
5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ..................5-2
Three-way catalyst ..............................5-2
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
(if so equipped) ................................5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover ....................5-5
Off-road recovery ...............................5-5
Rapid air pressure loss ..........................5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ................5-7
Ignition switch (if so equipped) ......................5-7
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
(if so equipped) ................................5-7
Manual transmission (if so equipped) .............5-8
Ignition switch positions .........................5-8
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System
(if so equipped) ................................5-9
Push-Button Ignition Switch (if so equipped) .........5-9
Operating range ............................... 5-10
Push-button ignition switch positions ............5-10
Emergency engine shut off .....................5-11
NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery discharge .......5-11
NISSAN vehicle immobilizer system .............5-12
Before starting the engine ......................... 5-12Starting the engine (models without NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system)
........................... 5-13
Starting the engine (model with NISSAN Intelligent
Key® system) .................................... 5-14
Driving the vehicle ................................ 5-15
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
(if so equipped) ............................... 5-15
Manual transmission (if so equipped) ............5-18
Parking brake .................................... 5-19
Cruise control (if so equipped) .....................5-20
Precautions on cruise control ...................5-20
Cruise control operations .......................5-21
Break-in schedule ................................ 5-22
Fuel efficient driving tips ........................... 5-22
Increasing fuel economy ........................... 5-24
Parking/parking on hills ............................ 5-24
Power steering ................................... 5-25
Brake system .................................... 5-26
Brake precautions ............................. 5-26
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) .................5-27
V
ehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system .............5-28
Cold weather driving .............................. 5-30
Freeing a frozen door lock ......................5-30
Anti-freeze .................................... 5-30

Battery....................................... 5-30
Draining of coolant water .......................5-30
Tire equipment ................................ 5-30Special winter equipment
.......................5-30
Driving on snow or ice ......................... 5-30
Engine block heater (if so equipped) .............5-31

DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol
or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream re-
duces coordination, delays reaction time
and impairs judgement. Driving after
drinking alcohol increases the likelihood
of being involved in an accident injuring
yourself and others. Additionally, if you
are injured in an accident, alcohol can
increase the severity of the injury.
NISSAN is committed to safe driving. However,
you must choose not to drive under the influence
of alcohol. Every year thousands of people are
injured or killed in alcohol-related accidents. Al-
though the local laws vary on what is considered
to be legally intoxicated, the fact is that alcohol
affects all people differently and most people
underestimate the effects of alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don’t mix! And
that is true for drugs, too (over-the-counter, pre-
scription, and illegal drugs) . Don’t drive if your
ability to operate your vehicle is impaired by alco-
hol, drugs, or some other physical condition.
WARNING
● Never remove the ignition key or place
the ignition switch in the LOCK position
while driving. The steering wheel will
lock. This may cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle and could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) (if so
equipped)
The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch cannot be turned to the LOCK position
until the shift selector is moved to the P (Park)
position.
● When placing the ignition switch in the
LOCK position, make sure that the shift se-
lector is in the P (Park) position
● When removing the key from the ignition
switch (if it is inserted) , make sure that the
shift selector is in the P (Park) position.
SSD0392
IGNITION SWITCH (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-7

When the ignition switch cannot be placed to the
LOCK position:1. Shift the shift selector to the P (Park) posi- tion.
2. Move the ignition switch slightly in the ON direction.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK posi- tion.
4. Remove the key if it is inserted in the ignition switch.
If the ignition switch is placed to the LOCK posi-
tion, the shift selector cannot be moved from the
P (Park) position.
The shift selector can be moved if the igni-
tion switch is in the ON position and the
foot brake pedal is depressed.
There is an OFF position
1between the
LOCK and ACC positions. The OFF position
is indicated by a “1” on the key cylinder.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION (if so
equipped)
The ignition switch includes a device that helps
prevent accidental removal of the key while driv-
ing.
The key can only be removed when the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position.
In order for the steering wheel to be locked, it
must be turned about 1/8 of a turn clockwise
from the straight up position. To lock the steering wheel, place the igni-
tion switch in the LOCK position. Remove
the key. To unlock the steering wheel, in-
sert the key and turn it gently while rotating
the steering wheel slightly right and left.
IGNITION SWITCH POSITIONS
LOCK: Normal parking position (0)
OFF: (1)
The engine can be turned off without locking the
steering wheel.
ACC: (Accessories) (2)
This position activates electrical accessories
such as the radio when the engine is not running.
ON: Normal operating position (3)
This position turns on the ignition system and the
electrical accessories.
START: (4)
This position starts the engine. As soon as the
engine has started, release the key. It automati-
cally returns to the ON position.
SSD0503
5-8Starting and driving

NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM (if so equipped)
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-
cedures:1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON position for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCK position, and wait approximately 10 sec-
onds.
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.
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except in
an emergency. (The engine will stop when
the ignition switch is pushed 3 consecu-
tive times in quick succession or the igni-
tion switch is pushed and held for more
than 2 seconds.) If the engine stops while
the vehicle is being driven, this could lead
to a crash and serious injury.
When the ignition switch is pushed without de-
pressing the brake pedal or the clutch pedal
(MT) , the ignition switch position will illuminate as
follows: Push center
● once to change to ACC.
● two times to change to ON.
● three times to return to OFF.
The ignition switch will automatically return to the
LOCK position when any door is either opened or
closed with the switch in the OFF position.
The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch position cannot be switched to OFF until
the shift selector is moved to the P (Park) position
or N (Neutral) position (MT) .
When the ignition switch cannot be pushed to-
ward the OFF position, proceed as follows: 1. Move the shift selector into the P (Park) position or N (Neutral) position (MT) .
2. Push the ignition switch. The ignition switch position will change to the ON position.
3. Push the ignition switch again to the OFF position.
The shift selector can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
LSD2014
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH (if
so equipped)
Starting and driving5-9

If the battery of the vehicle is discharged,
the push-button ignition switch cannot be
moved from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for operation are
displayed in the meter. See “Warning/indicator
lights and audible reminders” in the “Instruments
and controls” section.
OPERATING RANGE
The Intelligent Key functions can only be used
when the Intelligent Key is within the specified
operating range.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost dis-
charged or strong radio waves are present near
the operating location, the Intelligent Key sys-
tem’s operating range becomes narrower and
may not function properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operating range,
it is possible for anyone, even someone who does
not carry the Intelligent Key, to turn the ignition
switch to start the engine.The operating range of the engine start function
is inside of the vehicle
1.
● If the Intelligent Key is placed on the instru-
ment panel, rear parcel shelf, inside the
glove box, storage bin or door pocket, the
Intelligent Key may not function.
● If the Intelligent Key is placed near the door
or window outside the vehicle, the Intelligent
Key may function.
PUSH-BUTTON 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.
The ignition switch will lock when any door is
opened or closed with the ignition switched off.
OFF:
The ignition switch is in the OFF position when
the engine is turned off using the ignition switch.
No lights will illuminate on the ignition switch.WSD0165
5-10Starting and driving

4. Push the ignition switch while depressingthe brake pedal within 10 seconds after the
chime sounds. The engine will start.
After step 3 is performed, when the ignition
switch is pushed without depressing 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 engine is
started by the above procedures, the
NISSAN Intelligent Key® system warning
light may blink in yellow (on the meter) even
if the NISSAN Intelligent Key® is inside the
vehicle. This is not a malfunction. To stop the
warning light from blinking, touch the ignition
switch with the NISSAN Intelligent Key®
again.
● If the NISSAN Intelligent Key® system warn-
ing light in the meter is blinking in green,
replace the battery as soon as possible. See
“Battery replacement” in the “Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section.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 and clutch fluid(if so equipped) ,
and windshield-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 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 placed in the ON posi-
tion. See “Warning/indicator lights and au-
dible reminders” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-12Starting and driving

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.
STARTING THE ENGINE (model with
NISSAN Intelligent Key® system)
5-14Starting and driving