engine overheat INFINITI QX 2011 User Guide

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 anti-freeze
and coolant protection. The antifreeze solution
contains rust and corrosion inhibitors. Addi-
tional engine cooling system additives are not
necessary.
WARNING
●Never remove the radiator or coolant reser-
voir 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. 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 Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or equivalent. Genu-
ine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) is pre-diluted to provide antifreeze pro-
tection to 34°F (37°C). If additional freeze
protection is needed due to weather where
you operate your vehicle, add Genuine NISSAN
Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) concen-
trate following the directions on the con-
tainer. If an equivalent coolant other than
Genuine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
(blue) is used, follow the coolant manufactur-
er’s instructions to maintain minimum anti-
freeze protection to 34°F (37°C). The use of
other types of coolant solutions 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. Mix-
ing any other type of coolant other than Genu-
ine 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 coolant. Refer to the Nissan
Service and Maintenance Guide for more
details.
Outside
temperature down to Antifreeze Demineral-
ized water
or distilled water
°F °C
30 35 50% 50%
NOTE:
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 Ser-
vice and Maintenance Guide for more details.
The use of other types of coolant solutions may
damage the engine cooling system.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-7

CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin 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. This vehicle contains Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue). 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.
If the cooling system requires coolant fre-
quently, have it checked by an INFINITI retailer.
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 or coolant res-
ervoir cap when the engine 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.
SDI2511
8-8Maintenance and do-it-yourself

E-85 fuel
E-85 fuel is a mixture of approximately 85% fuel
ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline. E-85 can
only be used in a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV). Do
not use E-85 fuel in your vehicle. U.S. govern-
ment regulations require fuel ethanol dispens-
ing pumps to be identified by a small, square,
orange and black label with the common abbre-
viation or the appropriate percentage for that
region.
Aftermarket fuel additives
INFINITI does not recommend the use of any
aftermarket fuel additives (Example: fuel injec-
tor cleaner, octane booster, intake valve de-
posit removers, etc.) which are sold commer-
cially. Many of these additives intended for
gum, varnish or deposit removal may contain
active solvent or similar ingredients that can be
harmful to the fuel system and engine.
Octane rating tips
Using unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
lower than recommended above can cause per-
sistent, heavy spark knock. (Spark knock is a
metallic rapping noise.) If severe, this can lead
to engine damage. If you detect a persistent
heavy spark knock even when using gasoline of
the stated octane rating, or if you hear steady
spark knock while holding a steady speed on
level roads, have an INFINITI retailer correct the
condition. Failure to correct the condition is mis-
use of the vehicle, for which INFINITI is not re-
sponsible.
Incorrect ignition timing will result in knocking,
after-run or overheating. This in turn may cause
excessive fuel consumption or damage to the
engine. If any of the above symptoms are
encountered, have your vehicle checked at an
INFINITI retailer or other competent service fa-
cility.
However, now and then you may notice light
spark knock for a short time while accelerating
or driving up hills. This is no cause for concern,
because you get the greatest fuel benefit when
there is light spark knock for a short time under
heavy engine load.
CAUTION
●Your vehicle is not designed to run on E-85
fuel. Using E-85 fuel in a vehicle not specifi-
cally designed for E-85 fuel can damage fuel
system components and is not covered by
the INFINITI new vehicle limited warranty.
● E-85 is a mixture of approximately 85% fuel
ethanol and 15% unleaded gasoline.
● U.S. government regulations require ethanol
dispensing pumps to be identified by a
small, square, orange and black label with
the common abbreviation or the appropriate
percentage for that region.
Technical and consumer information9-5

Temperature conditions can also affect towing.
For example, towing a heavy trailer in high
outside temperatures on graded roads can af-
fect engine performance and cause overheat-
ing. The transmission high fluid temperature
and engine protection mode, which helps re-
duce the chance of transmission and engine
damage, could activate and automatically de-
crease engine power. Vehicle speed may de-
crease under high load. Plan your trip carefully
to account for trailer and vehicle load, weather
and road conditions.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced engine
power and vehicle speed. The reduced speed
may be lower than other traffic, which could
increase the chance of a collision. Be especially
careful when driving. If the vehicle cannot
maintain a safe driving speed, pull to the side
of the road in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation. See “IF
YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS” in the “6. In case of
emergency” section of this manual.
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from improper tow-
ing procedures is not covered by INFINITI
warranties.
Tongue load
When using a weight carrying or a weight
distributing hitch, keep the tongue load be-
tween 10 to 15% of the total trailer load or use
the trailer tongue load specified by the trailer
manufacturer. The tongue load must be within
the maximum tongue load limits shown in the
following “Towing Load/Specification” chart. If
the tongue load becomes excessive, rearrange
cargo to allow for proper tongue load.
STI0542
9-18Technical and consumer information

Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shift selector lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the wheels and
applying the parking brake, transmission dam-
age could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the down-hill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks
absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park).
6. Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) models:
Make sure that the 4WD shift switch is
engaged in the AUTO, 4HI or 4LO position
and the Automatic Transmission (AT) park
warning light is turned off.
7. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake.
5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer
are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks.
● While going downhill, the weight of the
trailer pushing on the tow vehicle may de-
crease overall stability. Therefore, to main-
tain adequate control, reduce your speed
and shift to a lower gear. Avoid long or
repeated use of the brakes when descending
a hill, as this reduces their effectiveness and
could cause overheating. Shifting to a lower
gear instead provides “engine braking” and
reduces the need to brake as frequently.
● If the engine coolant temperature rises to a
high temperature, see “IF YOUR VEHICLE
OVERHEATS” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section.
● Trailer towing requires more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances. ●
Avoid towing a trailer for your vehicle’s first
500 miles (800 km).
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
maintenance schedule in the INFINITI Service
and Maintenance Guide.
● When making a turn, your trailer wheels will
be closer to the inside of the turn than your
vehicle wheels. To compensate for this,
make a larger than normal turning radius
during the turn.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly
causing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions
allow. This combination will help stabilize
the vehicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering orapplying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the brakes and pull to the side of the road
in a safe area.
9-26Technical and consumer information

3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it isbalanced as described earlier in this sec-
tion.
●Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
● Use the Tow mode or downshift the trans-
mission to a lower gear for engine braking
when driving down steep or long hills. This
will help slow the vehicle without applying
the brakes.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● INFINITI recommends that the cruise control
not be used while towing a trailer. ●
While towing a trailer, do not use the follow-
ing systems (if so equipped):
– the Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) sys- tem
– the Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system
– the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system
– the Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
– Intelligent Brake Assist ( IBA) system
● Some states or provinces have specific regu-
lations and speed limits for vehicles that are
towing trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
● Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When launching a boat, do not allow the
water level to go over the exhaust tail pipe or
rear bumper.
● Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights
before backing the trailer into the water or
the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, the transmission fluid
should be changed more frequently. For addi-
tional information, see the INFINITI Service and
Maintenance Guide.
TOW mode
Using TOW mode is recommended when pulling
a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy load. Push the
TOW MODE switch to activate tow mode. The
TOW MODE indicator light in the meter illumi-
nates when TOW mode is selected. Push the
TOW MODE switch again to turn TOW mode off.
TOW mode is automatically cancelled when the
ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
TOW mode includes the following features:
● Grade logic — Adjusts transmission shifts
when pulling a trailer or hauling a load up a
grade.
● Downhill Speed Control (DSC) — automati-
cally downshifts when driving down a grade
with a trailer or heavy load to help control
vehicle speed.
Driving the vehicle in the TOW mode with no
trailer/load or light trailer/light load will not
cause any damage. However, fuel economy may
be reduced and the transmission/engine driv-
ing characteristics may feel unusual.
When towing a trailer, final drive gear oil should
be replaced and transmission oil/fluid should be
changed more frequently. For additional infor-
mation, see the 9. “Technical and consumer in-
formation” section later in this manual.
Technical and consumer information9-27

