
Black plate (200,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
Accelerator downshift
— In D position —For passing or hill climbing, fully depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, depending
on the vehicle speed.High fluid temperature protection modeThis transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperature with heavy
loads, such as when towing a trailer) , engine
power and, under some conditions, vehicle
speed will be decreased automatically to reduce
the chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelerator
pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed may be
limited.Fail-safeIf the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel spin-
ning and subsequent hard braking, the
fail-safe system may be activated. The MIL
may illuminate to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. (See “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” in the “2. Instruments
and controls” section.) This will occur even
if all electrical circuits are functioning
properly. In this case, turn the ignition
switch to the OFF position and wait for 10seconds. Then turn the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have a NISSAN dealer check the
transmission and repair if necessary.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection 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 careful when driving. If ne-
cessary, pull to the side of the road at a
safe place and allow the transmission
to return to normal operation, or have it
repaired if necessary.
SSD0667
Shift lock releaseIf 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.
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 position. This allows the vehicle to be
moved if the battery is discharged.
To release the shift lock, perform the following
procedure:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
5-16
Starting and driving

Black plate (201,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
position, and remove the key if it is inserted.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock release cover
*A
using a suitable tool.
4. Push down the shift lock release
*B
using a
suitable tool.
5. Push the selector lever button
*C
and move
the selector lever to the N (Neutral) position
*D
while holding down the shift lock
release.
Turn the ignition switch to the ON position to
unlock the steering wheel. The vehicle may be
moved to the desired location.
Replace the removed shift lock release cover
after the operation.
If the selector lever cannot be moved out of the
P (Park) position, have a NISSAN dealer check
the CVT system as soon as possible.
WARNING
If the selector lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position while the
engine is running and the brake pedal
is depressed, the stop lights may not
work. Malfunctioning stop lights could
cause an accident injuring yourself andothers.
WARNING
.Be sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving. Failure to
do so can cause brake failure and
lead to an accident.
.Do not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.
.Do not use the gear shift in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
.Do not leave children unattended in
a vehicle. They could release the
parking brake and cause an acci-
dent.PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving
5-17

Black plate (202,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
SPA2331
To apply:Fully depress the parking brake pedal*1.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake
*2.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
*1
and
the parking brake will be released.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning
light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE CON-
TROL.If the cruise control system malfunctions, it
will cancel automatically. The SET indicator
light on the meter panel will then blink to
warn the driver.
.If the engine coolant temperature becomes
excessively high, the cruise control system
will cancel automatically.
.If the SET indicator light blinks, turn the
cruise control main switch off and have the
system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
.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 prop-
erly set the cruise control system, perform
the following procedures.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when
driving under the following conditions:
.when it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed
.in heavy traffic or in traffic that
varies in speed
.on winding or hilly roads.on slippery roads (rain, snow, ice,
etc.)
.in very windy areas
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle
control and result in an accident.CRUISE CONTROL
5-18
Starting and driving

Black plate (205,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
.Use the recommended viscosity engine oil.
(See “ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATION” in the “9. Technical
and consumer information” section.)
WARNING
.For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
.Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) or similar equip-
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
that you inform the test facility
personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using
the wrong test equipment may re-
sult in drivetrain damage or unex-
pected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
SSD0418
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) LOCK
SWITCH OPERATIONSThe AWD LOCK switch located on the lower
side of the instrument panel. This switch is used
to select the AUTO or LOCK mode depending
on the driving conditions.
Each time you push the lower part of the switch*A
, the AWD mode will switch:
AUTO?LOCK?AUTO.
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (if so
equipped)
Starting and driving
5-21

