cooling NISSAN 370Z COUPE 2012 Owners Manual

4-24Center display, heater, air conditioner, audio, phone and voice recognition systems
SAA2275
CENTER VENTILATORS
Open or close, and adjust the air flow direction
of ventilators.
SAA2288
SIDE VENTILATORS
Open or close, and adjust the air flow direction
of ventilators as illustrated.
WARNING
.The air conditioner cooling function
operates only when the engine is
running.
. Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the support
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should not be left alone either. On
hot, sunny days, temperatures in a
closed vehicle could quickly become
high enough to cause severe or
possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
. Do not use the recirculation mode
for long periods as it may cause the
interior air to become stale and the
windows to fog up.
Start the engine and operate the heater and air
conditioner system.
VENTILATORS HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER

SAA2493
For the models with navigation system, push the
“STATUS”button to display the heater and air
conditioner status screen. (See “How to use
STATUS button” (P.4-7) .)
SAA2277
1. “” fan speed control dial
2. Temperature control dial*
* The display of degrees:
“60-75-90” is used for 8F (US) .
“18-25-32” is used for 8C (Canada) .
3. Air flow control dial
4. “A/C” air conditioner button
5. Intake air control button (“
” outside air and
“” air recirculation)
6. “
” rear window defroster button (See “Rear
window defroster switch” (P.2-31) .)
AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONER (Type
A)
In your vehicle, the air conditioner system
is designed to automatically activate the
cooling function when operating the air
flow control dial, the “
” fan speed
control dial or the “
” intake air
control button. (The indicator light on the
“A/C” button will illuminate.) Push the
“A/C” button off when the cooling function
is not necessary.
Center display, heater, air conditioner, audio, phone and voice recognition systems4-25

4-26Center display, heater, air conditioner, audio, phone and voice recognition systems
Automatic operation
Cooling and/or dehumidified heating
(AUTO):
This mode may be used all year round. The
system works automatically to control the inside
temperature, air flow distribution and fan speed
after the preferred temperature is set manually.
1. Turn the “
” fan speed control dial and air
flow control dial to the “AUTO” position. The
air conditioner will automatically turn on.
(The “A/C” button indicator light illuminates.)
2. Turn the temperature control dial to set the desired temperature.
. The temperature can be set within the
following range.
— For U.S.: 60 to 908F (16 to 328C)
— For Canada: 64 to 908F (18 to 328C)
. The temperature of the passenger compart-
ment will be maintained automatically. Air
flow distribution and fan speed are also
controlled automatically.
A visible mist may be seen coming from the
ventilators in hot, humid conditions as the air is
cooled rapidly. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
Heating (A/C OFF):
The air conditioner does not activate. When you
need to heat only, use this mode. 1. Turn the “
” fan speed control dial and air
flow control dial to the “AUTO” position.
(The air conditioner will turn on.)
2. Push the “A/C” button to turn off the air conditioner. (The “A/C” button indicator light
will turn off.)
3. Turn the temperature control dial to set the desired temperature.
.The temperature of the passenger com-partment will be maintained automati-
cally. Air flow distribution and fan speed
are also controlled automatically.
.Do not set the temperature lower than theoutside air temperature. Otherwise the
system may not work properly.
.Not recommended if windows fog up.
Dehumidified defrosting or defogging:
1. Turn the “
” fan speed control dial to the
desired position.
2. Turn the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Turn the temperature control dial to set the desired temperature.
.To quickly remove ice from the outside ofthe windows, turn the “
” fan speed
control dial to the maximum position.
.As soon as possible after the windshield is clean, turn the air flow control dial to the “AUTO” position to return to the auto
mode.
.When the air flow control dial is turned to
the “
”or“” position, the air
conditioner will automatically be turned
on at outside temperatures above 238F
(−58C) to defog the windshield, and the
air recirculation mode will automatically
be turned off.
Outside air is drawn into the passenger
compartment to improve the defogging
performance.
Manual operation
Fan speed control:
Turn the “
” fan speed control dial clockwise
(+) or counterclockwise (−) to manually control
the fan speed.
Turn the dial to the “AUTO” position to return to
automatic control of the fan speed.
Air recirculation:
Push the “
” intake air control button to
recirculate interior air inside the vehicle. The
indicator light on the “
” side will come on.
The air recirculation mode cannot be activated
when the air conditioner is in the front defrosting
mode “
”.

