TOWING LOAD/SPECIFICATION
TOWING LOAD/SPECIFICATION CHARTUnit: lb (kg)
VQ35HR VK50VE
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) model All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) model All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) model
MAXIMUM TRAILER WEIGHT*1 —2,000 (907) 3,500 (1,588)
MAXIMUM TONGUE LOAD —200 (91) 350 (159)
GROSS COMBINED WEIGHT
RATING —
7,355 (3,336)*38,
825 (4,003)*4 9,109 (4,128)*39,
098 (4,127)*4
RECOMMENDED EQUIP-
MENT*2 Sway Control Device (SCD)
1: All towing above 1,000 lb (454 kg) requires the use of trailer brakes. INFINITI recommends the use of a tandem axle trailer whenever towing above 3,000 lb (1,361 kg).
2: A sway control device is recommended for all towing above 2,000 lb (907 kg). Sway control devices are not offered by INFINITI. See a professional trailer/hitch outlet for a properly designed
sway control device for your trailer.
3: For US
4: For Canada
TOWING SAFETY
Trailer hitch
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and
trailer. A genuine INFINITI trailer hitch is avail-
able from an INFINITI retailer. Make sure the
trailer hitch is securely attached to the vehicle
to help avoid personal injury or property dam-
age due to sway caused by crosswinds, rough
road surfaces or passing trucks.
WARNING
Trailer hitch components have specific weight
ratings. Your vehicle may be capable of towing
a trailer heavier than the weight rating of the
hitch components. Never exceed the weight
rating of the hitch components. Doing so can
cause serious personal injury or property
damage.
Hitch ball
Choose a hitch ball of the proper size and
weight rating for your trailer:
● The required hitch ball size is stamped on
most trailer couplers. Most hitch balls also
have the size printed on top of the ball.
● Choose the proper class hitch ball based on
the trailer weight.
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Trailer lights
CAUTION
When splicing into the vehicle electrical sys-
tem, a commercially available power-type
module/converter must be used to provide
power for all trailer lighting. This unit uses the
vehicle battery as a direct power source for all
trailer lights while using the vehicle tail light,
stoplight and turn signal circuits as a signal
source. The module/converter must draw no
more than 15 milliamps from the stop and tail
lamp circuits. Using a module/converter that
exceeds these power requirements may dam-
age the vehicle’s electrical system. See a repu-
table trailer retailer to obtain the proper equip-
ment and to have it installed.
Trailer lights should comply with federal and/or
local regulations. For assistance in hooking up
trailer lights, contact an INFINITI retailer or
reputable trailer retailer.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking sys-
tem, make sure it conforms to federal and/or
local regulations and that it is properly in-
stalled.
WARNING
Never connect a trailer brake system directly to
the vehicle brake system.
Pre-towing tips
● Be certain your vehicle maintains a level
position when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive the vehicle if it has an
abnormal nose-up or nose-down condition;
check for improper tongue load, overload,
worn suspension or other possible causes of
either condition.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Keep the cargo load as low as possible in the
trailer to keep the trailer center of gravity
low.
● Load the trailer so approximately 60% of the
trailer load is in the front half and 40% is in
the back half. Also make sure the load is
balanced side to side.
● Check your hitch, trailer tire pressure, ve-
hicle tire pressure, trailer light operation,
and trailer wheel lug nuts every time you
attach a trailer to the vehicle.
● Be certain your rearview mirrors conform to
all federal, state or local regulations. If not, install any mirrors required for towing before
driving the vehicle.
● Determine the overall height of the vehicle
and trailer so the required clearance is
known.Trailer towing tips
In order to gain skill and an understanding of
the vehicle’s behavior, you should practice turn-
ing, stopping and backing up in an area which
is free from traffic. Steering stability, and brak-
ing performance will be somewhat different
than under normal driving conditions.
● Always secure items in the trailer to prevent
load shift while driving.
● Lock the trailer hitch coupler with a pin or
lock to prevent the coupler from inadvert-
ently becoming unlatched.
● Avoid abrupt starts, acceleration or stops.
● Avoid sharp turns or lane changes.
● Always drive your vehicle at a moderate
speed. Some states or provinces have spe-
cific speed limits for vehicles that are towing
trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
● When backing up, hold the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand. Move your
hand in the direction in which you want the
trailer to go. Make small corrections and
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back up slowly. If possible, have someone
guide you when you are backing up.
Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Parking on a slope is not
recommended; however, if you must do so:
CAUTION
If you move the shift selector lever to the P
(Park) position before blocking the wheels and
applying the parking brake, transmission dam-
age could occur.
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place blocks on the down- hill side of the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. After the wheel blocks are in place, slowly release the brake pedal until the blocks
absorb the vehicle load.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Shift the transmission into P (Park).
6. Turn off the engine.
To drive away:
1. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine.
3. Shift the transmission into gear.
4. Release the parking brake. 5. Drive slowly until the vehicle and trailer
are clear from the blocks.
6. Apply and hold the brake pedal.
7. Have someone retrieve and store the blocks.
● When going down a hill, shift into a lower
gear and use the engine braking effect.
When going up a long grade, downshift the
transmission to a lower gear and reduce
speed to reduce chances of engine overload-
ing and/or overheating.
● If the engine coolant rises to an extremely
high temperature when the air conditioning
system is on, turn off the air conditioner.
Coolant heat can be additionally vented by
opening the windows, switching the fan
control to high and setting the temperature
control to the HOT position.
● Trailer towing requires more fuel than nor-
mal circumstances.
● Avoid towing a trailer for the first 500 miles
(800 km).
● Have your vehicle serviced more often than
at intervals specified in the recommended
maintenance schedule in the INFINITI Service
and Maintenance Guide.
● When making a turn, your trailer wheels will
be closer to the inside of the turn than your vehicle wheels. To compensate for this,
make a larger than normal turning radius
during the turn.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely
affect vehicle/trailer handling, possibly
causing vehicle sway. When being passed by
larger vehicles, be prepared for possible
changes in crosswinds that could affect ve-
hicle handling. If swaying does occur, firmly
grip the steering wheel, steer straight
ahead, and immediately (but gradually) re-
duce vehicle speed. This combination will
help stabilize the vehicle. Never increase
speed.
Do the following if the trailer begins to sway:
1. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to coast and steer as
straight ahead as the road conditions
allow. This combination will help stabilize
the vehicle.
– Do not correct trailer sway by steering orapplying the brakes.
2. When the trailer sway stops, gently apply the brakes and pull to the side of the road
in a safe area.
3. Try to rearrange the trailer load so it is balanced as described earlier in this sec-
tion.
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●Be careful when passing other vehicles.
Passing while towing a trailer requires con-
siderably more distance than normal pass-
ing. Remember the length of the trailer must
also pass the other vehicle before you can
safely change lanes.
● Down shift the transmission to a lower gear
for engine braking when driving down steep
or long hills. This will help slow the vehicle
without applying the brakes.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long
or too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat, resulting in reduced
braking efficiency.
● Increase your following distance to allow for
greater stopping distances while towing a
trailer. Anticipate stops and brake gradually.
● Do not use cruise control while towing a
trailer.
● Some states or provinces have specific regu-
lations and speed limits for vehicles that are
towing trailers. Obey the local speed limits.
● Check your hitch, trailer wiring harness con-
nections, and trailer wheel lug nuts after 50
miles (80 km) of travel and at every break.
● When stopped in traffic for long periods of
time in hot weather, put the vehicle in the P
(Park) position. ●
When launching a boat, don’t allow the
water level to go over the exhaust tail pipe or
rear bumper.
● Make sure you disconnect the trailer lights
before backing the trailer into the water or
the trailer lights may burn out.
When towing a trailer, the transmission fluid
should be changed more frequently. For addi-
tional information, see the “8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section earlier in this manual.
FLAT TOWING
Towing your vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is sometimes called flat towing. This
method is sometimes used when towing a
vehicle behind a recreational vehicle, such as a
motor home.
CAUTION
● Failure to follow these guidelines can result
in severe transmission damage.
● Whenever flat towing your vehicle, always
tow forward, never backward.
● DO NOT tow any automatic transmission ve-
hicle with all four wheels on the ground (flat
towing). Doing so WILL DAMAGE internal
transmission parts due to lack of transmis-
sion lubrication. ●
DO NOT tow an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) ve-
hicle with any of the wheels on the ground.
Doing so may cause serious and expensive
damage to the powertrain.
● For emergency towing procedures refer to
“TOWING RECOMMENDED BY INFINITI” in the
“6. In case of emergency” section of this
manual.
Automatic transmission
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models :
Do not tow an AWD vehicle with any of the
wheels on the ground.