Black plate (206,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
LOCK modeThe AWD LOCK indicator light
will
illuminate.
AUTO modeThe AWD LOCK indicator light will turn off.AWD
modeWheel drivenAWD
LOCK
indica-
tor lightUse condi-
tions
AUTODistribution of tor-
que to the front and
rear wheels changes
automatically, de-
pending on road
conditions encoun-
tered
[100:0]↔[50:50].
This results in im-
proved driving stabi-
lity.*1Turns
off.For driving
on paved
or slippery
roads
LOCK All-wheel drive*2, *3AWD
LOCK
For driving
on rough
roads
*1: When the rotation difference between the
front and rear wheels is large, the AWD
mode may change from AUTO to LOCK for
a while, however, this is not a malfunction.*2: LOCK mode will change to AUTO mode
automatically when the vehicle has been
driven at a high speed. The AWD LOCK
indicator light turns off.
*3: LOCK mode will automatically be cancelled
when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF
position.
.If the AWD LOCK switch is operated while
accelerating or decelerating, or if the ignition
switch is turned off, you may feel a jolt. This
is normal.
.The oil temperature of power train parts will
increase if the vehicle is continuously
operated under conditions where the differ-
ence in rotation between the front and rear
wheels is large (wheel slip) , such as when
driving the vehicle on rough roads through
sand, mud or freeing a stuck vehicle. In
these cases, the AWD warning light blinks
rapidly and the AWD mode changes to
2WD condition to protect the powertrain
parts. If you stop driving with the engine
idling and wait until the warning light stops
blinking, the AWD returns to the AUTO
mode.
WARNING
.When driving straight, shift the AWD
LOCK switch to AUTO. Do not oper-
ate the AWD LOCK switch when
making a turn or backing up.
.Do not operate the AWD LOCK
switch with the front wheel spin-
ning.
.Engine idling speed is high while
warming up the engine. Be espe-
cially careful when starting or driv-
ing on slippery surfaces.
.When turning the vehicle in LOCK
mode on paved roads, you may feel
a braking effect. This is a normal
condition of the AWD model.
5-22
Starting and driving

Black plate (207,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
SSD0336B
AWD WARNING LIGHTThe AWD warning light is located in the meter.
The AWD warning light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON position. It
turns off soon after the engine is started.If any malfunction occurs in the AWD system
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 powertrain oil temperature. The
driving mode may change to 2WD. AUTO mode
may change to LOCK mode before the warning
light blinks. If the warning light blinks rapidly
during operation, stop the vehicle with the
engine idling in a safe place immediately. Then
if the light turns 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.
CAUTION
.If the warning light remains on after
the above operation, have your
vehicle checked by a NISSAN dealer
as soon as possible.
.If the warning light comes on while
driving there may be a malfunction
in the AWD system. Reduce the
vehicle speed and have your vehiclechecked by a NISSAN dealer as
soon as possible.
.The powertrain may be damaged if
you continue driving with the warn-
ing light blinking rapidly.
.Never drive on dry hard surface
roads in the LOCK mode, as this
will overload the powertrain and
may cause a serious malfunction.
Starting and driving
5-23

Black plate (208,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
SSD0488
WARNING
.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.
.Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be set
and the transmission placed into P
(Park) . Failure to do so could cause
the vehicle to move unexpectedly or
roll away and result in an accident.
Make sure the selector lever has
been pushed as far forward as it cango and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
.Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
.Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could un-
knowingly activate switches or con-
trols. Unattended children could
become involved in serious acci-
dents.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park)
position.3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into
traffic when parked on an incline, it is a good
practice to turn the wheels as illustrated.
.HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
*1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
.HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
*2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
.HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
*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, if inserted.
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS5-24
Starting and driving

Black plate (209,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
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 harder to operate.
.When the electric power steering
warning light illuminates with the
engine running, the power assist for
the steering will cease operation.
You will still have control of the
vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate.
The electric power steering system is designed
to provide power assist while driving to operate
the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated repeatedly
or continuously while parking or driving at a very
low speed, the power assist for the steering
wheel will be reduced. This is to prevent
overheating of the electric power steering
system and protect it from getting damaged.
While the power assist is reduced, steering
wheel operation will become heavy. When the
temperature of the electric power steering
system goes down, the power assist level will
return to normal. Avoid repeating such steering
wheel operations that could cause the electric
power steering system to overheat.You may hear a fricative sound when the
steering wheel is operated quickly. However,
this is not a malfunction.
If the electric power steering warning light
illuminates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the electric power steering system is
not functioning properly and may need servicing.
Have the electric power steering system
checked by a NISSAN dealer. (See “Electric
power steering warning light” in the “2. Instru-
ments and controls” section.)
When the electric power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running, the power
assist for the steering will cease operation. You
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
greater steering effort is needed, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
BRAKING PRECAUTIONSThe brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
You may feel a small click and hear a sound
when the brake pedal is fully depressed slowly.
This is not a malfunction and indicates that the
brake assist mechanism is operating properly.Vacuum assisted brakesThe brake booster aids braking by using engine
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.Using the brakesAvoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake and pads faster
and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear 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.
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING
SYSTEMBRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving
5-25