engine overheat INFINITI M 2011 Owners Manual

TACHOMETER
The tachometer indicates engine speed in revo-
lutions per minute (RPM).Do not rev the engine
into the red zone
1.
The scale length and the red zone vary with the
engine model.
CAUTION
When engine speed approaches the red zone,
shift to a higher gear or reduce engine speed.
Operating the engine in the red zone may cause
serious engine damage.
ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE
GAUGE
The gauge indicates the engine coolant tem-
perature.
The engine coolant temperature is within the
normal range when the gauge needle points
within the zone
1shown in the illustration.
The engine coolant temperature varies with the
outside air temperature and driving conditions.
CAUTION
If the gauge indicates the engine coolant tem-
perature is near the hot (H) end of the normal
range, reduce vehicle speed to decrease the
temperature. If the gauge is over the normal
range, stop the vehicle as soon as safely pos-
sible and let the engine idle. If the engine is
overheated, continued operation of the vehicle
may seriously damage the engine. See “IF
YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS” in the “6. In case of
emergency” section for immediate action
required.
SIC4320SIC4321
Instruments and controls2-7
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To sound the horn, push the center pad area of
the steering wheel.
WARNING
Do not disassemble the horn. Doing so could
affect proper operation of the supplemental
front air bag system. Tampering with the
supplemental front air bag system may result
in serious personal injury.
WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use the seat
heater if you or the occupants cannot monitor
elevated seat temperatures or have an inability
to feel pain in body parts that contact the seat.
Use of the seat heater by such people could
result in serious injury.
CAUTION
●The battery could run down if the seat heater
is operated while the engine is not running.
● Do not use the seat heater for extended pe-
riods or when no one is using the seat.
● Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates heat, such as a blanket, cushion, seat
cover, etc. Otherwise, the seat may become
overheated.
● Do not place anything hard or heavy on the
seat or pierce it with a pin or similar object.
This may result in damage to the heater.
● Any liquid spilled on the heated seat should
be removed immediately with a dry cloth.
● When cleaning the seat, never use gasoline,
thinner, or any similar materials. ●
If any abnormalities are found or the heated
seat does not operate, turn the switch off
and have the system checked by an INFINITI
retailer.SIC4332
HORN HEATED SEATS (if so equipped)
Instruments and controls2-39
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4. When the vehicle’s interior is warmed orcooled, and/or before you leave the ve-
hicle, be sure to turn the control knob to
the OFF position (center). The indicator
light
Bon the control knob goes off at
the OFF position.
To check the air filter for the climate con-
trolled seat, contact an INFINITI retailer.
WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use the seat
heater if you or the occupants cannot monitor
elevated seat temperatures or have an inability
to feel pain in body parts that contact the seat.
Use of the seat heater by such people could
result in serious injury.
CAUTION
● The battery could run down if the climate
controlled seat is operated while the engine
is not running.
● Do not use the climate controlled seat for
extended periods or when no one is using
the seat. ●
Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates heat, such as a blanket, cushion, seat
cover, etc. Otherwise, the seat may become
overheated.
● Do not place anything hard or heavy on the
seat or pierce it with a pin or similar object.
This may result in damage to the climate
controlled seat.
● Any liquid spilled on the seat should be re-
moved immediately with a dry cloth.
● The climate controlled seat has an air filter.
Do not operate climate controlled seat with-
out an air filter. This may result in damage to
the system.
● When cleaning the seat, never use gasoline,
thinner, or any similar materials.
● If any malfunctions are found or the climate
controlled seat does not operate, turn the
switch off and have the system checked by
an INFINITI retailer. The warning systems switch will turn on and off
the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, the
Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system and the For-
ward Collision Warning (FCW) system at the
same time.
The FCW system will sound a warning chime
and the vehicle ahead detection indicator light
blinks to alert the driver if the vehicle is travel-
ing close to the vehicle ahead. (See “FORWARD
COLLISION WARNING (FCW) SYSTEM” in the “5.
