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
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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
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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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Up-shift indicator The manual transmission up-shift indi-
cator is located in the meter and shows
the driver the timing to shift into a higher
gear by illuminating. The use of the up-
shift indicator will help you to upshift at a
constant engine speed (rpm) from any
gear.
The up-shift indicator will start flashing
when the engine speed is within about
500 rpm of the set figure while driving,
and then illuminate after the engine
speed reaches the set figure. Use the up-shift indicator when driving as
follows:
O If the maximum engine speed is de-
sired, set the figure at 7,000 rpm. (The
indicator starts flashing from about
6,500 rpm and comes on steady at
7,000 rpm.)
O If the maximum engine torque is de-
sired, set the figure at 4,800 rpm.
(The indicator starts flashing from
about 4,300 rpm and comes on steady
at 4,800 rpm.)
O If you want to break in your vehicle,
use of the up-shift indicator with a
rather low figure will help you to avoid
the high engine speed.
To make the up-shift indicator not come
on, set the figure at above 7,900 rpm.
There may be a slight difference between
the timing of the up-shift indicator illumi-
nation and the tachometer indication. Up-shift indicator setting:
The desired engine speed (rpm) for the
up-shift indicator can be set while the up-
shift indicator setting mode is selected.
Change the display to the up-shift indica-
tor mode by pushing the trip odometer
reset switch
q 1
. When the up-shift indica-
tor setting mode is selected, the engine
speed currently set is displayed. (The ini-
tial factory setting is 8,000 rpm.) The fig-
ure can be changed between 2,000 and
8,000 rpm.SSD0432 SSD0433
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Push the trip odometer reset switch more
than approximately 2 seconds and then
the figure in the display will start
blinking.
Pushing the trip odometer reset switch for
less than approximately 1 second while
the figure is blinking will add the figure
by 100 rpm. If pushing for more than ap-
proximately 1 second, the figure will in-
crease by 500 rpm.
If you have not operated the trip odom-
eter reset switch for 5 seconds, the set-
ting mode will end. The display will illumi-
nate instead of blink.
If the battery cable is disconnected, the
set engine speed will be returned to the
initial figure (8,000 rpm).
Suggested up-shift speeds Shown below are suggested vehicle
speeds for shifting into a higher gear.
These suggestions relate to fuel economy
and vehicle performance. Actual up-shift
speeds will vary according to road condi-
tions, the weather and individual driving
habits. For normal acceleration in low altitude ar-
eas [less than 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]:
Gear change MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 8 (13)
2nd to 3rd 16 (25)
3rd to 4th 25 (40)
4th to 5th 30 (50)
5th to 6th 33 (53)
For quick acceleration in low altitude
areas or in high altitude areas [over 4,000
ft (1,219 m)]:
Gear change MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)
Suggested maximum speed in
each gear Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is
not running smoothly, or if you need to
accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested
speed (shown below) in any gear. For
level road driving, use the highest gear
suggested for that speed. Always observe posted speed limits, and drive according
to the road conditions, which will ensure
safe operation. Do not over-rev the engine
when shifting to a lower gear as it may
cause engine damage or loss of vehicle
control.
Gear MPH (km/h)
1st 35 (56)
2nd 60 (96)
3rd 90 (144)
4th Ð
5th Ð
6th Ð
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WARNINGDo not use the cruise control when driving
under the following conditions:
O When it is not possible to keep the ve-
hicle at a set speed.
O In heavy traffic or in traffic that varies in
speed.
O On winding or hilly roads.
O On slippery roads (rain, snow, ice, etc.).
O In very windy areas.
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle con-
trol and result in an accident.
CAUTIONOn manual transmission models, do not shift
into N (Neutral) without depressing the
clutch pedal when the cruise control is set.
Should this occur, depress the clutch pedal
and turn the main switch off immediately.
Failure to do so may cause engine damage. PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE
CONTROL O If the cruise control system malfunc-
tions, it cancels automatically. The
SET indicator light on the instrument
panel then blinks to warn the driver.
O If the engine coolant temperature be-
comes excessively high, the cruise
control system will be canceled auto-
matically.
O If the SET indicator light blinks, turn
the cruise control MAIN switch off and
have the system checked by an
INFINITI dealer.
O The SET indicator light may blink when
the cruise control MAIN switch is
turned on while pushing the
RESUME/ACCELERATE, SET/COAST, or
CANCEL switch. To properly set the
cruise control system, perform the fol-
lowing procedures. 1. RESUME/ACCELERATE switch
2. SET/COAST switch
3. CANCEL switch
4. MAIN (ON z OFF) switch
CRUISE CONTROL OPERATIONS The cruise control allows driving at a
speed between 25 to 89 MPH (40 to 144
km/h) without keeping your foot on the
accelerator pedal.
To turn on the cruise control, push the MAIN
switch on. The CRUISE indicator light on
the instrument panel will come on. SSD0428
CRUISE CONTROL
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CAUTIONDuring 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 recom-
mendations may result in shortened engine
life and reduced engine performance.
O Avoid driving for long periods at con-
stant 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 pos-
sible.
O Do not tow a trailer or haul a heavy
load for the first 500 miles (800 km). O Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Main-
tain cruising speeds with a constant
accelerator position.
O Drive at moderate speeds on the high-
way. Driving at high speed will lower
fuel economy.
O Avoid unnecessary stopping and brak-
ing. Maintain a safe distance behind
other vehicles.
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
maintenance schedule.
O Keep the tires inflated at the correct
pressure. Low pressure will increase
tire wear and waste fuel.
O Keep the front wheels in correct align-
ment. 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 condi-
tioner and leave the windows closed
to reduce drag.
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY
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