4-28Center display, heater, air conditioner, audio, phone and voice recognition systems
SAA2876
Type B1. “A/C” air conditioner ON/OFF button/“” fan
speed control dial
2. “
” front defroster button
3. “
” intake air control button
4. “AUTO” automatic air conditioner ON button/ Temperature control dial
5. “
” rear window defroster button (See “Rear
window defroster switch” (P.2-31) .)
6. “MODE” manual air flow control button
7. “OFF” button
AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONER (Type
B)
Automatic operation
Cooling and/or dehumidified heating
(AUTO):
This mode may be used all year round. The
system works automatically to control the inside
temperature, air flow distribution and fan speed
after the preferred temperature is set manually.
1. Push the “AUTO” button on. (The indicator on the button will illuminate and AUTO will
be displayed.) 2. Turn the temperature control dial to set the
desired temperature.
. The temperature can be set within the
following range.
— For U.S.: 60 to 908F (16 to 328C)
— For Canada: 64 to 908F (18 to 328C)
. The temperature of the passenger compart-
ment will be maintained automatically. Air
flow distribution and fan speed will also be
controlled automatically.
A visible mist may be seen coming from the
ventilators in hot, humid conditions as the air is
cooled rapidly. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
Heating (A/C OFF):
The air conditioner does not activate in this
mode. When you need to heat only, use this
mode.
1. Push the “AUTO” button on.
2. Push the “A/C” button. (The A/C indicator will turn off.)
3. Turn the temperature control dial to set the desired temperature.
. The temperature of the passenger compart-
ment will be maintained automatically. Air
flow distribution and fan speed are also
controlled automatically.

FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
deicer through the key hole. If the lock becomes
frozen, heat the key before inserting it into the
key hole or use the Intelligent Key system.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
outside temperature will drop below 328F(08C) ,
check antifreeze to assure proper winter protec-
tion. For additional information, see “Engine
cooling system” (P.8-9).
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the battery
fluid may freeze and damage the battery. To
maintain maximum efficiency, the battery should
be checked regularly. For additional information,
see “Battery” (P.8-16) .
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, including
the engine block. Refill before operating the
vehicle. For details, see “Engine cooling system”
(P.8-9) .
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to provide
superior performance on dry pavement. How-
ever, the performance of these tires will be
substantially reduced in snowy and icy condi-
tions. If you operate your vehicle on snowy or icy
roads, NISSAN recommends the use of MUD &
SNOW or ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels.
Consult a NISSAN dealer for the tire type, size,
speed rating and availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow
tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see “Tire
chains” (P.8-37) of this manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
. A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove
ice and snow from the windows and wiper
blades. .
A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the
jack to give it firm support.
. A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snowdrifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
.Wet ice (328F, 0 8C and freezing rain) ,
very cold snow or ice can be slick
and very hard to drive on. The
vehicle will have much less traction
or “grip” under these conditions. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until the
road is salted or sanded.
. Whatever the condition, drive with
caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating or down-
shifting too fast, the drive wheels
will lose even more traction.
. Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pave-
ment.
. Allow greater following distances
on slippery roads.
Starting and driving5-31
COLD WEATHER DRIVING

6-14In case of emergency
To start your engine with a booster battery, the
instructions and precautions below must be
followed.
WARNING
.If done incorrectly, jump starting
can lead to a battery explosion,
resulting in severe injury or death.
It could also damage your vehicle.
. Explosive hydrogen gas is always
present in the vicinity of the battery.
Keep all sparks and flames away
from the battery.
. Do not allow battery fluid to come
into contact with eyes, skin, clothing
or painted surfaces. Battery fluid is
a corrosive sulphuric acid solution
which can cause severe burns. If the
fluid should come into contact with
anything, immediately flush the con-
tacted area with water.
. Keep the battery out of the reach of
children.
. The booster battery must be rated at
12 volts. Use of an improperly rated
battery can damage your vehicle. .
Whenever working on or near a
battery, always wear suitable eye
protectors (for example, goggles or
industrial safety spectacles) and
remove rings, metal bands, or any
other jewelry. Do not lean over the
battery when jump starting.
. Do not attempt to jump start a
frozen battery. It could explode
and cause serious injury.
. Your vehicle has an automatic en-
gine cooling fan. It could come on at
any time. Keep hands and other
objects away from it.
JUMP STARTING

2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all thewindows, move the heater or air conditioner
temperature control to maximum hot and fan
control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbing 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 radiator
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 if the cooling fan is running. The radiator hoses and radiator should not
leak water. If coolant is leaking 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 the coolant level in the reservoir with the engine
running. Add coolant to the reservoir if
necessary. Have your vehicle repaired at
the nearest NISSAN dealer.
In case of emergency6-17

