ON (Normal operating position)
q E
:
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
START
q F
:
This position starts the engine. As soon
as the engine has started, release the
switch immediately. It will automatically
return to the ON position.
For important safety information, see ªIg-
nition switchº in the ª5. Starting and driv-
ingº section.
The ignition switch cannot be turned back
to the LOCK position unless the shift lever
is in P position. (It can be turned to only
q C
.)
CAUTIONDo not leave the vehicle with the ignition
switch in ACC or ON position when the en-
gine is not running for an extended period.
This can discharge the battery. INFINITI VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM The INFINITI Vehicle Immobilizer System
will not allow the engine to start without
the use of the registered key.
If the engine does not start using a regis-
tered key (for example, when interference
is caused by another registered key, an
automated toll road device or an auto-
mated payment device on the key ring),
restart the engine using the following pro-
cedures:
1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON po-
sition for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF or
LOCK position and wait approximately
10 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the
device (which may have caused the in-
terference) separate from the regis-
tered key.
If this procedure allows the engine to
start, INFINITI recommends placing the
registered key on a separate key ring to
avoid interference from other devices. O Make sure the area around the vehicle
is clear.
O Maintenance items should be checked
periodically, for example, each time
you check engine oil.
O Check that all windows and lights are
clean.
O Visually inspect tires for their appear-
ance and condition. Also check tires
for proper inflation.
O Lock all doors.
O Position seat and adjust head re-
straints.
O Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
O Fasten seat belts and ask all passen-
gers to do likewise.
O Check the operation of warning lights
when the ignition key is turned to the
ON position. See ªWarning/indicator
lights and audible remindersº in the
ª2. Instruments and controlsº section.BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
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1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic transmission:
Move the selector lever to the P or N
position. (P preferred.)
The starter is designed so that the
starter does not operate unless the se-
lector lever is in either one of the
above positions.
Manual transmission:
Move the shift lever to the N position.
Depress the clutch pedal fully to the
floor.
The starter is designed so that it does
not operate unless the clutch pedal is
fully depressed.
3. Turn the ignition switch to START (4)
to crank the engine with your foot off
the accelerator pedal. Release the key
when the engine starts.
If the engine starts, but fails to run, re-
peat the above procedure.
O If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold weather or when re-
starting, depress the accelerator pedal
a little (approximately 1/3 to the floor)
and while holding, crank the engine. Release the key and the accelerator
pedal when the engine starts.
O If the engine is very hard to start be-
cause it is flooded, depress the accel-
erator pedal all the way to the floor
and hold it. Crank the engine for 5 to
6 seconds. After cranking the engine,
release the accelerator pedal. Crank
the engine with your foot off the accel-
erator pedal by turning the ignition key
to the START position. Release the key
when the engine starts. If the engine
starts, but fails to run, repeat the
above procedure.
CAUTION Do not operate the starter for more than 15
seconds at a time. If the engine does not
start, turn the key off and wait 10 seconds
before cranking again, otherwise the starter
could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Do not race the
engine while warming it up. Drive at
moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold weather, keep the engine running
for a minimum o f2-3 minutes before
shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time
may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving
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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
5-speed automatic transmission The automatic transmission in your ve-
hicle is electronically controlled by a
transmission control module to produce
maximum efficiency and smooth opera-
tion.
Shown on the following pages are the rec-
ommended operating procedures for this
transmission. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and
driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal and push the selector le-
ver button before shifting the selector
lever to the R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D
(Drive) or Manual shift mode position. Be
sure the vehicle is fully stopped before at-
tempting to shift the selector lever.
This automatic transmission model is de-
signed so that the foot brake pedal must
be depressed before shifting from P (Park)
to any drive position while the ignition
switch is the ON position.
The selector lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the other gear positions if the ignition switch
is turned to the LOCK, OFF or ACC position
or if the key is removed from the switch.
1. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed
and push the selector lever button to
shift into a driving gear.
2. Release the parking brake and foot
brake, then gradually start the vehicle
in motion.
WARNING O Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neutral)
to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or manual shift
mode. Always depress the brake pedal
until shifting is completed. Failure to do
so could cause you to lose control and
have an accident.
O Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
O On slippery roads, do not downshift.
This may cause a loss of control. O Never shift to P (Park) or R (Reverse)
while vehicle is moving forward. Never
shift to P (Park) or D (Drive) while vehicle
is moving rearward. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have
an accident.
CAUTION When stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by depressing
the accelerator pedal. The foot brake should
be used for this purpose.DRIVING THE VEHICLE
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To move the selector lever,
: Push the button while depressing
the brake pedal,
: Push the button,
: Just move the selector lever.
Shifting After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and shift the selector lever
from the P (Park) to R (Reverse), N (Neu-
tral), D (Drive), or Manual shift mode posi-
tion.
Push the button to shift into the P (Park)
or R (Reverse) position. All other positions can be selected without pushing the
button.
WARNING Apply the parking brake if the selector lever
is in any position while the engine is not run-
ning. Failure to do so could cause the vehicle
to move unexpectedly or roll away and result
in serious personal injury or property
damage.
If the key is turned to the OFF or ACC po-
sition for any reason while the vehicle is
in the R (Reverse), N (Neutral), or any D
(Drive) position, the key cannot be turned
to the LOCK position and be removed
from the ignition switch. Move the se-
lector lever to the P (Park) position, then
the key can be turned to the LOCK posi-
tion.
