warning illuminates when a door or
the trunk has been opened.
Timer Alert — Time for a break?
This indicator appears when the set time is
reached. The time can be set up to six
hours. For additional information, refer to
“Settings” in this section.
Low outside temperature indicator
This indicator appears if the outside tem-
perature is below 3°C (37°F). The tempera-
ture can be changed to display in Celsius or
Fahrenheit. For additional information, re-
fer to “Settings” in this section.
Power will turn off to save the battery
This message appears in the vehicle infor-
mation display af ter a period of time if the
ignition switch is in the AUTO ACC or the ON
position and if the vehicle is in P (Park). For
additional information, refer to “Push-
button ignition switch positions” in the
“Starting and driving” section of this
manual.
Power turned off to save the battery
This message appears af ter the ignition
switch is automatically turned off. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Push-button ig-
nition switch positions” in the “Starting and
driving” section of this manual.
Reminder: Turn OFF Headlights
This warning appears when the headlights
are lef t in the ON position when exiting the
vehicle. Place the headlight switch in the
OFF or AUTO position. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Headlight and turn signal
switch” in this section.
Headlight System Error See Owner’s
Manual (if so equipped)
This warning illuminates when there is an
error with the system. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Headlight and turn signal
switch” in this section.
Instruments and controls2-47 
Page 138 of 528
Parking Sensor Error: See Owner’s
Manual
This warning illuminates when there is an
error with the system. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Rear Sonar System (RSS)”
in the “Starting and driving” section of this
manual.
Driver Attention Alert— Take a Break?
This alert appears when the system has
detected that the driver may be displaying
fatigue or a lack of attention.
Driver Attention Alert Malfunction
This warning appears when the Intelligent
Driver Alertness system is not functioning
properly. For additional information, refer to
“Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA)” in the
“Starting and driving” section of this
manual.
Malfunction: See Owner’s Manual
This warning appears when one or more of
the following systems are not functioning
properly:
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
• Blind Spot Warning (BSW)If one or more of these warnings appear,
have the system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
Unavailable: Side Radar Obstruction
This message appears when the Blind
Spot Warning (BSW)/Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(RCTA) systems become unavailable be-
cause a radar blockage is detected. For
additional information, refer to “Blind Spot
Warning (BSW)” or “Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(RCTA)” in the “Starting and driving” section
of this manual.
Malfunction
This warning appears when the Automatic
Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detec-
tion system or Intelligent Forward Collision
Warning (I-FCW) system is not functioning
properly.
If one or more of these warnings appears,
have the system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
For additional information, refer to “Auto-
matic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian
Detection” or “Intelligent Forward Collision
Warning (I-FCW)” in the “Starting and driv-
ing” section of this manual.
Shipping Mode On Push Storage Fuse
This warning may appear if the extended
storage switch is not pushed in. When this
warning appears, push in the extended
storage switch to turn off the warning. For
additional information, refer to “Extended
storage switch” in this section.
Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
indicators (if so equipped)
These indicators show the Intelligent
Cruise Control (ICC) system status. The sta-
tus is shown by color. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Intelligent Cruise Control
(ICC)” in the “Starting and driving” section of
this manual.
CVT (AT) Malfunction Service now (if
so equipped)
This warning illuminates when there is a
problem with the CVT system. If this warn-
ing comes on, have the system checked. It
is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
CVT (AT) hot Power reduced (if so
equipped)
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
2-48Instruments and controls 
Page 141 of 528
If this indicator appears, push the ignition
switch while lightly turning the steering
wheel right and lef t.
No Key Press and hold to Stop Engine
This message appears when the Intelligent
key is not detected and the engine should
be turned off.
Speed Limit Sign indicator (if so
equipped)
This message may appear when the Traffic
Sign Recognition system is engaged.
For additional information, refer to “Traffic
Sign Recognition (TSR)” in the “Starting and
driving” section of this manual.
Brightness indicator
This indicator appears when the vehicle
information display screen brightness is
being adjusted.
