2013 NISSAN ALTIMA ignition

3. Touch the ignition switch with the IntelligentKey as illustrated. (A chime will sound.)
After step 3 is performed, when the ignition
switch is pushed without depressing the
brake pedal, the ignition switch position will
change to ACC.
4. Push the ignition switch while depressing the brake pedal within 10 seconds after the
chime sounds. The engine will start.
NOTE: ● When the ignition switch is pushed to the
ACC or ON position or the engine is started
by the above procedure, the Intelligent Key
battery discharge indicator appears in the
vehicle information display even when 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 indi-
cator appears, replace the battery as soon
as possible. See “Battery Replacement” in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion.NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer system will not
allow the engine to start without the use of the
registered key.
If the engine fails to start using a registered key
(for example, when interference is caused by
another registered key, an automated toll road
device or automatic payment device on the key
ring) , restart the engine using the following pro-
cedure:
1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON position for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position, and wait approximately
10 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the device (which may have caused the interference)
separate from the registered key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, NISSAN rec-
ommends placing the registered key on a sepa-
rate key ring to avoid interference from other
devices. ●
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
● Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid, and windshield-washer fluid
as frequently as possible, or at least when-
ever you refuel.
● Check that all windows and lights are clean.
● Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
● Lock all doors.
● Position seat and adjust head restraints.
● Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
● Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
● Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position. See “Warning/indicator lights and
audible reminders” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-11

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift selector to P (Park) or N(Neutral) . P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to operate if
the shift selector is in any of the driving
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal and push the igni-
tion 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 in ex-
tremely cold weather or when restarting,
depress the accelerator pedal a little (ap-
proximately 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 because
it is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion to start cranking the engine. After 5 or
6 seconds, stop cranking by pushing the
ignition switch to LOCK. 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
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 the
OFF position 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 sec-
onds 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 en-
gine running for a minimum of2-3minutes
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, shift the shift selector to the P (Park) position and push the ignition
switch to the OFF position. NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery discharge
and potential no-start conditions such as:
1. Installation or extended use of electronic accessories that consume battery power
when the engine is not running (Phone char-
gers, GPS, DVD players, etc.)
2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or only driven short distances. In these cases, the
battery may need to be charged to maintain
battery health.
REMOTE START (if so equipped)
Vehicles started with the remote start require the
ignition switch to be placed in the ON position
before the shift selector can be moved from the P
(Park) position. To place the ignition switch to the
ON position, follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Press the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, see “NISSAN Intelli-
gent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks and ad-
justments” section of this manual.
STARTING THE ENGINE
5-12Starting and driving

NOTE:
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 thefoot brake pedal before moving the shift
selector out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift selector into a driving gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before shifting the shift selector to the P (Park) position.
The CVT is designed so the foot brake
pedal MUST be depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any drive position while
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
The shift selector cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear posi-
tions if the ignition switch is pushed to the
LOCK position. To move the shift selector:
Press the buttonAwhile depressing the
brake pedal
Press the buttonAto shift
Shift without pressing buttonA
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and move the shift selector from P (Park) to
any of the desired shift positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift selec-
tor 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.
P (Park):
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only when
the vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shift selector position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shift selector from N (Neutral) or
any drive position to P (Park) . Apply the
parking brake. When parking on a hill, apply the
parking brake first, then move the shift selector
into the P (Park) position.
LSD2085
5-14Starting and driving

Shift lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged, the
shift selector may not be moved from the P (Park)
position even with the brake pedal depressed
and the shift selector button pushed.
It will be necessary to jump start or have your
battery charged, see “Jump starting” in the “In
case of emergency” section. Contact your
NISSAN dealer or a professional towing service.
To move the shift selector, complete the following
procedure:1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK posi- tion. 2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip ofa3mm
screwdriver, remove the shift lock release
cover.
● If available, a plastic trim tool can also be
used.
4. Insert the small screwdriver in the shift lock release slot and push down.
5. Move the shift selector to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shift lock
release.
If the shift selector cannot be moved out of P
(Park) , have a NISSAN dealer check the trans-
mission as soon as possible.WARNING
If the shift selector cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is depressed,
the stop lights may not work. Malfunction-
ing stop lights could cause an accident
injuring yourself and others.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch (if so
equipped)
When the O/D OFF switch is pushed with the
shift selector in the D (Drive) position, the
light in the instrument panel illuminates. See
“Overdrive off indicator light” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.
Use the Overdrive off mode when you need im-
proved engine braking.
To turn off the Overdrive off mode, push the O/D
OFF switch again. The
indicator light will
turn off.
LSD2087LSD2090
Starting and driving5-17

