Remember, drinking and driving don’t mix! And
that is true for drugs, too (over-the-counter,
prescription, and illegal drugs). Don’t drive if
your ability to operate your vehicle is impaired
by alcohol, drugs, or some other physical con-
dition.
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) DRIVING
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WARNING● Do not drive beyond the performance capa-
bility of the tires, even with AWD engaged.
Accelerating quickly, sharp steering maneu-
vers or sudden braking may cause loss of
control.
● Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or ra-
dial), and tread pattern on all four wheels.
Install tire chains on the rear wheels when
driving on slippery roads and drive carefully.
● This vehicle is not designed for offroad
(rough road) use. Do not drive on sandy or
muddy roads that tires may get stuck in. ● For AWD equipped vehicles, do not attempt
to raise two wheels off the ground and shift
the transmission to any D (Drive) or R (Re-
verse) position with the engine running. Do-
ing so may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
● Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped ve-
hicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer, (such as
the dynamometers used by some states for
emissions testing), or similar equipment
even if the other two wheels are raised off
the ground. Make sure you inform test facil-
ity personnel that your vehicle is equipped
with AWD before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment may
result in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result in seri-
ous vehicle damage or personal injury.
● When a wheel is off the ground due to an
unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively. WARNINGDo not operate the push-button ignition switch
while driving the vehicle except in an emer-
gency. (The engine will stop when the ignition
switch is pushed 3 consecutive times or the
ignition switch is pushed and held for more
than 2 seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the selector lever to the
P (Park) position (for automatic transmission
model) or the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (for manual transmission model).PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving
5-7
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04/21/10—debbie
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic Transmission (AT) model:
Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the selector lever is in either of the above
positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) model:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral) posi-
tion. Depress the clutch pedal fully to the
floor.
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the clutch pedal is fully depressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried when op-
erating the ignition switch.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion. Depress the brake pedal (AT model)
or the clutch pedal (MT model) and push
the ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push and
release the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal or clutch pedal (MT model)
with the ignition switch in any position. ● If the engine is very hard to start in ex-
tremely cold weather or when restarting,
depress the accelerator pedal a little (ap-
proximately 1/3 to the floor) and while hold-
ing, crank the engine. Release the accelera-
tor pedal when the engine starts.
● If the engine is very hard to start because it
is flooded, depress the accelerator pedal all
the way to the floor and hold it. Push the
ignition switch to the ON position to start
cranking the engine. After 5 or 6 seconds,
stop cranking by pushing the ignition switch
to OFF. After cranking the engine, release the
accelerator pedal. Crank the engine with
your foot off the accelerator pedal by de-
pressing the brake pedal and pushing the
push-button ignition switch to start the en-
gine. If the engine starts, but fails to run,
repeat the above procedure.
CAUTIONDo not operate the starter for more than 15
seconds at a time. If the engine does not start,
push the ignition switch to OFF and wait 10
seconds before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged. 4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Do not race the en-
gine while warming it up. Drive at moderate
speed for a short distance first, especially in
cold weather. In cold weather, keep the
engine running for a minimum of 2 - 3
minutes before shutting it off. Starting and
stopping the engine over a short period of
time may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,000 rpm or
more under no load condition, the engine
will enter the fuel cut mode.
5. To stop the engine, shift the selector lever
to the P (Park) position (AT model) or
move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (MT model), and push the igni-
tion switch to the OFF position.STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving
5-11
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04/21/10—debbie
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission The automatic transmission in your vehicle is
electronically controlled by a transmission con-
trol module to produce maximum efficiency and
smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the recom-
mended operating procedures for this transmis-
sion. Follow these procedures for maximum
vehicle performance and driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle After starting the engine, fully depress the foot
brake pedal and push the selector lever button
before shifting the selector lever to the R (Re-
verse), N (Neutral), D (Drive), DS (Drive Sport) or
Manual shift mode position. Be sure the vehicle
is fully stopped before attempting to shift the
selector lever.
This automatic transmission model is designed
so that the foot brake pedal must be depressed
before shifting from P (Park) to any drive posi-
tion while the ignition switch position is ON.
