Black plate (196,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANS-
MISSION (CVT)The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
in your vehicle is electronically controlled 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.
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 vehicle1. After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal before moving the selector
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This CVT is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any driving
position while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
The selector lever cannot be moved out
of the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is turned to the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position or if the key is removed.2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed, push
the selector lever button and move the
selector lever to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake
pedal, and then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
WARNING
.Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting from P (Park)
or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse) , D
(Drive) , L (Low) 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.
.Cold engine idle speed is high, so
use caution when shifting into a
forward or reverse gear before the
engine has warmed up.
.Never shift to P (Park) or R (Re-
verse) while vehicle is moving. Fail-
ure 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.
.Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE5-12
Starting and driving
Black plate (197,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
SSD0664
With manual shift mode
SSD0665
Without manual shift mode
ShiftingTo move the selector lever,
: Push the button while depressing the
brake pedal.: Push the button.: Just move the selector lever.
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal, push the selector lever button and move
the selector lever from the P (Park) position to
any of the desired shift positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the selector
lever is in any position while the engine
is not running. 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 ignition switch is turned to the OFF or
ACC position for any reason while the selector
lever is in any positions other than the P (Park) ,
the ignition switch cannot be turned to the
LOCK position.
If the ignition switch cannot be turned to the
LOCK position, perform the following steps:
1. Apply the parking brake when the vehicle isstopped.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position
while depressing the foot brake pedal.
3. Move the selector lever to the P (Park)
position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK
position.
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only
when the vehicle is completely stopped.
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 depressed and the selector
lever button pushed in to move the selec-
tor lever 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 move the selector lever to the P (Park)
position.
R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Make sure the
vehicle is completely stopped before selecting
Starting and driving
5-13
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 (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 (226,1)
Model "S35-D" EDITED: 2007/ 12/ 19
unnecessary electrical systems (lights, hea-
ter, air conditioner, etc.) .
3. Remove vent caps on the battery (if so
equipped) . Cover the battery with a firmly
wrung out moist cloth to reduce explosion
hazard.
4. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as
illustrated (
*1
?
*2
?
*3
?
*4).
For the vehicle equipped with Intelli-
gent Key system:
If the battery is discharged, the ignition
switch cannot be moved from the LOCK
position and, if the steering lock is
engaged, the steering wheel cannot be
moved. Connect the jumper cables to
the booster vehicle
*B
before turning
the ignition switch and disengaging the
steering lock.
CAUTION
.Always connect positive (+) to posi-
tive (+) and negative ( ) to body
ground (for example, as illustrated) ,
not to the battery.
.Make sure the jumper cables do not
touch moving parts in the engine
compartment and that the cable
clamps do not contact any othermetal.
5. Start the engine of the booster vehicle
*B
and let it run for a few minutes.
6. Keep the engine speed of the booster
vehicle
*B
at about 2,000 rpm, and start
the engine of the vehicle
*A
being jump
started.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged
for more than 10 seconds. If the engine
does not start right away, turn the
ignition switch to the OFF position
and wait 10 seconds before trying
again.
7. After starting your engine, carefully discon-
nect the negative cable and then the positive
cable (
*4
?
*3
?
*2
?
*1).
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped) . Be
sure to dispose of the cloth used to cover
the vent holes as it may be contaminated
with corrosive acid.Do not attempt to start the engine by pushing.
CAUTION
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models cannot be push-started
or tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.PUSH STARTING
6-10
In case of emergency