service NISSAN LEAF 2012 Owner's Manual

decreases significantly or if windows fog
up easily when operating the climate
control system.
SERVICING CLIMATE CONTROL
The climate control system in your NISSAN is
charged with a refrigerant designed with the
environment in mind.This refrigerant will not
harm the earth’s ozone layer. Special char-
ging equipment and lubricant are required when
servicing your NISSAN climate control. Using
improper refrigerants or lubricants will cause
severe damage to your climate control system.
(See “Capacities and recommended lubricants”
in the “9. Technical and consumer information”
section for climate control system refrigerant
and lubricant recommendations.)
A NISSAN certified LEAF dealer will be able to
service your environmentally friendly climate
control system.

ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE
BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever the
holding effect of the parking brake is weakened
or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or
drums are replaced, in order to maintain
optimum braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
Service Manual, and it can be performed by a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)

.Never tow a vehicle using the vehi-
cle tie down hook or recovery hook.
. Always pull the cable straight out
from the front of the vehicle. Never
pull on the vehicle at an angle.
. Pulling devices should be routed so
they do not touch any part of the
suspension, steering, brake or cool-
ing systems.
. Pulling devices such as ropes or
canvas straps are not recommended
for use in vehicle towing or recov-
ery.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
If the vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
try to free it by following the procedure below.
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel left and right to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back- ward.
.Shift back and forth between the R
(Reverse) and D (Drive) positions.
.Apply the accelerator as little as possible
to maintain the rocking motion.
.Release the accelerator pedal before
shifting between R and D.
.Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH (55
km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few tries, contact a professional towing service
to remove the vehicle.

8 Maintenance and do-it-yourself
Maintenance requirement ....................................................... 8-2Scheduled maintenance ................................................... 8-2
General maintenance ........................................................ 8-2
Where to go for service ................................................... 8-2
General maintenance .............................................................. 8-2 Explanation of maintenance items ................................. 8-2
Maintenance precautions ....................................................... 8-4
Motor compartment check locations .................................. 8-6
Cooling system ......................................................................... 8-7 Checking coolant level ..................................................... 8-8
Changing coolant ............................................................... 8-8
Reduction gear fluid ................................................................ 8-9
Brake fluid .................................................................................. 8-9
Window washer fluid ........................................................... 8-10
12-volt battery ........................................................................ 8-11 Jump starting .................................................................... 8-12
Windshield wiper blades .................................................... 8-12 Cleaning ............................................................................ 8-12
Replacing .......................................................................... 8-12 Rear window wiper blade .................................................. 8-15
Brakes ..................................................................................... 8-15
Brake pad wear warning ............................................. 8-15
Fuses ....................................................................................... 8-16 Motor compartment ...................................................... 8-16
Passenger compartment ............................................. 8-17
Intelligent Key battery replacement .................................. 8-18
Lights ....................................................................................... 8-20 Headlights ....................................................................... 8-21Exterior and interior lights ........................................... 8-22
Wheels and tires .................................................................. 8-25 Tire pressure .................................................................. 8-25
Tire labeling .................................................................... 8-28
Types of tires .................................................................. 8-30
Tire chains ...................................................................... 8-31
Changing wheels and tires ......................................... 8-32
Emergency tire puncture repair kit ........................... 8-34

position to prevent the 12-volt bat-
tery automatically being charged by
the Li-ion battery. See “Charging
the 12-volt battery” in the “EV.
Overview” section.
This “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section
gives instructions regarding only those items
that are relatively easy for an owner to perform.
A genuine NISSAN Service Manual is also
available. See “Owner’s Manual/Service Manual
order information” in the “9. Technical and
consumer information” section.
You should be aware that incomplete or
improper servicing may result in operating
difficulties and could affect your warranty cover-
age. If in doubt about any servicing, we
recommend that it be done by a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer.

CHECKING COOLANT LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir when
the high voltage parts are cold. If the coolant
level is below the MIN level
*2, open the
reservoir cap and add coolant up to the MAX
level
*1. If the reservoir is empty, check the
coolant level in the coolant tank when the high
voltage parts are cold. If there is insufficient
coolant in the coolant tank, fill the coolant tank
with coolant up to the reservoir cap opening and
also add it to the reservoir up to the MAX level
*1.
Tighten the cap securely after adding coolant. If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked by a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer.
CHANGING COOLANT
Major cooling system repairs should be per-
formed by a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer. The
service procedures can be found in the appro-
priate NISSAN Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance.

illuminates, traction motor output is
limited resulting in reduced vehicle speed.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before the
Li-ion battery becomes completely dis-
charged and there is no power available to
drive the vehicle. Contact Roadside assis-
tance service shown in your NISSAN
Warranty Information Booklet. See “If the
Li-ion battery becomes completely dis-
charged” in the “6. In case of emergency”
section.

