2011 INFINITI M warning

Warning light and display
Condition A :
Under the following conditions, the Intelligent
Cruise Control system is automatically can-
celed. The chime will sound and the system will
not be able to be set.
●When the VDC is turned off
● When the ABS or VDC (including the traction
control system) operates
● When a tire slips
● When the drive mode select switch is turned
to the SNOW mode
● When strong light (sunlight, etc.) is directly
shining on the front of the vehicle Action to take :
When the conditions listed above are no longer
present, turn the system off using the Intelli-
gent Cruise Control MAIN Switch. Turn the ICC
system back on to use the system.
Condition B :
When the sensor window is dirty, making it
impossible to detect a vehicle ahead, the ICC
system is automatically canceled.
The chime sounds and the ICC system warning
light (orange) will come on and the “CLEAN
SENSOR” indicator will appear.
Action to take :
If the warning light comes on, park the vehicle
in a safe place, turn the engine off. Clean the
sensor window with a soft cloth and then
perform the settings again.
SSD0988SSD0989
Starting and driving5-57
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


Condition C :
When the ICC system is not operating properly,
the chime sounds and the ICC system warning
light (orange) will come on.
Action to take :
If the warning light comes on, park the vehicle
in a safe place. Turn the engine off, restart the
engine, resume driving and set the ICC system
again.
If it is not possible to set the system or the
indicator stays on, it may indicate that the ICC
system is malfunctioning. Although the vehicle
is still driveable under normal conditions, have
the vehicle checked at an INFINITI retailer.Sensor maintenance
The sensor for the ICC systemAis located
below the front bumper.
To keep the ICC system operating properly, be
sure to observe the following:
● Always keep the sensor clean. Wipe with a
soft cloth carefully so as not to damage the
sensor.
● Do not strike or damage the areas around
the sensor. Do not touch or remove the
screw located on the sensor. Doing so could
cause failure or malfunction. If the sensor is
damaged due to an accident, contact an
INFINITI retailer. ●
Do not attach a sticker (including transpar-
ent material) or install an accessory near the
sensor. This could cause failure or malfunc-
tion.
CONVENTIONAL (FIXED SPEED) CRUISE
CONTROL MODE
This mode allows driving at a speed between 25
to 90 MPH (40 to 144 km/h) without keeping
your foot on the accelerator pedal.
WARNING
● In the conventional (fixed speed) cruise con-
trol mode, a warning chime does not sound
to warn you if you are too close to the vehicle
ahead, as neither the presence of the vehicle
ahead nor the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is
detected.
● Pay special attention to the distance be-
tween your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of
you or a collision could occur.
● Always confirm the setting in the Intelligent
Cruise Control system display.
● Do not use the conventional (fixed speed)
cruise control mode when driving under the
following conditions:
– when it is not possible to keep the vehicle at a set speedSSD0979SSD0943
5-58Starting and driving
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


– in heavy traffic or in traffic that varies inspeed
– 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.
Conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control switch
1) RESUME/ACCELERATE switch:
Resumes set speed or increases speed
incrementally.
2) SET/COAST switch:
Sets the desired cruise speed, reduces
speed incrementally.
3) CANCEL switch:
Deactivates the system without erasing
the set speed.
4) MAIN switch:
Master switch to activate the system.
Conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control mode display and indicators
The display is located between the speedom-
eter and tachometer.
1) MAIN switch indicator:Indicates that the MAIN switch is ON.
2) Cruise set switch indicator:
Displays while the vehicle speed is con-
trolled by the conventional (fixed speed)
cruise control mode of the ICC system.
3) Cruise system warning light:
Comes on if there is a malfunction in the
cruise control system.
SSD0990SSD0991
Starting and driving5-59
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