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models :
To tow a vehicle equipped with an automatic
transmission, an appropriate vehicle dolly
MUST be placed under the towed vehicle’s drive
wheels. Alwaysfollow the dolly manufacturer’s
recommendations when using their product.
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DOT (Department Of Transportation) Quality
Grades: All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
TREADWEAR
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and one-half (1 1/2) times
as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics
and climate.
TRACTION AA, A, B AND C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and C. Those grades represent the
tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on specifiedgovernment test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based
on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and
does not include acceleration, cornering, hy-
droplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
TEMPERATURE A, B AND C
The temperature grades A (the highest), B, and
C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the ma-
terial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to
a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A rep-
resent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum re-
quired by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, under-inflation,
or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat build-up and pos-
sible tire failure.
UNIFORM TIRE QUALITY GRADING
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You may notify INFINITI by contacting our
Consumer Affairs Department, toll-free,
at 1-800-662-6200.A vehicle equipped with All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
should never be tested using a two wheel
dynamometer (such as the dynamometers used
by some states for emissions testing), or similar
equipment. Make sure you inform test facility
personnel that your vehicle is equipped with
AWD before it is placed on a dynamometer.
Using the wrong test equipment may result in
transmission damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious vehicle
damage or personal injury.
Due to legal requirements in some states/ areas
or provinces, your vehicle may be required to be
in what is called the “ready condition” for an
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of the emis-
sion control system.
The vehicle is set to the “ready condition” when
it is driven through certain driving patterns.
Usually, the “ready condition” can be obtained
by ordinary usage of the vehicle.
If a powertrain system component is repaired or
the battery is disconnected, the vehicle may be
reset to a “not ready condition”. Before taking
the I/M test, check the vehicle’s
inspection/maintenance test readiness condi-
tion. Push the ignition switch to the ON position
without starting the engine. If the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) comes on steady for 20
seconds and then blinks for 10 seconds, the I/Mtest condition is “not ready”. If the MIL does not
blink after 20 seconds, the I/M test condition is
“ready”.
If the MIL indicates the vehicle is in a “not
ready” condition, drive the vehicle through the
following pattern to set the vehicle to the
“ready condition”. If you cannot or do not want
to perform the driving pattern, an INFINITI re-
tailer can conduct it for you.
WARNING
Always drive the vehicle in a safe and prudent
manner according to traffic conditions and
obey all traffic laws.
1. Start the engine. Allow the engine to idle
until the engine coolant temperature
gauge needle points between the C and H
(normal operating temperature).
2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h), then quickly release the accelera-
tor pedal completely and keep it released
for at least 10 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for a moment, then drive the vehicle at a
speed of 53 to 60 MPH (86 to 96 km/h) for
at least 9 minutes.
4. Stop the vehicle. Leave the engine run- ning.
READINESS FOR INSPECTION/
MAINTENANCE (I/M) TEST
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10 Index
A
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ........5-76
Adaptive front lighting system (AFS) .....2-38
Advanced air bag system ...........1-45
Aiming control, Adaptive front lighting
system (AFS) ................. .2-38
Air bag system Advanced air bag system .........1-45
Front passenger air bag and status
light ..................... 1-47
Front-seat mounted side-impact
supplemental air bag system .......1-50
Roof-mounted curtain side-impact and
rollover supplemental air bag system . . 1-50
Air bag warning labels .............1-53
Air bag warning light ..........1-53 , 2-17
Air cleaner housing filter ...........8-19
Air conditioner Advanced Climate Control System
(ACCS) ................... .4-44
Air conditioner service ..........4-46
Air conditioner specification label ....9-13
Air conditioning system refrigerant and
lubricant recommendations .......4-46
Automatic climate control ........4-40
In-cabin microfilter ............4-45
Operation (See automatic climate
control) ................... 4-40
Alarm, How to stop alarm
(see vehicle security system) .........2-31Alcohol, drugs and driving
...........5-7
All-wheel drive (AWD) .............5-69
All-wheel drive (AWD) warning light .....2-13
Antenna .................... .4-90
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ........5-76
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) warning
