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
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions .................................... 5-5
Off-road recovery ............................... 5-6
Rapid air pressure loss ......................... 5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving .............. 5-7
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) driving safety
precautions (for AWD models) ................... 5-7
Push-button ignition switch ........................ 5-8
Operating range for engine start function ......... 5-8
Push-button ignition switch operation ............ 5-9
Steering lock (if so equipped) ................... 5-9
Push-button ignition switch positions ............ 5-9
Emergency engine shut off .....................5-10
Intelligent Key battery discharge ................5-10
Before starting the engine .........................5-11
Starting the engine ................................ 5-11
Driving the vehicle ................................ 5-12
Automatic transmission ......................... 5-12
Parking brake .................................... 5-16Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system/Lane
Departure Prevention (LDP) system (if so
equipped)
........................................ 5-17
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system ..........5-18
Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system .........5-20
Lane camera unit maintenance .................5-24
Blind spot warning (BSW) system (if so equipped) . . 5-25 Bsw system operation ......................... 5-26
Bsw driving situations ......................... 5-28
Bsw malfunction ............................... 5-31
System maintenance ........................... 5-31
Cruise control .................................... 5-32
Precautions on cruise control ...................5-32
Cruise control operations ......................5-33
Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system (FULL
SPEED RANGE) (if so equipped) ....................5-34
Selecting the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode ................................. 5-35
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode ........5-35
Precautions on vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode .................................
5-36
Vehicle-to-vehicle
distance control mode
operation ..................................... 5-37
Conventional (FIXED SPEED) cruise control
mode ........................................ 5-50
Preview function (for Intelligent Cruise
Control system equipped models)..............5-54
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system (if so
equipped) ....................................... 5-54
Precautions on distance control assist
system ....................................... 5-54
Distance control assist operation ...............5-56
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system (if so
equipped) ....................................... 5-66
Precautions on FCW system ....................5-67
Intelligent brake assist (IBA) system (if so
equipped) ....................................... 5-69
Precautions on IBA system .....................5-70
Break-in schedule ................................ 5-73
Increasing fuel economy .......................... 5-73
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) (if so equipped) .............5-74
Parking/parking on hills .......................... 5-76
Power steering ................................... 5-77Brake system
.................................... 5-77
Braking precautions ........................... 5-77
Parking brake break-in ......................... 5-77
Brake assist ..................................... 5-78
Brake assist .................................. 5-78
Preview function (Intelligent Cruise Control
system equipped models) ......................5-78
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) .................5-80
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system .............5-82
Cold weather driving ............................. 5-83
Freeing a frozen door lock .....................5-83
Antifreeze .................................... 5-83
Battery ....................................... 5-83
Draining of coolant water ......................5-83
Tire equipment ................................ 5-84
Special winter equipment ......................5-84
Driving on snow or ice ......................... 5-84
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ............5-85
WARNING
●Do not leave children or adults who would
normally require the support of others alone
in your vehicle. Pets should not be left alone
either. They could accidentally injure them-
selves or others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause severe
or possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
● Properly secure all cargo to help prevent it
from sliding or shifting. Do not place cargo
higher than the seatbacks. In a sudden stop
or collision, unsecured cargo could cause
personal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
● Do not breathe exhaust gases; they contain
colorless and odorless carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous. It can cause
unconsciousness or death.
● If you suspect that exhaust fumes are enter-
ing the vehicle, drive with all windows fully
open, and have the vehicle inspected
immediately. ●
Do not run the engine in closed spaces such
as a garage.
● Do not park the vehicle with the engine run-
ning for any extended length of time.
● Keep the lift gate closed while driving, oth-
erwise exhaust gases could be drawn into
the passenger compartment. If you must
drive with the lift gate open, follow these
precautions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the
air recirculation to off and
the fan control to high to circulate the air.
● If electrical wiring or other cable connec-
tions must pass to a trailer through the seal
on the lift gate or the body, follow the manu-
facturer’s recommendation to prevent car-
bon monoxide entry into the vehicle.
● The exhaust system and body should be in-
spected by a qualified mechanic whenever:
– The vehicle is raised for service.
– You suspect that exhaust fumes are en- tering into the passenger compartment.
– You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system. – You have had an accident involving dam-
age to the exhaust system, underbody, or
rear of the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
●The exhaust gas and the exhaust system are
very hot. Keep people, animals or flammable
materials away from the exhaust system
components.
● Do not stop or park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry grass, waste
paper or rags. They may ignite and cause a
fire.
CAUTION
● Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits from
leaded gasoline seriously reduce the three-
way catalyst’s ability to help reduce exhaust
pollutants.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING AND
DRIVING
5-2Starting and driving
●Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions in
the ignition, fuel injection, or electrical sys-
tems can cause overrich fuel flow into the
three-way catalyst, causing it to overheat.