The selector lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position and into any of the other gear
positions if the ignition switch is pushed to the
LOCK, OFF or ACC position. 1. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and
push the selector lever button to shift into
a driving gear.
2. Release the parking brake and foot brake,
then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
WARNING● Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
shifting from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R (Re-
verse), D (Drive), DS (Drive Sport) 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 cau-
tion when shifting into a forward or reverse
gear before the engine has warmed up.
● Never shift to P (Park) or R (Reverse) while
vehicle is moving forward. Never shift to P
(Park), D (Drive) or DS (Drive Sport) while
vehicle is moving rearward. Failure 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 slippery roads.
This may cause a loss of control.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-12 Starting and driving
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04/21/10—debbie
Shifting To 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 and shift the selector lever from P
(Park) to R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive), DS
(Drive Sport) or Manual shift mode position. Push the button to shift into P (Park) or R
(Reverse). All other positions can be selected
without pushing the button.
WARNINGApply 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.
CAUTIONMake sure the vehicle is completely stopped
and the transmission is in the P (Park) position.
P (Park) position :
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 selector lever from
the N (Neutral) position or any drive position to
the P (Park) position. Apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake
first, then move the selector lever to the P (Park)
position. CAUTIONUse this position only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
R (Reverse) :
Use this position to back up. Always be sure the
vehicle is completely stopped before selecting
the R (Reverse) position. The brake pedal must
be depressed and the selector lever button
pushed in to move the selector lever from the P
(Park) position, the N (Neutral) position or any
drive position to the R (Reverse) position.
N (Neutral) :
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position. You
may shift to the N (Neutral) position and restart
a stalled engine while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive) :
Use this position for all normal forward driving.Selector lever SSD0596
Starting and driving
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04/21/10—debbie
M
6 (6th) and M
5 (5th) :
Use this position when driving up long slopes,
or for engine braking when driving down long
slopes. M
4 (4th), M
3 (3rd) and M
2 (2nd) :
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades. M
1 (1st) :
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow, or
for maximum engine braking on steep downhill
grades.
● Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than 7th
gear. This reduces fuel economy.
● Moving the selector lever rapidly to the same
side twice will shift the ranges in succes-
sion.
● In the manual shift mode, the transmission
may not shift to the selected gear. This helps
maintain driving performance and reduces
the chance of vehicle damage or loss of con-
trol.
When this situation occurs, the Automatic
Transmission (AT) position indicator light (on
the dot matrix liquid crystal display) will
blink and the chime will sound. ● In the manual shift mode, the transmission
automatically shifts down to 1st gear before
the vehicle comes to a stop. When accelerat-
ing again, it is necessary to shift up to the
desired range.
Accelerator downshift — In D (Drive)
position — For passing or hill climbing, fully depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into the lower gear, depend-
ing on the vehicle speed.
Fail-safe When the fail-safe operation occurs, note that
the transmission will be locked in any of the
forward gears according to the condition.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme conditions,
such as excessive wheel spinning and subse-
quent hard braking, the fail-safe system may be
activated. This will occur even if all electrical
circuits are functioning properly. In this case,
push the ignition switch to the OFF position and
wait for 3 seconds. Then push the ignition switch
back to the ON position. The vehicle should re-
turn to its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condition,
have an INFINITI retailer check the transmission
and repair if necessary. Shift lock release If the battery charge is low or discharged, the
selector lever may not be moved from the P
(Park) position even with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the selector lever button pushed.
To move the selector lever, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or
LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
A
using a
suitable tool. SSD0598
Starting and driving
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04/21/10—debbie
4. Push down the shift lock
B
as illustrated.
5. Push the selector lever button
C
and
move the selector lever to N (Neutral)
position
D
while holding down the shift
lock.
Push the ignition switch to the ON position to
unlock the steering wheel. Now the vehicle may
be moved to the desired location.
If the battery is discharged completely, the
steering wheel cannot be unlocked. Do not
move the vehicle with the steering wheel
locked.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P (Park),
have an INFINITI retailer check the automatic
transmission system as soon as possible.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION WARNING● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery roads.
This may cause a loss of control.
