engine overheat NISSAN SENTRA 2018 Owner´s Manual

The engine coolant temperature varies
with the outside air temperature and driv-
ing conditions.
CAUTION
If the gauge indicates a coolant tem-
perature near the hot (H) end of the nor-
mal range, reduce vehicle speed to de-
crease the temperature. If the 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
engine. For additional information, re-
fer to “If your vehicle overheats” in the
“In case of emergency ” section for im-
mediate action required.
FUEL GAUGE
NOTE:
The ignition switch must be placed in the
ON position for the gauge to give a read-
ing.
The gauge indicates theapproximatefuel
level in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly during brak-
ing, turning, acceleration, or going up or
down hills.
Type B (if so equipped)
LIC3427
Type A (if so equipped)
LIC2445
2-8Instruments and controls

CAUTION
∙ The battery could run down if the seatheater is operated while the engine is
not running.
∙ Do not use the seat heater for ex- tended periods or when no one is us-
ing the seat.
∙ Do not put anything on the seat which insulates heat, such as a blanket,
cushion or 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 dam-
age to the heater.
∙ Any liquid spilled on the heated seat should be removed immediately with
a dry cloth.
∙ When cleaning the seat, never use gasoline, benzine, thinner, or any
similar materials.
∙ If any malfunctions are found or the heated seat does not operate, turn
the switch off and have the system
checked. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. The front seats are warmed by built-in
heaters.
1. Start the engine.
2. Push the LO or HI position of the switch, as desired. The indicator light in the
switch will illuminate.
The heater is controlled by a thermo-
stat, automatically turning the heater
on and off. The indicator light will re-
main on as long as the switch is on.
3. When the seat is warmed or before you leave the vehicle, be sure to turn the
switch off.
The vehicle should be driven with the 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 de-
pressed 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 come
on.
LIC3344
VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (VDC)
OFF SWITCH (if so equipped)
2-48Instruments and controls

CAUTION
∙ The outlet and plug may be hot duringor immediately af ter use.
∙ Only certain power outlets are de- signed for use with a cigarette lighter
unit. Do not use any other power out-
let for an accessory lighter. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for additional information.
∙ Do not use with accessories that ex- ceed a 12 volt, 120W (10A) power draw.
∙ Do not use double adapters or more than one electrical accessory.
∙ Use power outlets with the engine running to avoid discharging the ve-
hicle battery.
∙ Avoid using power outlets when the air conditioner, headlights or rear win-
dow defroster is on.
∙ Before inserting or disconnecting a plug, be sure the electrical accessory
being used is turned off.
∙ 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 open. ∙ When not in use, be sure to close the
cap. Do not allow water or any other
liquid to contact the outlet.
FRONT-DOOR POCKETS
LIC2426
STORAGE
2-50Instruments and controls

3. Turn thefan control dial to the
desired position.
4. Press the
button.
5. Turn the temperature control dial to the desired position.
Dehumidified defogging
This mode is used to defog the windows
and dehumidif y the air.
1. Press the
air flow control button.
2. Turn the
fan control dial to the
desired position.
∙ When the
orare selected,
the air conditioner automatically turns
on if the outside temperature is more
than 36°F (2°C). This dehumidifies the air
which helps defog the windshield.
The
mode automatically turns off,
allowing outside air to be drawn into the
passenger compartment to further im-
prove the defogging performance.
∙ The air conditioner is always on in
mode, regardless of whether the indica-
tor light is on or off.
3. Turn the temperature control dial to the desired position.
Operating tips
∙ Keep the windows and moonroofclosed while the air conditioner is in op-
eration.
∙ Af ter parking in the sun, drive for 2 or 3 minutes with the windows open to
vent hot air from the passenger com-
partment. Then, close the windows.
This allows the air conditioner to cool
the interior more quickly.
∙ The air conditioning system should
be operated for approximately
10 minutes at least once a month.
This helps prevent damage to the
system due to lack of lubrication.
∙ A visible mist may be seen coming from the ventilators in hot, humid conditions
as the air is cooled rapidly. This does not
indicate a malfunction.
∙ If the engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates engine coolant tem-
perature over the normal range, turn
the air conditioner off. For additional
information, refer to “If your vehicle
overheats” in the “In case of emer-
gency ” section of this manual.
AIR FLOW CHARTS
The following charts show the button and
dial positions for MAXIMUM AND QUICK
heating, cooling or defrosting. The air re-
circulation button should always be in
the OFF position for heating and defrost-
ing.
Monitor, climate, audio, phone and voice recognition systems4-27

∙ Do not stop or park the vehicle overflammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire.
CAUTION
∙ Do not use leaded gasoline. Depositsfrom leaded gasoline will seriously re-
duce the three-way catalyst’s ability
to help reduce exhaust pollutants.
∙ Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc- tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich
fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep
driving if the engine misfires, or if no-
ticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are de-
tected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
∙ Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
∙ Do not race the engine while warming it up. ∙ Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended 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 pos-
sible, 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 efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunc-
tion indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale af ter replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Starting and driving5-3

