NISSAN ALTIMA 2000 L30 / 2.G Owners Manual

MOST COMMON FACTORS
CONTRIBUTING TO VEHICLE
CORROSION
1. The accumulation of moisture-retaining
dirt and debris in body panel sections,
cavities, and other areas.
2. Damage to paint and other protective
coatings caused by gravel and stone
chips or minor traffic accidents.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN-
FLUENCE THE RATE OF COR-
ROSION
Moisture
Accumulation of sand, dirt and water on the
vehicle body underside can accelerate cor-
rosion. Wet floor coverings will not dry com-
pletely inside the vehicle, and should be
removed for drying to avoid floor panel
corrosion.
Relative humidity
Corrosion will be accelerated:
cin areas of high relative humidity.
cin areas where the temperatures stay
above freezing.cwhere atmospheric pollution exists.
cwhere road salt is used.
Temperature
A temperature increase accelerates the rate
of corrosion to those parts which are not
well ventilated.
Air pollution
Industrial pollution, the presence of salt in
the air in coastal areas, or heavy road salt
use accelerates the corrosion process.
Road salt also accelerates the disintegra-
tion of paint surfaces.
TO PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE
FROM CORROSION
cwash and wax your vehicle often to keep
the vehicle clean.
calways check for minor damage to the
paint and repair it as soon as possible.
ckeep drain holes at the bottom of the
doors open to avoid water accumulation.
ccheck the underbody for accumulation of
sand, dirt or salt. If present, wash with
water as soon as possible.
CAUTION
cNEVER remove dirt, sand or other
debris from the passenger compart-
ment by washing it out with a hose.
Remove dirt with a vacuum cleaner
or broom.
cNever allow water or other liquids to
come in contact with electronic com-
ponents inside the vehicle as this
may damage them.
CORROSION PROTECTION
7-6Appearance and care
ZX

MEMO
Appearance and care7-7
ZX

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions .......................................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ....................8-4
Engine cooling system ...........................................8-5
Checking engine coolant level ...............................8-5
Changing engine coolant .......................................8-6
Engine oil ...............................................................8-8
Checking engine oil level .......................................8-8
Changing engine oil ...............................................8-9
Changing engine oil filter .....................................8-10
Automatic transmission fluid ................................8-10
Temperature conditions for checking ...................8-11
Power steering fluid..............................................8-12
Brake fluid ............................................................8-12
Clutch fluid............................................................8-12
Window washer fluid ............................................8-13
Window washer fluid reservoir .............................8-13
Battery ..................................................................8-14
Jump starting ........................................................8-15
Drive belts ............................................................8-15
Spark plugs ..........................................................8-15
Replacing spark plugs ..........................................8-15
Air cleaner ............................................................8-16Windshield wiper blades ......................................8-18
Cleaning ...............................................................8-18
Replacing .............................................................8-18
Parking brake and brake pedal ............................8-19
Checking parking brake .......................................8-19
Checking brake pedal ..........................................8-19
Brake booster .......................................................8-20
Clutch pedal .........................................................8-21
Checking clutch pedal ..........................................8-21
Fuses ....................................................................8-21
Engine compartment ............................................8-21
Passenger compartment ......................................8-22
Multi-remote controller battery replacement ........8-23
Lights ....................................................................8-24
Headlights ............................................................8-24
Front turn signal lamp ..........................................8-27
Front parking and cornering lamp ........................8-27
Front sidemarker lamp .........................................8-28
Fog lights ..............................................................8-29
Exterior and interior lights ....................................8-30
Wheels and tires ..................................................8-34
Tire pressure ........................................................8-34
ZX

Types of tires........................................................8-34
Tire chains ............................................................8-35Changing tires and wheels...................................8-36
ZX

