2011 INFINITI M suspension

●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. ●
Tampering with the air bag system may re-
sult in serious personal injury. Tampering
includes changes to the steering wheel and
the instrument panel assembly by placing
material over the steering wheel pad and
above the instrument panel or by installing
additional trim material around the air bag
system.
● Modifying or tampering with the front pas-
senger seat may result in serious personal
injury. For example, do not change the front
seats by placing material on the seat cush-
ion or by installing additional trim material,
such as seat covers, on the seat that is not
specifically designed to assure proper air
bag operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat or the
seat cushion and seatback. Such objects
may interfere with the proper operation of
the occupant classification sensor.
● No unauthorized changes should be made to
any components or wiring of the seat belt
system. This may affect the front air bag
system. Tampering with the seat belt system
may result in serious personal injury. ●
Work on and around the front air bag system
should be done by an INFINITI retailer. Instal-
lation of electrical equipment should also be
done by an INFINITI retailer. The Supplemen-
tal Restraint System (SRS) wiring har-
nesses* should not be modified or discon-
nected. Unauthorized electrical test
equipment and probing devices should not
be used on the air bag system.
● A cracked windshield should be replaced im-
mediately by a qualified repair facility. A
cracked windshield could affect the function
of the supplemental air bag system.
* The SRS wiring harness connectors are yellow
and orange for easy identification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the front air bag system
and guide the buyer to the appropriate sections
in this Owner’s Manual.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-45
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01/11/10—pattie


●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. ●
Work around and on the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems should be done by an
INFINITI retailer. Installation of electrical
equipment should also be done by an
INFINITI retailer. The Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS) wiring harnesses*
should not be modified or disconnected. Un-
authorized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used on the
side-impact air bag system.
* The SRS wiring harness connectors are yellow
and orange for easy identification.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems and guide the buyer to
the appropriate sections in this Owner’s
Manual.
SEAT BELTS WITH PRETENSIONERS
(front seats)
WARNING
● The pretensioners cannot be reused after ac-
tivation. They must be replaced together
with the retractor and buckle as a unit. ●
If the vehicle becomes involved in a collision
but a pretensioner is not activated, be sure
to have the pretensioner system checked
and, if necessary, replaced by an INFINITI
retailer.
● No unauthorized changes should be made to
any components or wiring of the pretension-
ers. This is to prevent damage to or acciden-
tal activation of the pretensioner system.
Tampering with the pretensioner system
may result in serious personal injury.
● Work around and on the pretensioners
should be done by an INFINITI retailer. Instal-
lation of electrical equipment should also be
done by an INFINITI retailer. Unauthorized
electrical test equipment and probing de-
vices should not be used on the pretensioner
system.
● If you need to dispose of the pretensioner or
scrap the vehicle, contact an INFINITI re-
tailer. Correct pretensioner disposal proce-
dures are set forth in the appropriate
INFINITI Service Manual. Incorrect disposal
procedures could cause personal injury.
The pretensioner system may activate with the
supplemental air bag system in certain types of
collisions. Working with the seat belt retractor,
it helps tighten the seat belt when the vehicle
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47
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07/14/10—dstomski


LANE DEPARTURE PREVENTION (LDP)
SYSTEM
Precautions on LDP system
WARNING
●The LDP system will not steer the vehicle or
prevent loss of control. It is the driver’s re-
sponsibility to stay alert, drive safely, keep
the vehicle in the traveling lane, and be in
control of vehicle at all times.
● The LDP system is primarily intended for use
on well-developed freeways or highways. It
may not detect the lane markers in certain
roads, weather or driving conditions.
● Using the LDP system under some condi-
tions of road, lane marker or weather, or
when you change lanes without using the
lane change signal could lead to an unex-
pected system operation. In such condi-
tions, you need to correct the vehicle’s direc-
tion with your steering operation to avoid
accidents.
● When the LDP system is operating, avoid
excessive or sudden steering maneuvers.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the
vehicle. ●
The LDP system will not operate at speeds
below approximately 45 MPH (70 km/h) or if
it cannot detect lane markers.
● The LDP system may not function properly
under the following conditions, and do not
use the LDP system:
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, wind, etc.).
– When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow, etc.
– When driving on winding or uneven roads.
– When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
– When driving in a makeshift lane.
– When driving on roads where the lane width is too narrow.
– When driving with a tire that is not within normal tire conditions (for example, tire
wear, low tire pressure, installation of
spare tire, tire chains, non-standard
wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with non- original brake parts or suspension parts. ●
If the LDP system malfunctions, it will cancel
automatically. The lane departure warning
light (orange) on the instrument panel will
illuminate.
● If the lane departure warning light (orange)
illuminates, pull off the road to a safe loca-
tion and stop the vehicle. Turn the engine off
and restart the engine. If the warning light
(orange) continues to illuminate, have the
LDP system checked by an INFINITI retailer.
● Excessive noise will interfere with the warn-
ing chime sound, and the chime may not be
heard.
The functions of the LDP system (warning and
brake control assist) may or may not operate
properly under the following conditions:
● On roads where there are multiple parallel
lane markers; lane markers that are faded or
not painted clearly; yellow painted lane
markers; non-standard lane markers; lane
markers covered with water, dirt, snow, etc.
● On roads where discontinued lane markers
are still detectable.
● On roads where there are sharp curves.
● On roads where there are sharply contrast-
ing objects, such as shadows, snow, water,
Starting and driving5-23
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01/13/10—tbrooks


