5-12Starting and driving
.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” (P.2-
10).) 1. Apply the parking brake.
2.
Automatic Transmission (AT) model:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate
unless the shift lever is in either of the
above positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) model:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position. Depress the clutch pedal fully
to the floor.
The starter is designed not to operate
unless the clutch pedal is fully de-
pressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal (AT
model) or the clutch pedal (MT model)
and push the ignition switch to start
the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push
and release the ignition switch while
depressing the brake pedal or the
clutch pedal (MT model) with the
ignition switch in any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start inextremely cold weather or when restarting, depress the accelerator
pedal a little (approximately 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 position to start
cranking the engine. After 5 or 6
seconds, stop cranking by pushing
the ignition switch to OFF. After
cranking the engine, release the
accelerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator
pedal by depressing the brake pedal
and the clutch pedal (MT model) 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 OFF and
wait 10 seconds before cranking again,
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-14Starting and driving
The shift lever cannot be moved out of the
P (Park) position and into any of the other
gear positions if the ignition switch is
pushed to the LOCK, OFF or ACC position.
1. Keep the foot brake pedal depressedand push the shift lever button to shift
into a driving gear.
2. Release the parking brake and foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle
in motion.
WARNING
. Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N
(Neutral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), DS
(Drive Sport) or manual shift mode.
Always depress the brake pedal until
shifting is completed. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have
an accident.
. Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
. Never shift to P (Park) or R (Reverse)
while vehicle is moving forward. Never
shift to P (Park), D (Drive) or DS (Drive Sport) while vehicle is moving rearward.
Failure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
CAUTION
.
Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
. When stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
. Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
SSD0596
Shift lever
To move the shift lever,
: Push the button while depressing the brake pedal,
: Push the button,
: Just move the shift lever.
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and shift the shift lever from P
(Park) to R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive),
DS (Drive Sport) or Manual shift mode
position.
Push the button to shift into P (Park) or R
(Reverse). All other positions can be
selected without pushing the button.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever 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.
CAUTION
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped
and the transmission is in the P (Park)
position.
P (Park) position:
Use this shift position when the vehicle is
parked or when starting the engine. Make
sure the vehicle is completely stopped.The
brake pedal must be depressed and the
shift lever button pushed in to move the
shift lever from the N (Neutral) position or
any drive position to the P (Park) position.
Apply the parking brake. When parking on
a hill, apply the parking brake first, then
move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
CAUTION
Use this position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Always be
sure the vehicle is completely stopped
before selecting the R (Reverse) position.
The brake pedal must be depressed and
the shift lever button pushed in to move
the shift lever from the P (Park) position,
the N (Neutral) position or any drive
position to the R (Reverse) position.
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shift to the N (Neutral)
position and restart a stalled engine while
the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
DS (Drive Sport) mode
Move the shift lever from D (Drive) to the
left into the manual shift gate. The
transmission position indicator in the
meter shows
“DS”.
In the DS (Drive Sport) mode, the transmis-
sion changes to the “sporty”driving shift
operation, creating a more aggressive
acceleration feeling than the D (Drive)
mode and providing a gear change sensa-
tion when the driver accelerates quickly.
When the driver selects the manual shift
mode using the shift lever (or the paddle
shifter) during the DS (Drive Sport) mode
operation, the driver must move the shift
lever from DS (Drive Sport) to D (Drive) and
back again to re-select the DS (Drive Sport)
mode.
Starting and driving5-15
5-18Starting and driving
4. Push down the shift lock*Bas
illustrated.
5. Push the shift lever button
*Cand
move the shift lever to N (Neutral)
position
*Dwhile holding down the
shift lock.
Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion. Now the vehicle may be moved to the
desired location.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have an INFINITI retailer check the
automatic transmission system as soon as
possible.
Adaptive shift control (ASC)
The adaptive shift control system automa-
tically operates when the transmission is
in the "D" (drive) and "DS" (Drive Sport)
position and selects an appropriate gear
depending on the road conditions such as
uphill, downhill or curving roads.
Control on uphill and curving roads:
A low gear is maintained that suits the
degree of the slope or curve to allow
smooth driving with a small number of
shifts. Control on downhill roads:
The adaptive shift control system shifts to
a low gear that suits the degree of the
slope, and uses the engine braking to
reduce the number of times that the brake
must be used.
Control on winding roads:
A low gear is maintained on continuous
curves that involve repeated acceleration
and deceleration, so that smooth accelera-
tion is available instantly when the accel-
erator pedal is depressed.
NOTE:
.
Adaptive shift control may not operate
when the transmission oil temperature
is low immediately after the start of
driving or when it is very hot.
. During some driving situations, hard
braking for example, the adaptive shift
control may automatically operate. The
transmission may automatically shift
to a lower gear for engine braking. This
increases engine speed but not vehicle
speed. Vehicle speed is controlled by
the accelerator pedal when the vehicle
is in the Adaptive shift control mode.
. When the adaptive shift control oper-
ates, the transmission sometimes maintains a lower gear for a longer
period of time than when adaptive shift
control is not operating. Engine speed
will be higher for a specific vehicle
speed while ASC system is operating
than when ASC is not operating.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING
.
Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of vehicle
control.
. Do not over-rev the engine when shifting
to a lower gear. This may cause a loss of
vehicle control or engine damage.
CAUTION
.Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This may damage the
clutch.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal before
shifting to help prevent transmission
damage.