WARNING
.The EV (Electric Vehicle) system
uses high voltage up to approxi-
mately DC 400 volt. The system can
be hot during and after starting and
when the vehicle is shut off. Be
careful of both the high voltage
and the high temperature. Follow
the warning labels that are attached
to the vehicle.
. Never disassemble, remove or re-
place high-voltage parts and cables
as well as their connectors because
they can cause severe burns or
electric shock that may result in
serious injury or death. High-voltage
cables are colored orange. The
vehicle high voltage system has no
user serviceable parts. Take your
vehicle to a NISSAN certified LEAF
dealer for any necessary mainte-
nance.

WARNING
In case of a collision:
.If your vehicle is drivable, pull your
vehicle off the road, push the P
(Park) position switch on the selec-
tor lever, apply the parking brake
and turn the EV (Electric Vehicle)
system off.
. Check your vehicle to see if there
are exposed high-voltage parts or
cables. For their locations, see
“High-voltage components” earlier
in this section. To avoid personal
injury, never touch high-voltage wir-
ing, connectors, and other high-
voltage parts, such as inverter unit
and Li-ion battery. An electric shock
may occur if exposed electric wires
are visible when viewed from inside
or outside of your vehicle. There-
fore, never touch exposed electric
wires.
. If the vehicle receives a strong
impact to the floor while driving,
stop the vehicle in a safe location
and check the floor. .
Leaks or damage to the Li-ion
battery may result in a fire. If you
discover them, contact emergency
services immediately. Since the
fluid leak may be lithium manga-
nate from the Li-ion battery, never
touch the fluid leak inside or out-
side the vehicle. If the fluid contacts
your skin or eyes, wash it off
immediately with a large amount of
water and receive immediate medi-
cal attention to help avoid serious
injury.
. If a fire occurs in the EV (Electric
Vehicle) , leave the vehicle as soon
as possible. Only use a type ABC,
BC or C fire extinguisher that is
meant for use on electrical fires.
Using a small amount of water or
the incorrect fire extinguisher can
result in serious injury or death from
electrical shock.
. If your vehicle needs to be towed,
do it with the front wheels raised. If
the front wheels are on the ground
when towing, the traction motor
may generate electricity. This may
damage the components of the EV
(Electric Vehicle) system and cause a fire.
. If you are not able to safely assess
the vehicle due to vehicle damage,
do not touch the vehicle. Leave the
vehicle and contact emergency ser-
vices. Advise 1st responders that
this is an electric vehicle.
. In the event of an accident that
requires body repair and painting,
the vehicle should be delivered to a
NISSAN certified LEAF dealer to
have the Li-ion battery pack and
high voltage parts such as the
inverter, including the wiring har-
ness, removed prior to painting. Li-
ion battery packs exposed to heat in
the paint booth will experience
capacity loss. Damaged Li-ion bat-
tery packs may also pose safety
risks to untrained mechanics and
repair personnel.
ROAD ACCIDENT PRECAUTIONS

— Do not use if a malfunctionoccurs or if charger has been
damaged in any manner. Return
to a NISSAN certified LEAF deal-
er for replacement.
— The charger contains no user serviceable parts. Do not at-
tempt to repair the charger,
doing so will void your warranty.
CAUTION
. Only charge using a standard 110 -
120 volt, 15A dedicated electrical
outlet (For example do not use an
electric generator) . Failure to do so
may cause charging to fail and could
cause damage to the Li-ion battery
charging equipment due to power
surges.
. NISSAN recommends using genuine
NISSAN charging equipment to
charge the vehicle. Using non-
NISSAN equipment could cause
the Li-ion battery to not charge
correctly and may damage the Li-
ion battery.
. Trickle charging is performed using an AC
110 - 120 volt, 15A dedicated electrical
outlet using the EVSE (Electric Vehicle
Supply Equipment) provided with the vehi-
cle.
. The genuine NISSAN EVSE (Electric Vehi-
cle Supply Equipment) charging equipment or trickle charge cable performs a commu-
nication function with the vehicle before Li-
ion charging starts. If this communication
does not occur because other equipment is
used, the Li-ion battery will not charge.
. Immediate charge, charging timer and re-
mote charge can be performed in the trickle
charge mode. See “Charging timer” and
“Charging related remote function” later in
this section.