Starting and driving” section.)
The LDW system will sound a warning chime
and blink the lane departure warning light
(orange) to alert the driver if the vehicle is
traveling close to either the left or the right of a
SIC4335
WARNING SYSTEMS SWITCH (if so
equipped)
Instruments and controls2-41
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The power outlet is located in the center con-
sole.
CAUTION
●The outlet and plug may be hot during or
immediately after use.
● Do not use with accessories that exceed a 12
volt, 120W (10A) power draw. Do not use
double adapters or more than one electrical
accessory.
● Use power outlet with the engine running to
avoid discharging the vehicle battery.
● Avoid using power outlet when the air condi-
tioner, headlights or rear window defroster
is on. ●
This power outlet is not designed for use
with a cigarette lighter unit.
● Push the plug in as far as it will go. If good
contact is not made, the plug may overheat
or the internal temperature fuse may blow.
● Before inserting or disconnecting a plug, be
sure the electrical accessory being used is
turned OFF.
● When not in use, be sure to close the cap. Do
not allow water to contact the outlet.
FRONT
To open the ashtray lid, push the lid down and
release it
1.
To empty the ashtray, pull out
2.
The cigarette lighter operates when the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
Push the lighter in all the way
3, then release
it. When the lighter is heated, it will spring out.
Return the lighter to its original position after
use.
SIC4339SIC4340
POWER OUTLET CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND ASHTRAYS
2-44Instruments and controls
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CAUTION
●Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits from
leaded gasoline seriously reduce the three-
way catalyst’s ability to help reduce exhaust
pollutants.
● Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions in
the ignition, fuel injection, or electrical sys-
tems can cause overrich fuel flow into the
three-way catalyst, causing it to overheat.
Do not keep driving if the engine misfires, or
if noticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are detected.
Have the vehicle inspected promptly by an
INFINITI retailer.
● Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel
level. Running out of fuel could cause the
engine to misfire, damaging the three-way
catalyst.
● Do not race the engine while warming 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 recommended
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 pres-
sure 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
possible, 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 substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination 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 combined with the low
tire pressure telltale. When the system detects
a malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi-
mately one minute and then remain continu-
ously illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction
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, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after 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.
Additional information
●
The TPMS does not monitor the tire pressure
of the spare tire.
● 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).
Starting and driving5-3
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WARNING
If the engine is not running or is turned off while
driving, the power assist for the steering will
not work. Steering will be harder to operate.
The power assisted steering uses a hydraulic
pump, driven by the engine, to assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. How-
ever, greater foot pressure on the brake pedal
will be required to stop the vehicle and the
stopping distance will be longer.
When the brake pedal is depressed slowly and
firmly, you may hear a clicking noise and feel a
slight pulsation. This is normal and indicates
that the Brake Assist System is operating.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your
braking distance will be longer and the vehicle
may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly tapping the brake pedal to heat-up
the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to
normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds
until the brakes function correctly.
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever the
stopping effect of the parking brake is weak-
ened or whenever the parking brake shoes
and/or drums/rotors are replaced, in order to
assure the best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle ser-
vice manual and can be performed by an
INFINITI retailer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake and pads faster
and reduce gas mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result in
loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
● While driving on a slippery surface, be care-
ful when braking, accelerating or downshift-
ing. Abrupt braking or accelerating could
cause the wheels to skid and result in an
accident.
POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM
5-84Starting and driving
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6 In case of emergency
Roadside assistance program...................... 6-2
Emergency engine shut off ......................... 6-2
Flat tire ........................................... 6-2
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ......... 6-2
Changing a flat tire ............................. 6-3
Jump starting ..................................... 6-8 Push starting
.................................... 6-10
If your vehicle overheats ........................... 6-11
Towing your vehicle .............................. 6-12
Towing recommended by INFINITI ...............6-13
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ........6-15
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CAUTION
●Do not continue to drive if your vehicle over-
heats. Doing so could cause engine damage
or a vehicle fire.
