Repair Review Car

1. Remove the front grill, which is held on with two screws at the top. Remove the outside temperature sensor by squeezing the prongs and pulling.
2. Unbolt the front support located behind the grill. There are four 10-mm bolts, three 8-mm bolts and two screws at the bottom. Remove the clips from the hood-release cable and push them to the front of the car.
3. Remove the secondary radiator. Its held on with two 10-mm bolts at the bottom. Remove the two hoses, and let the coolant drain into a pan.
4. Loosen the 13-mm bolt that holds the alternator to the block. Use a 13-mm wrench on the alternator bracket, turning clockwise to loosen the belt.
5. Remove the compressor belt for the A/C with a 14-mm wrench on the bottom and a 15-mm wrench on the top. Remove the power steering pump belt with a 15-mm wrench and a 13-mm wrench behind the pulley.
6. Remove the bracket shaped like an upside down L from the passenger side of the block with a 17-mm wrench.
7. Remove the plastic cover for the belts that is attached to the block and held on with 6-mm Allen bolts.
8. Remove the crank pulley. First remove the four 6-mm Allen bolts from the pulley and then the center bolt with a 27-mm socket. Put the car in fifth gear to keep the motor from turning.
9. Remove the metal cover located in front of the timing belt, held on with two 5-mm Allen bolts.
10. Put the crank bolt back in and with the car in neutral, turn the motor with a socket on the end of the crankshaft bolt until the small dot on the crankshaft pulley lines up with the arrow on the valve cover. Mark the dot and arrow with a marker or paint.
11. To make sure the motor is at top dead center (TDC), remove the first spark plug and use a long screwdriver to make sure the piston is at the top of its travel.
12. Remove the camshaft gear with the timing belt still on and car in fifth gear to keep the motor from turning. Remove the camshaft gear and timing belt. Put car back in neutral after it is loosened.
13. There is an inner metal plate that needs to be removed with a 10-mm and 13-mm socket. There are three bolts on the front, one on the passenger side and on for the water pump.
14. Remove the remaining 6-mm Allen bolt for the water pump and remove the pump.
15. Put a new seal for the water pump and reinstall the water pump (or install a new one); install in the reverse of removal.
16. Reinstall the camshaft gear, aligning it with the timing marks. Make sure the crankshaft is also still aligned with the arrow on the valve cover.
17. Once everything is aligned, install the new timing belt and rotate the water pump to set the timing belt tension. You should be able to just twist the belt to 90-degrees with your fingers.
18. Reinstall everything in the reverse of removal. Bleed and top up coolant system.

Nissan Leaf takes away the title of European Car of the Year leaving behind all other hatchbacks and saloons standing in line.

Nissan Leaf is based on a high end technology base which is the major reason behind its superior performance making it the best in class option. The car is powered by a 120 bhp electric motor along with efficient lithium-ion batteries. With these strong figures, the car becomes capable of reaching the top speed of 145 kph and on one charge and can smoothly travel a distance of 175Km. The car not only considers the environment factor but also assures superior comfort to the users and that is the major reason why Nissan Leaf was able to beat top car models and grab the graceful title of European Car Of the Year. It comes with parking camera, advanced telematics, air conditioning system etc.





Press Release

100% ELECTRIC NISSAN LEAF PICKS UP EUROPEAN CAR OF THE YEAR 2011 TROPHY


The trophy recognizing the revolutionary Nissan LEAF as Europes Car of The Year 2011 was handed over to Nissan Motor Co.s President and CEO Carlos Ghosn in a special ceremony at the Pavillion Gabriel in Paris.

To win the award, the 58 CoTY members - leading motoring journalists from 23 European countries - placed Nissan LEAF ahead of six conventional new cars on the shortlist. It is the first time in CoTYs 48-year history that the annual award has been won by an electric vehicle.

"I am convinced that we will see other electric cars named Car of the Year in the future. But when we do, we must always remember that only one can be the first. And that is why Nissan LEAF Car of the Year 2011 is - and will remain - so very special," said Håkan Matson, president of the CoTY jury, speaking at the ceremony.

"It is a great honor for Nissan LEAF to be recognized as the European Car of the Year - the first all-electric car to receive this distinction. Like previous Car of the Year winners, Nissan LEAF is an appealing, competitive car, with no compromise on style, features, safety, performance or handling. Yet it stands apart as an innovative car that reflects a clear vision of the future of transportation - a vision of sustainable mobility," said Ghosn after receiving the trophy.

Nissan LEAF is powered by an in-house developed compact electric motor and inverter in the front of the car driving the front wheels. The AC motor develops 80 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 145 km/h (90 mph). The electric motor is powered by an advanced laminated lithium-ion battery with a power output of more than 90 kW. Developed by the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), a joint venture between Nissan and electronics giant NEC Corp., the breakthrough battery has the capacity to store twice as much energy as the previous generation battery.

The zero-emission car is fully equipped with features such as regenerating braking, air conditioning, satellite navigation and a parking camera. Innovative smart phone connectivity will allow an owner to heat or cool the interior of the car remotely via a mobile phone. The single option is a solar panel mounted in the rear spoiler.

Pre-orders for Nissan LEAF have reached more than 27,000 units globally. The zero-emission car is currently built in Japan, but will also be manufactured in the United States and United Kingdom when new manufacturing facilities there open in late 2012 and early 2013 respectively. Deliveries to individual customers in Japan and the US began in December. In Europe, deliveries will start shortly to Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands followed by more markets later in the year.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance aims to be a global leader in zero-emission mobility and is taking a comprehensive approach encompassing both the product and the infrastructure required to support the mass marketing of electric vehicles. To date, the Alliance has entered into more than 90 partnerships with governments, municipal authorities and companies worldwide to prepare the markets and infrastructure for the successful adoption of electric vehicles.

* The current version of the coveted marble trophy, introduced in 2004, was created by Emmanuel Zurini, a French artist famous for his automotive sculptures. Zurini was a leading Grand Prix photographer in the 1960s before turning to sculpture in 1975. It is the third specially created trophy in the history of the Award.

Nissan has won the CoTY award before. In 1993, the Micra became the first Japanese-badged car to win the accolade and started Europes love affair with the little car that continues today with the recent launch of the latest generation Micra in late 2010.