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.
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.
5-14Starting and driving
●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
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 control.
● Do not over-rev the engine when shifting to a
lower gear. This may cause a loss of control
or engine damage.
SSD0598
5-16Starting and driving
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 R (Reverse).
● When the vehicle is stopped for a period of
time, for example at a stop light, shift to N
(Neutral) and release the clutch pedal with
the foot brake applied.
Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or down-
shifting, fully depress the clutch pedal, shift
into the appropriate gear, then slowly and
smoothly release the clutch pedal.
This vehicle is equipped with a short throw
shifter manual transmission. To ensure smooth
gear changes, fully depress the clutch pedal
before operating the shift lever. If the clutch
pedal is not fully depressed before the trans-
mission is shifted, a gear noise may be heard.
Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and shift to 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in sequence accord-
ing to vehicle speed. To back up, depress the shift lever and then
move it to the R (Reverse) gear after stopping
the vehicle completely.
The shift lever returns to its original position
when the shift lever is moved to the N (Neutral)
position.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into the R
(Reverse) or 1st gear, shift to the N (Neutral)
position, and then release the clutch pedal
once. Fully depress the clutch pedal again and
shift into the R (Reverse) or 1st gear.
Suggested upshift speeds
The following are suggested vehicle speeds for
shifting into a higher gear. These suggestions
relate to fuel economy and vehicle performance.
Actual upshift speeds will vary according to
road conditions, the weather and individual
driving habits.
For normal acceleration in low altitude areas
[less than 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]:
Gear change
MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 8 (13)
2nd to 3rd 16 (25)
3rd to 4th 25 (40)
4th to 5th 28 (45)
5th to 6th 33 (53)
SSD0536
Starting and driving5-17
This system will not automatically brake the ve-
hicle to a stop.
WARNING
●As there is a performance limit to the dis-
tance control function, never rely solely on
the Intelligent Cruise Control system. This
system does not correct careless, inatten-
tive or absent-minded driving, or overcome
poor visibility in rain, fog, or other bad
weather. Decelerate the vehicle speed by de-
pressing the brake pedal, depending on the
distance to the vehicle ahead and the sur-
rounding circumstances in order to maintain
a safe distance between vehicles.
● Although the brake operation is controlled
by the system, the system does not auto-
matically stop the vehicle. If the vehicle
speed falls below approximately 20 MPH (32
km/h), the Intelligent Cruise Control system
is automatically canceled and a warning
chime sounds. (The brake control is also
canceled.)
● The system may not detect the vehicle in
front of you in certain road or weather condi-
tions. To avoid accidents, never use the In-
telligent Cruise Control system under the
following conditions: – On roads where the traffic is heavy or
there are sharp curves
– On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.) When the windshield wiper is operated at
the low speed (LO) or high speed (HI) po-
sition, the Intelligent Cruise Control sys-
tem is automatically canceled.
– When strong light (for example, at sun- rise or sunset) is directly shining on the
front of the vehicle
– When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the sys- tem sensor
– On steep downhill roads (the vehicle may go beyond the set vehicle speed and fre-
quent braking may result in overheating
the brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
– When traffic conditions make it difficult to keep a proper distance between vehicles
because of frequent acceleration or
deceleration ●
In some road or traffic conditions, a vehicle
or object can unexpectedly come into the
sensor detection zone and cause automatic
braking. You may need to control the dis-
tance from other vehicles using the accelera-
tor pedal. Always stay alert and avoid using
the ICC system when it is not recommended
in this section.
Starting and driving5-25
1. System set display with vehicle ahead
2. System set display without vehicle aheadSystem operation
WARNING
Normally when controlling the distance to a
vehicle ahead, this system automatically accel-
erates or decelerates your vehicle according to
the speed of the vehicle ahead. Depress the
accelerator to properly accelerate your vehicle
when acceleration is required for a lane
change. Depress the brake pedal when decel-
eration is required to maintain a safe distance
to the vehicle ahead due to its sudden braking
or if a vehicle cuts in. Always stay alert when
using the ICC system.The driver sets the desired vehicle speed based
on the road conditions. The ICC system main-
tains the set vehicle speed, similar to standard
cruise control, as long as no vehicle is detected
in the lane ahead.
The ICC system displays the set speed.
Vehicle detected ahead :
When a vehicle is detected in the lane ahead,
the ICC system decelerates the vehicle by con-
trolling the throttle and applying the brakes to
match the speed of a slower vehicle ahead. The
system then controls the vehicle speed based
on the speed of the vehicle ahead to maintain
the driver selected distance.