8 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Maintenance requirement ........................................................ 8-3Scheduled maintenance .................................................... 8-3
General maintenance ......................................................... 8-3
Where to go for service .................................................... 8-3
General maintenance ............................................................... 8-3 Explanation of maintenance items ................................... 8-3
Maintenance precautions ........................................................ 8-6
Engine compartment check locations .................................. 8-8 VQ37VHR engine model .................................................. 8-8
Engine cooling system ............................................................. 8-9
Checking engine coolant level ...................................... 8-10
Changing engine coolant ............................................... 8-10
Engine oil ........................................................................\
......... 8-11
Checking engine oil level ............................................... 8-11
Changing engine oil and filter ....................................... 8-11
Automatic transmission fluid ............................................... 8-13
Power steering fluid ............................................................... 8-13
Brake and clutch fluid ........................................................... 8-14 Brake fluid ........................................................................\
.. 8-14
Clutch fluid (Manual transmission models) ............... 8-15
Window washer fluid ............................................................ 8-15
Battery ........................................................................\
............... 8-16 Jump starting ..................................................................... 8-17 Variable voltage control system ......................................... 8-18
Drive belts ........................................................................\
....... 8-18
Spark plugs ........................................................................\
..... 8-19
Replacing spark plugs .................................................. 8-19
Air cleaner ........................................................................\
....... 8-19
Windshield wiper blades ..................................................... 8-20
Cleaning ........................................................................\
... 8-20
Replacing ........................................................................\
. 8-21
Brakes ........................................................................\
.............. 8-22 Self-adjusting brakes .................................................... 8-22
Brake pad wear warning .............................................. 8-22
Fuses ........................................................................\
................ 8-22 Engine compartment ..................................................... 8-22
Passenger compartment .............................................. 8-24
Intelligent Key battery replacement ................................... 8-25
Lights ........................................................................\
................ 8-27
Coupe ........................................................................\
....... 8-27
Roadster ........................................................................\
... 8-28
Headlights ........................................................................\
8-29
Exterior and interior lights ............................................ 8-29
Wheels and tires ................................................................... 8-31 Tire pressure ................................................................... 8-31
Tire labeling ..................................................................... 8-34

8-6Maintenance and do-it-yourself
When performing any inspection or mainte-
nance work on your vehicle, always take care
to prevent serious accidental injury to yourself or
damage to the vehicle. The following are general
precautions which should be closely observed.
WARNING
.Park the vehicle on a level surface,
apply the parking brake securely
and block the wheels to prevent
the vehicle from moving. For man-
ual transmission models, move the
shift lever to N (Neutral) . For auto-
matic transmission models, move
the selector lever to P (Park) .
. Be sure the ignition switch is in the
OFF or LOCK position when per-
forming any parts replacement or
repairs.
. Never connect or disconnect the
battery or any transistorized com-
ponent while the ignition switch is
in the ON position.
. Never leave the engine or automatic
transmission related component
harnesses disconnected while the
ignition switch is in the ON position. .
If you must work with the engine
running, keep your hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from moving
fans, belts and any other moving
parts.
. It is advisable to secure or remove
any loose clothing and remove any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
. Always wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle.
. If you must run the engine in an
enclosed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape.
. Never get under the vehicle while it
is supported only by a jack. If it is
necessary to work under the vehicle,
support it with safety stands.
. Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from fuel tank and the
battery.
. Your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic engine cooling fan. It may
come on at any time without warn-
ing, even if the ignition key is in the
OFF position and the engine is not
running. To avoid injury, always disconnect the negative battery
cable before working near the fan.
. The fuel filter or fuel lines should be
serviced by a NISSAN dealer be-
cause the fuel lines are under high
pressure even when the engine is
off.
CAUTION
.Do not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn the engine
off and wait until it cools down.
. Avoid direct contact with used en-
gine oil and coolant. Improperly
disposed engine oil, coolant, and/
or other vehicle fluids can damage
the environment. Always conform to
local regulations for disposal of
vehicle fluid.
This “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
gives instructions regarding only those items
which are relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is also
available. (See “Owner’s Manual/Service Man-
ual order information” (P.9-24).)
MAINTENANCE PRECAUTIONS

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. Additional
engine cooling system additives are not neces-
sary.
WARNING
.Never remove the radiator or cool-
ant reservoir 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” (P.6-16) of this manual.
. The radiator is equipped with a
pressure type radiator cap. To pre-
vent engine damage, use only a
genuine NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
.Never use any cooling system ad-
ditives such as radiator sealer. Ad-
ditives may clog the cooling system
and cause damage to the engine,
transmission and/or cooling sys-
tem.
. When adding or replacing coolant,
be sure to use only Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Cool-
ant (blue) or equivalent. Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Cool-
ant (blue) is pre-diluted to provide
antifreeze protection to −348 F
(−378C) . If additional freeze protec-
tion is needed due to weather where
you operate your vehicle, add Gen-
uine NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/
Coolant (blue) concentrate follow-
ing the directions on the container.
If an equivalent coolant other than
Genuine NISSAN Long Life Anti-
freeze/Coolant (blue) is used, fol-
low the coolant manufacturer’s
instructions to maintain minimum
antifreeze protection to −348 F
(−378C) . The use of other types of
coolant solutions other than Genu- ine 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/Cool-
ant (blue) , including Genuine
NISSAN Long Life Antifreeze/Cool-
ant (green) , or the use of non-
distilled water will reduce the life
expectancy of the factory-fill cool-
ant. Refer to the NISSAN Service
and Maintenance Guide for more
details.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-9
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM