NISSAN SENTRA 2021 Owners Manual

In order to maintain the appearance of
your vehicle, it is important to take proper
care of it.
To protect the paint surfaces, wash your
vehicle as soon as you can:
• Af ter a rainfall to prevent possible dam-age from acid rain.
• Af ter driving on coastal roads.
• When contaminants such as soot, bird droppings, tree sap, metal particles or
bugs get on the paint surface.
• When dust or mud builds up on the sur- face.
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 us-
ing a mild soap, a special vehicle soap or
general purpose dishwashing liquid mixed
with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water.

WAXING
Regular waxing protects the paint surface
and helps retain new vehicle appearance.
Polishing is recommended to remove
built-up wax residue and to avoid a weath-
ered appearance before re-applying wax.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer to assist you in choosing the proper
product.
• Wax your vehicle only af ter a thoroughwashing. Follow the instructions supplied
with the wax.
• Do not use a wax containing any abra- sives, cutting compounds or cleaners
that may damage the vehicle finish.
Machine compounding or aggressive pol-
ishing on a base coat/clear coat paint fin-
ish may dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the surface of the paint to avoid last-
ing damage or staining. Special cleaning
products are available at a NISSAN dealer
or any automotive accessory store. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for these products.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, it
is necessary to clean the underbody regu-
larly in order to prevent dirt and salt from
building up and causing the acceleration of
corrosion on the underbody and suspen-
sion. Before the winter period and again in
the spring, the underseal must be checked
and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
When cleaning the rear window, it may be
easier to clean if the inside high-mounted
stop light is removed first.
Be careful when removing the high-
mounted stop light to reduce the risk of
damaging the high-mounted stop light
wires.
To remove the high-mounted stop light:
1Push toward rear of vehicle.
2Lif t to remove.
WAI0005

The high-mounted stop light must be
properly reinstalled before driving your ve-
hicle.
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and
dust film from the glass surfaces. It is nor-
mal for glass to become coated with a film
af ter the vehicle is parked in the hot sun.
Glass cleaner and a sof t cloth will easily
remove this film.

Occasionally remove loose dust from the
interior trim, plastic parts and seats using a
vacuum cleaner or sof t bristled brush. Wipe
the vinyl and leather (if so equipped) sur-
faces with a clean, sof t cloth dampened in
mild soap solution, then wipe clean with a
dry, sof t cloth.
Regular care and cleaning is required in
order to maintain the appearance of the
leather (if so equipped).
Before using any fabric protector, read the
manufacturer's recommendations. Some
fabric protectors contain chemicals that
may stain or bleach the seat material.
Use a cloth dampened only with water to
clean the meter and gauge lens.CAUTION
• Never use benzine, thinner or any
similar material.
• Small dirt particles can be abrasive
and damaging to leather surfaces
and should be removed promptly. Do
not use saddle soap, car waxes, pol-
ishes, oils, cleaning fluids, solvents,
detergents or ammonia-based
cleaners as they may damage the
leather's natural finish.
• Never use fabric protectors unless
recommended by the manufacturer.
• Do not use glass or plastic cleaner on
meter or gauge lens covers. It may
damage the lens cover.
AIR FRESHENERS
Most air fresheners use a solvent that
could affect the vehicle interior. If you use
an air freshener, take the following precau-
tions:
• Hanging-type air fresheners can cause permanent discoloration when they con-
tact vehicle interior surfaces. Place the air
freshener in a location that allows it to
hang free and not contact an interior sur-
face. • Liquid-type air fresheners typically clip on
the vents. These products can cause im-
mediate damage and discoloration
when spilled on interior surfaces.
Carefully read and follow the manufactur-
er's instructions before using the air fresh-
eners.
POWER MOONROOF (if so
equipped)
The sunshade is made from a tricot mate-
rial.

•Clean water based stains by patting
the surface with a clean sof t cloth
dampened in warm water. Press a
clean dry cloth onto the surface to
remove as much dampness as pos-
sible and then let air dry.
• Clean oil based stains by patting the
surface with a clean sof t cloth damp-
ened in warm water. Press a clean dry
cloth onto the surface to remove as
much dampness as possible and
then let air dry.
FLOOR MATS (if so equipped)
LAI2009
7-6Appearance and care

When installing Genuine NISSAN floor mats,
follow the installation instructions provided
with the mat and the following:
1. With the ignition in the OFF position, theshif t lever in P (Park) position (Continu-
ously Variable Transmission models) or
the shif t lever in the N (Neutral) position
(manual transmission models) and with
the parking break fully applied, position
the floor mat in the floorwell so that the
floor mat grommet holes are aligned
with the hook(s).
2. Secure the grommet holes into the hook(s) and ensure that the floor mat is
properly positioned.
3. Make sure the floor mat does not inter- fere with pedal operation. With the igni-
tion still in the OFF position, the shif t le-
ver in the P (Park) position (Continuously
Variable Transmission models) or the
shif t lever in the N (Neutral) position
(manual transmission models) and with
the parking break applied, fully apply
and release all pedals. The floor mat
must not interfere with pedal operation
or prevent the pedal from returning to
its normal position. It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for details about installing the floor
mats in your vehicle.
The illustration shows the location of the
floor mat positioning hooks.
SEAT BELTS
The seat belts can be cleaned by wiping
them with a sponge dampened in a mild
soap solution. Allow the belts to dry com-
pletely in the shade before using them. For
additional information, refer to “Seat belt
maintenance” in the “Safety—Seats, seat
belts and supplemental restraint system”
section of this manual.
LPD2495
Positioning hooks
Appearance and care7-7

WARNING
Do not allow wet seat belts to roll up in
the retractor. NEVER use bleach, dye or
chemical solvents to clean the seat
belts, since these materials may se-
verely weaken the seat belt webbing.MOST COMMON FACTORS
CONTRIBUTING TO VEHICLE
CORROSION
Most vehicle corrosion is caused by:
• The accumulation of moisture-retaining dirt and debris in body panel sections,
cavities, and other areas.
• Damage to paint and other protective coatings caused by gravel and stone
chips or minor traffic collisions.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
INFLUENCE THE RATE OF
CORROSION
Moisture
Accumulation of sand, dirt and water on
the vehicle body underside can accelerate
corrosion. Wet floor coverings will not dry
completely inside the vehicle and should
be removed for drying to avoid floor panel
corrosion.
Relative humidity
Corrosion will be accelerated in areas of
high relative humidity, especially those ar-
eas where the temperatures stay above
freezing and where atmospheric pollution
exists and road salt is used.
Temperature
High temperatures accelerate 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.
PROTECT YOUR VEHICLE FROM
CORROSION
• Wash and wax your vehicle of ten to keepthe vehicle clean.
• Always check for minor damage to the paint and repair it as soon as possible.
• Keep drain holes at the bottom of the doors open to avoid water accumulation.
• Check the underbody for accumulation of sand, dirt or salt. If present, wash with
water as soon as possible.
CORROSION PROTECTION
7-8Appearance and care

CAUTION
• NEVER remove dirt, sand or other de-
bris from the passenger compart-
ment by washing it out with a hose.
Remove dirt with a vacuum cleaner
or broom.
• Never allow water or other liquids to
come in contact with electronic com-
ponents inside the vehicle as this
may damage them.
Chemicals used for road surface de-icing
are extremely corrosive. They accelerate
corrosion and deterioration of underbody
components such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor pan
and fenders.
In winter, the underbody must be
cleaned periodically.
For additional protection against rust and
corrosion, which may be required in some
areas, it is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer.
Appearance and care7-9

MEMO
7-10Appearance and care