b) Tap the brake pedal. The SET indicatorwill go out.
c) Turn the MAIN switch off. Both the CRUISE indicator and SET indicator will go out.
To reset at a faster cruising speed, use one of
the following three methods:
a) Depress the accelerator pedal. When the vehicle attains the desired speed, push
and release the SET/COAST switch.
b) Push and hold the RESUME/ACCELERATE set switch. When the vehicle attains the
speed you desire, release the switch.
c) Push, then quickly release the RESUME/ACCELERATE switch. Each time
you do this, the set speed will increase by
about 1 MPH (1.6 km/h).
To reset at a slower cruising speed, use one of
the following three methods:
a) Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the vehicle attains the desired speed, push
the SET/COAST switch and release it.
b) Push and hold the SET/COAST switch. Release the switch when the vehicle
slows down to the desired speed.
c) Push, then quickly release the SET/COAST switch. Each time you do this, the set
speed will decrease by about 1 MPH (1.6
km/h).
To resume the preset speed, push and release
the RESUME/ACCELERATE switch. The vehicle
will resume the last set cruising speed when the
vehicle speed is over 25 MPH (40 km/h).
Automatic cancellation
A chime sounds under the following conditions
and the control is automatically canceled.
● When the vehicle slows down more than 8
MPH (13 km/h) below the set speed
● When the vehicle speed falls below approxi-
mately 20 MPH (32 km/h)
● When the selector lever is not in the D (Drive)
or manual shift mode
● When the parking brake is applied.
● When the VDC operates (including the trac-
tion control system)
● When a tire slips
Warning light
When the system is not operating properly, the
chime sounds and the system warning light
(orange) will come on.
Action to take :
If the warning light comes on, park the vehicle
in a safe place. Turn the engine off, restart the
engine, resume driving and then perform the
setting again.
If it is not possible to set or the indicator stays
on, it may indicate that the system is malfunc-
tioning. Although the vehicle is still driveable
under normal conditions, have the vehicle
checked at an INFINITI retailer.
SSD0979
Starting and driving5-61
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


PREVIEW FUNCTION (for Intelligent
Cruise Control system equipped
models)
The ICC system with the preview function iden-
tifies the need to apply emergency braking by
sensing the vehicle ahead in the same lane and
the distance to the vehicle ahead and relative
speed from it, it applies the brake pre-pressure
before the driver depresses the brake pedal and
helps improve brake response by reducing
pedal free play.
For more details, see “BRAKE ASSIST” later in
this section.The Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
brakes and moves the accelerator pedal upward
according to the distance from and the relative
speed of the vehicle ahead to help assist the
driver to maintain a following distance.
WARNING
●
Always drive carefully and attentively when
using the Distance Control Assist system.
Read and understand the Owner’s Manual
thoroughly before using the DCA system. To
avoid serious injury or death, do not rely on
the system to prevent accidents or to control
the vehicle’s speed in emergency situations.
Do not use the Distance Control Assist sys-
tem except in appropriate road and traffic
conditions.
● If the vehicle ahead comes to a stop, the
vehicle decelerates to a standstill within the
limitations of the system. The system will
cancel once it judges that the vehicle has
come to a standstill with a warning chime. To
prevent the vehicle from moving, the driver
must depress the brake pedal.
● The DCA system will not apply brake control
while the driver’s foot is on the accelerator
pedal.
PRECAUTIONS ON DISTANCE CONTROL
ASSIST SYSTEM
The system is intended to assist the driver to
keep a following distance from the vehicle
ahead traveling in the same lane and direction.
If the distance sensor
Adetects a slower
moving vehicle ahead, the system will reduce
the vehicle speed to help assist the driver to
maintain a following distance.
The system automatically controls the throttle
and applies the brakes (up to 25% of vehicle
braking power) if necessary.
The detection range of the sensor is approxi-
mately 390 ft (120 m) ahead.
SSD0943
DISTANCE CONTROL ASSIST (DCA) SYSTEM
(if so equipped)
5-62Starting and driving
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


