2-18Instruments and controls
(P.2-40).
Approaching Vehicle Sound
for Pedestrians (VSP) OFF indicator
light
This light comes on if there is a malfunc-
tion in the Approaching Vehicle Sound for
Pedestrians (VSP) system.
Automatic Transmission (AT)
position indicator light
When the ignition switch is pushed to the
ON position, the indicator shows the
automatic shift position.
In the manual shift mode, when the
transmission does not shift to the selected
gear due to a transmission protection
mode, the AT position indicator light will
blink and a chime will sound.
See “Automatic transmission” (P.5-13) for
further details.
Blind Spot Intervention (BSI)
ON indicator light (green; if so
equipped)
The light comes on in green when the Blind
Spot Intervention (BSI) system is turned
on. The light turns off when the system is
turned off. NOTE:
This light is common with the blind spot
warning light (orange). (See
“Blind Spot
Warning (BSW)/Blind Spot Intervention
(BSI) system warning light” (P.2-11).)
For more details, see “Blind Spot Warning
(BSW) system/Blind Spot Intervention
TM
(BSI) system” (P.5-31).
ECO drive indicator light
When the ignition switch is pushed to the
ON position, the light will come on in
orange, turn green, and then turn off.
When the drive mode select switch is
turned to the ECO mode, the ECO drive
indicator light will illuminate or change its
color depending on the accelerator pedal
operation to help assist the driver to drive
economically. For more details, see “Eco
mode” (P.5-19).
EV indicator light
This illuminates to indicate the vehicle is
being driven powered only by the motor.
Exterior light indicator
This indicator illuminates when the head-
light switch is turned to the AUTO,orposition and the front parking lights, instrument panel lights, rear combination
lights, license plate lights or headlights are
on. The indicator turns off when these
lights are turned off.
Front fog light indicator light
The front fog light indicator light illumi-
nates when the front fog lights are on. (See
“Fog light switch”
(P.2-43).)
Front passenger air bag status
light
The front passenger air bag status light
() will be lit and the passenger front air
bag will be OFF depending on how the front
passenger seat is being used.
For front passenger air bag status light
operation, see “INFINITI Advanced Air Bag
System (front seats)” (P.1-42).
High beam indicator light
This light comes on when the headlight
high beam is on and goes out when the low
beam is selected.
Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA)
off indicator light (if so equipped)
The light illuminates when the Intelligent
Brake Assist (IBA) off switch is pushed to
OFF. This indicates that the Intelligent
discharge and potential no-start condi-
tions such as:
1.Installation or extended use of electro-
nic accessories that consume 12-volt
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 12-volt battery may
need to be charged to maintain 12-volt
battery health.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 INFINITI Direct Response
Hybrid®System, 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) 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.
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 depressed
and 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) 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) or D (Drive) while vehicle
is moving rearward. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have
an accident.
Starting and driving5-13
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-14Starting and driving
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.
SSD0973
Shift lever
Shifting
To move the shift lever,
: Push the button while depressing the
brake pedal,
: Push the button,
: Just move the shift lever.
After starting the hybrid system, fully
depress the brake pedal and shift the shift
lever from P (Park) to R (Reverse), N
(Neutral), D (Drive) 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 hybrid system 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 position when the vehicle is
parked or when starting the hybrid system.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped.
The brake pedal must be de-
pressed 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 hybrid system can be started in
this position. You may shift to the N
(Neutral) position and restart a stalled
hybrid system while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
Manual shift mode
When the shift lever is in the manual shift
gate, the transmission is ready for the
manual shift mode. Shift ranges can be
selected manually by moving the shift lever
up or down.
When shifting up, move the shift lever to
the + (up) side. The transmission shifts to
the higher range.
When shifting down, move the shift lever to
the−(down) side. The transmission shifts
to the lower range.
When canceling the manual shift mode,
return the shift lever to the D (Drive)
position. The transmission returns to the
normal driving mode.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1 ?
/M2?
/M3?
/M4?
/M5?
/M6?
/M7
M7 (7th):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) andM5 (5th):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes.
M4 (4th),M3 (3rd) andM2 (2nd):
Use these positions for hill climbing or
engine braking on downhill grades.
M1 (1st):
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep
snow, or for maximum engine braking on
steep downhill grades.
. Remember not to drive at high speeds
for extended periods of time in lower
than 7th gear. This reduces fuel econ-
omy.
. Moving the shift lever rapidly to the
same side twice will shift the ranges in
succession.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear
or may automatically shift to the other
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
When the transmission does not shift
to the selected gear, the Automatic
Transmission (AT) position indicator
Starting and driving5-15
5-16Starting and driving
light (on the dot matrix liquid crystal
display) will blink and the chime will
sound.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion automatically shifts down to 1st
gear before the vehicle comes to a
stop. When accelerating again, it is
necessary to shift up to the desired
range.
Accelerator downshift —In D (Drive)
position —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress
the accelerator pedal to the floor. This
shifts the transmission down into the lower
gear, depending on the vehicle speed.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, note
that the transmission will be locked in any
of the forward gears according to the
condition.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel spin-
ning and subsequent hard braking, the
fail-safe system may be activated. This will
occur even if all electrical circuits are
functioning properly. In this case, push
the ignition switch to the OFF position and wait for 3 seconds. Then push the ignition
switch back to the ON position. The vehicle
should return to its normal operating
condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have an
INFINITI retailer check the transmission
and repair if necessary.
SSD0974
Shift lock release
If the 12-volt battery charge is low or
discharged, the shift lever may not be
moved from the P (Park) position even with
the brake pedal depressed and the shift
lever button pushed.
To move the shift lever, perform the
following procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or
LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
*Ausing a
suitable tool.