2010 NISSAN MAXIMA transmission

Warning
lightName Page
or
Anti-lock Braking
System (ABS) warn-
ing light2-11
or
Brake warning light 2-11
Charge warning
light2-11
Engine oil pressure
warning light2-12
Low tire pressure
warning light2-12
Master warning light 2-13
NISSAN Intelligent
Key™ warning light2-13
Warning
lightName Page
Seat belt warning
light and chime2-13
Supplemental air
bag warning light2-14
Indicator
lightName Page
Continuously Vari-
able Transmission
(CVT) indicator light2-14
Continuously Vari-
able Transmission
(CVT) position indi-
cator light2-10
CRUISE main
switch indicator light2-14
Fog light indicator
light (if so equipped)2-14
Front passenger air
bag status light2-15
Indicator
lightName Page
High beam indicator
light (blue)2-15
Malfunction indica-
tor light (MIL)2-15
Security indicator
light2-16
Slip indicator light 2-16
Turn signal/hazard
indicator lights2-16
Vehicle Dynamic
Control OFF indica-
tor light2-16
WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS
Illustrated table of contents0-9

orAnti-lock Braking System (ABS)
warning lightSeat belt warning light and chimeHigh beam indicator light (blue)
orBrake warning lightSupplemental air bag warning lightMalfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
Charge warning lightContinuously Variable Transmission (CVT) indi-
cator lightSecurity indicator light
Engine oil pressure warning lightContinuously Variable Transmission (CVT) po-
sition indicator lightSlip indicator light
Low tire pressure warning lightCruise main switch indicator lightTurn signal/hazard indicator lights
Master warning lightFog light indicator light (if so equipped)Vehicle Dynamic Control OFF indicator light
NISSAN Intelligent Key™ warning lightFront passenger air bag status light
CHECKING BULBS
With all doors closed, apply the parking brake
and place the ignition switch in the ON position
without starting the engine. The following lights
will come on:
,or,,,
If equipped, the following lights come on briefly
and then go off:
or,,,,,,
If any light fails to come on, it may indicate
a burned-out bulb or an open circuit in the
electrical system. Have the system repaired
promptly.
WARNING LIGHTS
For additional information on warnings and indi-
cators, see “Vehicle information display” later in
this section.
WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS AND
AUDIBLE REMINDERS
2-10Instruments and controls

The seat belt warning light may also illuminate if
the front passenger’s seat belt is not fastened
when the front passenger’s seat is occupied. For
7 seconds after the ignition switch is placed in
the ON position, the system does not activate the
warning light for the front passenger.
Refer to “Seat belts” in the “Safety—Seats, seat
belts and supplemental restraint system” section
for precautions on seat belt usage.
Supplemental air bag warning
light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON or
START position, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light illuminates for about 7 seconds and then
turns off. This means the system is operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the front
air bag, side air bag, curtain air bag, and preten-
sioner seat belt systems need servicing and your
vehicle must be taken to a NISSAN dealer:
cThe supplemental air bag warning light re-
mains on after approximately 7 seconds.
cThe supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
cThe supplemental air bag warning light does
not come on at all.Unless checked and repaired, the supplemental
restraint system (air bag system) and/or the pre-
tensioners may not function properly. For addi-
tional details see “Supplemental restraint sys-
tem” in the “Safety—Seats, seat belts and
supplemental restraint system” section of this
manual.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning light
is on, it could mean that the front air bag,
side air bag, curtain air bag systems
and/or pretensioner systems will not op-
erate in an accident. To help avoid injury
to yourself or others, have your vehicle
checked by a NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible.
INDICATOR LIGHTS
Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) indicator
light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the light comes on for 2 seconds.
Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) position
indicator light
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, the indicator light shows the shift selec-
tor position. See “Driving the vehicle” in the
“Starting and driving” section of this manual.
Cruise main switch indicator
light
The light comes on when the cruise control main
switch is pushed. The light goes out when the
main switch is pushed again. When the cruise
main switch indicator light comes on, the cruise
control system is operational.
Front fog light indicator light (if
so equipped)
The front fog light indicator light illuminates when
the front fog lights are ON. See “Fog light switch”
later in this section.
2-14Instruments and controls

Foldable outside mirrors
Pull the outside mirror toward the door to fold it.The automatic drive positioner system has two
features:
cMemory storage function
cEntry/exit function
MEMORY STORAGE FUNCTION
Two positions for the driver’s seat, steering col-
umn, and outside mirrors can be stored in the
automatic drive positioner memory. Follow these
procedures to use the memory system.
1. Set the Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) shift selector to the P (Park) position.
2. Place the ignition in the ON position.
MPA0008WIC1403
AUTOMATIC DRIVE POSITIONER (if
so equipped)
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-29

