5-82Starting and driving
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a
sophisticated device, but it cannot pre-
vent 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
surfaces will be longer than on normal
surfaces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances 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 Tire and
Loading Information label. See “Tireand Loading Information label”
(P.9-
13) of this manual.
—For detailed information, see “Wheels and tires” (P.8-32) of this
manual.
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) con-
trols the brakes so the wheels do not lock
during hard braking or when braking on
slippery surfaces. The system detects the
rotation speed at each wheel and varies
the brake fluid pressure to prevent each
wheel from locking and sliding. By pre-
venting each wheel from locking, the
system helps the driver maintain steering
control and helps to minimize swerving
and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the systemGUID-7F02BBD8-102F-4B00-AF0A-8097D98E8D92
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so may
result in increased stopping distances.
Self-test featureGUID-DB37B5A8-D8AB-42C5-82AE-8606C85BDFB4
5-84Starting and driving
WARNING
.The VDC system is designed to help the
driver maintain 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 driving and cornering on slippery
surfaces and always drive carefully.
. 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 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 INFINITI
recommended or are extremely deterio-
rated, 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
deteriorated, the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly 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
recommended ones are used, the VDC
system may not operate properly and
the VDC warning light
may illumi-
nate.
. The VDC system is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
6-8In case of emergency
WARNING
.Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tigh-
tened wheel nuts can cause the wheel to
become loose or come off. This could
cause an accident.
. Do not use oil or grease on the wheel
studs or nuts. This could cause the nuts
to become loose.
. Retighten the wheel nuts when the
vehicle has been driven for 600 miles
(1,000 km) (also in cases of a flat tire,
etc.).
.As soon as possible, tighten the
wheel nuts to the specified torque
with a torque wrench.
Wheel nut tightening torque: 80 ft-lb (108 N·m)
The wheel nuts must be kept tigh-
tened to specification at all times. It is recommended that wheel nuts be
tightened to specifications at each
lubrication interval.
.Adjust tire pressure to the COLD
pressure.
COLD pressure:
After the vehicle has been parked
for three hours or more or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
COLD tire pressures are shown on
the Tire and Loading Information
label affixed to the driver side center
pillar.
After adjusting tire pressure to the COLD
tire pressure, the display of the tire
pressure information may show higher
pressure than the COLD tire pressure after
the vehicle has been driven more than 1
mile (1.6 km). This is because the tire
pressurizes as the tire temperature rises.
This does not indicate a system malfunc-
tion.
Stowing the damaged tire and toolsGUID-22CDEED7-BB58-4ECF-8D61-D99D1F675F76
WARNING
. Always make sure that the spare tire and
jacking equipment are properly secured
after use. Such items can become
dangerous projectiles in an accident or
sudden stop.
. The T-type spare tire and small size
spare tire are designed for emergency
use. See specific instructions under the
heading “Wheels and tires” (P.8-32).
SDI1607
Example*2TIN (Tire Identification Number)
for a new tire (example: DOT XX
XX XXX XXXX)
1.DOT: Abbreviation for the“Depart-
ment of Transportation”. The sym-
bol can be placed above, below or
to the left or right of the Tire
Identification Number.
2.Two-digit code: Manufacturer’s
identification mark
3.Two-digit code: Tire size
4.Three-digit code: Tire type code
(Optional)
5.Three-digit code: Date of Manu-
facture
6.Four numbers represent the week
and year the tire was built. For
example, the numbers 3103
means the 31st week of 2003. If
these numbers are missing, then
look on the other sidewall of the
tire.
*3Tire ply composition and materi-
al
The number of layers or plies of
rubber-coated fabric in the tire.
Tire manufacturers also must
indicate the materials in the tire,
which include steel, nylon,
polyester, and others.
*4Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should be put in the tire. Do
not exceed the maximum per- missible inflation pressure.
*5Maximum load rating
This number indicates the max-
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire. When replacing the tires
on the vehicle, always use a tire
that has the same load rating as
the factory installed tire.
*6Term of
“tubeless” or“tube
type”
Indicates whether the tire re-
quires an inner tube (“tube
type”) or not (“tubeless”).
*7The word “radial”
The word “radial”is shown, if
the tire has radial structure.
*8Manufacturer or brand name
Manufacturer or brand name is
shown.
Other tire-related terminology:
In addition to the many terms that
are defined throughout this section,
Intended Outboard Sidewall is (1) the
sidewall that contains a whitewall,
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-37
8-38Maintenance and do-it-yourself
WARNING
.When changing or replacing tires, be
sure all four tires are of the same type
(Example: Summer, All Season or Snow)
and construction. An INFINITI retailer
may be able to help you with information
about tire type, size, speed rating and
availability.
. Replacement tires may have a lower
speed rating than the factory equipped
tires, and may not match the potential
maximum vehicle speed. Never exceed
the maximum speed rating of the tire.
