open hood NISSAN ALTIMA 1996 U13 / 1.G Owners Manual

CAUTION
cContinued operation without having
the emission control system
checked and repaired as necessary
could lead to poor driveability, re-
duced fuel economy, and possible
damage to the emission control sys-
tem which may affect your warranty
coverage.
cAlthough the vehicle is still drive-
able, see your nearest NISSAN
dealer as soon as possible. To avoid
system damage, do not drive at
speeds above 45 MPH (72 km/h). If
possible, avoid hard acceleration or
deceleration.
If the fuel filler cap is not tightened properly,
the MIL may come on. Check and securely
tighten the fuel filler cap, and have your
vehicle checked as noted above.The theft warning system provides visual
and audio alarm signals if parts of the
vehicle are disturbed.
How to activate the theft warning
system
1. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
2. Close all windows. Close and lock all
doors, hood and trunk lid. The doors can
be locked either with or without the key.
The system can be activated even if the
windows are open.
3. Confirm that the indicator light comes on.The light will glow for about 30 seconds
and then go out. The system is now
activated. If, during this 30-second time
period, the door is unlocked or the igni-
tion key is turned to ``ACC'' or ``ON'', the
system will not activate.
CAUTION
cIf the key is turned slowly when lock-
ing the door, the system may not
activate. Furthermore, if the key is
turned excessively to the unlock po-
sition, the system may be deacti-
vated when the key is removed. If the
indicator light fails to glow for 30
seconds, unlock the door once and
lock it again.
cEven when the driver and/or passen-
gers are in the vehicle, the system
will activate with all doors, hood,
trunk lid and back door locked and
ignition key off. Turn the ignition key
to ``ACC'' or ``ON'' to turn the system
off.
IC0005
THEFT WARNING
(If so equipped)
1-8
ZX

Theft warning system operation
The warning system will give the following
alarm:
cThe headlights blink and the horn sounds
intermittently. In addition, the starter mo-
tor will not operate.
cThe alarm automatically turns off after 2
to 3 minutes; however, the alarm will
reactivate if the vehicle is tampered with
again. The alarm can be shut off by
unlocking a door or trunk lid with the key.
The alarm is activated by:
cOpening the door or trunk lid without
using the key (even if the door is un-
locked by releasing the door inside lock
switch) or opening the trunk lid by oper-
ating the opener lever.
cOpening the hood.
cPushing in or pulling out of the key
cylinder on the door or trunk lid.
How to stop the alarm
The alarm will stop only by unlocking a door
or the trunk lid with the key. The alarm will
not stop if the ignition switch is turned to
``ACC'' or ``ON''.If the system does not operate as de-
scribed above, have it checked by your
NISSAN dealer.
Push the lever down to operate the wind-
shield wipers. Pull the lever toward you to
operate the washer.
Intermittent operation can be adjusted from
2 to approximately 20 seconds by turning
the knob (Type B only).
AIC0079
WINDSHIELD WIPER AND
WASHER SWITCH
1-9
ZX

1. Pull the hood lock release handles1
located below the instrument panel; the
hood will then spring up slightly.
2. Push the lever
s2at the front of the hood
with your fingertips and raise the hood.3. Insert the support rod
s3into the slot on
the underside of the hood.
4. When closing the hood, return the sup-
port rod to its original position, then
slowly close the hood and make sure it
locks into place.When locking or unlocking the glove box,
use the master key.
The glove box may be opened by pulling the
handle.
To illuminate the interior of the glove box,
the headlight switch must be turned to the
orposition (If so equipped).
WARNING
Keep glove box lid closed while driving
to help prevent injury in an accident or
a sudden stop.
APD0505PD1310
HOOD RELEASE GLOVE BOX
2-5
ZX

