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 operation 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 play-
ing 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 carbon
monoxide. Carbon monoxide is danger-
ous. It can cause unconsciousness 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:
1) Open all the windows.
2) Set the
air recirculation to off
and the fan control to high to
circulate the air. .
If electrical wiring or other cable con-
nections must pass to a trailer through
the seal on the trunk lid or the body,
follow the manufacturer’s recommenda-
tion to prevent carbon monoxide entry
into the vehicle.
. The exhaust system and body should be
inspected by a qualified mechanic when-
ever:
—The vehicle is raised for service.
—You suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering into the passenger compart-
ment.
—You notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust system.
—You have had an accident involvingdamage to the exhaust system,
underbody, or rear of the vehicle.
Starting and driving5-3
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING AND
DRIVING
5-4Starting and driving
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.
WARNING
.The exhaust gas and the exhaust system
are very hot. Keep people, animals or
flammable materials away from the
exhaust system components.
. 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.
CAUTION
.Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline seriously reduce
the three-way catalyst’s ability to help
reduce exhaust pollutants.
. Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions
in the ignition, fuel injection, or elec-
trical systems can cause overrich fuel flow into the three-way catalyst, causing
it to overheat. Do not keep driving if the
engine misfires, or if noticeable loss of
performance or other unusual operating
conditions are detected. Have the vehicle
inspected promptly by an INFINITI retai-
ler.
. Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel
level. Running out of fuel could cause
the engine to misfire, damaging the
three-way catalyst.
. Do not race the engine while warming it
up.
. Do not push or tow your vehicle to start
the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.) As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’
s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
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 consecutive
times or the ignition 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.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position (for automatic trans-
mission model) or the shift lever to the N
(Neutral) position (for manual transmission
model).SSD0872
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The Intelligent Key can only be used for
starting the engine when the Intelligent
Key is within the specified operating range
*1.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost
discharged or strong radio waves are
present near the operating location, the
Intelligent Key system’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 push the ignition switch to start the
engine.
.
The trunk area is not included in the
operating range but the Intelligent Key
may function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed on the
instrument panel, rear parcel shelf,
inside the glove box 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.
Starting and driving5-9
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
5-10Starting and driving
SSD1021
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
OPERATION
When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal (automatic
transmission model) or the clutch pedal
(manual transmission model), 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. The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch position cannot be switched
to LOCK until the shift lever is moved to the
P (Park) position (Automatic Transmission
models).
When the ignition switch cannot be
switched toward the LOCK position, pro-
ceed as follows:
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position (Automatic Transmission models).
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF
position. The ignition switch position
indicator will not illuminate.
2. Open the door. The ignition switch will change to the LOCK position.
The shift lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed (Automatic Transmission mod-
els).
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.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical acces-
sories 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 in this
position.
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 P (Park) position.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the push-
button ignition switch in ACC or ON posi-
tions when the engine is not running for an
extended period. This can discharge the
battery.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the follow-
ing 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.
SSD0768
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is
almost discharged, the guide light
*Bof
the Intelligent Key port
*Ablinks and the
indicator appears on the dot matrix liquid
crystal display. (See “Dot matrix liquid
crystal display” (P.2-17).)
In this case, inserting the Intelligent Key
into the port
*1allows you to start the
engine. Make sure that the key ring 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 the Intelligent Key out of the port.
NOTE:
The Intelligent Key port does not charge
the Intelligent Key battery. If you see the
low battery indicator in the dot matrix
liquid crystal display, replace the battery
as soon as possible. (See
“Intelligent Key
battery replacement” (P.8-25).)
CAUTION
.Never place anything except the Intelli-
gent Key in the Intelligent Key port.
Doing so may cause damage to the
equipment.
. Make sure the Intelligent Key is in the
correct direction when inserting it to the
Intelligent Key port. The engine may not
start if it is in the incorrect direction.
. Remove the Intelligent Key from the
Intelligent Key port after the ignition
switch is pushed to the OFF position.
Starting and driving5-11
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
otherwise the starter could be damaged.
4.Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds 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 engine running for a
minimum of 2 - 3 minutes before
shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time
may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,000
rpm or more under no load condition,
the engine will enter the fuel cut mode.
5. To stop the engine, shift the shift lever to the P (Park) position (AT model) or
move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (MT model), and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as: 1.
Installation or extended use of electro-
nic accessories that consume battery
power when the engine is not running
(Phone chargers, 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.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehicle
is electronically controlled by a transmis-
sion control module to produce maximum
efficiency and smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. Follow these procedures
for maximum vehicle performance and
driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal and push the shift lever
button before shifting the shift lever to the
R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive), DS (Drive
Sport) or Manual shift mode position. Be
sure the vehicle is fully stopped before
attempting to shift the shift lever.
This automatic transmission model is
designed so that the foot brake pedal
must be depressed before shifting from P
(Park) to any drive position while the
ignition switch position is ON.
Starting and driving5-13
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
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.