Child restraints................. 1-30
Booster seats ................ 1-47
LATCH system ................ 1-32
Precautions on child restraints ......1-30
Top tether strap ............... 1-34
Child safety ................... 1-28
Child safety rear door lock ...........3-6
Chimes Audible reminders ............. 2-20
Seat belt warning light and chime ....2-16
Circuit breaker, Fusible link ..........8-22
Cleaning exterior and interior .......7-2, 7-4
Climate control Automatic climate control ......4-31, 4-34
Clock ....................... 2-51
Coat hooks ................... 2-59
Cockpit ......................2-2
Cold weather driving .............5-101
Compact Disc (CD) player
(See audio system) ............... 4-57
Console box ................... 2-57
Controller, Center multi-function control
panel .......................4-3
Controls Control panel button ............4-3
INFINITI Controller ..............4-3
Coolant Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ................9-2
Changing engine coolant ..........8-8
Checking engine coolant level .......8-8
Corrosion protection ...............7-6
Cruise control .................. 5-37
Fixed speed cruise control
(on ICC system) ............... 5-58
Intelligent cruise control (ICC) system . . 5-39 Cup holders
................... 2-54
D
Daytime running light system .........2-39
Dimensions ....................9-9
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system ....5-62
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system warning
light ....................... 2-13
Dot matrix liquid crystal display .......2-21
Drive belts .................... 8-17
Drive positioner ................. 3-30
Driving Cold
weather driving ........... 5-101
Driving with automatic transmission . . . 5-15
On-pavement and off-road driving .....5-6
Precautions when starting and driving . . 5-2
Safety precautions ..............5-8
Dual head restraint DVD system .......4-83
E
Economy, Fuel ................. 5-83
Elapsed time .................. 2-27
Emission control information label ......9-11
Emission control system warranty ......9-29
Engine Before starting the engine .........5-13
Break-in schedule ............. 5-83
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ................9-2
Changing engine coolant ..........8-8
Changing engine oil and filter .......8-9
Checking engine coolant level .......8-8Checking engine oil level
..........8-9
Coolant temperature gauge . . .......2-7
Emergency engine shut off .........5-12
Engine block heater ............5-102
Engine compartment check locations . . . 8-6
Engine cooling system ...........8-7
Engine oil ...................8-9
Engine oil and oil filter
recommendation ...............9-6
Engine oil replacement indicator .....2-25
Engine oil viscosity .............9-6
Engine serial number ............9-10
Engine specifications ............9-8
Engine start operation indicator .....2-23
If your vehicle overheats ..........6-13
Oil pressure gauge .............2-8
Protection mode ............... 5-14
Starting the engine ............. 5-13
Entry/exit function, Automatic drive
positioner .................... 3-30
Event Data Recorders (EDR) ..........9-32
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ........5-2
Extended storage switch ............8-23
F
F.M.V.S.S./C.M.V.S.S. certification label . . . 9-11
Filter Air cleaner housing filter ..........8-18
Changing engine oil and filter . . .....8-9
Flashers
(See hazard warning flasher switch) . ....2-43
Flat tire ......................
6-2
Flat towing ................... 9-28
Flexible seating ................. 1-16
10-2

N
New vehicle break-in .............. 5-83
O
Odometer .....................2-6
Off-road recovery .................5-7
Oil Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ................9-2
Changing engine oil and filter .......8-9
Checking engine oil level ..........8-9
Engine oil ...................8-9
Engine oil pressure gauge .........2-8
Engine oil viscosity .............9-6
Oil filter replacement indicator ......2-25
Operation, Indicators for operation ......2-23
Outside air temperature ............2-28
Outside mirrors ................. 3-28
Overheat, If your vehicle overheats ......6-13
Owner’s Manual/Service Manual order
information ................... 9-32
P
Panic alarm ................... 3-16
Parking Brake break-in ............... 5-94
Parking brake operation ..........5-19
Parking on hills ............... 5-92
Phone Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System . . 4-96
Car phone or CB radio ...........4-95Pocket
...................... 2-58
Power Front seat adjustment ............1-2
Power door lock ...............3-4
Power outlet ................. 2-52
Power steering fluid ............8-12
Power steering system ...........5-94
Power windows ............... 2-61
Precautions Audio operation .............. 4-40
Braking precautions ............5-94
Child restraints ............... 1-30
Cruise control ................ 5-37
Driving safety .................5-8
Lane departure warning (LDW) system . . 5-20
Maintenance .................8-5
On-pavement and off-road driving .....5-6
Seat belt usage ............... 1-18
Supplemental

restraint system ......1-50
When starting and driving .........5-2
Preview function ................ 5-95
Preview Function warning light ........2-16
Push starting .................. 6-13
Push-button ignition switch ..........5-10
R
Radio ...................... 4-40
Car phone or CB radio ...........4-95
FM-AM-SAT radio with Compact Disc (CD)
player .................... 4-54
Rain-sensing auto wiper system .......2-33
Rapid air pressure loss .............5-7
Readiness for inspection/maintenance (I/M)
test........................ 9-31Rear door lock, Child safety rear door lock . . 3-6
Rear personal lights
.............. 2-66
Rear window wiper and washer switch . . . 2-34
Rear window wiper blades ..........8-20
Recorders, Event data .............9-32
Registering your vehicle in another
country ......................9-9
Remote controller (DVD) ............4-92
Remote keyless entry system .........3-15
Reporting safety defects ............9-30
Roadside assistance program . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Rollover ......................5-6
Roof Moonroof .................. 2-64
Roof rack .................. 2-60
S
Safety Child seat belts ............... 1-28
Towing safety ................ 9-21
Satellite radio operation ............4-55
Seat adjustment Front power seat adjustment ........1-2
Front seats ............... 1-2, 1-16
Seat belt(s) Child safety ................. 1-28
Infants .................... 1-29
Injured persons ............... 1-21
Larger children ............... 1-29
Precautions on seat belt usage . . ....1-18
Pregnant women .............. 1-21
Seat

belt cleaning ..............7-6
Seat belt extenders ............. 1-27
Seat belt maintenance ...........1-28
10-5