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)..................5-2
Three-way catalyst..............................5-2
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)..........5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover....................5-5
Off-road recovery...............................5-5
Rapid air pressure loss..........................5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving................5-6
Push-Button Ignition Switch........................5-7
Push-button ignition switch positions.............5-8
NISSAN Intelligent key™ battery discharge........5-8
Nissan vehicle immobilizer system................5-9
Before starting the engine.........................5-10
Starting the engine...............................5-10
Driving the vehicle................................5-11
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)........5-11
Parking brake....................................5-17
Cruise control....................................5-18
Precautions on cruise control...................5-18Cruise control operations.......................5-18
Break-in schedule................................5-19
Increasing fuel economy...........................5-20
Parking/parking on hills............................5-21
Power steering...................................5-22
Brake system....................................5-22
Brake precautions.............................5-22
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).................5-23
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system.............5-24
Cold weather driving..............................5-25
Freeing a frozen door lock......................5-25
Anti-freeze....................................5-25
Battery.......................................5-25
Draining of coolant water.......................5-26
Tire equipment................................5-26
Special winter equipment.......................5-26
Driving on snow or ice.........................5-26
Engine block heater (if so equipped).............5-27

accelerator pedal by depressing the
brake pedal and pushing the push-button
ignition switch to start the engine. If the
engine starts, but fails to run, repeat the
above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine does
not start, push the ignition switch to the
OFF position 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 sec-
onds after starting. Do not race the engine
while warming it up. Drive at moderate
speed for a short distance first, especially in
cold weather. In cold weather, keep the en-
gine running for a minimum of2-3minutes
before shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time may
make the vehicle more difficult to start.
5. To stop the engine, shift the shift selector to
the P (Park) position and push the ignition
switch to the OFF position.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
LSD0238
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-11

WARNING
cDo not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) , D (Drive) , Ds (Drive
Sport) or (M) Manual shift mode. Al-
ways depress the brake pedal until
shifting is completed. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and
have an accident.
cCold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
cDo not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
cNever shift to P (Park) or R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving. This could
cause an accident.
CAUTION
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. The foot brake
should be used for this purpose.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and smooth
operation.The CVT can operate in two different automatic
drive modes:
cD (Drive) mode - Move the shift selector to D
(Drive) , the transmission is in the normal
forward automatic driving mode. The posi-
tion indicator in the meter shows a “D”. The
D (Drive) mode does not produce a gear
change sensation like a traditional automatic
transmission.
cDs (Drive Sport) mode - Move the shift se-
lector over from D (Drive) to the left into the
manual shift gate. The position indicator in
the meter shows a “Ds”. In Ds (Drive Sport)
mode, transmission operation changes to
9Sporty” driving shift operation, creating a
more aggressive acceleration feeling than
the D (Drive) mode and a gear change sen-
sation when the driver accelerates quickly.
When the driver selects M (Manual) mode
ratio with shift selector or shift paddles (if so
equipped) during Ds (Drive Sport) mode
operation, the driver must move the shift
selector from Ds mode to D mode and back
again to re-select Ds (Drive Sport) mode.
cTo cancel the Ds mode, return the shift se-
lector to the D (Drive) position. The trans-
mission returns to the automatic drive mode.The CVT can operate in two manual drive modes:
cM (Manual) mode - With the shift selector in
the manual shift gate Ds (Drive Sport) mode,
M (Manual) mode can be selected by mov-
ing the shift selector up (+) or down (–) or
using the shift paddles (if so equipped) up
(+) or down (–) . In M mode, the transmission
will produce noticeable upshifts and down-
shifts. The position indicator in the meter
shows a “M”.
cTemporary M (Manual) shift mode - With the
shift selector in the D (Drive) mode and if the
shift paddle is moved + (up) or - (down) , the
transmission will temporarily switch to the M
(Manual) mode. If the shift paddles are not
used after5-10seconds, the transmission
will return to the D (Drive) mode.
cTo cancel the M (Manual) mode and return to
the D (Drive) mode, press and hold either
shift paddle for3-5seconds.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
5-12Starting and driving

NOTE:
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 vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal before moving the shift
selector out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and
move the shift selector into a driving gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start
the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before shifting
the shift selector to the P (Park) position.
The CVT is designed so the foot brake
pedal MUST be depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any drive position while
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
The shift selector cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear posi-
tions if the ignition switch is pushed to the
LOCK or ACC position.To move the shift selector:
Push the button while depressing the brake
pedal
Push the button to shift
Shift without pushing button
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and move the shift selector from P (Park) to
any of the desired shift positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift selec-
tor 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.
P (Park):
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only when
the vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shift selector position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shift selector 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 shift selector
into the P (Park) position.
WSD0242
Starting and driving5-13