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 of2-3
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.
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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-12
●Except in an emergency, do not shift to the N
(Neutral) position while driving. Doing so
can cause a loss of engine braking which
may result in a collision, serious personal
injury or death. In addition, coasting with
the transmission in the N (Neutral) position
may cause serious damage to the
transmission.
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.
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.
WARNING
Apply 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.
CAUTION
Make 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.Selector lever
SSD0596
5-13Starting and driving
CAUTION
Use 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.
DS (Drive Sport) mode
Move the selector lever from D (Drive) to the left
into the manual shift gate. The transmission
position indicator in the meter shows “DS”.
In the DS (Drive Sport) mode, the transmission
changes to the “sporty” driving shift operation,
creating a more aggressive acceleration feeling
than the D (Drive) mode and providing a gear
change sensation when the driver accelerates
quickly.
When the driver selects the manual shift mode
using the selector lever (or the paddle shifter)
during the DS (Drive Sport) mode operation, the
driver must move the selector lever from DS
(Drive Sport) to D (Drive) and back again to
re-select the DS (Drive Sport) mode.
Manual shift mode
When the selector lever is in the DS (Drive
Sport) position, the transmission is ready for
the manual shift mode. Shift ranges can be
selected manually by moving the selector lever
up or down, or pulling the right-side or left-side
paddle shifter.
When shifting up, move the selector lever to the
+ (up) side or pull the right-side paddle shifter
(+)
A(if so equipped). The transmission shifts
to the higher range.
Paddle shifter
SSD0599
5-14Starting and driving
When shifting down, move the selector lever to
the(down) side or pull the left-side paddle
shifter ()
B(if so equipped). The transmis-
sion shifts to the lower range.
When canceling the manual shift mode, return
the selector lever to the D (Drive) position. The
transmission returns to the normal driving mode.
When you pull the paddle shifter while in the D
(Drive) position, the transmission will shift to the
upper or lower range temporarily. The transmis-
sion will automatically return to the D (Drive)
position after a short period of time. If you want
to return to the D (Drive) position manually, pull
and hold the paddle shifter for about 1.5 seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
M1 →
←M2→
←M3→
←M4→
←M5→
←M6→
←M7
M7 (7th) :
Use this position for all normal forward driving
at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) andM5 (5th) :
Use this position when driving up long slopes,
or for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
M4 (4th),M3 (3rd) andM2 (2nd) :
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
M1 (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 succession.
●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 control.
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.
Starting and driving5-15
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 orLOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
Ausing a
suitable tool. 4. Push down the shift lock
Bas illustrated.
5. Push the selector lever button
Cand
move the selector lever to N (Neutral)
position
Dwhile holding down the shift
lock.
Push the ignition switch to the ON position to
unlock the steering wheel (if so equipped). Now
the vehicle may be moved to the desired loca-
tion.
For models with a steering wheel lock mecha-
nism: 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 vehicle control.
● Do not over-rev the engine when shifting to a
lower gear. This may cause a loss of vehicle
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 the R (Reverse) position.
● When the vehicle is stopped with the engine
running for a period of time, for example at a
stop light, shift to the N (Neutral) position
and release the clutch pedal with the foot
brake applied.SSD0598
5-16Starting and driving
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.
GearMPH (km/h)
1st 37 (59)
2nd 60 (97)
3rd 86 (139)
4th —
5th —
6th —
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 brake2.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
1and
the parking brake will be released.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
SPA2331
PARKING BRAKE
5-18Starting and driving
MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODELS
To apply:Pull the parking brake lever up1.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, push the button
2and
lower the lever completely
3.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE CONTROL
●If the cruise control system malfunctions, it
will cancel automatically. The SET indicator
on the dot matrix crystal display will then
blink to warn the driver.
● If the engine coolant temperature becomes
excessively high, the cruise control system
will be canceled automatically.
● If the SET indicator blinks, turn the cruise
control main switch off and have the system
checked by your INFINITI retailer.
● The SET indicator may sometimes blink
when the cruise control main switch is
turned ON while pushing the
RESUME/ACCELERATE, SET/COAST or CAN-
CEL switch. To properly set the cruise control
system, perform the steps below in the order
indicated.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when driving un-
der the following conditions:
● when it is not possible to keep the vehicle at
a set speed
● in heavy traffic or in traffic that varies in
speed
● on winding or hilly roads
● on slippery roads (rain, snow, ice, etc.)
● in very windy areas
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle control
and result in an accident.
CAUTION
On manual transmission models, do not shift
into N (Neutral) without depressing the clutch
pedal when the cruise control is set. Should
this occur, depress the clutch pedal and turn
the main switch off immediately. Failure to do
so may cause engine damage.
SPA2110
CRUISE CONTROL
Starting and driving5-19
5) Set vehicle speed indicator:Indicates the set vehicle speed.
For Canadian models, the speed is dis-
played in km/h.
6) Intelligent Cruise Control system warning light (orange):
The light comes on if there is a malfunc-
tion in the ICC system.
When the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position, the indicators come on as illustrated
to check for a burned-out bulb, and it turns off
when the engine is started.Operating vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode
To turn on the cruise control, quickly push and
release the MAIN switch
Aon. The cruise
indicator light, set distance indicator and set
vehicle speed indicator come on and in a
standby state for setting.
SSD0607SSD0608
Starting and driving5-29