. Replacing tires with those not originally specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
. For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or“Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.
All season tiresGUID-5F58415E-0219-47E7-81C3-3C2855A9896B
8-40Maintenance and do-it-yourself
WARNING
.After rotating the tires, check and
adjust the tire pressure.
. Retighten the wheel nuts when
the vehicle has been driven for
600 miles (1,000 km) (also in
cases of a flat tire, etc.).
. Do not include the T-type spare
tire or any other small size spare
tire in the tire rotation.
. For additional information regard-
ing tires, refer to “Important Tire
Safety Information ”(US) or “Tire
Safety Information ”(Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.
SDI1663
1.Wear indicator
2.Wear indicator location mark
Tire wear and damageGUID-B7694345-6802-44EB-BC68-13BA9192443D
WARNING
. Tires should be periodically in-
spected for wear, cracking, bul-
ging or objects caught in the
tread. If excessive wear, cracks,
bulging or deep cuts are found,
the tire(s) should be replaced. .
The original tires have built-in
tread wear indicators. When wear
indicators are visible, the tire(s)
should be replaced.
. Tires degrade with age and use.
Have tires, including the spare,
over 6 years old checked by a
qualified technician, because
some tire damage may not be
obvious. Replace the tires as
necessary to prevent tire failure
and possible personal injury.
. Improper service of the spare tire
may result in serious personal
injury. If it is necessary to repair
the spare tire, contact an INFINITI
retailer.
. For additional information regard-
ing tires, refer to “Important Tire
Safety Information ”(US) or “Tire
Safety Information ”(Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.
WARNING
.The use of tires other than those
recommended or the mixed use of tires
of different brands, construction (bias,
bias-belted or radial), or tread patterns
can adversely affect the ride, braking,
handling, ground clearance, body-to-tire
clearance, tire chain clearance, speed-
ometer calibration, headlight aim and
bumper height. Some of these effects
may lead to accidents and could result in
serious personal injury.
. For Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models, if
your vehicle was originally equipped
with 4 tires that were the same size
and you are only replacing 2 of the 4
tires, install the new tires on the rear
axle. Placing new tires on the front axle
may cause loss of vehicle control in
some driving conditions and cause an accident and personal injury.
. If the wheels are changed for any
reason, always replace with wheels
which have the same off-set dimension.
Wheels of a different off-set could cause
premature tire wear, degrade vehicle
handling characteristics and/or interfer-
ence with the brake discs/drums. Such
interference can lead to decreased brak-
ing efficiency and/or early brake pad/
shoe wear. See “Wheels and tires” (P.9-
9) of this manual for wheel off-set
dimensions.
. 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 install a damaged or deformed
wheel or tire even if it has been repaired.
Such wheels or tires could have struc-
tural damage and could fail without warning.
. The use of retread tire is not recom-
mended.
. For additional information regarding
tires, refer to “Important Tire Safety
Information” (US) or“Tire Safety Infor-
mation” (Canada) in the Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.All-Wheel Drive (AWD) modelsGUID-0FC4E52D-3B91-4359-B693-493E6BA4A912
CAUTION
. Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Failure to do so may result in a
circumference difference between tires
on the front and rear axles which will
cause excessive tire wear and may
damage the transmission, transfer case
and differential gears.
. ONLY use spare tires specified for the
AWD model.
If excessive tire wear is found, it is
recommended that all four tires be re-
Maintenance and do-it-yourself8-41
8-42Maintenance and do-it-yourself
WARNING
.The T-type spare tire should be used for
emergency use. It should be replaced
with the standard tire at the first
opportunity to avoid possible tire or
differential damage.
. Drive carefully while the TEMPORARY
USE ONLY spare tire is installed. Avoid
sharp turns and abrupt braking while
driving.
. Periodically check spare tire inflation
pressure. Always keep the pressure of
the TEMPORARY USE ONLY spare tire at
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 bar). Always keep
the pressure of the full size spare tire (if
so equipped) at the recommended pres-
sure for standard tires, as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information label.
For Tire and Loading Information label
location, see “Tire and Loading Informa-
tion label” in the index of this manual. .
With the TEMPORARY USE ONLY spare
tire installed do not drive your vehicle at
speeds faster than 50 MPH (80 km/h).
. When driving on roads covered with
snow or ice, the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire should be used on the front
wheels and original tire used on the rear
wheels (drive wheels). Use tire chains
only on the two rear original tires.
. Tire tread of the TEMPORARY USE ONLY
spare tire will wear at a faster rate than
the standard tire. Replace the spare tire
as soon as the tread wear indicators
appear.
. Do not use the spare tire on other
vehicles.
. Do not use more than one spare tire at
the same time.
. Do not tow a trailer when the TEMPOR-
ARY USE ONLY spare tire is installed.
CAUTION
.Do not use tire chains on a TEMPORARY
USE ONLY spare tire. Tire chains will not
fit properly and may cause damage to
the vehicle.