If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road
away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the
parking brake. Shift the manual transmis-
sion into reverse (automatic transmission
in ``P'').
4. Turn off the engine.
WARNING
cMake sure that the parking brake is
securely applied and the manual
transmission is shifted into reverse
(automatic transmission in ``P'').
cNever change tires when the vehicle
is on a slope, ice or slippery areas.
This is dangerous.
cNever change tires if oncoming traf-
fic is close to your vehicle. Wait for
professional road assistance.cRaise the hood to warn other traffic,
and to signal professional road as-
sistance personnel that you need
assistance.
cHave all passengers get out of the
vehicle and stand in a safe place,
away from traffic and clear of the
vehicle.Getting the spare tire and tools
1. Open the trunk. Lift the trunk floor carpet-
ing and spare tire cover. Remove the tool
bag and the spare tire. Use either end of
the jack rod (found in the tool bag) to
loosen the spare tire hold-down bolt.
Push the release clip on the jack access
door.
2. Pull the jack access door open. To re-
move the jack, turn the jack screw coun-
terclockwise. Use either end of the jack
rod (found in the tool bag) to loosen the
jack from its storage position.
CE1079
FLAT TIRE
5-2
ZX

If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge read-
ing), or if you feel a lack of engine power,
detect abnormal noise, etc., take the follow-
ing steps:
WARNING
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.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road,
apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to Neutral (automatic transmis-
sion to ``P'').
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioning. Open all the
windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed.
3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. Wait untilno steam or coolant can be seen before
proceeding.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. 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.
6. Visually check drive belts for damage or
looseness. Also check if the cooling fan
is running. The radiator hoses and radia-
tor should not leak water.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair
or clothing to come into contact with,
or to get caught in, the running fan,
belts, or motor fan.
The fan motor can start at any time
when the coolant temperature is high.If coolant is leaking, the water pump
belt is missing or loose, or the cooling
fan does not run, stop the engine.
7. After the engine cools down, check the
coolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the res-
ervoir tank if necessary. Have your ve-
hicle repaired at the nearest NISSAN
dealer.
IF YOUR VEHICLE
OVERHEATS
5-9
ZX

In order to maintain the appearance of your
vehicle, it is important to take proper care of
it.
In the following cases, please wash your
vehicle as soon as possible to protect the
paint surface.
cAfter a rainfall
cAfter driving on coastal roads
cWhen things such as soot, bird drop-
pings, tree sap, metal particles or bugs
get on the paint surface
c
When dust or mud builds up on the surface
Whenever possible, store or park your ve-
hicle inside a garage or in a covered area.
When it is necessary to park outside, park in
a shady area or protect the vehicle with a
body cover.
Be careful not to scratch the paint sur-
face
when putting on or removing the
body cover.
Washing
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of
water. Clean the vehicle thoroughly using a
mild soap or detergent (a special vehicle
soap or general purpose dish-washing liq-
uid) mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot)
water.
CAUTION
Do not use strong household soap,
strong chemical detergents, gasoline
or solvents.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
clean water.
Inside flanges, seams and folds on the
doors, hatches and hood are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of road salt. There-fore, these areas must be regularly cleaned.
Take care that the drain holes in the lower
edge of the door are open. Spray water
under the body and in the wheel wells to
loosen the dirt and wash away road salt.
A damp chamois can be used to dry the
vehicle to avoid water spots.
Waxing
Regular waxing protects the paint surface
and helps retain new vehicle appearance.
After waxing, polishing is recommended to
remove built-up residue and to avoid a
``weathered'' appearance.
Your NISSAN dealer can assist you in
choosing the proper product.
cWax your vehicle only after a thorough
washing. Follow the instructions supplied
with the wax.
cDo not use a wax containing any abra-
sives, cutting compounds or cleaners
that may damage the vehicle finish.
cIf the surface does not polish easily, use
a ªroad tarº remover and wax again.
Machine compounding or aggressive pol-
ishing on a base coat/clear coat paint finish
AI1002M
CLEANING EXTERIOR AND
INTERIOR
6-2
ZX

