2011 INFINITI QX stop start

OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
While driving, the right side or left side wheels
may unintentionally leave the road surface. If
this occurs, maintain control of the vehicle by
following the procedure below. Please note that
this procedure is only a general guide. The
vehicle must be driven as appropriate based on
the conditions of the vehicle, road and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheelwith both hands and try to hold a straight
course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the ac- celerator pedal to gradually slow the ve-
hicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while the ve-
hicle speed is reduced. Do not attempt to
drive the vehicle back onto the road sur-
face until vehicle speed is reduced. 6. When it is safe to do so, gradually turn
the steering wheel until both tires return
to the road surface. When all tires are on
the road surface, steer the vehicle to stay
in the appropriate driving lane.
●If you decide that it is not safe to return
the vehicle to the road surface based on
vehicle, road or traffic conditions, gradu-
ally slow the vehicle to a stop in a safe
place off the road.
RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS
Rapid air pressure loss or a “blow-out” can
occur if the tire is punctured or is damaged due
to hitting a curb or pothole. Rapid air pressure
loss can also be caused by driving on under-
inflated tires.
Rapid air pressure loss can affect the handling
and stability of the vehicle, especially at high-
way speeds.
Help prevent rapid air pressure loss by main-
taining the correct air pressure and visually
inspect the tires for wear and damage. See
“WHEELS AND TIRES” in the “8. Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual. If a tire rapidly loses air pressure or “blows-out”
while driving maintain control of the vehicle by
following the procedure below. Please note that
this procedure is only a general guide. The
vehicle must be driven as appropriate based on
the conditions of the vehicle, road and traffic.
WARNING
The following actions can increase the chance
of losing control of the vehicle if there is a
sudden loss of tire air pressure. Losing control
of the vehicle may cause a collision and result
in personal injury.
●
The vehicle generally moves or pulls in the
direction of the flat tire.
● Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
● Do not rapidly release the accelerator pedal.
● Do not rapidly turn the steering wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel
with both hands and try to hold a straight
course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the ac- celerator pedal to gradually slow the ve-
hicle.
Starting and driving5-7

4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe loca-tion off the road and away from traffic if
possible.
5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradually stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and either contact a roadside emergency ser-
vice to change the tire or see “CHANGING
A FLAT TIRE” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section of this Owner’s Manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol or
drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream reduces co-
ordination, delays reaction time and impairs
judgement. Driving after drinking alcohol in-
creases the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others. Addition-
ally, if you are injured in an accident, alcohol
can increase the severity of the injury. INFINITI is committed to safe driving. However,
you must choose not to drive under the influ-
ence of alcohol. Every year thousands of people
are injured or killed in alcohol-related acci-
dents. Although the local laws vary on what is
considered to be legally intoxicated, the fact is
that alcohol affects all people differently and
most people underestimate the effects of alco-
hol.
Remember, drinking and driving don’t mix! And
that is true for drugs, too (over-the-counter,
prescription, and illegal drugs). Don’t drive if
your ability to operate your vehicle is impaired
by alcohol, drugs, or some other physical con-
dition.DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your INFINITI is designed for both normal and
off-road use. However, avoid driving in deep
water or mud as your INFINITI is mainly de-
signed for leisure use, unlike a conventional
off-road vehicle.
Remember that Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
are less capable than Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)
models for rough road driving and extrication
when stuck in deep snow, mud, or the like. Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
●
Drive carefully when off the road and avoid
dangerous areas. Every person who drives or
rides in this vehicle should be seated with
their seat belt fastened. This will keep you
and your passengers in position when driv-
ing over rough terrain.
● Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead
drive either straight up or straight down the
slopes. Off-road vehicles can tip over side-
ways much more easily than they can for-
ward or backward.
● Many hills are too steep for any vehicle. If
you drive up them, you may stall. If you drive
down them, you may not be able to control
your speed. If you drive across them, you
may roll over.
● Do not shift ranges while driving on downhill
grades as this could cause loss of control of
the vehicle.
● Stay alert when driving to the top of a hill. At
the top there could be a drop-off or other
hazard that could cause an accident.
5-8Starting and driving

●Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or ra-
dial), and tread pattern on all four wheels.
Install tire chains on the rear wheels when
driving on slippery roads and drive carefully.
● Be sure to check the brakes immediately af-
ter driving in mud or water. See “BRAKE SYS-
TEM” later in this section for wet brakes.
● Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If
you get out of the vehicle and it rolls forward,
backward or sideways, you could be injured.
● Whenever you drive off-road through sand,
mud or water as deep as the wheel hub, more
frequent maintenance may be required. See
the maintenance information in the “INFINITI
Service and Maintenance Guide”.
● Spinning the rear wheels on slippery sur-
faces may cause the 4WD warning light to
flash. The 4WD system may also automati-
cally switch from the 4WD mode to the 2WD
mode. This could reduce traction. Be espe-
cially careful when towing a trailer (4WD
models).WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition switch
while driving the vehicle except in an emer-
gency. (The engine will stop when the ignition
switch is pushed 3 consecutive times or the
ignition switch is pushed and held for more
than 2 seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the selector lever to the
P (Park) position.
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The operating range for starting the engine
inside the vehicle
1is shown in the illustra-
tion.
● If the Intelligent Key is on the instrument
panel, cargo area, inside the glove box or
door pocket, or the corner of interior com-
partment, it may not be possible to start the
engine.
● If the Intelligent Key is near the door or door
glass outside the vehicle, it may be possible
to start the engine.
SSD0436
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
5-10Starting and driving

●Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
● Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid and window washer fluid as
frequently as possible, or at least whenever
you refuel.
● Check that all windows and lights are clean.
● Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
● Lock all doors.
● Position seat and adjust head
restraints/headrests.
● Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
● Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
● Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position. (See “WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS
AND AUDIBLE REMINDERS” in the “2. Instru-
ments and controls” section.)1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or
N (Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the selector lever is in either of the above
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-tion. Depress the brake pedal and push
the ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push and
release the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal with the ignition switch in
any position.
● If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and while
holding, crank the engine. Release the
accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
● If the engine is very hard to start because
it is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion to start cranking the engine. After 5
or 6 seconds, stop cranking by pushing
the ignition switch to OFF. After cranking
the engine, release the accelerator pedal.
Crank the engine with your foot off the accelerator pedal
by depressing the brake
pedal and pushing the push-button igni-
tion switch to start the engine. If the
engine starts, but fails to run, repeat the
above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more than 15
seconds at a time. If the engine does not start,
push the ignition switch to OFF and wait 10
seconds before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
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 of 2 - 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 the no load condition, the en-
gine will enter the fuel cut mode.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-13

5. To stop the engine, shift the selector leverto the P (Park) position and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.ENGINE PROTECTION MODE
The engine has an engine protection mode to
reduce the chance of damage if the coolant
temperature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tempera-
ture with heavy loads, such as when towing a
trailer).
When the engine temperature reaches a certain
level:
● The engine coolant temperature gauge will
move toward the H position.
● Engine power may be reduced.
● The air conditioning cooling function may be
automatically turned OFF for a short time
(the blower will continue to operate).
Engine power and, under some conditions, ve-
hicle speed will decrease. Vehicle speed can be
controlled with the accelerator pedal, but the
vehicle may not accelerate at the desired
speed. The transmission will downshift or up-
shift as it reaches prescribed shift points. You
can also shift manually.
As driving conditions change and engine cool-
ant temperature is reduced, vehicle speed can
be increased using the accelerator pedal, and
air conditioning cooling function will automati-
cally be turned back ON. If:1. The engine coolant temperature is not
reduced.
2. The air conditioning cooling function does not turn back ON.
3. The engine oil pressure warning light
illuminates or engine coolant tem-
perature gauge does not return to the
normal range from the H position, this
may indicate a malfunction. Move the
vehicle off the road to a safe area and
allow the engine to cool. If after checking
the oil and coolant, the
remains on
or engine coolant temperature does not
return to the normal range, do not con-
tinue to drive and contact an INFINITI
retailer.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)may also come ON. You do not need to have
your vehicle towed, unless it remains on, but
have it inspected soon by an INFINITI retailer.
See “WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS AND AU-
DIBLE REMINDERS” in the “2. Instruments and
controls” section.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-14Starting and driving

WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced engine
power and vehicle speed. The reduced speed
may be lower than other traffic, which could
increase the chance of a collision. Be especially
careful when driving. If the vehicle cannot
maintain a safe driving speed, pull to the side
of the road in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation. See “IF
YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS” in the “6. In case of
emergency” section.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil pres-
sure warning light on could cause serious dam-
age to the engine almost immediately. Such
damage is not covered by warranty. Turn off the
engine as soon as it is safe to do so.
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) 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) or manual shift mode. Al-
ways 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 manual shift mode while
vehicle is moving rearward. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have an
accident.
● 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.
Starting and driving5-15

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.
The selector lever position indicator light (next
to the selector lever) will be illuminated for
approximately 30 minutes after the ignition
switch is turned off. The indicator light may also
illuminate when the vehicle receives radio
waves. This is not a malfunction. After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and shift the selector lever from P
(Park) to R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) 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.
Selector lever
SSD0945
5-16Starting and driving

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.
Manual shift mode
When the selector lever is in the manual shift
gate, the transmission is ready for the manual
shift mode. Shift ranges can be selected manu-
ally by moving the selector lever up or down.
When shifting up, move the selector lever to the
+ (up) side. The transmission shifts to the
higher range.
When shifting down, move the selector lever to
the (down) side. The transmission 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.
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 these positions 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 succes-
sion.
Starting and driving5-17