Each time the engine is started, or when the shift
selector is shifted to any position other than D
(Drive) , the Overdrive off mode will be automati-
cally turned off.
Accelerator downshift
— in D position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion 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, such as when towing a trailer) , engine
power and, under some conditions, vehicle
speed will be decreased automatically 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 con-
ditions, such as excessive wheel spinning
and subsequent hard braking, the fail-safesystem may be activated. The MIL may
come on to indicate the fail-safe mode is
activated, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” in the “Instrument and controls” sec-
tion. 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
push the switch back to the ON position.
The vehicle should return to its normal op-
erating condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have a
NISSAN dealer check the transmission and
repair if necessary.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature protec-
tion 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 care-
ful when driving. If necessary, pull to the
side of the road at a safe place and allow
the transmission to return to normal op-
eration, or have it repaired if necessary.
1. To engage, firmly depress the foot brake.
2. To release:
●Move the shift selector to the P (Park)
position
● Firmly depress the parking brake pedal
and it will release.
● Before driving, be sure the brake warning
light goes out.
LSD0158
5-18Starting and driving

Detection zone
The camera unit can detect vehicles on either
side of your vehicle when part of another vehicle
is within the detection zone shown as illustrated.
This detection zone typically starts from the out-
side mirror of your vehicle and extends approxi-
mately 10 ft (3.0 m) behind the rear bumper, and
approximately 10 ft (3.0 m) sideways.NOTE:
The Blind spot indicator light will illuminate
for a few seconds when the ignition switch
is placed in the ON position.
The brightness of the Blind spot indicator lights is
adjusted automatically depending on the bright-
ness of the ambient light.
A chime sounds if the camera unit has already
detected vehicles when the driver activates the
turn signal. If a vehicle comes into the detection
zone after the driver activates the turn signal, then
only the Blind spot indicator light flashes and no
chime sounds. (See “BSW driving situations”
later in this section.)Turning on or off the BSW system
The BSW system is turned on or off using the
settings menu in the vehicle information display.
SYSTEM ON:
The BSW light (white) on the instrument panel
will light up.
SYSTEM OFF:
The BSW light (white) on the instrument panel
will go out.
1. Press the
button until “Settings” dis-
plays in the vehicle information display. Use the
to select “Driver Assistance”.
Then press the ENTER button.
2. Select “Driving Aids”, and press the ENTER button.
3. To set the BSW system to on or off, use the
buttons to navigate in the menu
and use the ENTER button to select or
change an item:
● Select “Blind Spot” and press the ENTER
button.
● To turn on the warning, use the ENTER
button to check box for “Warning (BSW)”
The warning systems switch is used to temporar-
ily turn off the warning systems (Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) and Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
systems) that are activated using the settings
menu in the vehicle information display.
WARNING
● The camera unit may not be able to
detect when certain objects are present
such as:
– Pedestrians, bicycles, animals
– Some types of small vehicles such as motorcycles, and very short length
vehicles
SSD1026
Starting and driving5-21

WARNING
●Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
●
Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park) . Fail-
ure to do so could cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly or roll away and re-
sult in an accident. Make sure the shift
selector has been pushed as far forward
as it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
● Never leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
● Do not leave children unattended inside
the vehicle. They could unknowingly ac-
tivate switches or controls. Unattended
children could become involved in seri-
ous accidents.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift selector to the P (Park) posi- tion.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into traffic when parked on an incline, it is a good
practice to turn the wheels as illustrated. ●
HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
A
Turn the wheels into the curb and move the
vehicle forward until the curb side wheel
gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
B
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
C
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
so the vehicle will move away from the cen-
ter of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK posi- tion.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-30Starting and driving

When the VDC system operates, theindi-
cator 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.
See “Slip indicator light” and ”Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) off indicator light” in the ”Instru-
ments and controls” section.
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the
indicator light comes on in the instrument panel.
The VDC system automatically turns off when the
indicator light is off.
The VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the VDC
system. The
indicator illuminates to indi-
cate 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
indicator flashes if this occurs. All other VDC
functions are off and the
indicator 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.
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 the
driver maintain stability but does not
prevent accidents due to abrupt steer-
ing operation at high speeds or by care-
less 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 ab-
sorbers, struts, springs, stabilizer bars,
bushings and wheels are not NISSAN
recommended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly. This could
adversely affect vehicle handling per-
formance, and the
indicator may
flash or the
indicator light may
illuminate.
● If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
NISSAN recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, the VDC system may not
operate properly and the
indica-
tor light may illuminate.
● If engine control related parts are not
NISSAN recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, the
indicator light
may illuminate.
● When driving on extremely inclined sur-
faces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly and the
indicator may flash or
the
indicator light may illuminate.
Do not drive on these types of roads.
5-34Starting and driving