During the first 1,200 miles (2,000 km), follow
these recommendations to obtain maximum
engine performance and ensure the future
reliability and economy of your new vehicle.
Failure to follow these recommendations may
result in shortened engine life and reduced
engine performance.
O Avoid driving for long periods at constant
speed, either fast or slow. Do not run the
engine over 4,000 rpm.
O Do not accelerate at full throttle in any gear.
O Avoid quick starts.
O Avoid hard braking as much as possible.
O Do not tow a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km). O Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Maintain
cruising speeds with a constant accelerator
position.
O Drive at moderate speeds on the highway.
Driving at high speed will lower fuel
economy.
O Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking.
Maintain a safe distance behind other ve-
hicles.
O Use a proper gear range which suits road
conditions. On level roads, shift into high
gear as soon as possible.
O Avoid unnecessary engine idling. O Keep your engine tuned up.
O Follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule.
O Keep the tires inflated at the correct pres-
sure. Low pressure will increase tire wear
and waste fuel.
O Keep the front wheels in correct alignment.
Improper alignment will cause not only tire
wear but also lower fuel economy.
O Air conditioner operation lowers fuel
economy. Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
O When cruising at highway speeds, it is
more economical to use the air conditioner
and leave the windows closed to reduce
drag. SD1001M
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY
Starting and driving
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WARNINGO Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire.
O Never leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
O Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle. 1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic transmission models:
Move the selector lever to the P (Park)
position.
Manual transmission models:
Place the shift lever in the R (Reverse)
position. When parking on an uphill grade,
place the shift lever in the 1 (Low gear)
position. WARNING O Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park) for
automatic transmission models or in
an appropriate gear for manual trans-
mission models. Failure to do so
could cause the vehicle to move un-
expectedly or roll away and result in
an accident.
O Make sure the automatic transmis-
sion selector lever has been pushed
as far forward as it can go and cannot
be moved without depressing the
button at the end of the lever.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into
the street when parked on a sloping drive
way, it is a good practice to turn the wheels
as illustrated.
O HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
j 1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move the
vehicle forward until the curb side wheel
gently touches the curb. MSD0002
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
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O HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
j 2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
O HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
j 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. Turn the ignition key to the LOCK position
and remove the key. The power assisted steering is designed to
use a hydraulic pump, driven by the engine, to
assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns or at low speeds.
WARNING If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for the
steering will not work. Steering will be
much harder to operate. BRAKING PRECAUTIONS The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
Vacuum assisted brake
The brake booster aids braking by using en-
gine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop
the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal.
However, greater foot pressure on the brake
pedal will be required to stop the vehicle and
the stopping distance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
your braking distance will be longer and the
vehicle may pull to one side during braking.
To dry 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.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This overheats the brakes, in-
creases wear on the brake linings and pads,
and reduces gas mileage.POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving
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To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift 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.
WARNINGO While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerating
or downshifting. Abrupt braking or
accelerating could cause the wheels
to skid and result in an accident.
O If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) The anti-lock brake system controls the brakes
at each wheel so the wheels will not lock when
braking abruptly or when braking on slippery
surfaces. The system detects the rotation
speed at each wheel and varies the brake fluid
pressure to prevent each wheel from locking
and sliding. By preventing wheel lockup, the
system helps the driver maintain steering con- trol and helps to minimize swerving and spin-
ning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
WARNING Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
Normal operation The anti-lock brake system will not operate at
speeds below 3 to 6 MPH (5 to 10 km/h) to
completely stop the vehicle. (The speeds will
vary according to road conditions.) When the
anti-lock system senses that one or more
wheels are close to locking up, the actuator
(under the hood) rapidly applies and releases
hydraulic pressure (like pumping the brakes
very quickly). While the actuator is working,
you may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal
and hear a noise or vibration from the actuator
under the hood. This is normal and indicates
that the anti-lock system is working properly.
However, the pulsation may indicate that road conditions are hazardous and extra care is
required while driving.
Self-test feature The anti-lock brake system consists of elec-
tronic sensors, electric pumps, and hydraulic
solenoids controlled by a computer. The com-
puter has a built-in diagnostic feature that tests
the system each time you start the engine and
move the vehicle at a low speed in forward or
reverse. When the self-test occurs, you may
hear a clunk noise and/or feel a pulsation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and is not an
indication of any malfunction. If the computer
senses any malfunction, it switches the anti-
lock brake system OFF and turns on the ABS
warning light in the dashboard. The brake
system will then behave normally, but without
anti-lock assistance.
If the light comes on during the self check, or
while you are driving, you should take your
vehicle to your INFINITI retailer for repair at
your earliest convenience.
WARNING The anti-lock brake system is a sophis-
ticated device, but it cannot prevent ac-
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cidents resulting from careless or dan-
gerous driving techniques. It can help
maintain vehicle control during braking
on slippery surfaces, but remember that
the stopping distance on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal
surfaces, even with the anti-lock sys-
tem. Stopping distances may also be
longer on rough, gravel or snow covered
roads, or if you are using tire chains.
Always maintain a safe distance from
the vehicle in front of you. Ultimately,
the responsibility for safety of yourself
and others rests in the hands of the
driver.