The stoplights of the vehicle come on when brak-
ing is performed by the ICC system.
When the brake operates, a noise may be heard.
This is not a malfunction.
When a vehicle ahead is detected, the vehicle
ahead detection indicator comes on. The ICC
system will also display the set speed and
selected distance.
Vehicle ahead not detected :
When a vehicle is no longer detected ahead, the
ICC system gradually accelerates your vehicle to
resume the previously set vehicle speed. The
ICC system then maintains the set speed.
SSD0610
Starting and driving5-33
Each time the DISTANCE switchAis pushed,
the set distance will change to long, middle,
short and back to long again in that sequence. ●
The distance to the vehicle ahead will
change according to the vehicle speed. The
higher the vehicle speed, the longer the
distance. ●
If the engine is stopped, the set distance
becomes “long”. (Each time the engine is
started, the initial setting becomes “long”.)
Approach warning
If your vehicle comes closer to the vehicle
ahead due to rapid deceleration of that vehicle
or if another vehicle cuts in, the system warns
the driver with the chime and ICC system dis-
play. Decelerate by depressing the brake pedal
to maintain a safe vehicle distance if:
●The chime sounds.
● The vehicle ahead detection and set dis-
tance indicator blink.
The warning chime may not sound in some
cases when there is a short distance between
vehicles. Some examples are:
● When the vehicles are traveling at the same
speed and the distance between vehicles is
not changing
● When the vehicle ahead is traveling faster
and the distance between vehicles is in-
creasing
● When a vehicle cuts in near your vehicle
SSD0613D
5-36Starting and driving
●Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Maintain
cruising speeds with a constant accelerator
position.
● Drive at moderate speeds on the highway.
● Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking.
Keep a safe distance behind other vehicles.
● Select a gear range suitable to road condi-
tions.
● Avoid unnecessary prolonged engine idling.
● Keep your engine tuned up.
● Follow the recommended periodic mainte-
nance schedule.
● Keep the tires inflated at the correct pres-
sure. Improper tire pressure will increase
wear and waste fuel.
● Make sure the front wheels are properly
aligned. Improper alignment will cause pre-
mature tire wear and lower fuel economy.
● Climate control operation lowers fuel
economy. Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
● When cruising at highway speeds, it is more
economical to use the air conditioner and
leave the windows closed to reduce drag. The AWD warning light is located in the meter.
The AWD warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is pushed to the ON position. It
turns off soon after the engine is started. If any malfunction occurs in the AWD system
while the engine is running, the warning light
will come on.
The warning light may blink rapidly (about twice
per second) while trying to free a stuck vehicle
due to high power train oil temperature. The
driving mode may change to two-wheel drive. If
the warning light blinks rapidly during opera-
tion, stop the vehicle with the engine idling in a
safe place immediately. Then if the light goes
off after a while, you can continue driving.
A large difference between the diameters of
front and rear wheels will make the warning
light blink slowly (about once per two seconds).
Pull off the road in a safe area, and idle the
engine. Check that all tire sizes are the same,
tire pressure is correct and tires are not worn.
If the warning light is blinking after the above
operation, have your vehicle checked by an
INFINITI retailer as soon as possible.
SSD0336
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (if so equipped)
5-44Starting and driving
WARNING
●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.
● Never leave the engine running while the
vehicle is unattended.
● Do not leave children unattended inside the
vehicle. They could unknowingly activate
switches or controls. Unattended children
could become involved in serious accidents. ●
Safe parking procedures require that both
the parking brake be applied and the trans-
mission placed into P (Park) for Automatic
Transmission (AT) model or in an appropri-
ate gear for Manual Transmission (MT)
model. Failure to do so could cause the ve-
hicle to move unexpectedly or roll away and
result in an accident.
● Make sure the automatic transmission se-
lector lever has been pushed as far forward
as it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic transmission models:
Move the selector lever to the P (Park)
position.
Manual transmission models:
Place the shift lever in the R (Reverse) gear.
When parking on an uphill grade, place the
shift lever in the 1st gear.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling
into the street when parked on a sloping
drive way, it is a good practice to turn the
wheels as illustrated.
●HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move the
vehicle forward until the curb side wheel
gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO CURB:
3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
so the vehicle will move away from the
center of the road if it moves.
4. Push the ignition switch to the OFF posi-
tion.
SD1006MA
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-46Starting and driving