P (Park):
Use this selector position when the vehicle
is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed and the selector lever button
pushed in to move the selector lever from the N (Neutral) position or any drive position
to the P (Park) position. Apply the parking
brake. When parking on a hill, first depress
the foot brake pedal, apply the parking
brake, then move the lever to the P (Park)
position.
CAUTION Use this position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Always be
sure the vehicle is completely stopped be-
fore selecting the R (Reverse) position.
The brake pedal must be depressed and
the selector lever button pushed in to
move the selector lever from the P (Park), N
(Neutral) or any drive position to the R (Re-
verse) position.
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shift to the N (Neutral)
position and restart a stalled engine while
the vehicle is moving.SSD0413
Starting and driving
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D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
Manual shift mode When the selector lever is shifted from
the D position to the manual shift gate
with the vehicle stopped or while driving,
the transmission enters the manual shift
mode. Shift range can be selected manu-
ally.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range
is displayed on the position indicator in
the meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as
follows: 1 M
!
à 2 M
!
à 3 M
!
à 4 M
!
à 5 M
5 M
(5th):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
4 M
(4th):
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking would be advantageous. 3 M
(3rd) and 2 M
(2nd):
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
1 M
(1st):
Use this position when climbing steep
hills slowly or driving slowly through
deep snow, sand or mud, or for maximum
engine braking on steep downhill grades.
O Remember not to drive at high speeds
for extended periods of time in lower
than 4 M
range. This reduces gas mile-
age.
O When shifting up, move the selector
lever to the + (up) side. (Shifts to
higher range.)
O When shifting down, move the se-
lector lever to the þ (down) side.
(Shifts to lower range.)
O Moving the selector lever rapidly to
the same side twice will shift the
ranges in succession.
O When canceling the manual shift
mode, return the selector lever to the
D position. The transmission returns
to the normal driving mode. O In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear.
This helps maintain driving perfor-
mance and reduces the chance of ve-
hicle damage or loss of control.
In the manual shift mode, the transmission
automatically shifts down to 1st gear be-
fore the vehicle comes to a stop. When ac-
celerating again, it is necessary to shift up
to the desired range.
Accelerator downshift
Ð In D position Ð For passing or hill climbing, fully depress
the accelerator pedal to the floor. This
shifts the transmission down into the
lower gear, depending on the vehicle
speed.
Fail-safe When the fail-safe operation occurs, the
automatic transmission will be locked in
the 4th gear.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme con-
ditions, such as excessive wheel spinning
and subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe
system may be activated. This will occur
even if all electrical circuits are functioning
properly. In this case, turn the ignition
5-14 Starting and driving
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switch to the OFF position and wait for 3
seconds. Then turn the key back to the ON
position. The vehicle should return to its
normal operating condition. If it does not
return to its normal operating condition,
have an INFINITI dealer check the trans-
mission and repair if necessary.
Shift lock release If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the selector lever may not be moved from
the P (Park) position even with the brake
pedal depressed and the selector lever
button pushed.
To move the selector lever, release the
shift lock and push the selector lever but-
ton. The selector lever can be moved to
the N (Neutral) position. However, the
steering wheel will be locked unless the
ignition switch is turned to the ON posi-
tion. To release the shift lock, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
position and remove the key.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
q A
using a
suitable tool.
4. Insert a suitable tool in the shift lock
slot, and push down
q B
.
5. Push the selector lever button
q C
and
move the selector lever to the N (Neu-
tral) position
q D
while holding down
the shift lock.
6. Turn the ignition switch to the ON po-
sition to unlock the steering wheel.
Now the vehicle may be moved to the
desired location.
If the lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position, have an INFINITI dealer
check the automatic transmission system
as soon as possible. SSD0477
Starting and driving
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The full-time all-wheel drive (AWD) system
automatically changes the driving mode. ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) WARNING
LIGHT The AWD warning light is located on the
instrument panel.
The AWD warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the ON po-
sition. It turns off soon after the engine is
started.
If any malfunction occurs in the AWD sys-
tem while the engine is running, the
warning light will come on.
The warning light may blink rapidly (about
twice per second) while trying to free a
stuck vehicle due to high power train oil
temperature. The driving mode may
change to 2 wheel drive. If the warning
light blinks rapidly during operation, stop
the vehicle with the engine idling in a
safe place immediately. Then if the light
goes off after a while, you can continue
driving.
A large difference between the diameters
of front and rear wheels will make the
warning light blink slowly (about once per
two seconds). Pull off the road in a safe
area, and idle the engine. Check that all
tire sizes are the same, tire pressure is
correct and tires are not worn. If the warning light is blinking after the
above operation, have your vehicle
checked by an INFINITI dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped vehicle
with two wheels on a two wheel dynamometer
and the other two wheels raised. Doing so may
result in transmission damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result in serious
vehicle damage or personal injury.
CAUTION O Do not operate the engine on a free roller
when any of the wheels are raised.
O If the warning light comes on while
driving there may be a malfunction in the
AWD system. Reduce the vehicle speed
and have your vehicle checked by an
INFINITI dealer as soon as possible.
O Never drive on dry hard surface roads in
the SNOW mode, as this will over load
the power train and may cause a serious
malfunction.SSD0336AALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (if so equipped)
Starting and driving
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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.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from
rolling into the street when parked on
a sloping drive way, it is a good prac-
tice to turn the wheels as illustrated.
O HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
q 1
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
O HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
q 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:
q 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 switch to the LOCK
position and remove the key. The power assisted steering uses a hy-
draulic pump, driven by the engine, to as-
sist 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, especially 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 steer-
ing will not work. Steering will be much
harder to operate.POWER STEERING
Starting and driving
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