WARNING
In case of a collision:
.If your vehicle is drivable, pull your
vehicle off the road, put the transmis-
sion in the P (Park) position, apply the
parking brake and turn the INFINITI
Direct Response Hybrid
TMSystem off.
. Check to see if there are exposed high
voltage parts and cables. Never touch
the parts and cables. For their locations,
see “High voltage components” later in
this section. To avoid personal injury,
never touch high-voltage wiring, con-
nectors, and other high-voltage parts,
such as electric motor inverter and
Lithium ion (Li-ion) battery. An electric
shock may occur if exposed electric
wires are visible when viewed from
inside or outside of your vehicle. There-
fore, never touch exposed electric wires.
. If the vehicle receives a strong impact to
the floor while driving, stop the vehicle
in a safe location and check the floor.
. Inspect the ground under the vehicle. If
liquid has leaked onto the ground, the
fuel system may have been damaged. Leave the vehicle as soon as possible.
. Leaks or damage to the Li-ion battery
may result in a fire. If you discover them,
contact emergency services immedi-
ately. Since the fluid leak may be lithium
organic electrolyte from the Li-ion bat-
tery, never touch the fluid leak inside or
outside the vehicle. If the fluid contacts
your skin or eyes, wash it off immedi-
ately with a large amount of water and
receive immediate medical attention to
help avoid serious injury.
. If a fire occurs in the hybrid vehicle,
leave the vehicle as soon as possible.
Only use a type ABC, BC or C fire
extinguisher that is meant for use on
electrical fires. Using water or the
incorrect fire extinguisher can result in
serious injury or death from electrical
shock.
. If you are not able to safely assess the
vehicle due to vehicle damage, do not
touch the vehicle. Leave the vehicle and
contact emergency services. Advise 1st
responders that this is a hybrid vehicle.
. In the event of an accident that requires
body repair and painting, the vehicle
should be delivered to an INFINITI retailer to have the Li-ion battery pack
and high voltage parts such as the
inverter, including the wiring harness,
removed prior to painting. Li-ion battery
packs exposed to heat in the paint booth
will experience capacity loss. Damaged
Li-ion battery packs may also pose
safety risks to untrained mechanics
and repair personnel.
Hybrid System OverviewHybrid System-3
ROAD ACCIDENT CAUTIONS
0-10Illustrated table of contents
JVM0034X
VQ35HR ENGINE
1. Engine oil filler cap (P.8-12)
2. Brake fluid reservoir (P.8-16)
3. Fuse/fusible link holder (P.8-24)
4. Window washer fluid reservoir(P.8-17)
5. Power steering fluid reservoir (P.8-15)
6. Inverter coolant reservoir (P.8-11)
7. Air cleaner (P.8-20)
8. Radiator filler cap (P.8-9)
9. Engine oil dipstick (P.8-12)
10. Engine coolant reservoir (P.8-9)
ENGINE COMPARTMENT
2-12Instruments and controls
Brake system warning light
(yellow)
This light will illuminate after the hybrid
system is started and then turns off after a
few seconds.
WARNING
If both the brake system warning light
(yellow) and the brake warning light (red)
illuminate when the parking brake is re-
leased and the hybrid system is on, do not
drive the vehicle. More brake pedal effort
than normal will be required and there will
be a significant reduction in brake perfor-
mance, which could result in an accident.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
location and contact an INFINITI retailer.
If the brake system warning light (yellow)
illuminates when the ignition switch is in
the ON position, it may indicate a malfunc-
tion in the brake system or one of the
following other functions.
. Regenerative brake system
. Hill start assist system
. Rise-up and build-up function See an INFINITI retailer for an inspection as
soon as possible.
A chime sounds if a malfunction occurs in
the brake system power supply.
orBrake warning light
(red)
This light functions for both the parking
brake and the foot brake systems.
Parking brake indicator:
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the light comes on when the
parking brake is applied.
Low brake fluid warning:
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the light warns of a low brake
fluid level. If the light comes on with the
parking brake not applied, stop the vehicle
and perform the following:
1. Check the brake fluid level. If brake
fluid is low, add fluid and have the
system checked by your INFINITI retai-
ler. (See “Brake fluid” in the“8.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion.)
2. If the brake fluid level is correct, have the warning system checked by an
INFINITI retailer. Brake system malfunction warning:
If the brake warning light (red) and the
following warning light illuminate at the
same time when the parking brake is
released and the brake fluid level is
sufficient, there may be a malfunction in
the brake system.
