2012 INFINITI M light

5-6Starting and driving
the light still illuminates while driving
after adjusting the tire pressure, a tire
may be flat. If you have a flat tire,
replace it with a spare tire as soon as
possible. (See“Flat tire ”in the “6. In
case of emergency ”section for changing
a flat tire.)
. When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, the TPMS will not function
and the low tire pressure warning light
will flash for approximately 1 minute.
The light will remain on after 1 minute.
Contact your INFINITI retailer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/or
system resetting.
. Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
. Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pressure
sensors.
CAUTION
.The TPMS may not function properly
when the wheels are equipped with tire chains or the wheels are buried in snow.
. Do not place metalized film or any metal
parts (antenna, etc.) on the windows.
This may cause poor reception of the
signals from the tire pressure sensors,
and the TPMS will not function properly.
Some devices and transmitters may tem-
porarily interfere with the operation of the
TPMS and cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. Some exam-
ples are:
.Facilities or electric devices using simi-
lar radio frequencies are near the
vehicle.
. If a transmitter set to similar frequen-
cies is being used in or near the
vehicle.
. If a computer (or similar equipment) or
a DC/AC converter is being used in or
near the vehicle.
FCC Notice:
For USA:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device
may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interfer- ence received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
NOTE:
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user
’s authority
to operate the equipment.
For Canada:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interfer-
ence, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND ROLL-
OVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner may result in loss of control
or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid exces-
sive speed, high speed cornering, or

5-8Starting and driving
tions 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 accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe location off the road and away from
traffic if possible. 5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradu-
ally stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and either contact a roadside emer-
gency service to change the tire or see
“Changing a flat tire ”in the “6. In case
of emergency” 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
coordination, delays reaction time and im-
pairs judgement. Driving after drinking
alcohol increases the likelihood of being
involved in an accident injuring yourself and
others. Additionally, 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 influence of alcohol. Every year
thousands of people are injured or killed in
alcohol-related accidents. 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
alcohol.
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 condition.
INTELLIGENT ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
(AWD) DRIVING SAFETY PRECAU-
TIONS
WARNING
. Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires, even with Intelli-
gent AWD engaged. Accelerating quickly,
sharp steering ma neuvers or sudden
braking may cause loss of control.
. Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Install tire chains on the rear
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.

If the battery of the vehicle is discharged,
the push-button ignition switch cannot be
turned from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for opera-
tion are displayed on the dot matrix liquid
crystal display between the speedometer
and tachometer. (See“Dot matrix liquid
crystal display ”in the “2. Instruments and
controls ”section.)
The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch position cannot be switched
to LOCK until the selector lever is moved to
the P (Park) position.
When the ignition switch cannot be pushed
toward the LOCK position, proceed as
follows:
1. Move the selector lever into the P (Park) position.
2. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position. The ignition switch position
indicator will not illuminate.
3. Open the door. The ignition switch will change to the LOCK position.
The selector lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.STEERING LOCK (if so equipped)
In order for the steering wheel to be
locked, it must be turned about 1/8 of a
right or left turn from the straight up
position.
To lock the steering wheel, push the
ignition switch to the OFF position. To
unlock the steering wheel, push the
ignition switch. If the steering lock release
malfunction indicator appears on the dot
matrix liquid crystal display, push the
push-button ignition switch again while
lightly turning the steering wheel right
and left. (See “Dot matrix liquid crystal
display ”in the “2. Instruments and con-
trols ”section.)
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in
this position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when
it is pushed to the ACC position while
carrying the Intelligent Key.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical acces-
sories such as the radio, when the engine
is not running.
ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
OFF
The engine can be turned off in this
position.
The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch cannot be switched to the
LOCK position until the selector lever is
moved to the P (Park) position.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the push-
button ignition switch in ACC or ON posi-
tions when the engine is not running for an
extended period. This can discharge the
battery.
Starting and driving5-11

.Make sure the area around the vehicle
is clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil,
coolant, 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 appear-
ance and condition. Also check tires for
proper inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seat and adjust head re-
straints.
. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
. Fasten seat belts and ask all passen-
gers to do likewise.
. Check the operation of warning lights
when the ignition switch is pushed to
the ON position. (See “Warning/indica-
tor lights and audible reminders ”in the
“ 2. Instruments and controls ”section.) 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position. (P is recom-
mended.)
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 position. 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 inextremely cold weather or when
restarting, 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 startbecause it is flooded, depress the
accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and hold it. Push the ignition
switch to the ON position 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
engine 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
Starting and driving5-13
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE

