check engine NISSAN ALTIMA 2020 Owner´s Manual

8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-3
Engine cooling system ..........................8-5
Checking engine coolant level ................8-6
Changing engine coolant .....................8-6
Engine oil ........................................8-7
Checking engine oil level .....................8-7
Changing engine oil and oil filter ..............8-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid ............................................ 8-12
Brake fluid ...................................... 8-12
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-13
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-13
Battery......................................... 8-14
Jump starting ............................... 8-15
Variable voltage control system ................8-16
Drive belt ....................................... 8-16
Spark plugs .................................... 8-17
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-17
Air cleaner ...................................... 8-18In-cabin microfilter
.......................... 8-18
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-19
Cleaning .................................... 8-19
Replacing ................................... 8-19
Brakes.......................................... 8-20
Fuses ........................................... 8-21
Engine compartment ....................... 8-21
Passenger compartment ....................8-22
Battery replacement ........................... 8-23
NISSAN Intelligent Key® ......................8-24
Lights .......................................... 8-25
Headlights ................................... 8-25
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-26
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-26
Wheels and tires ................................ 8-29
Tire pressure ................................ 8-29
Tire labeling ................................. 8-32
Types of tires ................................ 8-35
Tir

e chains .................................. 8-36
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-37

KR20DDET engine
1. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Drive belt location
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Battery
6. Fuse/Fusible link box
7. Air cleaner
8. Radiator cap
9. Engine oil dipstick
10. Windshield-washer fluid reservoir
LDI3260
ENGINE COMPARTMENT CHECK
LOCATIONS
Do-it-yourself8-3

CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir
when the engine is cold. If the coolant
level is below the MIN level
B, add coolant
to the MAX level
A.
If the reservoir 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 up to the MAX level
A. Start the
engine and allow the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge to rise until it reaches nor- mal operating temperature. For additional
information, refer to “Engine coolant tem-
perature gauge” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual. Turn off
the engine once the engine coolant tem-
perature has reached normal operating
range. Allow the engine coolant to cool to
ambient temperature. Recheck the cool-
ant level in the reservoir and add coolant to
the MAX level if necessary.
This vehicle contains Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue). The life ex-
pectancy 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 ex-
pectancy of the factory-fill coolant. For ad-
ditional information, refer to the "Mainte-
nance and schedules" section of this
manual.
For additional information on the location
of the engine coolant reservoir, refer to “En-
gine compartment check locations” in this
section.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
A NISSAN dealer can change the engine
coolant. The service procedure can be
found in the NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine over-
heating.
WARNING
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the
engine is hot.
∙ Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Serious burns could
be caused by high pressure fluid es-
caping 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 the reach of chil- dren and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of prop-
erly. Check your local regulations.
LDI3262
8-6Do-it-yourself

CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andapply the parking brake.
2. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than
10 minutes for the oil to drain back
into the oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Reinsert it all the way. 5. Remove the dipstick again and check
the oil level. It should be between the H
(High) and L (Low) marksB. This is the
normal operating oil level range. If the
oil level is below the L (Low) mark
A,
remove the oil filler cap and pour rec-
ommended oil through the opening.
Do not fill oil level above H (High)
mark
C.
6. Recheck oil level with the dipstick.
It is normal to add some oil between oil
maintenance intervals or during the
break-in period, depending on the sever-
ity of operating conditions.
KR20DDET engine
LDI3263
PR25DD engine
LDI3264LDI0371
ENGINE OIL
Do-it-yourself8-7

