2012 NISSAN CUBE ESP

sure for all four tires. Adjust the tire
pressure to the recommended COLD
tire pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label to turn
the low tire pressure warning light
OFF. If you have a flat tire, replace it
with a spare tire as soon as possi-
ble. (See “Flat tire” (P.6-2) for chan-
ging 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 approxi-
mately 1 minute. The light will
remain on after 1 minute. Contact
your NISSAN dealer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/
or system resetting.
. Replacing tires with those not ori-
ginally specified by NISSAN 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 re-
ception of the signals from the tire
pressure sensors, and the TPMS will
not function properly.
Some devices and transmitters may temporarily
interfere with the operation of the TPMS and
cause the low tire pressure warning light to
illuminate. Some examples are:
. Facilities or electric devices using similar
radio frequencies are near the vehicle.
. If a transmitter set to similar frequencies 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 interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Note: Changes or modifications not ex-
pressly 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 inter-
ference, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Starting and driving5-5

5-6Starting and driving
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 excessive speed,
high speed cornering, or sudden steering
maneuvers, because these driving practices
could cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
As with any vehicle, a loss of control could
result in a collision with other vehicles or
objects, or cause the vehicle to rollover,
particularly if the loss of control causes the
vehicle to slide sideways. Be attentive at all
times, and avoid driving when tired. Never drive
when under the influence of alcohol or drugs
(including prescription or over-the-counter
drugs which may cause drowsiness) . Always
wear your seat belt as outlined in the “Seat
belts” (P.1-10) of this manual, and also instruct
your passengers to do so.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers. In a rollover crash, an
unbelted or improperly belted person is significantly more likely to be injured or
killed than a person properly wearing a
seat belt.
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
If the right side or left side wheels leave the road
surface, 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 wheel
with both hands and try to hold a straight
course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the accel- erator pedal to gradually slow the vehicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while the vehicle
speed is reduced. Do not attempt to drive
the vehicle back onto the road surface 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 returnthe 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 highway
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” (P.8-30) 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.

MODELS WITHOUT INTELLIGENT KEY
SYSTEM
1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models:
Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed so that it does not
operate unless the selector lever is in either
of the above positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) models:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position. Depress the clutch pedal fully to
the floor.
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the clutch pedal is fully depressed.
3. Crank the engine with your foot off the
accelerator pedal by turning the ignition
switch to START. Release the switch when
the engine starts. If the engine starts, but
fails to run, repeat the above procedure.
.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 hold
it and then crank the engine. Release the
accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
.If the engine is very hard to start becauseit is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Crank the engine for 5 - 6 seconds. After
cranking the engine, release the accel-
erator pedal. Crank the engine with your
foot off the accelerator pedal by
turning the ignition switch to START.
Release the ignition switch when the
engine starts. 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, turn the ignition switch
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
start.
5. To stop the engine, move the selector lever to the P (Park) position (CVT model) or move
the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position (MT
model) , and turn the ignition switch to the
OFF position.
MODELS WITH INTELLIGENT KEY
SYSTEM
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.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch.
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 restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
Starting and driving5-13
STARTING THE ENGINE

5-14Starting and driving
(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 becauseit 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 accel-
erator pedal. Crank the engine with your
foot off the accelerator pedal by
depressing the brake pedal and pushing
the push-button ignition 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
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,000 rpm or
more under no load condition, the engine
will enter the fuel cut mode.
5. To stop the engine, move the selector lever to the P (Park) position, and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANS-
MISSION (CVT)
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
in your vehicle is electronically controlled to
produce maximum power and smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for this
transmission are shown on the following pages.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal before moving the selector
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This CVT is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any driving
position while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
The selector lever cannot be moved out
of the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position or if the key is removed.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE

SSD0863
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch (if so
equipped)
When the O/D OFF switch is pushed with the
selector lever in the D (Drive) position, the
indicator light in the instrument panel illuminates.
Use the overdrive off mode when you need
improved engine braking.
To turn off the overdrive off mode, push the O/D
OFF switch again. The
indicator light will
turn off.
Each time the engine is started, or when the
selector lever is shifted to any position other
than the D (Drive) position, the overdrive off
mode will be automatically turned off.
Accelerator downshift — In D position —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, depending
on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection mode
This transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperature with heavy
loads), engine power and, under some condi-
tions, vehicle speed will be decreased auto-
matically to reduce the chance of transmission
damage. Vehicle speed can be controlled with
the accelerator pedal, but the engine and vehicle
speed may be limited.
Fail-safe
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. The MIL
may illuminate to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. (See “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” (P.2-17) .) This will
occur even if all electrical circuits are
functioning properly. In this case, place
the ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then turn the 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.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation
occurs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could
increase the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If ne-
cessary, pull to the side of the road at a
safe place and allow the transmission
to return to normal operation, or have it
repaired if necessary.
Starting and driving5-17

so the vehicle will move away from the
center of the road if it moves.
4. Models with Intelligent Key system:
Place the ignition switch in the OFF position.
Models without Intelligent Key system:
Place the ignition switch in the LOCK
position and remove the key.
WARNING
.If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
. When the electric power steering
warning light illuminates with the
engine running, the power assist for
the steering will cease operation.
You will still have control of the
vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate.
The electric power steering system is designed
to provide power assist while driving to operate
the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated repeatedly
or continuously while parking or driving at a very
low speed, the power assist for the steering
wheel will be reduced. This is to prevent
overheating of the electric power steering
system and protect it from getting damaged.
While the power assist is reduced, steering
wheel operation will become heavy. When the
temperature of the electric power steering
system goes down, the power assist level will
return to normal. Avoid repeating such steering wheel operations that could cause the electric
power steering system to overheat.
You may hear a sound when the steering wheel
is operated quickly. However, this is not a
malfunction.
If the electric power steering warning light
illuminates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the electric power steering system is
not functioning properly and may need servicing.
Have the electric power steering system
checked by a NISSAN dealer. (See “Electric
power steering warning light” (P.2-13) .)
When the electric power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running, the power
assist for the steering will cease operation. You
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
greater steering effort is needed, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
Starting and driving5-25
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING
SYSTEM

5-26Starting and driving
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
You may feel a small click and hear a sound
when the brake pedal is fully depressed slowly.
This is not a malfunction and indicates that the
brake assist mechanism is operating properly.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be
required to stop the vehicle and the stopping
distance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake pads and shoes
faster and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result in
loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
.While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
or accelerating could cause the
wheels to skid and result in an
accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your
braking distance will be longer and the vehicle
may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly tapping the brake pedal to heat-up
the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to
normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds
until the brakes function correctly.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting
from careless or dangerous driving
techniques. It can help maintain
vehicle control during braking on
slippery surfaces. Remember that
stopping distances on slippery sur-
faces will be longer than on normal
surfaces even with ABS. Stopping
distances may also be longer on
rough, gravel or snow covered
roads, or if you are using tire chains.
Always maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Ultimately, the driver is responsible
for safety.
. Tire type and condition may also
affect braking effectiveness.
— When replacing tires, install the
specified size of tires on all four
wheels.
— When installing a spare tire, make sure that it is the proper
size and type as specified on the
BRAKE SYSTEM

5-28Starting and driving
The Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system
uses various sensors to monitor driver inputs
and vehicle motion. Under certain driving con-
ditions, the VDC system helps to perform the
following functions.
.Controls brake pressure to reduce wheel
slip on one slipping drive wheel so power is
transferred to a non slipping drive wheel on
the same axle.
. Controls brake pressure and engine output
to reduce drive wheel slip based on vehicle
speed (traction control function) .
. Controls brake pressure at individual wheels
and engine output to help the driver maintain
control of the vehicle in the following
conditions:
— understeer (vehicle tends to not follow
the steered path despite increased
steering input)
— oversteer (vehicle tends to spin due to certain road or driving conditions) .
The VDC system can help the driver to maintain
control of the vehicle, but it cannot prevent loss
of vehicle control in all driving situations.
When the VDC system operates, the VDC
warning light
in the instrument panel flashes
so note the following:
. The road may be slippery or the system may
determine some action is required to help keep the vehicle on the steered path.
. You may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal
and hear a noise or vibration from under the
hood. This is normal and indicates that the
VDC system is working properly.
. Adjust your speed and driving to the road
conditions.
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the VDC
warning light
illuminates in the instrument
panel. The VDC system automatically turns off.
The VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the VDC
system. The VDC off indicator
illuminates to
indicate the VDC system is off. When the VDC
switch is used to turn off the system, the VDC
system still operates to prevent one drive wheel
from slipping by transferring power to a non
slipping drive wheel. The VDC warning light
flashes if this occurs. All other VDC functions
are off, and the VDC warning light
will not
flash. The VDC system is automatically reset to
on when the ignition switch is placed in the off
position then back to the on position.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warning
light” (P.2-16) and “Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) off indicator light” (P.2-18).
The computer has a built-in diagnostic feature
that tests the system each time you start the
engine and move the vehicle forward or in
reverse at a slow speed. When the self-test occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise and/or feel
a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is normal and
is not an indication of a malfunction.
WARNING
.
The VDC system is designed to help
improve driving stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
by careless or dangerous driving
techniques. Reduce vehicle speed
and be especially careful when driv-
ing and cornering on slippery sur-
faces and always drive carefully.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs,
stabilizer bars, bushings and
wheels are not NISSAN recom-
mended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC
system may not operate properly.
This could adversely affect vehicle
handling performance, and the VDC
warning light
may illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are extre-
VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (VDC)
SYSTEM