
3-26Pre-driving checks and adjustments
WARNING
.Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving. You could lose control
of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent.
. Do not adjust the steering wheel
any closer to you than is necessary
for proper steering operation and
comfort. The driver’s air bag inflates
with great force. If you are unrest-
rained, leaning forward, sitting side-
ways or out of position in any way,
you are at greater risk of injury or
death in a crash. You may also
receive serious or fatal injuries from
the air bag if you are up against it
when it inflates. Always sit back
against the seatback and as far
away as practical from the steering
wheel. Always use the seat belts.
TILT/TELESCOPIC STEERING COL-
UMN
Tilt adjustment
This adjusts up/down the position of the
steering wheel.
1. Press lever
*Adown*1.
2. Move the steering wheel up/down
*2and
stop it in an appropriate position.
3. Lift up lever
*Ato lock the steering wheel in
position
*3.
Telescopic adjustment
This adjusts the forward/backward position of
the steering wheel.
1. Press lever
*Bdown*1.
2. Move the steering wheel forward/backward
*2and stop it in an appropriate position.
3. Lift up lever
*Bto lock the steering wheel in
position
*3.
STEERING WHEEL

Lower the sun visor to block sunlight coming
from the forward direction.
To block sunlight coming from the side, lower
the sun visor, then unclip it from the hook and
move it to the side.INSIDE MIRROR
The inside mirror is designed so that it
automatically changes reflection according to
the intensity of the headlights of the following
vehicle.
The anti-glare system will be automatically
turned on when the ignition switch is pushed
to the ON position.
When the anti-glare system is turned on, the
indicator light
*Awill illuminate and excessive
glare from the headlights of the vehicle behind
you will be reduced.
Push the “*” switch
*Cto make the inside rearview mirror operate normally. The indicator
light will turn off. Push the “I” switch
*Dto turn
the system on.
NOTICE
Do not allow any object to cover the
sensors*Eor apply glass cleaner on
them. Doing so will reduce the sensi-
tivity of the sensor, resulting in impro-
per operation.
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-27
SUN VISORS MIRRORS

Brake assist ........................................................................\
.... 5-48Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ................................ 5-48
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system ......................... 5-49
Cold weather driving ............................................................ 5-51
Freeing a frozen door lock ............................................ 5-51
Anti-freeze ........................................................................\
. 5-51 Battery ........................................................................\
...... 5-51
Draining of coolant water ............................................ 5-51
Tire equipment ............................................................... 5-52
Special winter equipment ........................................... 5-52
Driving on snow or ice ................................................ 5-52
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ...................... 5-53

WARNING
.Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the support
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should not be left alone either. They
could accidentally injure themselves
or others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on hot,
sunny days, temperatures in a
closed vehicle could quickly become
high enough to cause severe or
possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
. Closely supervise children when
they are around cars to prevent
them from playing and becoming
locked in the trunk where they could
be seriously injured. Keep the car
locked, with the rear seatback and
trunk lid securely latched when not
in use, and prevent children’s access
to car keys.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
.Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless car-
bon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is
dangerous. It can cause uncon-
sciousness or death.
. If you suspect that exhaust fumes
are entering the vehicle, drive with
all windows fully open, and have the
vehicle inspected immediately.
. Do not run the engine in closed
spaces such as a garage.
. Do not park the vehicle with the
engine running for any extended
length of time.
. Keep the trunk lid closed while
driving, otherwise exhaust gases
could be drawn into the passenger
compartment. If you must drive with
the trunk lid open, follow these
precautions:
a. Open all the windows.
b. Set the
air recirculation to
off and the fan control to high to circulate the air.
. The exhaust system and body
should be inspected by a qualified
mechanic whenever:
— The vehicle is raised for service.
— You suspect that exhaust fumes
are entering into the passenger
compartment.
— You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system.
— You have had an accident invol- ving damage to the exhaust
system, underbody, or rear of
the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
Starting and driving5-3
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING

5-10Starting and driving
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START
The operating range for starting the engine
inside the vehicle is shown in the illustration.
.If the Intelligent Key is on the instrument
panel, rear parcel shelf, inside the glove box,
door pocket, cup holders or console box, or
the corner of the passenger compartment, it
may not be possible to start the engine.
Carry the Intelligent-Key and try to start the
engine again.
. If the Intelligent Key is near the door or door
glass outside the vehicle, it may be possible
to start the engine.
IGNITION SWITCH OPERATION
When the Intelligent Key is carried with you and
the ignition switch is pushed without depressing
the brake pedal, the ignition switch position will
change as follows:
.Push center once to change to ACC.
. Push center two times to change to ON.
. Push center three times to change to OFF.
(No position illuminates.)
. Push center four times to return to ACC.
. Open or close any door to return to LOCK
during the OFF position.
IGNITION SWITCH POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in this
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it is
pushed to the ACC position while carrying the
Intelligent Key or with the Intelligent Key inserted
in the port.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical accessories
such as the radio, when the engine is not
running.
ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system and
electrical accessories.
OFF
The engine can be turned off without locking the
steering wheel.
The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch cannot be switched to the LOCK position
until the shift lever is moved to the
&Pposition.