CAUTION
∙ Oil level should be checked regularly.Operating the engine with an insuffi-
cient amount of oil can damage the
engine, and such damage is not cov-
ered by warranty.
∙ It is normal to add some oil between oil maintenance intervals or during
the break-in period, depending on the
severity of operating conditions.
CHANGING ENGINE OIL AND OIL
FILTER
For additional information on engine oil
and oil filter change, refer to the instruc-
tions outlined in this section.
Vehicle set-up
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
apply the parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operat- ing temperature.
3. Turn the engine off and wait for 15 min- utes.
4. Raise and support the vehicle using a suitable floor jack and safety jack
stands. ∙ Place the safety jack stands under the
vehicle jack-up points.
∙ A suitable adapter should be attached to the jack stand saddle.
CAUTION
Make sure the correct lif ting and sup-
port points are used to avoid vehicle
damage.
1Oil filler cap
LDI3369
8-8Do-it-yourself

CAUTION
Be careful not to burn yourself, as the
engine oil is hot.
WARNING
∙ Prolonged and repeated contact withused engine oil may cause skin
cancer.
∙ Try to avoid direct skin contact with used oil. If skin contact is made, wash
thoroughly with soap or hand cleaner
as soon as possible.
∙ Keep used engine oil out of reach of children.
4. Loosen the oil filter with an oil filter wrench by turning it counterclockwise.
Remove the oil filter by turning it by
hand.
5. Wipe the engine oil filter mounting sur- face with a clean rag.
CAUTION
Be sure to remove any old gasket mate-
rial remaining on the sealing surface of
the engine. Failure to do so could lead to
an oil leak and engine damage. ∙ The dipstick must be inserted in place
to prevent oil spillage from the dip-
stick hole when filling the engine with
oil.
6. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil.
7. Screw in the oil filter clockwise until a slight resistance is felt, then tighten ad-
ditionally more than 2/3 turn.
Oil filter tightening torque: 11 to 15 f t-lb (14.7 to 20.6 N·m)
8. Clean and re-install the drain plug with a new washer. Securely tighten the
drain plug with a wrench. Do not use
excessive force.
Drain plug tightening torque: 22 to 29 f t-lb (29.4 to 39.2 N·m)
9. Refill the engine with the recom- mended oil through the oil filler open-
ing, and install the oil filler cap securely.
For additional information about drain and
refill capacity, refer to “Recommended
fluids/lubricants and capacities” in the
“Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual. The drain and refill ca-
pacity depends on the oil temperature and
drain time. Use these specifications for ref- erence only. Always use the dipstick to de-
termine the proper amount of oil in the
engine.
10. Start the engine and check for leakage
around the drain plug and the oil filter.
Correct as required. Turn the engine off
and wait more than 15 minutes. Check
the oil level with the dipstick. Add en-
gine oil if necessary.
Af ter the operation
1. Reinstall undercover in reverse order ofremoval.
2. Lower the vehicle carefully to the ground.
3. Reset the oil control system (if so equipped) and oil and filter mainte-
nance reminder. For additional infor-
mation, refer to "Vehicle information
display" in the "Instruments and con-
trols" section of this manual.
∙ Dispose of waste oil and filter properly.
∙ Check your local regulations.
Do-it-yourself8-11

WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
RESERVOIR
Fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir
periodically. Add windshield-washer fluid
when the “Low Washer Fluid” warning (if so
equipped) appears in the vehicle informa-
tion display.
To check the fluid level with the dip tube,
use your finger to plug the center hole
Aof
the cap/tube assembly, then remove it
from the reservoir. If there is no fluid in the
dip tube, add fluid. To fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir,
lif t the cap off the reservoir and pour the
windshield-washer fluid into the reservoir
opening.
Add a washer solvent to the washer for
better cleaning. In the winter season, add a
windshield washer antifreeze. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for the mix-
ture ratio.
Refill the reservoir more frequently when
driving conditions require an increased
amount of windshield-washer fluid.
Recommended fluid is Genuine NISSAN
Windshield Washer Concentrate Cleaner &
Antifreeze or equivalent.
WARNING
Antifreeze is poisonous and should be
stored carefully in marked containers
out of the reach of children.
CAUTION
∙ Do not substitute engine antifreeze
coolant for windshield-washer fluid.
This may result in damage to the
paint.
∙ Do not fill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir with washer fluid concen-
trates at full strength. Some methyl
alcohol based washer fluid concen-
trates may permanently stain the
grille if spilled while filling the
windshield-washer fluid reservoir.
∙ Pre-mix washer fluid concentrates with water to the manufacturer’s rec-
ommended levels before pouring the
fluid into the windshield-washer fluid
reservoir. Do not use the windshield-
washer fluid reservoir to mix the
washer fluid concentrate and water.
LDI3271
WINDSHIELD-WASHER FLUID
Do-it-yourself8-13