Engine Stalled: Stop safely (if so
equipped)
This message appears 30 seconds before
the vehicle is shutdown due to an above
normal operating exhaust temperature.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) and
malfunction warning (red) will illuminate.
Have the system checked. It is recom-mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer im-
mediately for this service.
Engine Malfunction: Power Reduced
Service now (if so equipped)
This warning appears when the engine is
not operating under normal conditions. If
this warning comes on, have the system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
Engine Malfunction Service now (if so
equipped)
This warning illuminates when there is a
problem with the engine. If this warning
comes on, have the system checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Engine hot Power reduced (if so
equipped)
This engine has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature
becomes too high (for example, climbing
steep grades in high temperatures with
heavy loads, such as when towing a trailer),
engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will be decreased automati-
cally to reduce the chance of engine dam-
age. Vehicle speed can be controlled with
the accelerator pedal, but the engine and
vehicle speed may be reduced. 
Page 148 of 528
•The timing of switching the low
beam and high beam may change
under the following situations.
– The brightness of the headlights
of the oncoming vehicle or leading
vehicle.
– The movement and direction of
the oncoming vehicle and the
leading vehicle.
– When only one light on the on-
coming vehicle or the leading ve-
hicle is illuminated.
– When the oncoming vehicle or the
leading vehicle is a two-wheeled
vehicle.
– Road conditions (incline, curve,
the road surface, etc.).
– The number of passengers and
the amount of luggage.
High Beam Assist operation
To activate the High Beam Assist system,
turn the headlight switch to the AUTO po-
sition
O1and push the lever forwardO2
(high beam position). TheHigh Beam
Assist indicator light in the meter will illumi-
nate while the headlights are turned on.
If the High Beam Assist indicator light does
not illuminate in the above condition, it may
indicate that the system is not functioning
properly. Have the system checked, it is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service. When the vehicle speed lowers to less than
approximately 25 km/h (16 mph), the head-
light uses the low beam.
To turn off the High Beam Assist system,
turn the headlight switch to the
posi-
tion or select the low beam position by
placing the lever in the neutral position.
LIC3696
2-58Instruments and controls 
Page 154 of 528
The E-call (SOS) button is used in combina-
tion with a NissanConnect® Services sub-
scription to call for assistance in case of an
emergency.
The E-call button is under a cover. Press the
cover once
O1. The cover will drop down,
exposing the E-call button.
Pressing the button
O2will (with a paid
subscription) reach a response specialist
that will provide assistance based on the
situation described by the vehicle’s occu-
pant. For additional information, or to enroll
your vehicle, refer to www.NissanUSA.com/
connect or call 855–426–6628. The Rear Door Alert system functions un-
der certain conditions to indicate there
may be an object or passenger in the rear
seat(s). Check the seat(s) before exiting the
vehicle.
The Rear Door Alert system is initially dis-
abled. The driver can enable the system
using the vehicle information display. For
additional information, refer to “Vehicle in-
formation display warnings and indicators”
in this section.
When the system is enabled:
• The system is activated when a rear door
is opened and closed within 10 minutes of
the vehicle being driven. When the vehicle
is started and the system is activated, a
visual message appears in the vehicle in-
formation display. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Rear Door Alert is activated”
in this section.
• If a rear door is opened and closed but the vehicle is not driven within approxi-
mately 10 minutes, the system will not be
activated. A rear door must be opened
and closed and the car driven within 10
minutes for the system to activate.
LIC4213
E-CALL (SOS) BUTTON (if so
equipped) REAR DOOR ALERT 
Page 196 of 528
FUEL-FILLER CAP
Malfunc-
tion Indicator Light (MIL) to come on.
• Never pour fuel into the throttle body
to attempt to start your vehicle. •
Do not fill a portable fuel container in
the vehicle or trailer. Static electricity
can cause an explosion of flammable
liquid, vapor or gas in any vehicle or
trailer. To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death when filling portable
fuel containers:
– Always place the container on the
ground when filling.
– Do not use electronic devices
when filling.
– Keep the pump nozzle in contact
with the container while you are
filling it.
– Use only approved portable fuel
containers for flammable liquid.