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
cPark the vehicle on a level surface,
apply the parking brake securely and
block the wheels to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving. For manual trans-
mission models, move the shift lever
to (N) Neutral. For an automatic
transmission models, move the shift
selector lever to P (Park).
cBe sure the ignition key is in the OFF
or LOCK position when performing
any parts replacement or repairs.
cYour 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 dis-
connect the negative battery cable
before working near the fan.c
If you must work with the engine run-
ning, keep your hands, clothing, hair
and tools away from moving fans,
belts and any other moving parts.
cIt is advisable to secure or remove
any loose clothing and remove any
jewelry, such as rings, watches, etc.
before working on your vehicle.
cAlways wear eye protection when-
ever you work on your vehicle.
cIf you must run the engine in an
enclosed space such as a garage, be
sure there is proper ventilation for
exhaust gases to escape.
cNever 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.
c
Keep smoking materials, flame and
sparks away from the fuel tank and
battery.cOn gasoline engine models with the
multiport fuel injection (MFI) system,
the fuel filter or fuel lines should be
serviced by an authorized NISSAN
dealer because the fuel lines are un-
der high pressure even when the en-
gine is off.
CAUTION
cDo not work under the hood while
the engine is hot. Turn off the engine
and wait until it cools down.
cNever connect or disconnect the bat-
tery or any transistorized compo-
nent while the ignition is in the ON
position.
cNever leave the engine or automatic
transmission related component
harnesses disconnected while the
ignition is in the ON position.
c
Avoid contact with used engine oil.
Improperly disposed engine oil
and/or other vehicle fluids can dam-
age the environment. Always con-
form to local regulations for disposal
of vehicle fluid.
MAINTENANCE
PRECAUTIONS
8-2Do-it-yourself
ZX

This ``Do-it-yourself'' section gives instruc-
tions regarding only those items which are
relatively easy for an owner to perform.
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties or excessive emissions, and
could affect your warranty coverage.If in
doubt about any servicing, have it done
by an authorized NISSAN dealer.
Do-it-yourself
8-3
ZX

ADI1005
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK LOCATIONS
8-4Do-it-yourself
ZX

The engine cooling system is filled at the
factory with a high-quality, year-round, anti-
freeze coolant solution. The anti-freeze so-
lution contains rust and corrosion inhibitors,
therefore additional engine cooling system
additives are not necessary.
CAUTION
When adding or replacing coolant, be
sure to use only an ethelene glycol anti-
freeze with the proper mixture ratio of
50% Genuine Nissan Anti-freeze coolant
or equivalent and 50% demineralized or
distilled water. The use of other types of
coolant solutions may damage the en-
gine cooling system.
Outside
temperature
down toGenuine
Nissan
Anti-freeze
coolant or
equivalentDemineral-
ized or
Distilled
water
ÉC ÉF
þ35 þ30 50% 50%
WARNING
cNever remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Serious burns
could be caused by high pressure
fluid escaping from the radiator.
c
The radiator is equipped with a pres-
sure type radiator cap. To prevent
engine damage, use only a genuine
NISSAN radiator cap.
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant level in the reservoir
when the engine is cold. If the coolant level
is below MIN, add coolant up to the MAX
level. If the reservoir is empty, check the
coolant level in the radiatorwhen the en-
gine 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 up to the MAX level.
ADI1006
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Do-it-yourself8-5
ZX

If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
cMajor cooling system repairs should be
performed by an authorized NISSAN
dealer. The service procedures can be
found in an appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual.cImproper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine over-
heating.
WARNING
cTo avoid the danger of being
scalded, never change the coolant
when the engine is hot.
cNever remove the radiator cap when
the engine is hot. Serious burns
could be caused by high pressure
fluid escaping from the radiator.
Perform the following procedure to open the
heater water cock:
1. Turn the ignition switch ON and set the
temperature control lever to the maxi-
mum hot position. Wait 10 seconds, then
turn the switch OFF.
2. Open the radiator drain plug. Open the
drain plug on the engine water pipe.
3. Open the radiator cap to drain the cool-
ant.
4. Flush the cooling system by running
fresh water through the radiator.
5. Close the radiator drain plug and the
DI1349
8-6Do-it-yourself
ZX

drain plug on the engine water pipe se-
curely.
6. See the ``Technical and consumer infor-
mation'' section for cooling system ca-
pacity. Fill the radiator slowly with the
proper mixture of coolant and water. Fill
the reservoir tank up to the MAX level.
7. Open and close the air release plug to
release air. Then fill the radiator again
and install the radiator cap.
8. Start the engine and let it idle until it
reaches normal operating temperature.
Then race the engine 2 or 3 times under
no load. Watch the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge for signs of overheating.
9. Stop the engine. After it completely cools
down, refill the radiator up to the filler
opening. Fill the reservoir tank up to the
MAX level.
10. Open and close the air release plug to
release air. Then fill the radiator again
and install the radiator cap.11. Check the radiator drain plug and the
drain plug on the engine water pipe for
any sign of leakage, tighten if neces-
sary.
AMA098DI1299
Do-it-yourself8-7
ZX