The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch cannot be turned to the
LOCK position and removed until the se-
lector lever is moved to the P (Park) posi-
tion.
When turning the ignition switch, make
sure the selector lever is in the P position.
If the selector lever is not returned to the
P position, the ignition switch cannot be
moved toward the LOCK position.
When the ignition switch cannot be
turned toward the LOCK position, proceed
as follows: 1. Move the selector lever into the P po-
sition.
2. Turn the ignition switch slightly in the
ON direction.
3. Turn the key toward the LOCK posi-
tion.
The selector lever can be moved from the P
position if the ignition switch is in the ON
position and the foot brake pedal is de-
pressed.
There is an OFF position in between the
LOCK and ACC positions, although it does
not show on the lock cylinder. When the
ignition is in the OFF position the steering
wheel is not locked.
In order for the steering wheel to be
locked, it must be turned about 1/6 of a
turn counterclockwise from the straight
up position.
To lock the steering wheel, turn the igni-
tion switch to the LOCK position. To unlock
the steering wheel, push the ignition
switch in and turn it gently while rotating
the steering wheel slightly right and left.
If the battery of the vehicle equipped with
the Intelligent Key system is discharged,
the ignition switch cannot be turned from the LOCK position, even using the me-
chanical key or valet key.
WARNING Never turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
position while driving. The steering wheel
will lock. This may cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle and could result in se-
rious vehicle damage and/or personal injury.
IGNITION SWITCH POSITIONS Push in the ignition switch to the
q B
range when you turn it.
LOCK (Normal parking position):
The ignition switch can only be locked in
the
q A
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when
it is pushed in, and turned to the ACC po-
sition
q D
while carrying the Intelligent
Key.
ACC (Accessories)
q D
:
This position activates electrical accesso-
ries such as the radio, when the engine is
not running.SPA1628
IGNITION SWITCH (models with the
Intelligent Key system)
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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
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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
5-12 Starting and driving
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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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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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MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Shifting To change gears, or when up shifting or
down shifting, fully depress the clutch
pedal, shift into the appropriate gear,
then slowly and smoothly release the
clutch.
This vehicle is equipped with a short
throw shifter manual transmission. To en-
sure smooth gear changes, fully depress
the clutch pedal before operating the shift
lever. If the clutch pedal is not fully de-
pressed before the transmission is shifted, a gear noise may be heard. Trans-
mission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and shift to
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in se-
quence according to the vehicle speed.
To back up, depress the shift lever and
then move it to the R (Reverse) position
after stopping the vehicle completely.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into
the R (Reverse) or 1 position (Low gear),
shift to the N (Neutral) position, and then
release the clutch pedal once. Fully de-
press the clutch pedal again and shift
into the R or 1 position.
WARNING O Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
O Do not over-rev the engine when shifting
to a lower gear. This may cause a loss of
control or engine damage. CAUTION O Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This may damage the
clutch.
O Fully depress the clutch pedal before
shifting to help prevent transmission
damage.
O Stop your vehicle completely before
shifting into R (Reverse).
O When the vehicle is stopped for a period
of time, for example at a stop light, shift
to N (Neutral) and release the clutch
pedal with the foot brake applied.SSD0536
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Automatic transmission model To apply: Fully depress the parking brake
pedal
q A
.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
q A
and the parking brake will be re-
leased.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake
warning light goes out. Manual transmission model To apply: Pull the parking brake lever up
q 1
.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Place the shift lever in the N (Neutral)
position.
3. While pulling up on the parking brake
lever slightly, push the button
q 2
and
lower the lever completely
q 3
.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake
warning light goes out. WARNING O Be sure the parking brake is fully re-
leased before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
O Do not release the parking brake from
outside the vehicle.
O Do not use the gear shift in place of the
parking brake. When parking, be sure
the parking brake is fully engaged.
O Do not leave children unattended in a ve-
hicle. They could release the parking
brake and cause an accident.SPA1286E SPA2110
PARKING BRAKE
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To set at cruising speed, accelerate your
vehicle to the desired speed, push the
SET/COAST switch and release it. (The
SET indicator light will come on.) Take
your foot off the accelerator pedal. Your
vehicle will maintain the set speed.
O To pass another vehicle, depress the
accelerator pedal. When you release
the pedal, the vehicle will return to
the previously set speed.
O The vehicle may not maintain the set
speed when going up or down steep
hills. If this happens, drive without the
cruise control.
To cancel the preset speed, follow either of
these three methods:
a) Push the CANCEL switch. The SET indi-
cator light will go out.
b) Tap the brake pedal. The SET indicator
light will go out.
c) Turn the MAIN switch off. Both the
CRUISE indicator and SET indicator
lights will go out.
O If you depress the brake pedal while
pushing the RESUME/ACCELERATE
switch and reset at the cruising speed,
turn the MAIN switch off once and
then turn it on again. O The cruise control will automatically
be cancelled if the vehicle slows down
below approximately 8 MPH (13 km/h).
O If you depress the clutch pedal
(manual transmission), or move the
selector lever to the N (Neutral) posi-
tion (automatic transmission), the
cruise control will be canceled.
To reset at a faster cruising speed, use one
of the following methods:
a) Depress the accelerator pedal. When
the vehicle reaches the desired speed,
push and release the SET/COAST
switch.
b) Push and hold the RESUME/
ACCELERATE switch. When the vehicle
reaches the speed you desire, release
the switch.
c) Push, then quickly release the
RESUME/ACCELERATE set switch. This
will increase the vehicle speed by
about 1 MPH (1.6 km/h). To reset at a slower cruising speed, use
one of the following methods:
a) Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the
vehicle reaches the desired speed,
push the SET/COAST switch and re-
lease it.
b) Push and hold the SET/COAST switch.
Release the switch when the vehicle
slows down to the desired speed.
c) Push, then quickly release the SET/
COAST switch. This will decrease the
vehicle speed by about 1 MPH (1.6
km/h).
To resume the preset speed, push and re-
lease the RESUME/ACCELERATE switch.
The vehicle will resume the last set cruis-
ing speed when the vehicle speed is over
25 MPH (40 km/h).
Starting and driving
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