light ...................... .2-13
Appearance care Exterior appearance care ..........7-2
Interior appearance care ..........7-4
Armrest .................... .1-12
Around view monitor .............4-28
Audible reminders .............. .2-20
Audio operation precautions .........4-46
Audio system ................. .4-46
Audio system, Steering wheel audio
controls .................... .4-89
Auto closure .................. .3-17
Autolight
system ............... .2-36
Automatic Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) . . . .8-13
Climate control .............. 4-40
Driving with automatic transmission . . . 5-13
Automatic door locks ..............3-5
Automatic drive positioner ..........3-25
Automatic seat positioner ...........3-25
Average fuel consumption and speed . . . .2-27
Avoiding collision and rollover .........5-5 B
Back door (See lift gate) ............3-16
Battery ..................... .8-15
Battery Battery saver system ............2-37
Intelligent Key ............... 8-23
Variable voltage control system . ....8-17
Before starting the engine ...........5-12
Belts (See drive belts) .............8-17
Bluetooth hands-free phone system
(models with navigation system) ......4-104
Booster seats ................. .1-35
Brake Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ......5-76
Brake fluid ................. 8-14
Brake system ................ 5-73
Parking brake operation ..........5-17
Brake warning light ............. .2-13
Break-in schedule .............. .5-68
Brightness control and display ON/OFF
button ...................... .4-7
Brightness control, Instrument panel . . . .2-39
Bulb check/instrument panel . . . . . . . . .2-12
Bulb replacement .............. .8-25
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C
Cabin air filter ................ .4-45
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants ................. .9-2
Car phone or CB radio ............4-103
Card holder .................. .2-49
Cargo (See vehicle loading information) . . .2-50
Cargo cover .................. .2-51
Cargo light .................. .2-60
Cargo net ................... .2-50
Catalytic converter, Three way catalyst . . . .5-2
Center multi-function control panel ......4-2
Child restraints ................ .1-20
Child restraints Booster seats ............... .1-35
Installation using LATCH .........1-25
Installation using the seat belts .....1-29
LATCH system ............... 1-22
Precautions on child restraints ......1-20
Top tether strap .............. 1-24
Child safety .................. .1-15
Child safety rear door lock ...........3-6
Chimes Audible reminders .............2-20
Seat belt warning light and chime ....2-17
Circuit breaker, Fusible link ..........8-22
Cleaning exterior and interior ......7-2 , 7-4
Climate control Automatic climate control .........4-40
Clock ..................... .2-45
Coat hooks .................. .2-49
Cockpit ..................... .2-2
Cold weather driving ............. .5-80Command (See Bluetooth
Hands-Free
Phone System) ............4-105 , 4-121
Compact Disc (CD) player
(See audio system) ............. .4-63
Compact spare tire ............. .8-38
Compass .................... .2-9
Console box ..................2-48
Continuous
Damping Control .........5-72
Controller, Center multi-function control
panel ...................... .4-4
Controls Control panel button (display) .......4-2
Heater and air conditioner controls
(See automatic climate control) .....4-40
Coolant
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants .................. .9-2
Changing engine coolant .........8-10
Checking engine coolant level ......8-9
Corrosion protection ..............7-6
Cover, Cargo cover .............. .2-51
Cruise control ................. .5-26
Cruise control, Fixed speed cruise control
(on ICC system) ................ .5-45
Cruise indicator ............... .2-24
Cup holders .................. .2-46
Current fuel consumption ...........2-27
D
Daytime running light system ........2-38
Defroster switch, Rear window and outside
mirror defroster switch ............2-35
Dimensions .................. .9-10
Display cleaning ................ .4-5Display controls (See center multi-function
control panel)
................. .4-2
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system . . . .5-49
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
switch indicator ............... .2-25
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
warning light ................. .2-14
Distance to empty .............. .2-27
Door/lift gate open warning .........2-24
Dot matrix liquid crystal display .......2-21
Drive belts ................... .8-17
Drive positioner ............... .3-25
Driving All-wheel drive (AWD) ...........5-69
Cold weather driving ...........5-80
Driving with automatic transmission . . . 5-13
On-pavement and off-road driving ....5-5
Precautions when starting and driving . . 5-2
Safety precautions .............5-7
DS (Drive Sport) mode .............5-15
E
Economy, Fuel ................ .5-68
Elapsed time ................. .2-27
Elapsed
time and trip odometer .......2-27
Emission control information label ......9-12
Emission control system warranty ......9-29
Engine Before starting the engine .........5-12
Break-in schedule ............. 5-68
Capacities and recommended fuel/
lubricants ..................9-2
Changing engine coolant .........8-10
Changing engine oil and filter . . . . . . 8-11
10-2
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