
1. Check the brake fluid level. If brake fluid is
necessary, add fluid and have the system
checked by your INFINITI retailer. (See
“BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID” in the “8.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section.)
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the
warning system checked by an INFINITI
retailer.
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning indica-
tor :
When the parking brake is released and the
brake fluid level is sufficient, if both the brake
warning light and the Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) warning light illuminate, it may indicate
the ABS is not functioning properly. Have the
brake system checked, and if necessary re-
paired, by an INFINITI retailer promptly. (See
“Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning light”
earlier in this section.)
WARNING● Your brake system may not be working prop-
erly if the warning light is on. Driving could
be dangerous. If you judge it to be safe, drive
carefully to the nearest service station for
repairs. Otherwise, have your vehicle towed
because driving it could be dangerous. ● Pressing the brake pedal with the engine
stopped and/or low brake fluid level may
increase your stopping distance and braking
will require greater pedal effort as well as
pedal travel.
● If the brake fluid level is below the minimum
or MIN mark on the brake fluid reservoir, do
not drive until the brake system has been
checked at an INFINITI retailer.
Charge warning light If the light comes on while the engine is run-
ning, it may indicate the charging system is not
functioning properly. Turn the engine off and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is loose,
broken, missing or if the light remains on, see
an INFINITI retailer immediately.
CAUTIONDo not continue driving if the alternator belt is
loose, broken or missing.
4 Wheel Active Steer (4WAS)
warning light (if so equipped) If the light comes on while the engine is run-
ning, it may indicate that there is a malfunction
with the 4 Wheel Active Steer (4WAS) portion of the steering system. Push the ignition switch to
the OFF position and then to the ON position. If
the light does not turn off after cycling the
engine, have the system checked by an INFINITI
retailer.
For further information about the 4 Wheel Active
Steer system, see “4 WHEEL ACTIVE STEER
(4WAS) SYSTEM” in the “5. Starting and driv-
ing” section.
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the 4
Wheel Active Steer (4WAS) function will cease
but driving can be continued. However, the
steering wheel is slightly turned even when
driving on a straight road. Drive carefully to the
nearest INFINITI retailer.
Engine oil pressure warning
light This light warns of low engine oil pressure. If
the light flickers or comes on during normal
driving, pull off the road in a safe area, stop the
engine immediately and call an INFINITI retailer
or other authorized repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is not de-
signed to indicate a low oil level. Use the dip-
stick to check the oil level. (See “ENGINE OIL” in
the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion.)
Instruments and controls
2-13
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10/12/09—tbrooks

8. Intelligent Key battery discharge
indicator This indicator appears when the Intelligent Key
battery is running out of power.
If this indicator appears, replace the battery
with a new one. (See “INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY
REPLACEMENT” in the “8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section.)
9. Engine start operation indicator
(Manual Transmission models) This indicator means that the engine will start
by pushing the ignition switch with the clutch
pedal depressed.
10. Parking brake release warning This warning appears when the vehicle speed is
above 4 MPH (7 km/h) and the parking brake is
applied.
11. Low fuel warning This warning appears when the fuel level in the
tank is getting low. Refuel as soon as it is
convenient, preferably before the fuel gauge
reaches the empty (E) position.
There is a small reserve of fuel remaining in the
tank when the fuel gauge reaches the empty (E)
position. 12. Low washer fluid warning This warning appears when the washer tank
fluid is at a low level. Add washer fluid as
necessary. (See “WINDOW WASHER FLUID” in
the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion.)
13. Door/trunk open warning (ignition
switch is in the ON position) This warning appears if any of the doors and/or
the trunk lid are open or not closed securely.
The vehicle icon indicates which door or the
trunk lid is open on the display.
14. Loose fuel cap warning (if so
equipped) This warning appears when the fuel-filler cap is
not tightened correctly after the vehicle has
been refueled. (See “FUEL-FILLER DOOR” in the
“3. Pre-driving checks and adjustments” sec-
tion.)
15. Check tire pressure warning (if so
equipped) This warning appears when the low tire pres-
sure warning light in the meter illuminates to
indicate the low tire pressure. If this warning
appears, stop the vehicle and adjust the tire
pressure to the recommended COLD tire pres- sure shown on the Tire and Loading Information
label. (See “Low tire pressure warning light”
earlier in this section and “TIRE PRESSURE
WARNING SYSTEM (TPMS)” in the “5. Starting
and driving” section.)
16. “Time to rest” indicator This indicator appears when the set “time to
rest” indicator activates. You can set the time
for up to 6 hours. (See “TRIP COMPUTER” later
in this section.)
17. Low outside temperature warning This warning appears if the outside temperature
is below 37°F (3°C). The warning can be set not
to be displayed. (See “TRIP COMPUTER” later in
this section.)
18. Cruise indicator Cruise main switch indicator :
The indicator is displayed when the cruise
control main switch is pushed. When the main
switch is pushed again, the indicator disap-
pears. When the cruise control main switch
indicator is displayed, the cruise control system
is operational.
2-22 Instruments and controls
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05/10/10—tbrooks

