2012 NISSAN 370Z COUPE Owners Manual

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 slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
SSD0827
Selector lever
To move the selector lever,
: Push the button while depressing the
brake pedal.
: Push the button.
: Just move the selector lever.
Shifting
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 selec-
tor 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.
Starting and driving5-13

5-14Starting and driving
CAUTION
Use this position only when the vehicle
is completely 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.
SSD0828
Paddle shifter
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
manually by moving the selector lever up or
down, or pulling the right-side or left-side
paddle shifter.
When shifting up, move the selector lever to the
+ (up) side or pull the right-side paddle shifter
(+)
*A. The transmission shifts to the higher
range.
When shifting down, move the selector lever to
the −(down) side or pull the left-side paddle
shifter (−)
*B. 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.
When you pull the paddle shifter while in the D
(Drive) position, the transmission will shift to the
upper or lower range temporarily. The transmis-
sion will automatically return to the D (Drive)
position after a short period of time. If you want
to return to the D (Drive) position manually, pull
and hold the paddle shifter for about 1.5
seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the transmission position indicator
in the meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
1M?
/
2M?
/3M?
/ 4M?
/5M?
/6M?
/ 7M
7M(7th):
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
6
M(6th) and 5M(5th):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving down
long slopes.

4M(4th) , 3M(3rd) and 2M(2nd):
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1
M(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.
. 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 Automatic
Transmission (AT) position indicator light (on
the vehicle information display) will blink and
the buzzer 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.
SSD0832
Upshift indicator:
The up-shift indicator is located in the tach-
ometer and shows the driver the timing to shift
into a higher gear by illuminating. The use of the
up-shift indicator will help you to upshift at a
constant engine speed from any gear.
The up-shift indicator will start flashing when the
engine speed reaches about 500 rpm before the
set figure while driving, and then illuminate after
the engine speed reaches the set figure.
The engine speed for upshifting can be set on
the vehicle information display. See “Trip com-
puter” (P.2-22) .
There may be a slight difference between the timing of the up-shift indicator illumi-
nation and the tachometer indication.
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 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 a NISSAN dealer
check the transmission and repair if ne-
cessary.
Starting and driving5-15

5-16Starting and driving
SSD0829
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
depressed and the selector lever button pushed.
To move the selector lever, perform the following
procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCKposition.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
*Ausing a
suitable tool. 4. Push down the shift lock
*Busing a
suitable tool as illustrated.
5. Push the selector lever button
*Cand move
the selector lever to the N (Neutral) position
*Dwhile holding down the shift lock.
Now the vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P (Park) ,
have a NISSAN dealer check the automatic
transmission system as soon as possible.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING
. Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery 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.
CAUTION
.Do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal while driving. This may da-
mage the clutch. .
Fully depress the clutch pedal be-
fore shifting to help prevent trans-
mission damage.
. Stop your vehicle completely before
shifting into R (Reverse) .
. When the vehicle is stopped with
the engine running (for example, at
a stop light) , shift to N (Neutral) and
release the clutch pedal with the
foot brake applied.

SSD0536
Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or down-
shifting, fully depress the clutch pedal, shift into
an appropriate gear, and then slowly and
smoothly release the clutch pedal.
This vehicle is equipped with a short throw
shifter manual transmission. To ensure smooth
gear changes, be sure to fully depress the clutch
pedal before operating the shift lever. If the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed before the
transmission is shifted, a gear noise may be
heard. Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and upshift to 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in sequence accord-ing to the vehicle speed.
To back up, depress the shift knob and then
move the shift lever to the R (Reverse) position
after stopping the vehicle completely.
The shift knob 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 R
(Reverse) or 1st (Low gear), shift to N (Neutral) ,
then release the clutch pedal. Fully depress the
clutch pedal again and shift into R or 1st.
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) (if
so equipped for Manual Transmission
models)
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) auto-
matically adjusts the engine speed to match the
selecting gear ratio while changing gears.
Precautions:
.
Shift lever and clutch pedal operations are
not different than a conventional manual
transmission.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal. Insufficient
pedal depression may cause slow response
of this system.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed with
the gear still engaged, the engine speed is
kept at the proper level for the engaged gear. Thus, the engine speed may be kept
high depending on the gear position and
vehicle speed.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed with
the transmission in neutral, the system
operates for approximately 2 seconds, and
then the engine speed will decrease to the
idle speed.
. When the engine coolant temperature is low
right after starting the engine, engine speed
synchronization will be delayed or may be
insufficient.
. The system controls the engine speed up to
the rev limit. Note that S-MODE is not a
function that prevents over-revving resulting
from shifting mistakes.
. The system does not operate while the
vehicle is backing up.
. If the engine speed is limited lower than
usual when the engine oil temperature is
extremely high, the system will control up to
the limited engine speed.
. If the malfunction indicator light illuminates,
the system may not operate and the S-
MODE indicator turns off.
Starting and driving5-17

