engine overheat NISSAN 370Z COUPE 2012 Owners Manual

SIC3975
ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE
GAUGE
The gauge indicates the engine coolant tem-
perature.
The engine coolant temperature is within the
normal range when the gauge 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 engine coolant
temperature near the hot (H) end of the normal range, reduce vehicle speed to
decrease temperature. If gauge is over
the normal range, stop the vehicle as
soon as safely possible. If the engine is
overheated, continued operation of the
vehicle may seriously damage the en-
gine. See “If your vehicle overheats”
(P.6-16) for immediate action required.
SIC3976
FUEL GAUGE
The gauge indicates the
approximatefuel level
in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly during braking,
turning, acceleration, or going up or down hills.
Refill the fuel tank before the gauge
registers “E” (Empty) .
The low fuel warning
appears on the vehicle
information display when the amount of fuel in
the tank is getting low. Refuel as soon as it is
convenient, preferably before the gauge reaches
“E”. There will be a small reserve of fuel in the
tank when the fuel gauge reaches “E”.
The
indicates that the fuel-filler door is
Instruments and controls2-7

2-36Instruments and controls
.Turn signals do not work when the
hazard warning flasher lights are
on.
The flasher can be actuated with the ignition
switch in any position.
Some state laws may prohibit the use of
the hazard warning flasher switch while
driving.
SIC3982
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 tempera-
tures or have an inability to feel pain in
those body parts in contact with 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 periods or when no one
is using the seat.
. Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates 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
HORN HEATED SEATS (if so equipped)

2-38Instruments and controls
SIC2771
The climate controlled seat warms up or cools
down the front seats by blowing warm or cool air
from the surface of the seat. The switches
located on the center console can be operated
independently of each other.
The surface temperature of the climate con-
trolled seats is automatically controlled at an
optimum temperature. However, adjust the
temperature using the control knob if the seats
are too hot or cold.
1. Start the engine.
2. Turn the control knob
*Ato the heat side
*1or to the cool side*2. The indicator
light
*Bon the control knob will illuminate. 3. Adjust the desired amount of the air using
the control knob
*A.
4. When the vehicle’s interior is warmed or cooled, and/or before you leave the vehicle,
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
controlled seat, contact a NISSAN dealer.
CAUTION
. Do not place objects in front of the
intake inlets located behind and
under the front seat. Doing so could
cause improper operation or inter-
ruption of the operation.
. 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 insulates 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 removed immediately with a dry
cloth.
. The climate controlled seat has air
filters. Do not operate the climate
controlled seat without the air fil-
ters. 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 a
NISSAN dealer.
CLIMATE CONTROLLED SEATS (if
so equipped)

SSD1161
The vehicle should be driven with the Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) system on for most
driving conditions.
If the vehicle is stuck in mud or snow, the VDC
system reduces the engine output to reduce
wheel spin. The engine speed will be reduced
even if the accelerator is depressed to the floor.
If maximum engine power is needed to free a
stuck vehicle, turn the VDC system off.
To turn off the VDC system, push the VDC OFF
switch. The
indicator will illuminate.
Push the VDC OFF switch again or restart the
engine to turn on the system. (See “Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) system” (P.5-28) .)
SIC3984
Center console
SIC3985
Lower glove box
The power outlet is located in the center console
and on the lower glove box.
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 conditioner, 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 tem-
perature fuse may blow.
. Before inserting or disconnecting a
plug, be sure the electrical acces-
sory being used is turned OFF.
Instruments and controls2-39
VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (VDC)
OFF SWITCH POWER OUTLET

THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
.The exhaust gas and the exhaust
system are very hot. Keep people,
animals or flammable materials
away from the exhaust system com-
ponents.
. 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. Depos-
its from leaded gasoline seriously
reduce the three-way catalyst’s abil-
ity to help reduce exhaust pollu-
tants.
. Keep your engine tuned up. Mal-
functions in the ignition, fuel injec- tion, or electrical systems can cause
overrich fuel flow into the three-way
catalyst, causing it to overheat. Do
not keep driving if the engine mis-
fires, or if noticeable loss of perfor-
mance or other unusual operating
conditions are detected. Have the
vehicle inspected promptly by a
NISSAN dealer.
. Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, dama-
ging 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 SYS-
TEM (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
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
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 effi-
ciency 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
Starting and driving5-3

5-26Starting and driving
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever the
stopping effect of the parking brake is weakened
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
service manual and can be performed by a
NISSAN dealer.
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 careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
or accelerating could cause the
wheels to skid and result in an accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking force than a
conventional brake booster even with light pedal
force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to assist
braking operation and is not a collision
warning or avoidance device. It is the
driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive
safely and be in control of the vehicle at
all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving
techniques. It can help maintain
vehicle control during braking on
slippery surfaces. Remember that
stopping distances on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal
BRAKE ASSIST

6 In case of emergency
Emergency engine shut off ..................................................... 6-2
Flat tire ........................................................................\
................. 6-2Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .................... 6-2
Changing a flat tire (for models with spare tire) ......... 6-3
Repairing flat tire (for models with emergency tire
puncture repair kit) ............................................................. 6-8
Jump starting ........................................................................\
... 6-14
Push starting ........................................................................\
... 6-16 If your vehicle overheats ...................................................... 6-16
Towing your vehicle .............................................................. 6-18
Towing recommended by NISSAN (except for
NISMO models) ............................................................. 6-19
Towing recommended by NISSAN
(NISMO models) ............................................................ 6-20
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ............... 6-21

6-16In case of emergency
7. After starting your engine, carefully discon-nect the negative cable and then the positive
cable (
*4?*3?*2?*1).
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover
the vent holes as it may be contaminated
with corrosive acid.
9. Put the battery cover on. Do not attempt to start the engine by pushing.CAUTION
.
Automatic transmission models
cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
. Three way catalyst equipped models
should not be started by pushing
since the three way catalyst may be
damaged.
. Never try to start the vehicle by
towing it; when the engine starts,
the forward surge could cause the
vehicle to collide with the tow
vehicle.
CAUTION
.Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. 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,
possibly 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 (Automatic
transmission models). Move the shift lever to
the N (Neutral) position (Manual transmis-
sion models) .
Do not stop the engine.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS

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

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