2011 INFINITI G-COUPE suspension

Using the passenger air bag status light, you
can monitor when the front passenger air bag is
automatically turned OFF with the seat occu-
pied. The light will not illuminate when the front
passenger seat is unoccupied.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
passenger air bag status light is illuminated
(indicating that the air bag is OFF), it could be
that the person is a small adult, or is not sitting
on the seat properly.
If a child restraint must be used in the front
seat, the passenger air bag status light may or
may not be illuminated, depending on the size
of the child and the type of child restraint being
used. If the passenger air bag status light is not
illuminated (indicating that the air bag might
inflate in a crash), it could be that the child
restraint or seat belt is not being used properly.
Make sure that the child restraint is installed
properly, the seat belt is used properly and the
occupant is positioned properly. If the passen-
ger air bag status light is still not illuminated,
reposition the occupant or child restraint in a
rear seat.
If the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate even though you believe that the
child restraint, the seat belts and the occupant
are properly positioned, the system may be
sensing an unoccupied seat (in which case theair bag is OFF). Your INFINITI retailer can check
that the system is OFF by using a special tool.
However, until you have confirmed with your
retailer that your air bag is working properly,
reposition the occupant or child restraint in a
rear seat.
The INFINITI advanced air bag system and pas-
senger air bag status light will take a few
seconds to register a change in the passenger
seat status. However, if the seat becomes un-
occupied, the air bag status light will remain
off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger
air bag system, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light
, located in the meter and
gauges area will blink. Have the system
checked by an INFINITI retailer.
Other supplemental front-impact air
bag precautions
WARNING
● Do not place any objects on the steering
wheel pad or on the instrument panel. Also,
do not place any objects between any occu-
pant and the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become dangerous
projectiles and cause injury if the front air
bags inflate. ●
Do not place objects with sharp edges on the
seat. Also, do not place heavy objects on the
seat that will leave permanent impressions
in the seat. Such objects can damage the
seat or occupant classification sensor (pat-
tern sensor). This can affect the operation of
the air bag system and result in serious per-
sonal injury.
● Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can dam-
age the seat or occupant classification sen-
sor. This can also affect the operation of the
air bag system and result in serious personal
injury.
● Immediately after inflation, several front air
bag system components will be hot. Do not
touch them; you may severely burn yourself.
● No unauthorized changes should be made to
any components or wiring of the air bag sys-
tem. This is to prevent accidental inflation of
the supplemental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
● Do not make unauthorized changes to your
vehicle’s electrical system, suspension sys-
tem or front end structure. This could affect
proper operation of the front air bag system.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49

may inflate if the forces in another type of
collision are similar to those of a higher severity
side impact. They are designed to inflate on the
side where the vehicle is impacted. They may
not inflate in certain side collisions on the side
where the vehicle is impacted.
Vehicle damage (or lack of it) is not always an
indication of proper supplemental side air bag
and curtain side-impact air bag operation.
When side air bags and curtain air bags inflate,
a fairly loud noise may be heard, followed by
release of smoke. This smoke is not harmful
and does not indicate a fire. Care should be
taken not to inhale it, as it may cause irritation
and choking. Those with a history of a breathing
condition should get fresh air promptly.
Side air bags, along with the use of seat belts,
help to cushion the impact force on the chest
and pelvis of the front occupants. Curtain air
bags help to cushion the impact force to the
head of occupants in the front and rear out-
board seating positions. They can help save
lives and reduce serious injuries. However, an
inflating side air bags and curtain air bags may
cause abrasions or other injuries. Side air bags
and curtain air bags do not provide restraint to
the lower body.
The seat belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger seated upright as far aspractical away from the side air bag. Rear seat
passengers should be seated as far away as
practical from the door finishers and side roof
rails. The side air bags and curtain air bags
inflate quickly in order to help protect the
occupants. Because of this, the force of the side
air bags and curtain air bags inflating can
increase the risk of injury if the occupant is too
close to, or is against, these air bag modules
during inflation. The side air bags and curtain
air bags will deflate quickly after the collision is
over.
The side air bags and curtain air bags operate
only when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
After pushing the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion, the supplemental air bag warning light illu-
minates. The air bag warning light will turn off
after about 7 seconds if the systems are opera-
tional.
WARNING
●
Do not place any objects near the seatback
of the front seats. Also, do not place any
objects (an umbrella, bag, etc.) between the
front door finisher and the front seat. Such
objects may become dangerous projectiles
and cause injury if side air bag inflates. ●
Right after inflation, several side air bags
and curtain air bag system components will
be hot. Do not touch them; you may severely
burn yourself.
● No unauthorized changes should be made to
any components or wiring of side air bag and
curtain air bags. This is to prevent damage to
or accidental inflation of the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems.
● Do not make unauthorized changes to your
vehicle’s electrical system, suspension sys-
tem or side panel. This could affect proper
operation of the side air bag and curtain air
bag systems.
● Tampering with the air bag system may re-
sult in serious personal injury. For example,
do not change the front seats by placing
material near the seatback or by installing
additional trim material, such as seat cov-
ers, around the side air bags.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51

