PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever the
stopping effect of the parking brake is weak-
ened or whenever the parking brake shoes
and/or drums/rotors are replaced, in order to
assure the best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle ser-
vice manual and can be performed by an
INFINITI retailer.
Using the brakes
Avoid 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 save the brakes 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.
WARNING
●While driving on a slippery surface, be care-
ful when braking, accelerating or downshift-
ing. Abrupt braking or accelerating could
cause the wheels to skid and result in an
accident.
● If the engine is not running or is turned off
while driving, the power assist for the
brakes will not work. Braking will be harder.
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking force than
a conventional brake booster even with light
pedal force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to assist braking
operation and is not a collision warning or
avoidance device. It is the driver’s responsibil-
ity to stay alert, drive safely and be in control of
the vehicle at all times.
PREVIEW FUNCTION (Intelligent Cruise
Control system equipped models)
When the Preview Function identifies the need
to apply emergency braking by sensing a ve-
hicle ahead in the same lane and the distance
and relative speed from it, it applies the brake
pre-pressure before the driver depresses the
brake pedal and helps improve brake response
by reducing pedal free play.
● This system will not operate when the ve-
hicle is moving at approximately 20 MPH (32
km/h) or less.
BRAKE ASSIST
Starting and driving5-49
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04/29/10—pattie
●Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension. If
suspension parts such as shock absorbers,
struts, springs, stabilizer bars, bushings
and wheels are not INFINITI recommended
for your vehicle or are extremely deterio-
rated, the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly. This could adversely affect vehicle han-
dling performance, and the
indicator
may flash or both
andindicator
lights may illuminate.
● If brake related parts such as brake pads,
rotors and calipers are not INFINITI recom-
mended or are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate properly and
both
andindicator lights may
illuminate.
● If engine control related parts are not
INFINITI recommended or are extremely de-
teriorated, both the
andindica-
tor lights may illuminate.
● When driving on extremely inclined surfaces
such as higher banked corners, the VDC sys-
tem may not operate properly and the
indicator may flash or bothandindicator lights may illuminate. Do not drive
on these types of roads. ●
When driving on an unstable surface such as
a turntable, ferry, elevator or ramp, the
indicator may flash or bothand
indicator lights may illuminate. This
is not a malfunction. Restart the engine after
driving onto a stable surface.
● If wheels or tires other than the INFINITI rec-
ommended ones are used, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
in-
dicator may flash or both
andindicator lights may illuminate.
● The VDC system is not a substitute for winter
tires or tire chains on a snow covered road. The 4 Wheel Active Steer (4WAS) system is an
electronically controlled four-wheel steering
system.
Depending on the vehicle speed and steering
angle, the angles of the front and rear wheels
are adjusted by the 4WAS system to help
improve driving performance.
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the 4WAS
function will stop but the ordinary two-wheel
steering system will operate normally. The
“4WAS” warning light will illuminate. If the light
illuminates while you are driving, contact an
INFINITI retailer for repair.
The steering wheel may be slightly turned even
when driving on a straight road due to a
protection mechanism for the 4WAS system.
This is not a malfunction. The steering wheel
will return to the normal position after the
protection mechanism deactivates.
The protection mechanism activates under the
following conditions:
●
The steering wheel is operated forcibly when
it is hard to operate or the tires are blocked
by obstacles.
● The steering wheel is continuously operated
when the vehicle is parked or being driven at
extremely low speed.
4 WHEEL ACTIVE STEER (4WAS) SYSTEM (if
so equipped)
5-54Starting and driving
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04/29/10—pattie
Installing the spare tire
The T-type spare tire is designed for emergency
use. (See specific instructions under the head-
ing “WHEELS AND TIRES” in the “8. Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section.)
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surfacebetween the wheel and hub.
2. Carefully put the spare tire on and tighten the wheel nuts finger tight.
Models equipped with different sized tires in
the front and rear:
When replacing a front tire, make sure that
the hole in the spare tire wheel is aligned
with the pin on the brake rotor.
3. With the wheel nut wrench, tighten wheelnuts alternately and evenly in the se-
quence as illustrated (
1,2,3,4,5)
until they are tight.
4. Lower the vehicle slowly until the tire touches the ground. Then, with the wheel
nut wrench, tighten the wheel nuts se-
curely in the sequence as illustrated.
Lower the vehicle completely.
WARNING
●Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to become
loose or come off. This could cause an
accident.
● Do not use oil or grease on the wheel studs or
nuts. This could cause the nuts to become
loose.
● Retighten the wheel nuts when the vehicle
has been driven for 600 miles (1,000 km)
(also in cases of a flat tire, etc.).
● As soon as possible, tighten the wheel nuts
to the specified torque with a torque wrench. Wheel nut tightening torque:
80 ft-lb (108 N·m)
The wheel nuts must be kept tightened to speci-
fication at all times. It is recommended that
wheel nuts be tightened to specifications at
each lubrication interval.
● Adjust tire pressure to the COLD pressure.
COLD pressure:
After the vehicle has been parked for three
hours or more or driven less than 1 mile (1.6
km).
COLD tire pressures are shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label affixed to the
driver side center pillar.SCE0661
6-6In case of emergency
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04/21/10—debbie
Tire rotation (Models equipped with
different size tires on front and rear)
Tires cannot be rotated on this vehicle,
as front tires are a different size from
rear tires and the direction of the wheel
rotation is fixed for each tire.
A pin is on the front brake rotor to
prevent the rear wheels from being in-
stalled in place of the front wheels. The
spare tire can be installed in place of the
front and rear wheels. When installing
the spare tire in the front wheel, the hole
in the spare tire wheel must be aligned
with the pin on the brake rotor.
WARNING
●Retighten the wheel nuts when the
vehicle has been driven for 600 miles
(1,000 km) (also in cases of a flat tire,
etc.).
●For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or “Tire Safety In-
formation” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information Booklet.
1. Wear indicator
2. Wear indicator location mark
Tire wear and damage
WARNING
●Tires should be periodically in-
spected for wear, cracking, bulging or
objects caught in the tread. If exces-
sive wear, cracks, bulging or deep
cuts are found, the tire(s) should be
replaced.
SDI1663
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-37
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