2008 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE Owners Manual

CAUTION
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. The foot brake
should be used for this purpose.The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and smooth
operation.
The recommended operating procedures for this
transmission are shown on the following pages.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
NOTE:
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal before moving the shift
selector out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and
move the shift selector lever into a driving
gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start
the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before shifting
the shift selector to the P (Park) position.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-11
REVIEW COPY—2009 Altima(alt)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
09/08/08—debbie


Push the button while depressing the brake
pedal
Push the button to shift
Shift without pushing button
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and move the shift selector from P (Park) to
any of the desired shift positions.
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only when
the vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shift selector position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shift selector from N (Neutral) or
any drive position to P (Park) .Apply the
parking brake. When parking on a hill, apply the
parking brake first, then shift the shift selector into
the P (Park) position.

CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only when
the vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up. Make
sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
selecting the R (Reverse) position.The brake
pedal must be depressed to move the shift
selector from P (Park) , N (Neutral) or any
drive position to R (Reverse) .
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged. The
engine can be started in this position. You may
shift to N (Neutral) and restart a stalled engine
while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward driving.
Manual shift mode
When the shift selector is shifted from D to the
manual shift gate with the vehicle stopped or
while driving, the transmission enters the manual
shift mode. Shift ranges can be selected manu-
ally.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is dis-
played on the position indicator in the meter.
When shifting the shift selector to the manual
shift gate, the position indicator displays 1 (first)
up to 6 (sixth) depending on vehicle speed.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
1⇔2⇔3⇔4⇔5⇔66 (Sixth):
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
5 (Fifth):
Use this position when driving up long slopes, or
for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
4 (Fourth) , 3 (Third) and 2 (Second):
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on downhill
grades.
M1 (First):
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.
●Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than 6
range. This reduces fuel economy.
When shifting up:
Move the shift selector to the + (up) side. (Shifts
to higher range.)
When shifting down:
Move the shift selector to the(down) side.
(Shifts to lower range.)

WARNING
When the high fluid temperature protec-
tion mode or fail-safe operation occurs,
vehicle speed may be gradually reduced.
The reduced speed may be lower than
other traffic, which could increase the
chance of a collision. Be especially care-
ful when driving. If necessary, pull to the
side of the road at a safe place and allow
the transmission to return to normal op-
eration, or have it repaired if necessary.
Starting and driving5-15
REVIEW COPY—2009 Altima(alt)
Owners Manual—USA_English(nna)
09/08/08—debbie


CAUTION
●Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This may cause clutch
damage.
●Fully depress the clutch pedal before
shifting to help prevent transmission
damage.
●Stop your vehicle completely before
shifting into R (Reverse) .
●When the vehicle is stopped with the
engine running (for example, at a stop
light) , shift to N (Neutral) and release
the clutch pedal with the foot brake
applied.
Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or down-
shifting, depress the clutch pedal fully, shift into
the appropriate gear, then release the clutch
slowly and smoothly.
To ensure smooth gear changes, fully depress
the clutch pedal before operating the shift selec-
tor. If the clutch pedal is not fully depressed
before the transmission is shifted, a gear noise
may be heard. Transmission damage may occur.Start the vehicle in 1st gear and shift to 2nd, 3rd,
4th and 5th up to 6th gear in sequence according
to vehicle speed.
To back up, lift up on the shift selector ring
1and
then move it to the R (Reverse) position after
stopping the vehicle completely.
The shift selector ring
1returns to its original
position when the shift selector is moved to the N
(Neutral) position.
If it is difficult to move the shift selector into R
(Reverse) or 1 (1st) , shift into N (Neutral) , then
release the clutch pedal. Depress the clutch
pedal again and shift into R (Reverse) or 1 (1st) .
Suggested upshift speeds
The following are suggested vehicle speeds for
shifting into a higher gear. These suggestions
relate to fuel economy and vehicle performance.
Actual upshift speeds will vary according to road
conditions, the weather and individual driving
habits.