Do not keep driving if the engine misfires, or
if noticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are detected.
Have the vehicle inspected promptly by an
INFINITI retailer.
● Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel
level. Running out of fuel could cause the
engine to misfire, damaging the three-way
catalyst.
● Do not race the engine while warming it up.
● Do not push or tow your vehicle to start the
engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM
(TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.) As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres-
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the low
tire pressure telltale. When the system detects
a malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi-
mately one minute and then remain continu-
ously illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not beable to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Additional information
●
The TPMS does not monitor the tire pressure
of the spare tire.
● The TPMS will activate only when the vehicle
is driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h).
Also, this system may not detect a sudden
drop in tire pressure (for example a flat tire
while driving).
● The low tire pressure warning light does not
automatically turn off when the tire pressure
is adjusted. After the tire is inflated to the
recommended pressure, the vehicle must be
driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h) to
activate the TPMS and turn off the low tire
pressure warning light. Use a tire pressure
gauge to check the tire pressure.
● The CHECK TIRE PRESSURE warning appears
in the vehicle information display when the
low tire pressure warning light is illuminated
Starting and driving5-3
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers andeither contact a roadside emergency ser-
vice to change the tire or see “CHANGING
A FLAT TIRE” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section of this Owner’s Manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol or
drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream reduces co-
ordination, delays reaction time and impairs
judgement. Driving after drinking alcohol in-
creases the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others. Addition-
ally, if you are injured in an accident, alcohol
can increase the severity of the injury.
INFINITI is committed to safe driving. However,
you must choose not to drive under the influ-
ence of alcohol. Every year thousands of people
are injured or killed in alcohol-related acci-
dents. Although the local laws vary on what is
considered to be legally intoxicated, the fact is
that alcohol affects all people differently and
most people underestimate the effects of alco-
hol. 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 (for AWD
models)
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.
Starting and driving5-7
WARNING
Do 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.
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The Intelligent Key can only be used for starting
the engine when the Intelligent Key is within the
specified operating range
1.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost dis-
charged or strong radio waves are present near
the operating location, the Intelligent Key sys-
tem’s operating range becomes narrower and
may not function properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operating
range, it is possible for anyone, even someone
who does not carry the Intelligent Key, to push
the ignition switch to start the engine. ●
The trunk area is not included in the operat-
ing range but the Intelligent Key may func-
tion.
● If the Intelligent Key is on the instrument
panel, cargo area, inside the glove box or
door pocket, or the corner of interior com-
partment, it may not be possible to start the
engine.
● If the Intelligent Key is near the door or door
glass outside the vehicle, it may be possible
to start the engine.
SSD0436
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
5-8Starting and driving
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 in this position.
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.
CAUTION
Do 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 perform the following procedure:
●Rapidly push the push-button ignition
switch 3 consecutive times.
● Push and hold the push button ignition
switch for more than 2 seconds.
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DISCHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is almost
discharged, the guide light
Bof the Intelligent
Key port
Ablinks and the indicator appears on
the dot matrix liquid crystal display. (See “DOT
MATRIX LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY” in the “2.
Instruments and controls” section.)
In this case, inserting the Intelligent Key into
the port
1allows you to start the engine. Make
sure that the key ring side faces backward as
illustrated. Insert the Intelligent Key in the port
until it is latched and secured.
To remove the Intelligent Key from the port,
push the ignition switch to the OFF position and
pull the Intelligent Key out of the port.
SSD0785
5-10Starting and driving
NOTE:
The Intelligent Key port does not charge the In-
telligent Key battery. If you see the low battery
indicator in the dot matrix liquid crystal display,
replace the battery as soon as possible. (See
“INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY REPLACEMENT” in
the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion.)
CAUTION
●Never place anything except the Intelligent
Key in the Intelligent Key port. Doing so may
cause damage to the equipment.
● Make sure the Intelligent Key is in the cor-
rect direction when inserting it to the Intelli-
gent Key port. The engine may not start if it is
in the incorrect direction.
● Remove the Intelligent Key from the Intelli-
gent Key port after the ignition switch is
pushed to the OFF position. ●
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
● Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid and window washer fluid as
frequently as possible, or at least whenever
you refuel.
● Check that all windows and lights are clean.
● Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
● Lock all doors.
● Position seat and adjust head restraints.
● Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
● Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
● Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position. (See “WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS
AND AUDIBLE REMINDERS” in the “2. Instru-
ments and controls” section.)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. 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.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-tion. Depress the brake pedal 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 with the ignition switch in
any position.
● If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and while
holding, crank the engine. Release the
accelerator 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 posi-
tion 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 depressing the brake
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-11