NOTE:
.If the steering lock release malfunction
indicator appears on the vehicle infor-
mation display when the ignition
switch is pressed, press the ignition
switch again while gently turning the
steering wheel left and right.
(
“Steering lock release malfunc-
tion indicator” page 2-42)
. If the shift
&Pwarning appears on the
vehicle information display when the
ignition switch is pushed, the shift lever
is in any position except the
&Pposi-
tion. Move the shift lever to the&Pposition. (“Shift “P” warning”
page 2-42)
. If the Intelligent Key battery discharge
indicator appears on the vehicle infor-
mation display, the Intelligent Key
battery is discharged and the ignition
switch will not operate. Insert the
Intelligent Key into the key port to
operate the ignition switch.
(
“Intelligent Key battery discharge
indicator” page 2-43)
. When all of the following conditions
are met for 60 minutes, the battery
saver system will cut off the power
supply to prevent battery discharge. —
The ignition switch is in the ACC
position, and
— All doors are closed, and
— The shift lever is in the
&Pposition.
. Do not leave the vehicle with the
ignition switch in the ACC or ON
position when the engine is not run-
ning for an extended period of time.
This can discharge the battery.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency situation
while driving, perform the following procedure:
.Rapidly push the push-button ignition switch
3 consecutive times in less than 1.5
seconds, or
. Push and hold the push button ignition
switch for more than 2 seconds.
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is almost
discharged, the guide light
*1of the Intelligent
Key port blinks and the indicator appears on the
vehicle information display. (
“Intelligent Key
insertion indicator” page 2-43)
In this case, inserting the Intelligent Key into the
port allows you to start the engine. Make sure
that the mechanical key side faces backward as
illustrated. Insert the Intelligent Key in the port
until it is latched and secured.
To remove the Intelligent Key from the port, push
the ignition switch to the OFF position and pull
Starting and driving5-11

.Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, 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 appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seat.
. 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. (
“Warning/indicator lights
and audible reminders” page 2-24)
NOTE:
. This vehicle includes spark plugs that
are designed for maximum perfor-
mance. If the start time becomes long-
er, the plugs may be fouled, making the
engine difficult to start. If this occurs,
start the engine using the procedure
described in this section.
. A click sound may be heard when the
brake pedal is depressed and released.
This is normal.
. A low rattling operating sound may
occur when the engine is started or
stopped. This is because of the trans-
mission gear design, light flywheel and
dry sump lubrication system used in
this transmission. This does not indi-
cate that there is a malfunction. This
sound is likely to occur in particular if
the engine is stopped when the tem-
perature of the transmission oil is high.
1. Check the positions of the accelerator pedal
*1and brake pedal*2. Adjust the steering
wheel and seat positions so that the correct
driving posture is achieved. (
“Front
seats” page 1-3)
2. Check that the parking brake is engaged.
3. Check that the shift lever is in the
&Por&Nposition. (&Pis recommended.)
4. Firmly depress the brake pedal. Without depressing the accelerator pedal, push the
ignition switch once to start the engine.
5. To stop the engine, move the shift lever to the
&Pposition, and push the ignition switch
to the OFF position.
Starting and driving5-13
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE

Shift lever operation
Push the button while depressing the
brake pedal.
Push the button.
Just move the shift lever.
Automatically returns.
&Pposition:
Use this position for parking and starting the
engine. The ignition switch will be changed to
the OFF or LOCK position.
CAUTION
Use the&Pposition only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
&Rposition:
Use this position for driving in reverse. A chime
will sound inside the vehicle to remind the driver
that the shift lever is in the
&Rposition.
&Nposition:
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
&A↔&Mposition:
Use this position for all normal forward driving.
The shift lever can be moved between
&Aand
&Mto alternately change each other. The
position indicator indicates the gear position
with the indication of “A” or “M”.
.
&Aposition: Use this position for ordinary
driving, with the gears shifted automatically
from first gear to sixth gear according to the
speed and driving conditions.
.
&Mposition: Operate the paddle shifter to
drive in first gear to sixth gear as desired.
. The position indicator blinks if it is not
possible to shift the gear.
(
“Transmission position indicator”
page 2-8)CAUTION
. Grip the shift lever correctly when
operating it. Failure to do so may
cause a finger or other items to be
trapped between the lever and gate,
possibly causing an accident.
. Because rolling resistance is re-
duced in the GT-R, the vehicle can
move when on a road with a slight
gradient, even when in the
&Nposi-
tion. Be sure to depress the brake
pedal.
Starting and driving5-17