Tire type and condition of tires may also
affect braking effectiveness.
O When replacing tires, install the
specified size of tires on all four
wheels.
O When installing a spare tire, make
sure it is the proper size and type as
specified on the tire placard. See ªVe-
hicle identificationº in the ª10. Tech-
nical and consumer informationº sec- tion for tire placard location. When driving on slippery surfaces or suddenly
avoiding obstacles on roads, the vehicle might
swerve or slip. With the vehicle dynamics
control (VDC) system, sensors detect these
movements and control the braking and en-
gine output to help improve vehicle stability
while driving.
O When the vehicle dynamics control system
is operating, the slip indicator in the instru-
ment panel blinks.
O When only the traction control system por-
tion of the vehicle dynamics control system
is operating, the slip indicator will also blink.
O If the slip indicator blinks, the vehicle is
under slippery conditions. Be sure to drive
carefully. See ªSlip indicator lightº, and ªVe-
hicle dynamics control off indicator lightº in
the ª2. Instruments and controlsº section.
O Indicator light
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the
SLIP and indicator lights come on in
the meter panel.
As long as these warning lights are on, the
traction control function is canceled.
The VDC system uses a Brake Limited Slip
Differential (LSD) system to improve vehicle
traction. The brake LSD system works when
one of the driving wheels is spinning on aVEHICLE DYNAMICS CONTROL
(VDC) SYSTEM
Starting and driving
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carried in the vehicle during winter:
O a scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove
ice and snow from the windows and wiper
blades.
O a sturdy, flat board to be placed under the
jack to give it firm support.
O a shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow-
drifts.
O extra window washer fluid to refill the res-
ervoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNINGO Wet ice (32ÉF, 0ÉC and freezing rain),
very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have a lot less traction or grip under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
O Whatever the condition, drive with
caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating or down-
shifting too fast, the drive wheels will lose even more traction.
O Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
O Allow greater following distances on
slippery roads.
O Watch for slippery spots (glare ice).
These may appear on an otherwise
clear road in shaded areas. If a patch
of ice is seen ahead, brake before
reaching it. Try not to brake while
actually on the ice, and avoid any
sudden steering maneuvers.
O Do not use cruise control on slippery
roads.
O Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep snow
clear of the exhaust pipe and from
around your vehicle.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (if so
equipped) An engine block heater to assist extreme cold
temperature starting is available through your
INFINITI retailer. WARNING Do not use your heater with an un-
grounded electrical system or two-
pronged (cheater) adapters. You can be
injured by an electrical shock if you use
an ungrounded connection.
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Stowing the damaged tire and tools Securely store the spare tire and jacking
equipment in the vehicle.
WARNINGO Always make sure that the spare tire
and jacking equipment are properly
secured after use. Such items can
become dangerous projectiles in an
accident or sudden stop.
O The T-type spare tire and small size spare tire are designed for emer-
gency use. See ªWheels and tiresº in
the ª8. Do-it-yourselfº section.
If needed Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet
or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-
free number to call (U.S.) or Warranty & Road-
side assistance information booklet (Canada). To start your engine with a booster battery, the
instructions and precautions below must be
followed.
WARNING O If done incorrectly, jump starting can
lead to a battery explosion, resulting
in severe injury or death. It could also
damage your vehicle.
O Explosive hydrogen gas is always
present in the vicinity of the battery.
Keep all sparks and flames away from
the battery.
O Do not allow battery fluid to come
into contact with eyes, skin, cloth or
painted surfaces. Battery fluid is a
corrosive sulphuric acid solution
which can cause severe burns. If the
fluid should come into contact with
anything, immediately flush the con-
tacted area with water.
O Keep battery out of the reach of
children.SCE0384A SCE0425
JUMP STARTING
In case of emergency
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WARNINGO Do not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could
cause a vehicle fire.
O 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.
O Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
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:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply
the parking brake and move the shift lever
to the N (Neutral) position (automatic trans-
mission to the P (Park) position).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner switch. Open all
the windows, move the heater or air condi- tioner temperature control to maximum hot
and fan control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climbing
a long hill on a hot day, run the engine at a
fast idle (approximately 1,500 rpm) until the
temperature gauge indication returns to
normal.
4. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the radiator
before opening the hood. Wait until no
steam or coolant can be seen before pro-
ceeding.
5. Open the engine hood.
WARNING If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
6. Visually check if the cooling fan is running.
The radiator hoses and radiator should not
leak water.
If coolant is leaking or the cooling fan does
not run, stop the engine. WARNING O Be careful not to allow your hands,
hair, jewelry or clothing to come into
contact with, or to get caught in the
cooling fan, or drive belt.
O The engine cooling fan can start at
any time when the coolant tempera-
ture is high.
7. After the engine cools down, check the
coolant level in the reservoir tank with the
engine running. Add coolant to the reservoir
tank if necessary. Have your vehicle re-
paired at the nearest INFINITI retailer.
If needed, Roadside Assistance is available.
Please see your Warranty Information Booklet
or Roadside Assistance I.D. Card for the toll-
free number to call (U.S.) or Warranty & Road-
side assistance information booklet (Canada).IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
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