. Brake system warning light (yellow)
WARNING
If both the brake system warning light
(yellow) and the brake warning light (red)
illuminate when the parking brake is re-
leased and the hybrid system is on, do not
drive the vehicle. More brake pedal effort
than normal will be required and there will
be a significant reduction in brake perfor-
mance, which could result in an accident.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
location and contact an INFINITI retailer.
A chime sounds if a malfunction occurs in
the brake system power supply.
.Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) warning
light
— Avoid driving at high speed and
sudden braking, and see an INFINITI
retailer as soon as possible for an
inspection.
WARNING
.Your brake system may not be working
properly if the brake warning light (red)
is on. Driving could be dangerous. If you
judge it to be safe, drive carefully to the
nearest service station for repairs.
Otherwise, have your vehicle towed
because driving it could be dangerous.
. Pressing the brake pedal with the hybrid
system stopped and/or low brake fluid
level may increase your stopping dis-
tance and braking will require greater
pedal effort as well as pedal travel.
. If the brake fluid level is below the
minimum or MIN mark on the brake fluid
reservoir, do not drive until the brake
system has been checked at an INFINITI
retailer.
Direct Response HybridTM
System warning light
When the ignition switch is in the "ON"
position, the Direct Response HybridTM
System warning light illuminates. After starting the hybrid system, the hybrid
system warning light turns off.
If the hybrid system warning light illumi-
nates while driving, it may indicate that
there is a malfunction in the electric motor
and/or other hybrid system components.
Stop your vehicle immediately and contact
your INFINITI retailer.
If the hybrid system warning light blinks
while driving, it may indicate that the Li-ion
battery charge is low and you cannot
continue to drive.
Do not allow the vehicle to coast when the
Li-ion battery is low or when the hybrid
system warning light blinks while driving.
The engine will not automatically start to
charge the Li-ion battery while the vehicle
is coasting.
Distance Control Assist (DCA)
system warning light (orange; if so
equipped)
This light comes on if there is a malfunc-
tion in the Distance Control Assist (DCA)
system.
If the warning light illuminates, park the
vehicle in a safe place. Stop the hybrid
system, restart the hybrid system, resume driving and turn on the DCA system again.
If it is not possible to turn on the system
or the warning light stays on, it may
indicate that the system is malfunctioning.
Although the vehicle is still driveable
under normal conditions, have the vehicle
checked at an INFINITI retailer.
Engine oil pressure warning
light
This light warns of low engine oil pressure.
If the light flickers or comes on during
normal driving, pull off the road in a safe
area, stop the engine immediatelyand call
an INFINITI retailer or other authorized
repair shop.
The engine oil pressure warning light is
not designed to indicate a low oil level.
Use the dipstick to check the oil level. (See
“Engine oil” in the“8. Maintenance and
do-it-yourself” section.)
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause
serious damage to the engine almost
immediately. Such damage is not covered
Instruments and controls2-13
2-16Instruments and controls
stop the vehicle as soon as possible.
Driving with under-inflated tires may
permanently damage the tires and in-
crease the likelihood of tire failure.
Serious vehicle damage could occur
and may lead to an accident and could
result in serious personal injury. Check
the tire pressure 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
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.
. 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 the 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.CAUTION
.The TPMS is not a substitute for the
regular tire pressure check. Be sure to
check the tire pressure regularly.
. If the vehicle is being driven at speeds of
less than 16 MPH (25 km/h), the TPMS
may not operate correctly.
. Be sure to install the specified size of
tires to the four wheels correctly.
Master warning light
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the master warning light illumi-
nates if any of the following are displayed
on the dot matrix liquid crystal display:
.No key warning
. Low fuel warning
. Low washer fluid warning
. Parking brake release warning
. Door/trunk open warning
. Loose fuel cap warning
. Check tire pressure warning
. Intelligent Key system warning
. SHIFT “P”warning .
Hybrid system over heat warning
See “Dot matrix liquid crystal display” later
in this section.
Preview Function warning light
(orange; if so equipped)
The light comes on if there is a malfunction
in the Brake Assist (with Preview Function)
system.
If the warning light comes on, park the
vehicle in a safe place. Stop the hybrid
system, restart the hybrid system, then
resume driving.
If the indicator stays on, it may indicate
that the system is malfunctioning.
Although the vehicle is still driveable
under normal conditions, have the vehicle
checked at an INFINITI retailer.
Seat belt warning light and
chime
The light and chime remind you to fasten
seat belts. The light illuminates whenever
the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position, and will remain illuminated until
the driver’s seat belt is fastened. At the
same time, the chime will sound for about
6 seconds unless the driver’s seat belt is
securely fastened.
(Push the ignition switch?ignition
switch position is turned to ON) ?