3. Highlight the “Blind Spot Intervention”key, select ON (enabled) or OFF (disabled)
and push the ENTER
2button. The fac-
tory default setting is set to ON (enabled).
If you set all of the systems to disable and push
the dynamic driver assistance switch, the indi-
cator of the disabled system will blink for
approximately 4 seconds and turn off.
See “LANE DEPARTURE PREVENTION (LDP) SYS-
TEM” earlier in this section and “DISTANCE
CONTROL ASSIST (DCA) SYSTEM” later in this
section.
WARNING
● Do not use the BSI system under the follow-
ing conditions because the system may not
function properly.
– During bad weather (e.g. rain, fog, snow, wind, etc.)
– When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow, etc.
– When driving on winding or uneven roads.
– When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
– When driving in a makeshift lane.
– When driving on roads where the lane width is too narrow.
– When driving with a tire that is not within normal tire conditions (e.g. tire wear, low
tire pressure, installation of spare tire,
tire chains, non-standard wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with non- original brake parts or suspension parts.
● Do not use the BSW or BSI systems when
towing a trailer.
● Excessive noise (e.g. audio system volume,
open vehicle window) will interfere with the
chime sound, and it may not be heard. ●
The radar sensors may not be able to detect
and activate BSI/BSW when certain objects
are present such as:
– Pedestrians, bicycles, animals
– Several types of vehicles such as motor- cycles
– Oncoming vehicles
– Vehicles remaining in the detection zone when you accelerate from a stop
(See “BSW/BSI DRIVING SITUATIONS”
later in this section)
– A vehicle merging into an adjacent lane at a speed approximately the same as your
vehicle
(See “BSW/BSI DRIVING SITUATIONS”
later in this section)
– A vehicle approaching rapidly from be- hind.
(See “BSW/BSI DRIVING SITUATIONS”
later in this section)
– A vehicle which your vehicle overtakes rapidly.
(See “BSW/BSI DRIVING SITUATIONS”
later in this section)
● Severe weather or road spray conditions
may reduce the ability of the radar to detect
other vehicles.
SSD1002
5-32Starting and driving
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03/02/10—pattie


When the VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the
VDC system, the active trace control system is
also turned off.
If the active trace control is not functioning
properly, the IBA OFF indicator light illuminates
in the instrument panel.
RISE-UP AND BUILD-UP
The system gradually adjusts braking power
during normal braking to help provide an en-
hanced brake feel.
BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION
During braking while driving through turns, the
system optimizes the distribution of force to
each of the four wheels depending on the
radius of the turn.
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. ●
The active trace control (if so equipped),
rise-up and build-up and brake force distri-
bution systems may not be effective depend-
ing on the driving condition. Always drive
carefully and attentively.
● 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.
5-90Starting and driving
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01/12/10—pattie


VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a stuck
vehicle)
WARNING
●Stand clear of a stuck vehicle.
● Do not spin your tires at high speed. This
could cause them to explode and result in
serious injury. Parts of your vehicle could
also overheat and be damaged.
Pulling a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use a tow strap or other device designed spe-
cifically for vehicle recovery. Always follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for the recovery de-
vice.
Front:
1. Remove the cover with a suitable tool.
2. Securely install the vehicle recovery hook
1stored with jacking tools as illustrated.
Attach the tow strap to the recovery hook.
Make sure that the hook is properly secured
in the original place after use.
Rear :
Do not use the tie down hook
2for towing or
vehicle recovery.
CAUTION
● Tow chains or cables must be attached only
to the vehicle recovery hooks or main struc-
tural members of the vehicle. Otherwise, the
vehicle body will be damaged.
● Do not use the vehicle tie downs to free a
vehicle stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.
● Never tow a vehicle using the vehicle tie
downs or recovery hooks.
● 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).
● Apply the accelerator as little as possible
to maintain the rocking motion.
● Release the accelerator pedal before
shifting between R and D.
● 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.
In case of emergency6-15
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01/13/10—tbrooks


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
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01/13/10—pattie


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.
CHANGING WHEELS AND TIRES
Tire rotation (Models equipped with
same size tires on all wheels)
INFINITI recommends rotating the tires
every 7,500 miles (12,000 km). (See
“FLAT TIRE” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section for tire replacing proce-
dures.)
As soon as possible, tighten the wheel
nuts to the specified torque with a torque
wrench.
SDI1662
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-37
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07/26/10—dmoore