5-18Starting and driving
SSD0830
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) warn-
ing:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) warn-
ing will appear on the vehicle information display
and the S-MODE indicator will turn off if a
system malfunction occurs.
If the warning appears, the S-MODE function
will not operate, but manual transmission will
operate normally and driving can be continued.
Have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
SSD0831
Activating the system:
To activate the S-MODE, push the S-MODE
switch
*A. The S-MODE indicator*Bon the
tachometer will show “S”. To deactivate, push
and hold the S-MODE switch for more than 1
second. The S-MODE indicator will turn off.
While the S-MODE is off, you can drive the vehicle as a conventional manual transmission
model.
Note that the status of the S-MODE (on or off) is
memorized even after the ignition switch is
turned off; however, it will be initialized (off)
when the battery is disconnected.
The transmission position indicator
*Cshows
the selected gear: N (Neutral) , 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, R
(Reverse).
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) op-
eration:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) auto-
matically adjusts the engine speed by controlling
the engine throttle. The accelerator pedal does
not have to be depressed.
The system detects the clutch pedal and shift
lever operations, and then calculates the target
engine speed using the shifting gear position
and the vehicle speed information.
The system provides accurate engine speed
control that helps achieve quick gear shifting
and reduces shift shock on clutch engagement.
. When downshifting:
The engine speed is automatically increased
to the target engine speed before the clutch
is engaged.
. When upshifting:
The engine speed is automatically kept after

the engine speed lowers to the target
engine speed.
Rapid clutch engagement before the engine
speed lowers to the target engine speed
may cause shift shock.
. When depressing the clutch pedal with
the gear engaged:
The engine speed is automatically kept at
the proper engine speed for the engaged
gear.
This function will not operate when low (1st)
gear is selected.
There is a delay between the clutch pedal
operation and the S-MODE operation. Make
sure the engine speed is adjusted before
engaging the clutch again.
SSD0832
Upshift indicator
The up-shift indicator is located in the tach-
ometer and shows the driver the timing to shift
into a higher gear by illuminating. The use of the
up-shift indicator will help you to upshift at a
constant engine speed from any gear.
The up-shift indicator will start flashing when the
engine speed reaches about 500 rpm before the
set figure while driving, and then illuminate after
the engine speed reaches the set figure.
The engine speed for upshifting can be set on
the vehicle information display. See “Trip com-
puter” (P.2-22) . There may be a slight difference between
the timing of the up-shift indicator illumi-
nation and the tachometer indication.
Suggested up-shift speeds
Shown below are suggested vehicle speeds for
shifting into a higher gear. These suggestions
relate to fuel economy and vehicle performance.
Actual up-shift 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 (26)
3rd to 4th 25 (40)
4th to 5th 28 (45)
5th to 6th 33 (53)
Starting and driving5-19

5-20Starting and driving
For quick acceleration in low altitude areas or in
high altitude areas [over 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]:
Gear changeMPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)
Suggested maximum speed in each gear
Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is not
running smoothly, or if you need to accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested speed
(shown below) in any gear. For level road
driving, use the highest gear suggested for that
speed. Always observe posted speed limits, and
drive according to the road conditions, which
will ensure safe operation. Do not over-rev the
engine when shifting to a lower gear as it may
cause engine damage or loss of vehicle control.
Gear
MPH (km/h)
1st 38 (62)
2nd 63 (102)
3rd 91 (146)
4th —
5th —
6th —
WARNING
.
Be sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving. Failure to
do so can cause brake failure and
lead to an accident.
. Do not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.
. Do not use the gear shift in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
. Do not leave children unattended in
a vehicle. They could release the
parking brake and cause an acci-
dent.
PARKING BRAKE