∙ Never leave the engine running whilethe vehicle is unattended.
∙ To help avoid risk of injury or death through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not
leave children, people who require the
assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. M/T models
Place the shif t lever in the R (Reverse)
position. When parking on an uphill
grade, place the shif t lever in 1st gear.
CVT models
Move the shif t lever into the P (Park)
position. 3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling
into traffic when parked on an incline, it
is a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
∙ HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB
1:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the curb
side wheel gently touches the curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
2:
Turn the wheels away from the curb
and move the vehicle back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO CURB
3:
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position and remove the key.
WARNING
∙ If the engine is not running or isturned off while driving, the power as-
sist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
∙ When the power steering warning light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, there will be no power assist for
the steering. You will still have control
of the vehicle, but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
The power steering system is designed to
provide power assist while driving to oper-
ate the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated re-
peatedly or continuously while parking or
driving at a very low speed, the power as-
sist for the steering wheel will be reduced.
This is to prevent overheating of the power
steering system and protect it from getting
damaged. While the power assist is re-
duced, steering wheel operation will be-
come heavy. When the temperature of the
power steering system goes down, the
power assist level will return to normal.
Avoid repeating such steering wheel op-
POWER STEERING
Starting and driving5-71

erations that could cause the power steer-
ing system to overheat.
You may hear a noise when the steering
wheel is operated quickly. However, this is
not a malfunction.
If the power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the power steering system is not
functioning properly and may need servic-
ing. Have the power steering system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
When the power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, there will
be no power assist for the steering, but you
will still have control of the vehicle. At this
time, greater steering effort is required to
operate the steering wheel, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
For additional information, refer to “Power
steering warning light” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.The brake system has two separate hy-
draulic circuits. If one circuit malfunctions,
you will still have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using
engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you
can stop the vehicle by depressing the
brake pedal. However, greater foot pres-
sure on the brake pedal will be required to
stop the vehicle and stopping distance will
be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will overheat the brakes,
wear out the brake pads faster, and reduce
gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce speed
and downshif t 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, accelerating or
downshif ting. Abrupt braking or ac-
celerating 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 as-
sist for the brakes will not work. Brak-
ing will be harder.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet. As
a result, your braking distance will be lon-
ger and the vehicle may pull to one side
during braking.
To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. Do this until
the brakes return to normal. Avoid driving
the vehicle at high speeds until the brakes
function correctly.
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-72Starting and driving

6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch..................6-2
Emergency engine shut off
(Push-button ignition models only) ..............6-2
Flat tire ..........................................6-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)........................................6-3
Changing a flat tire ...........................6-3 Jump starting
...................................6-9
Push starting .................................... 6-11
If your vehicle overheats .........................6-11
Towing your vehicle ............................ 6-12
Towing recommended by NISSAN ...........6-12
Vehicle recovery
(freeing a stuck vehicle) ......................6-14

CAUTION
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. Thethree-way catalyst may be damaged.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) models and Manual Transmis-
sion (M/T) cannot be push-started or
tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage
∙ For Manual Transmission (M/T) mod- els, 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. 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.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicle
overheats. Doing so could cause en-
gine 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 radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is com- ing out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, ap- ply the parking brake and move the
shif t lever to N (Neutral) (manual trans-
mission) or to P (Park) (CVT).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner (if so equipped). Open all the windows, move
the heater or air conditioner tempera-
ture 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
radiator before opening the hood. (If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off
the engine.) Do not open the hood fur-
ther until no steam or coolant can be
seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling
fan is running. The radiator hoses and
radiator should not leak water. If cool-
ant is leaking, the water pump belt is
missing or loose, 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 cool-
ing fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-11

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 antifreeze and coolant
protection. The antifreeze solution con-
tains rust and corrosion inhibitors. Addi-
tional engine cooling system additives are
not necessary.
WARNING
∙ Never remove the radiator or coolantreservoir 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. For additional informa-
tion on precautions, refer to “If your
vehicle overheats” found in the “In
case of emergency ” section of this
manual.
∙ The radiator is equipped with a pres- sure type radiator cap. To prevent en-
gine damage, use only a Genuine
NISSAN radiator cap.
CAUTION
∙ Never use any cooling system addi-tives such as radiator sealer. Additives
may clog the cooling system and
cause damage to the engine, trans-
mission and/or cooling system.
∙ When adding or replacing coolant, be sure to use only Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) or
equivalent. Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is pre-
diluted to provide antifreeze protec-
tion to -34° F (-37° C). If additional
freeze protection is needed due to
weather where you operate your ve-
hicle, add Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) concen-
trate following the directions on the
container. If an equivalent coolant
other than Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue) is used, fol-
low the coolant manufacturer’s in-
structions to maintain minimum anti-
freeze protection to -34° F (-37° C). The
use of other types of coolant solu-
tions other than Genuine 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/Coolant (blue),
including Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (green), or the use
of non-distilled water will reduce the
life expectancy of the factory-fill cool-
ant. For additional information, refer
to the “Maintenance and schedules”
section of this manual.
ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Do-it-yourself8-5