You don’t need to know much about cars to give your Nissan a quick makeover. Just follow these easy steps.

Start with fuel and oil

First, check your Owner’s Manual to see if you’re using the correct fuel (Diesel/Petrol). Avoid running to close to empty. Petrol impurities and sediments can collect at the bottom of your tank and can later cause problems. Also make sure you check the oil regularly. Drive with low oil and you can really hurt your engine.

You should check the following regularly to help your Nissan perform to the best of its ability:

Get under the bonnet

• Check engine oil level
• Check engine coolant level and power steering fluid level
• Check fluid levels: oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid
• Check automatic transmission fluid level after putting your vehicle in ‘Park’ with the engine idling
• Radiator external for dirt, insects or leaves that may have accumulated
• Check hoses for cracks, deformations or loose connections that could lead to overheating
• Check engine drive-belts for cracks, fraying, wearing or oil contamination

Give your interior some love

• Check the seat belt webbing for wear or damage
• Make sure all gauges and indicator lights are functioning – fuel, oil, temperature and battery
• Check brakes for smooth operation, including the hand brake. The pedal should be firm and the vehicle shouldn’t pull to one side when stopping
• Check for steering-wheel vibration, stiff steering or strange noises. If your vehicle pulls to one side, come see us to have your tyres and alignment checked
• The accelerator pedal should not catch or require uneven effort. Keep the floor mats away from the pedal
• Check to see if your wipers and washer are working, and they don’t streak the glass
• Make sure heating, air conditioning and defroster are functioning properly
• Check horn operation
• Check operation, alignment and condition of mirrors
• Check clutch operation

Look at the exterior

• General vehicle appearance and condition
• Check paint condition and any corrosion
• Check the tyres (including spare tyre) to see if any appear to be low on air, cracked, worn or punctured by nails, metal, glass etc.
• Check for missing or loose wheel nuts
• Make sure headlights, brake lights, tail-lights and turn signals operate properly
• Check headlight aim according to the aiming instructions in your Nissan Owner’s Manual
• Check windshield wiper blades for cracks or wear
• Look underneath the vehicle for a low-hanging muffler or anything that looks abnormal
• Look for fluid leaks
• Check the condition of the exhaust system. If the exhaust sounds unusual or if you smell exhaust fumes, roll down the windows and take the vehicle to us immediately

Most of all, be careful

When performing any inspection or maintenance work on your Nissan, always take care to prevent serious accidental injury to yourself or damage to the vehicle. It is strongly recommended you read the precautions outlined in the Maintenance and Do-it-yourself section of your Owner’s Manual.