CAUTION
• Do not use E–15 or E–85 fuel in your
vehicle. For additional information,
refer to “Fuel recommendation” in
the “Technical and consumer infor-
mation” section of this manual. •
The LOOSE FUEL CAP warning mes-
sage will appear if the fuel-filler cap
is not properly tightened. It may take
a few driving trips for the message to
be displayed. Failure to tighten the
fuel-filler cap properly af ter the
LOOSE FUEL CAP warning message
appears may cause the
Mal-
function Indicator Light (MIL) to
illuminate.
• Failure to tighten the fuel-filler cap
properly may cause the
Mal-
function Indicator Light (MIL) to illu-
minate. If the
light illuminates
because the fuel-filler cap is loose or
missing, tighten or install the cap and
continue to drive the vehicle. The
light should turn off af ter a few
driving trips. If thelight does not
turn off af ter a few driving trips, have
the vehicle inspected. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
• For additional information, refer to
“Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)” in
the “Instruments and controls” sec-
tion of this manual.
• If fuel is spilled on the vehicle body,
flush it away with water to avoid
paint damage.
3-26Pre-driving checks and adjustments 
Page 291 of 528
•Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire.
CAUTION
• Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline will seriously
reduce the three-way catalyst's abil-
ity to help reduce exhaust pollutants.
• Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep
driving if the engine misfires, or if no-
ticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are de-
tected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
• Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
• Do not race the engine while warm-
ing it up. •
Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunc-
tion indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale af ter replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Starting and driving5-5 
Page 307 of 528
OFF position:
For normal driving and fuel economy, use
the OFF position.
ON position:
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking is necessary, or for powerful
acceleration, use the ON position. The
transmission will automatically select a dif-
ferent gear ratio, allowing the engine to
provide high output.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the drive
sport mode in the ON position. This re-
duces fuel economy.
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.
Fail-safe
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, refer to “Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL)” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are func-
tioning properly. In this case, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then push the
switch back to the ON position. The ve-
hicle should return to its normal operat-
ing condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have the
transmission checked and repaired, if
necessary. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION (if so
equipped)
CAUTION
• Do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal while driving. This may cause
clutch damage.
• Fully depress the clutch pedal before
shif ting to help prevent transmission
damage.
• Stop your vehicle completely before
shif ting into R (Reverse).
Starting and driving5-21 
Page 342 of 528
Malfunction
When the RCTA system malfunctions, it will
turn off automatically. The system mal-
function warning message with the BSW/
RCTA indicator (orange) will appear in the
vehicle information display.
NOTE:
If the BSW system stops working, the
RCTA system (if so equipped) will also
stop working.
Action to take
Stop the vehicle in a safe location, turn the
engine off and restart the engine. If the
message continues to appear, have the
system checked. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
LSD3787
For vehicles with the 4.2 inch meter display 
Page 344 of 528
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE
CONTROL
1RES + switch
2CANCEL switch
3SET- switch
4Cruise control switch
• If the cruise control system malfunctions, it cancels automatically. The
indica-
tor in the instrument panel then blinks to
warn the driver. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Vehicle information display”
in the “Instruments and controls” section
of this manual. • If the
indicator blinks, push the
Cruise control switch off and have the
system checked. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
• The
indicator may blink when the
Cruise control switch is pushed on while
pushing the RES +, SET-, or CANCEL
switch. To properly set the cruise control
system, use the following procedures.
indicator in
the instrument panel comes on.
To set cruising speed, accelerate the ve-
hicle to the desired speed, push the SET—
switch and release it. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Your vehicle maintains
the set speed.
• To pass another vehicle, depress the ac-
celerator pedal. When you release the
pedal, the vehicle returns to the previ-
ously set speed.
• The vehicle may not maintain the set speed when going up or down steep hills.
If this happens, drive without the cruise
control.
To cancel the preset speed, use one of the
following three methods:
• Push the CANCEL switch.
• Tap the brake pedal.
• Push the Cruise control switch off. The
indicator in the instrument panel
goes out.
LSD3251
CRUISE CONTROL (if so equipped)