5-14Starting and driving
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,000
rpm (VK56VD engine) or 4,500 rpm
(VQ37VHR engine) or more under no
load condition, the engine will enter the
fuel cut mode.
5. To stop the engine, shift the selector lever to the P (Park) position and push
the ignition switch to the OFF position.
In preparation for the next engine start,
the engine may have a slightly delayed
shutoff after pushing the ignition
switch to the OFF position, depending
on the driving conditions (VK56VD
engine models).AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The automatic transmission in your vehicle
is electronically controlled by a transmis-
sion control module to produce maximum
efficiency and smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. 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 (Reverse), 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 position 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 (Reverse), D (Drive) or
manual shift mode. Always 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
caution 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) or D (Drive) while vehicle
is moving rearward. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have
an accident.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE

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 econ-
omy.
. Moving the selector lever rapidly to the
same side twice will shift the ranges in
succession.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear.
This helps maintain driving perfor-
mance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
When this situation occurs, the Auto-
matic Transmission (AT) position indi-
cator light (on the dot matrix liquid
crystal display) will blink and the
chime will sound.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion automatically shifts down to 1st gear before the vehicle comes to a
stop. When accelerating 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, depending 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 spin-
ning and subsequent 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 return 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.
Starting and driving5-17

SPA2331
To apply:Fully depress the parking brake
pedal
*1.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake
*2.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
*1
and the parking brake will be released.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
SSD1024
Drive mode select switch
Four driving modes can be selected by
using the drive mode selector switch,
STANDARD, SPORT, ECO and SNOW.
NOTE:
. When the drive mode select switch
selects a mode, the mode may not
switch quickly. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
. Select the STANDARD mode for normal
driving.
STANDARD MODE
Recommended for normal driving. Turn the
drivemodeselectswitchtothe
position. “STANDARD ”appears in the
vehicle information display for 2 seconds.
SPORT MODE
Adjusts the engine and transmission
points to enhance performance. If the
vehicle is equipped with 4-Wheel Active
Steer (4WAS) system, the SPORT mode
adjusts this system’ s settings to provide
faster steering ratios. If the vehicle is
equipped with the active trace control
system, the amount of brake control
provided by active trace control is reduced.
(See “4 Wheel Active Steer (4WAS) system ”
later in this section or “Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) system” later in this section.)
Turn the drive mode select switch to the
SPORT position. “SPORT ”appears in the
vehicle information display for 2 seconds.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may be
reduced.
Starting and driving5-19
INFINITI DRIVE MODE SELECTOR

5-20Starting and driving
SNOW MODE
Used on snowy roads or slippery areas.
When the SNOW mode is activated, engine
output is controlled to avoid wheel spin.
Turn the SNOW mode off for normal
driving. Turn the drive mode select switch
to the SNOW position.“SNOW” appears in
the vehicle information display for 2
seconds.
ECO MODE
Adjusts engine and transmission points to
enhance fuel economy.
NOTE:
Selecting this drive mode will not neces-
sarily improve fuel economy as many
driving factors influence its effectiveness.
Operation
Turn the drive mode select switch to the
ECO position. “ECO ”appears in the vehicle
information display for 2 seconds and the
ECO drive indicator light illuminates on the
instrument panel.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
within the range of economy drive, the ECO
drive indicator light illuminates in green.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
above the range of economy drive, the color of the ECO drive indicator light
changes to orange. For ECO pedal system
equipped models see
“ECO pedal system ”
later in this section.
The ECO drive indicator light will not
illuminate in the following cases:
. When the selector lever is in the R
(Reverse) position.
. When the vehicle speed is below 3 MPH
(4.8 km/h) or over 90 MPH (144 km/h).
. When the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
system is operated.
ECO pedal system (if so equipped)
Helps assist the driver to improve fuel
economy by increasing the reaction force
of the accelerator pedal. When the ECO
drive indicator light is blinking or turns
orange, the ECO pedal system increases
the reaction force of the accelerator pedal.
SSD1041
When the ECO drive indicator illuminates in
green, the accelerator reaction force is
normal. When the ECO drive indicator light
is blinking or turns orange, the ECO pedal
system increases the reaction force of the
accelerator pedal.
The ECO pedal system may not vary
accelerator reaction force under the follow-
ing conditions:
. When the selector lever is in the N
(Neutral) or R (Reverse) position.
. When Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) is
being operated.
If the ECO pedal system malfunctions, it