● To avoid the danger of being scalded, never
remove the radiator cap while the engine is
still hot. When the radiator cap is removed,
pressurized hot water will spurt out, possi-
bly causing serious injury.
● Do not open the hood if steam is coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading), or
if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc., take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the selector
lever to the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the climate control. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed. 3. If engine overheating is caused by climb-
ing a long hill on a hot day, run the engine
at a fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpm)
until the temperature gauge indication
returns to normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for steam or coolant escaping from the radia-
tor before opening the hood. (If steam or
coolant is escaping, turn off the engine.)
Do not open the hood further until no
steam or coolant can be seen.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the engine,
stand clear to prevent getting burned.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leak-
ing or the cooling fan does not run, stop
the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair, jewelry
or clothing to come into contact with, or get
caught in, engine belts or the engine cooling
fan. The engine cooling fan can start at any
time.
7. After the engine cools down, check thecoolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reser-
voir tank if necessary. Have your vehicle
repaired at the nearest INFINITI retailer.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet
or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-free
number to call (U.S.) or Warranty & Roadside
Assistance Information Booklet (Canada).
IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-11
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The engine cooling system is filled at the factory
with a high-quality, year-round, anti-freeze
coolant solution. The antifreeze solution con-
tains rust and corrosion inhibitors, therefore
additional cooling system additives are not
necessary.
WARNING
●Never remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot. Wait until the engine and radia-
tor cool down. Serious burns could be
caused by high pressure fluid escaping from
the radiator. See precautions in “IF YOUR
VEHICLE OVERHEATS” in the “6. In case of
emergency” section of this manual.
● The radiator is equipped with a pressure
type radiator cap. To prevent engine dam-
age, use only a genuine NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
When adding or replacing coolant, be sure to
use only a Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent with
the proper mixture ratio of 50% antifreeze and
50% demineralized or distilled water. The life
expectancy of the factory-fill coolant is 105,000
miles (168,000 km) or 7 years. Mixing any other
type of coolant or the use of non-distilled water
will reduce the life expectancy of the factory-fill
coolant. Refer to the INFINITI Service and Main-
tenance Guide for more details. The use of
other types of coolant solutions may damage
the engine cooling system.
Outside
temperature down to Antifreeze Demineral-
ized water
or distilled water
°F °C
30 35 50% 50%
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant level in the reservoir when the
engine is cold. If the coolant level is below MIN
2, open the reservoir tank cap and add coolant
up to the MAX
1level. If the reservoir tank is
empty, check the coolant level in the radiator
when the engine is cold. If there is insufficient
coolant in the radiator, fill the radiator with
coolant up to the filler opening and also add it
to the reservoir tank up to the MAX level
1.
Tighten the cap securely after adding engine
coolant.
If the cooling system requires coolant fre-
quently, have it checked by an INFINITI retailer.
SDI2043
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
8-10Maintenance and do-it-yourself
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CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
Major cooling system repairs should be per-
formed by an INFINITI retailer. The service pro-
cedures can be found in the appropriate INFINITI
Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced heater
performance and engine overheating.
WARNING
●To avoid the danger of being scalded, never
change the coolant when the engine is hot.
● Never remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot. Serious burns could be caused by
high pressure fluid escaping 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 reach of children and
pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than 15
minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Reinsert it all the way.
5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil level. It should be within the range
1.
If the oil level is below
2, remove the oil
filler cap and pour recommended oil
through the opening. Do not overfill
3.
6. Recheck oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil mainte-
nance intervals or during the break-in period,
depending on the severity of operating condi-
tions.
CAUTION
Oil level should be checked regularly. Operat-
ing the engine with an insufficient amount of oil
can damage the engine, and such damage is
not covered by warranty.
VK56VD engine
SDI2541
VQ37VHR engine
SDI2045
ENGINE OIL
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-11
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