The ignition switch is equipped with an anti-
theft steering lock device.
In order for the steering wheel to be locked, it
must be turned about 1/8 of a right or left turn
from the straight up position.
To lock the steering wheel, shift the ignition
switch to the LOCK position. To unlock the steer-
ing wheel, push the ignition switch. If the steer-
ing lock release malfunction indicator appears
on the dot matrix liquid crystal display, push the
push-button ignition switch again while lightly
turning the steering wheel right and left. (See
“DOT MATRIX LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY” in the
“2. Instruments and controls” section.)
If the battery of the vehicle is discharged, the
push-button ignition switch cannot be turned
from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for operation are
displayed on the dot matrix liquid crystal dis-
play between the speedometer and tachometer.
(See “DOT MATRIX LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY” in
the “2. Instruments and controls” section.)
Automatic transmission models The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch position cannot be switched to LOCK
until the selector lever is moved to the P (Park)
position. When the ignition switch cannot be pushed
toward the LOCK position, proceed as follows:
1. Move the selector lever into the P (Park)
position.
2. Push the ignition switch to the OFF posi-
tion. The ignition switch position indicator
will not illuminate.
3. Open the door. The ignition switch will
change to the LOCK position.
The selector lever can be moved from the P (Park)
position if the ignition switch is in the ON posi-
tion and the brake pedal is depressed.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position) The ignition switch can only be locked in this
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it is
pushed to the ACC position while carrying the
Intelligent Key or with the Intelligent Key in-
serted in the port.
ACC (Accessories) This position activates electrical accessories
such as the radio, when the engine is not
running. ON (Normal operating position) This position turns on the ignition system and
electrical accessories.
OFF The engine can be turned off without locking
the steering wheel.
The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch cannot be switched to the LOCK position
until the selector lever is moved to the P (Park)
position.
CAUTIONDo not leave the vehicle with the push-button
ignition switch in ACC or ON positions when the
engine is not running for an extended period.
This can discharge the battery.
Emergency engine shut off To shut off the engine in an emergency situation
while driving peform the following procedure:
− Rapidly push the push-button ignition switch
3 consecutive times, or
− Push and hold the push-button ignition for
more than 2 seconds.
Starting and driving
5-9
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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
5-13
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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
5-15
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04/21/10—debbie

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 out-
side 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 ve-
hicle. They could release the parking brake
and cause an accident.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MODELS 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. MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODELS To apply: Pull the parking brake lever up
1
.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. While pulling up on the parking brake
lever slightly, push the button
2
and
lower the lever completely
3
.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning
light goes out. SPA2331 SPA2110
PARKING BRAKE
5-18 Starting and driving
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04/21/10—debbie