∙ If the battery is labeled “do not open” it ismaintenance free and battery fluid
should not be checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
or a qualified specialist workshop to
confirm the battery’s performance.
∙ Keep the battery surface clean and dry. Clean the battery with a solution of bak-
ing soda and water.
∙ Make certain the terminal connections are clean and securely tightened.
∙ If the vehicle is not to be used for 30 days or longer, disconnect the nega-
tive (-) battery terminal cable to prevent
discharge.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as: 1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (Phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.)
2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or
only driven short distances. In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
WARNING
∙ Do not expose the battery to flames,
an electrical spark or a cigarette. Hy-
drogen gas generated by the battery
is explosive. Explosive gases can
cause blindness or injury. Do not allow
battery fluid to contact your skin,
eyes, fabrics or painted surfaces. Sul-
furic acid can cause blindness or in-
jury. Af ter touching a battery or bat-
tery cap, do not touch or rub your
eyes. Thoroughly wash your hands. If
the acid contacts your eyes, skin or
clothing, immediately flush with wa-
ter for at least 15 minutes and seek
medical attention.
∙ When working on or near a battery, always wear suitable eye protection
and remove all jewelry.
∙
Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead com-
pounds. Wash hands af ter handling.
∙ Keep battery out of the reach of children.
∙ Do not tip the battery. NOTE:
Do not try to open the top of the battery.
This battery is not equipped with remov-
able vent caps.
JUMP STARTING
If jump starting is necessary, refer to “Jump
starting” in the “In case of emergency” sec-
tion of this manual. If the engine does not
start by jump starting, the battery may
have to be replaced. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this ser-
vice.
LDI3302
Do-it-yourself8-15

1. Visually inspect the belt for signs of un-usual wear, cuts, or fraying. If the belt is
in poor condition, have it replaced. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
2. Have the belt checked regularly for condition.
REPLACING SPARK PLUGS
Iridium-tipped spark plugs
It is not necessary to replace iridium-
tipped
Aspark plugs as frequently as con-
ventional type spark plugs because they
last much longer. Follow the maintenance
log shown in the “Maintenance and sched-
ules” section of this manual. Do not service
iridium-tipped spark plugs by cleaning or
regapping.
∙ Always replace spark plugs with rec-
ommended or equivalent ones.
WARNING
Be sure the engine and ignition switch
are off and that the parking brake is
engaged securely.
CAUTION
Be sure to use the correct socket to re-
move the spark plugs. An incorrect
socket can damage the spark plugs.
If replacement is required, it is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
SDI1895
SPARK PLUGS
Do-it-yourself8-17

If any electrical equipment does not oper-
ate, check for an open fuse.
Fuses are used in the passenger and en-
gine compartment. Spare fuses are pro-
vided and can be found in the passenger
compartment fuse box.
When installing a fuse make sure the fuse is
installed in the fuse box securely.ENGINE COMPARTMENT
WARNING
Never use a fuse of a higher or lower
amperage rating than that specified on
the fuse box cover. This could damage
the electrical system or electronic con-
trol units or cause a fire.If any electrical equipment does not come
on, check for an open fuse.
1. Be sure the ignition switch and the headlight switch are OFF.
2. Open the engine hood.
3. Remove the fuse box cover by pushing the tab and lif ting the cover up.
4. Remove the fuse with the fuse puller. The fuse puller is located in the center
of the fuse block in the passenger
compartment.
LDI2997LDI3274
FUSES
Do-it-yourself8-21