5-20Starting and driving
For normal acceleration in low altitude
areas [less than 4,000 ft (1,219 m)]:
Gear changeMPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 8 (13)
2nd to 3rd 16 (25)
3rd to 4th 25 (40)
4th to 5th 28 (45)
5th to 6th 33 (53)
For quick acceleration in low altitude areas
or in high altitude areas [over 4,000 ft
(1,219 m)]:
Gear change
MPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)
Suggested maximum speed in each
gear
Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is
not running smoothly, or if you need to
accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested
speed (shown below) in any gear. For level
road driving, use the highest gear sug-
gested for that speed. Always observe
posted speed limits, and drive according
to the road conditions, which will ensure
safe operation. Do not over-rev the engine
when shifting to a lower gear as it may
cause engine damage or loss of vehicle
control.
Gear
MPH (km/h)
1st 37 (59)
2nd 60 (97)
3rd 86 (139)
4th —
5th —
6th —
WARNING
.
Be sure the parking brake is fully
released before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
. Do not release the parking brake from
outside the vehicle.
. Do not use the shift lever in place of the
parking brake. When parking, be sure
the parking brake is fully engaged.
. Do not leave children unattended in a
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake and cause an accident.
PARKING BRAKE
SPA2331
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MOD-
ELS
To apply:Fully depress the parking brake
pedal
*1.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake
*2.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
*1and the parking brake will be released.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
SPA2110
MANUAL TRANSMISSION MODELS
To apply: Pull the parking brake lever up
*1.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, push the button
*2and
lower the lever completely
*3.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE CONTROL
.If the cruise control system malfunc-
tions, it will cancel automatically. The
SET indicator on the dot matrix crystal
display will then blink to warn the
driver.
. If the engine coolant temperature be-
comes excessively high, the cruise
control system will be canceled auto-
matically.
. If the SET indicator blinks, turn the
cruise control main switch off and have
the system checked by your INFINITI
retailer.
. The SET indicator may sometimes blink
when the cruise control main switch is
turned ON while pushing the ACCELER-
ATE/RESUME, COAST/SET or CANCEL
switch. To properly set the cruise
control system, perform the steps
below in the order indicated.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when driving
under the following conditions:
. when it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed
Starting and driving5-21
CRUISE CONTROL
disengage. Turn the MAIN switch off
once and then turn it on again.
. The cruise control will automatically
cancel if the vehicle slows more than
8 MPH (12 km/h) below the set speed.
. If you depress the clutch pedal (Manual
Transmission models) or move the shift
lever to N (Neutral) position (Automatic
Transmission models), the cruise con-
trol will be canceled.
To reset at a faster cruising speed, use one
of the following methods:
. Depress the accelerator pedal. When
the vehicle attains the desired speed,
push and release the COAST/SET
switch.
. Push and hold the ACCELERATE/RE-
SUME switch. When the vehicle attains
the speed you desire, release the
switch.
. Push, then quickly release the ACCEL-
ERATE/RESUME switch. Each time you
do this, the set speed will increase by
about 1 MPH (1.6 km/h).
To reset at a slower cruising speed, use
one of the following methods:
. Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the
vehicle attains the desired speed, push the COAST/SET switch and release it.
. Push and hold the COAST/SET switch.
Release the switch when the vehicle
slows down to the desired speed.
. Push, then quickly release the COAST/
SET switch. Each time you do this, the
set speed will decrease by about 1 MPH
(1.6 km/h).
To resume the preset speed, push and
release the ACCELERATE/RESUME switch.
The vehicle will resume the last set
cruising speed when the vehicle speed is
over 25 MPH (40 km/h). The Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system
automatically maintains a selected dis-
tance from the vehicle traveling in front of
you according to that vehicle’s speed (up
to the set speed), or at the set speed when
the road ahead is clear.
The ICC function can be set to one of two
cruise control modes:
.
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control
mode:
For maintaining a selected distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you up to the preset speed.
. Conventional (fixed speed) cruise con-
trol mode:
For cruising at a preset speed.
WARNING
. Always drive carefully and attentively
when using either cruise control mode.
Read and understand the Owner’s Man-
ual thoroughly before using the cruise
control. To avoid serious injury or death,
do not rely on the system to prevent
accidents or to control the vehicle’ s
speed in emergency situations. Do not
use cruise control except in appropriate
road and traffic conditions.
Starting and driving5-23
INTELLIGENT CRUISE CONTROL (ICC)
SYSTEM (if so equipped)
5-24Starting and driving
.In the conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control mode, a warning chime will not
sound to warn you if you are too close to
the vehicle ahead. Pay special attention
to the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle ahead of you or a collision
could occur.
SSD0604
1. Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control
mode
2. Conventional (fixed speed) cruise con- trol mode
Push the MAIN switch
*Ato choose the
cruise control mode between the vehicle-
to-vehicle distance control mode
*1and
the conventional (fixed speed) cruise con-
trol mode
*2.
Always confirm the setting in the Intelligent
Cruise Control system display.
For the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control
mode, see the following description. For
the conventional (fixed speed) cruise con- trol mode, see page 5-42.
SELECTING THE VEHICLE-TO-VEHI-
CLE DISTANCE CONTROL MODE
To choose the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode
*1, quickly push and release
the MAIN switch
*A.
Once a control mode is activated, it cannot
be changed to the other cruise control
mode. To change the mode, push the MAIN
switch once to turn the system off. Then
push the MAIN switch again to turn the
system back on and select the desired
cruise control mode.