● Do not over-rev the engine when shifting to a
lower gear. This may cause a loss of control
or engine damage. CAUTION● Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This may damage the clutch.
● Fully depress the clutch pedal before shift-
ing to help prevent transmission damage.
● Stop your vehicle completely before shifting
into R (Reverse).
● When the vehicle is stopped for a period of
time, 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, fully depress the clutch pedal, shift
into the appropriate gear, then slowly and
smoothly release the clutch pedal.
This vehicle is equipped with a short throw
shifter manual transmission. To ensure smooth
gear changes, fully depress the clutch pedal
before operating the shift lever. If the clutch
pedal is not fully depressed before the trans-
mission is shifted, a gear noise may be heard.
Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and shift to 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in sequence accord-
ing to vehicle speed. SSD0536
5-16 Starting and driving
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04/21/10—debbie
To back up, depress the shift lever and then
move it to the R (Reverse) gear after stopping
the vehicle completely.
The shift lever returns to its original position
when the shift lever is moved to the N (Neutral)
position.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into the R
(Reverse) or 1st gear, shift to the N (Neutral)
position, and then release the clutch pedal
once. Fully depress the clutch pedal again and
shift into the R (Reverse) or 1st gear.
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.
For normal acceleration in low altitude areas
[less than 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]: Gear change MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 8 (13)
2nd to 3rd 16 (25)
3rd to 4th 25 (40)
4th to 5th 28 (45)
5th to 6th 33 (53) For quick acceleration in low altitude areas or in
high altitude areas [over 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]: Gear change MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)
Suggested maximum speed in each
gear Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is not
running smoothly, or if you need to accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested speed
(shown below) in any gear. For level road driv-
ing, use the highest gear suggested for that
speed. Always observe posted speed limits, and
drive according to the road conditions, which
will ensure safe operation. Do not over-rev the
engine when shifting to a lower gear as it may
cause engine damage or loss of vehicle control. Sedan: Gear MPH (km/h)
1st 39 (63)
2nd 64 (103)
3rd 92 (148)
4th —
5th —
6th —
Coupe: Gear MPH (km/h)
1st 39 (63)
2nd 65 (104)
3rd 93 (149)
4th —
5th —
6th —
Starting and driving
5-17
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04/21/10—debbie
This system will not automatically brake the ve-
hicle to a stop.
WARNING● As there is a performance limit to the dis-
tance control function, never rely solely on
the Intelligent Cruise Control system. This
system does not correct careless, inatten-
tive or absent-minded driving, or overcome
poor visibility in rain, fog, or other bad
weather. Decelerate the vehicle speed by de-
pressing the brake pedal, depending on the
distance to the vehicle ahead and the sur-
rounding circumstances in order to maintain
a safe distance between vehicles.
● Although the brake operation is controlled
by the system, the system does not auto-
matically stop the vehicle. If the vehicle
speed falls below approximately 20 MPH (32
km/h), the Intelligent Cruise Control system
is automatically canceled and a warning
chime sounds. (The brake control is also
canceled.)
● The system may not detect the vehicle in
front of you in certain road or weather condi-
tions. To avoid accidents, never use the In-
telligent Cruise Control system under the
following conditions: – On roads where the traffic is heavy or
there are sharp curves
– On slippery road surfaces such as on ice
or snow, etc.
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
When the windshield wiper is operated at
the low speed (LO) or high speed (HI) po-
sition, the Intelligent Cruise Control sys-
tem is automatically canceled.
– When strong light (for example, at sun-
rise or sunset) is directly shining on the
front of the vehicle
– When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the sys-
tem sensor
– On steep downhill roads (the vehicle may
go beyond the set vehicle speed and fre-
quent braking may result in overheating
the brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
– When traffic conditions make it difficult to
keep a proper distance between vehicles
because of frequent acceleration or
deceleration ● In some road or traffic conditions, a vehicle
or object can unexpectedly come into the
sensor detection zone and cause automatic
braking. You may need to control the dis-
tance from other vehicles using the accelera-
tor pedal. Always stay alert and avoid using
the ICC system when it is not recommended
in this section.
5-24 Starting and driving
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04/29/10—pattie