See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warning
light” in the “2. Instruments and controls”
section and “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off
indicator light” in the “2. Instruments and con-
trols” section.
The computer has a built-in diagnostic feature
that tests the system each time you start the
engine and move the vehicle forward or in
reverse at a slow speed. When the self-test
occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise and/or
feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal and is not an indication of a malfunc-
tion.
WARNING
●The VDC system is designed to help the
driver maintain stability but does not pre-
vent accidents due to abrupt steering opera-
tion at high speeds or by careless or danger-
ous driving techniques. Reduce vehicle
speed and be especially careful when driving
and cornering on slippery surfaces and al-
ways drive carefully. ●
Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension. If
suspension parts such as shock absorbers,
struts, springs, stabilizer bars, bushings
and wheels are not INFINITI recommended
for your vehicle or are extremely deterio-
rated, the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly. This could adversely affect vehicle han-
dling performance, and the VDC warning
light
may illuminate.
● If brake related parts such as brake pads,
rotors and calipers are not INFINITI recom-
mended or are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate properly and
the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
● If engine control related parts are not
INFINITI recommended or are extremely de-
teriorated, the VDC warning light
may
illuminate.
● When driving on extremely inclined surfaces
such as higher banked corners, the VDC sys-
tem may not operate properly and the VDC
warning light
may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
● When driving on an unstable surface such as
a turntable, ferry, elevator or ramp, the VDC
warning light
may illuminate. This is
not a malfunction. Restart the engine after
driving onto a stable surface. ●
If wheels or tires other than the INFINITI rec-
ommended ones are used, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the VDC warn-
ing light
may illuminate.
● The VDC system is not a substitute for winter
tires or tire chains on a snow covered road.
Starting and driving5-55

●Always pull the cable straight out from the
front of the vehicle. Never pull on the vehicle
at an angle.
● Pulling devices should be routed so they do
not touch any part of the suspension, steer-
ing, brake or cooling systems.
● Pulling devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use in ve-
hicle towing or recovery.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear an area around the front tires. 4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back-
ward.
●Shift back and forth between R (reverse) and
D (drive) (automatic transmission models) or
1st (low) and R (reverse) (manual transmis-
sion models).
● Apply the accelerator as little as possible to
maintain the rocking motion.
● Release the accelerator pedal before shifting
between R and D (automatic transmission
models) or 1st and R (manual transmission
models).
● Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH
(55 km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few tries, contact a professional towing ser-
vice to remove the vehicle.
6-18In case of emergency

REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust, in-
sects, and tree sap as quickly as possible from
the paint surface to avoid lasting damage or
staining. Special cleaning products are avail-
able at an INFINITI retailer or any automotive
accessory stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This will
prevent dirt and salt from building up and
causing the acceleration of corrosion on the
underbody and suspension. Before the winter
period and again in the spring, the underseal
must be checked and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust
film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for
glass to become coated with a film after the
vehicle is parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner
and a soft cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the windows, do
not use sharp-edged tools, abrasive cleaners or
chlorine-based disinfectant cleaners. They
could damage the electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window defroster
elements.
WHEELS
Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle to
maintain their appearance.
●Clean the inner side of the wheels when the
wheel is changed or the underside of the
vehicle is washed.
● Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. Such damage may cause loss of
pressure or poor seal at the tire bead.
● INFINITI recommends that the road wheels
be waxed to protect against road salt in
areas where it is used during winter.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when washing the
wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid staining or
discoloring the wheels:
● Do not use a cleaner that uses strong acid or
alkali contents to clean the wheels.
● Do not apply wheel cleaners to the wheels
when they are hot. The wheel temperature
should be the same as ambient temperature.
● Rinse the wheel to completely remove the
cleaner within 15 minutes after the cleaner is
applied.
CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non- abra-
sive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
Appearance and care7-3

Snow tires
If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to
select tires equivalent in size and load rating to
the original equipment tires. If you do not, it can
adversely affect the safety and handling of your
vehicle.
Generally, snow tires will have lower speed
ratings than factory equipped tires and may not
match the potential maximum vehicle speed.
Never exceed the maximum speed rating of the
tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the same
size, brand, construction and tread pattern on
all four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires. Skid and traction capa-
bilities of studded snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of non-
studded snow tires.
TIRE CHAINS
Use of tire chains may be prohibited according
to location. Check the local laws before install-
ing tire chains. When installing tire chains,
make sure they are the proper size for the tires
on your vehicle and are installed according to
the chain manufacturer’s suggestions.Use only
SAE Class S chains. Class “S” chains are used
on vehicles with restricted tire to vehicle clear-
ance. Vehicles that can use Class “S” chains are
designed to meet the SAE standard minimum
clearances between the tire and the closest
vehicle suspension or body component re-
quired to accommodate the use of a winter
traction device (tire chains or cables). The mini-
mum clearances are determined using the fac-
tory equipped tire size. Other types may dam-
age your vehicle. Use chain tensioners when
recommended by the tire chain manufacturer to
ensure a tight fit. Loose end links of the tire
chain must be secured or removed to prevent
the possibility of whipping action damage to
the fenders or underbody. If possible, avoid
fully loading your vehicle when using tire
chains. In addition, drive at a reduced speed.
Otherwise, your vehicle may be damaged
and/or vehicle handling and performance may
be adversely affected. Tire chains must be installed only on the rear
wheels and not on the front wheels.
Never install tire chains on a TEMPORARY USE
ONLY spare tire.
Do not use tire chains on dry roads. Driving with
tire chains in such conditions can cause dam-
age to the various mechanisms of the vehicle
due to some overstress.
8-38Maintenance and do-it-yourself