CAUTION
After wiper blade replacement, return
the wiper arm to its original position.
Otherwise it may be damaged when the
engine hood is opened.
Make sure the wiper blade contacts the
glass; otherwise the arm may be dam-
aged from wind pressure.
If you wax the surface of the hood, be
careful not to let wax get into the washer
nozzle. This may cause clogging or im-
proper windshield washer operation. If wax
gets into the nozzle, remove it with a needle
or small pin.From the released position, pull the parking
brake lever up slowly and firmly. If the
number of clicks is out of the range listed
above, see your NISSAN dealer.
ADI0613
ADI0084
PARKING BRAKE CHECK
7-17
ZX

Check the brake booster function as fol-
lows:
1. With the engine off, press and release
the brake pedal several times. When
brake pedal movement (distance of
travel) remains the same from one pedal
application to the next, continue on to
next step.
2. While depressing the brake pedal, start
the engine. The pedal height should drop
a little.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop the
engine. Keep the pedal depressed for
about 30 seconds. The pedal height
should not change.
4. Run the engine for one minute without
depressing the brake pedal, then turn it
off. Depress the brake pedal several
times. The pedal travel distance will de-
crease gradually with each depression
as the vacuum is released from the
booster.
If the brakes do not operate properly, see
your NISSAN dealer.Press the pedal by hand and be sure the
free travel is within the limits shown above.
If free travel is out of the range shown
above, see your NISSAN dealer.
Engine compartment
If the electrical equipment does not come
on, check for an open fuse.
1. Be sure the ignition key and the headlight
switch are ``OFF''.
2. Open the engine hood.
3. Remove the fusible link cover.
4. Remove the fuse with the fuse puller.
5. If the fuse is open, replace it with a new
fuse.
ADIO528DI1313
BRAKE BOOSTER CLUTCH PEDAL FUSES
7-19
ZX

If the electrical equipment does not operate
and fuses are in good condition, check the
fusible links. If any of these fusible links are
melted, replace only with genuine NISSAN
parts.
HEADLIGHTS
The headlight is a semi-sealed beam type
which uses a replaceable headlight (halo-
gen) bulb.
CAUTION
High pressure halogen gas is sealed
inside the halogen bulb. The bulb may
break if the glass envelope is scratched
or the bulb is dropped.
When handling the bulb, do not touch
the glass envelope.
Replacing the headlight bulb
1. Open the engine hood.
2. Disconnect the negative (Ð) battery
cable.
3. Disconnect the electrical connector from
the rear end of the bulb.
4. Turn the bulb cover counterclockwise,
then remove it.
5. Pull off the rubber cap.
6. Push and turn the retaining pin to loosen
it.
DI1316S
DI1315
FUSIBLE LINKS LIGHT BULBS
7-21
ZX

7. Remove the headlight bulb. Do not shake
or rotate the bulb when removing it.
8. Install the new bulb in the reverse order
of removal.
cBe sure the lip of the rubber cap
contacts the headlight body.
DO NOT TOUCH THE BULB.
CAUTION
cUse the same number and wattage
as originally installed:
Wattage 60/55
Bulb No. HB2
cAiming is not necessary after replac-
ing the bulb.
cDo not leave the bulb out of the
headlight reflector for a long period
of time as dust, moisture, and smoke
may enter the headlight body and
affect the performance of the head-
light.
HEADLIGHT AIMING
ADJUSTMENT
Before performing aiming adjustment, make
sure of the following.
a. Keep all tires inflated to correct pressure.
b. Place vehicle on level ground.
c. See that vehicle is unloaded (except for
full levels of coolant, engine oil and fuel,
and spare tire, jack, and tools). Have the
driver or equivalent weight placed in driv-
er's seat.
Low beam
1. Open the hood.
2. Adjust the vertical indicator by turning the
adjusting screw with a Phillips screw-
driver. The bubble in the gauge should
be centered on the ``0'' mark.
ADI0085ADI0526
7-22
ZX