PUSH warning ?(Push the ignition
switch ?ignition switch position is
turned to OFF)
6. Intelligent Key battery discharge
indicator
This indicator appears when the Intelligent
Key battery is running out of power.
If this indicator appears, replace the
battery with a new one. (See “Intelligent
Key battery replacement” in the“8. Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section.)
7. Intelligent Key ignition indicator
This indicator appears when the Intelligent
Key battery is running out of power and
when the Intelligent Key System and
vehicle are not communicating normally.
If this indicator appears, touch the ignition
switch with the Intelligent Key while
depressing the brake pedal. (See “Intelli-
gent Key battery discharge” in the“5.
Starting and driving” section.)
8. Parking brake release warning
This warning appears when the vehicle
speed is above 4 MPH (7 km/h) and the parking brake is applied.
9. Low fuel warning
This warning appears when the fuel level in
the tank is getting low. Refuel as soon as it
is convenient, preferably before the fuel
gauge reaches the empty (0) position.
There is a small reserve of fuel remaining
in the tank when the fuel gauge reaches
the empty (0) position.
10. Low washer fluid warning
This warning appears when the washer
tank fluid is at a low level. Add washer fluid
as necessary. (See
“Window washer fluid”
in the “8. Maintenance and do-it-yourself”
section.)
11. Door/trunk open warning (igni-
tion switch is in the ON position)
This warning appears if any of the doors
and/or the trunk lid are open or not closed
securely. The vehicle icon indicates which
door or the trunk lid is open on the display.
12. Intelligent Key system warning
This warning appears if there is a malfunc-
tion in the steering lock system or Intelli-
gent Key system. If this warning appears while the hybrid
system is stopped, the steering lock (if so
equipped) cannot be released or the hybrid
system cannot be started. If this warning
appears while the hybrid system is run-
ning, the vehicle can be driven. However,
contact an INFINITI retailer for repair as
soon as possible.
13. Loose fuel cap warning
This warning appears when the fuel-filler
cap is not tightened correctly after the
vehicle has been refueled. (See
“Fuel-filler
cap ”in the “3. Pre-driving checks and
adjustments” section.)
14. Check tire pressure warning
This warning appears when the low tire
pressure warning light in the meter illumi-
nates and low tire pressure is detected. If
this warning appears, stop the vehicle and
adjust the pressure to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the recom-
mended COLD tire pressure shown on the
Tire and Loading Information label. (See
“Low tire pressure warning light” earlier in
this section and “Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) ”in the “5. Starting and
driving” section.)
Instruments and controls2-25
5-12Starting and driving
SSD0860
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is
discharged, or environmental conditions
interfere with the Intelligent Key operation,
start the hybrid system according to the
following procedure:
1. Move the selector lever to the P (Park)position.
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intelligent Key as illustrated. (A chime
will sound.) 4. Push the ignition switch while depres-
sing the brake pedal within 10 seconds
after the chime sounds. The hybrid
system will start.
After step 3 is performed, when the
ignition switch is pushed without depres-
sing the brake pedal, the ignition switch
position will change to ACC.
NOTE:
. When the ignition switch is pushed to
the ACC or ON position or the hybrid
system is started by the above proce-
dures, the Intelligent Key battery dis-
charge indicator appears on the dot
matrix liquid crystal display even if the
Intelligent Key is inside the vehicle.
This is not a malfunction. To turn off
the Intelligent Key battery discharge
indicator, touch the ignition switch
with the Intelligent Key again.
. If the Intelligent Key battery discharge
indicator appears, replace the battery
as soon as possible. (See “Intelligent
Key battery replacement” in the“8.
Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion.) .
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.)
BEFORE STARTING THE INFINITI DIRECT
RESPONSE HYBRIDTMSYSTEM
an INFINITI retailer.
How to handle the sensor
The sensor for the Preview Function is
common with Intelligent Cruise Control and
is located below the front bumper.
To keep the Preview Function operating
properly, be sure to observe the following:
.Always keep the sensor clean. Wipe
with a soft cloth carefully so as not to
damage the sensor.
. Do not strike or damage the areas
around the sensor. Do not touch or
remove the screw located on the
sensor. Doing so could cause failure
or malfunction. If the sensor is da-
maged due to an accident, contact an
INFINITI retailer.
. Do not attach a sticker (including
transparent material) or install an
accessory near the sensor. This could
cause failure or malfunction.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
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”
in the
“9. Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section of this manual.
—For detailed information, see
“Wheels and tires” in the“8. Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself” section
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 system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Depress the brake pedal with firm steady
pressure, but do not pump the brakes. The
ABS will operate to prevent the wheels
from locking up. Steer the vehicle to avoid
obstacles.
Starting and driving5-97