WARNING
●This system is only an aid to assist the driver
and is not a collision warning or avoidance
device. It is the driver’s responsibility to stay
alert, drive safely and be in control of the
vehicle at all times.
● This system will not adapt automatically to
road conditions. Do not use the system on
roads with sharp curves, or on icy roads, in
heavy rain or in fog.
The distance sensor will not detect the follow-
ing objects:
● Stationary and slow moving vehicles
● Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
● Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
● Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel
lane
WARNING
● As there is a performance limit to the dis-
tance control function, never rely solely on
the Distance Control Assist 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.
● The system may not detect the vehicle in
front of you in certain road or weather condi-
tions. To avoid accidents, never use the Dis-
tance Control Assist system under the fol-
lowing conditions:
– On roads with sharp curves
– On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
– 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 (frequent brak-
ing may result in overheating the brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
● Do not use the Distance Control Assist sys-
tem if you are towing a trailer. The system
may not detect a vehicle ahead.
● 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 DCA system when it is not recommended
in this section.
Starting and driving5-63
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


DISTANCE CONTROL ASSIST
OPERATION
Always pay attention to the operation of the
vehicle and be ready to manually decelerate to
maintain the proper following distance. The
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system may not
be able to decelerate the vehicle under some
circumstances.
The DCA system uses a sensor
Alocated on
the front of the vehicle to detect vehicles trav-
eling ahead. The sensor generally detects the
signals returned from the reflectors on a vehicle
ahead. Therefore, if the sensor cannot detect
the reflector on the vehicle ahead, the DCA
system may not operate. The following are some conditions in which the
sensor cannot detect the signals:
●
When the reflector of the vehicle ahead is
positioned high on the vehicle (trailer, etc.)
● When the reflector on the vehicle ahead is
missing, damaged or covered
● When the reflector of the vehicle ahead is
covered with dirt, snow and road spray
● When the snow or road spray from traveling
vehicles reduces the sensor’s visibility
● When dense exhaust or other smoke (black
smoke) from vehicles reduces the sensor’s
visibility
● When excessively heavy baggage is loaded
in the rear seat or the luggage room of your
vehicle
The DCA system is designed to automatically
check the sensor’s operation. When the sensor
is covered with dirt or is obstructed, the system
will automatically be canceled. If the sensor is
covered with ice, a transparent or translucent
vinyl bag, etc., the DCA system may not detect
them. In these instances, the Distance Control
Assist (DCA) system may not be able to decel-
erate the vehicle properly. Be sure to check and
clean the sensor regularly. The DCA system is designed to help assist the
driver to maintain a following distance from the
vehicle ahead. The system will decelerate as
necessary and if the vehicle ahead comes to a
stop, the vehicle decelerates to a standstill.
However, the DCA system can only apply up to
25% of the vehicles total braking power. If a
vehicle moves into the traveling lane ahead or if
a vehicle traveling ahead rapidly decelerates,
the distance between vehicles may become
closer because the DCA system cannot deceler-
ate the vehicle quickly enough. If this occurs,
the DCA system will sound a warning chime and
blink the system display to notify the driver to
take necessary action.
See “Approach warning” later in this section.
This system only brakes and moves the accel-
erator pedal upward to help assist the driver to
maintain a following distance from the vehicle
ahead. Acceleration should be operated by the
driver.
The DCA system does not control vehicle speed
or warn you when you approach stationary and
slow moving vehicles. You must pay attention to
vehicle operation to maintain proper distance
from vehicles ahead.
SSD0943
5-64Starting and driving
—
—
01/12/10—pattie


When driving on some roads, such as winding,
hilly, curved, narrow roads, or roads which are
under construction, the sensor may detect ve-
hicles in a different lane, or may temporarily not
detect a vehicle traveling ahead. This may
cause the system to work inappropriately.
The detection of vehicles may also be affected
by vehicle operation (steering maneuver or trav-
eling position in the lane, etc.) or vehicle con-
dition.If this occurs, the system may warn you
by blinking the system indicator and sounding
the chime unexpectedly. You will have to manu-
ally control the proper distance away from the
vehicle traveling ahead.Distance Control Assist system
display and indicators
The display is located between the speedom-
eter and tachometer.
1) Distance Control Assist (DCA) system switch indicator:
Indicates that the dynamic driver assis-
tance switch is ON.
2) Vehicle ahead detection indicator:
Indicates whether it detects a vehicle in
front of you.
3) Distance Control Assist system warning light (orange):
The light comes on if there is a malfunc-
tion in the DCA system.
SSD0253SSD0994
5-66Starting and driving
—
—
01/12/10—pattie