5-86Starting and driving
bars, bushings and wheels are not
INFINITI recommended for your vehicle
or are extremely deteriorated, the VDC
system may not operate properly. This
could adversely affect vehicle handling
performance, and the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not INFINITI
recommended or are extremely deterio-
rated, the VDC system may not operate
properly and the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. If engine control related parts are not
INFINITI recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly and the VDC warning light
may
illuminate. Do not drive on these types
of roads.
. When driving on an unstable surface
such as a turntable, ferry, elevator or
ramp, the VDC warning light
may
illuminate. This is not a malfunction.
Restart the engine after driving onto a stable surface.
. If wheels or tires other than the INFINITI
recommended ones are used, the VDC
system may not operate properly and
the VDC warning light
may illumi-
nate.
. The VDC system is not a substitute for
winter tires or tire chains on a snow
covered road.
The Rear Active Steer system is an electro-
nically controlled four-wheel steering sys-
tem.
The angle of the rear wheels are adjusted
by the Rear Active Steer system, depending
on the vehicle speed and steering angle.
The rear wheels are designed to turn
momentarily in the opposite direction and
then change to the same direction as the
front wheels.
At low speeds, the rear wheels will not turn
and the system functions as a two-wheel
steering system.
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the
Rear Active Steer function will stop but the
ordinary two-wheel steering system will
operate normally. The “RAS”warning light
will illuminate. If the light illuminates while
driving, contact an INFINITI retailer for
repair.
WARNING
The Rear Active Steer system, although a
sophisticated device, cannot prevent acci-
dents resulting from careless or dangerous
driving techniques. Ultimately the responsi-
bility for safety of self and others rests in
the hands of the driver. Therefore only
REAR ACTIVE STEER SYSTEM (if so
equipped)
through attentive and careful driving meth-
ods can the Rear Active Steer system be
fully appreciated and safety assured.FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
deicer through the key hole. If the lock
becomes frozen, heat the key before
inserting it into the key hole or use the
Intelligent Key system.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
outside temperature will drop below 328F
(08C), check antifreeze to assure proper
winter protection. For additional informa-
tion, see “Engine cooling system” (P.8-9).
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the
battery fluid may freeze and damage the
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency,
the battery should be checked regularly.
For additional information, see “Battery”
(P.8-17).
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, in-
cluding the engine block. Refill before
operating the vehicle. For details, see
“Engine cooling system” (P.8-9).
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to
provide superior performance on dry pave-
ment. However, the performance of these
tires will be substantially reduced in snowy
and icy conditions. If you operate your
vehicle on snowy or icy roads, INFINITI
recommends the use of MUD & SNOW or
ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels.
Consult an INFINITI retailer for the tire
type, size, speed rating and availability
information.
For additional traction on icy roads,
studded tires may be used. However, some
U.S. states and Canadian provinces prohi-
bit their use. Check local, state and
provincial laws before installing studded
tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow
tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see
“Tire chains”(P.8-39) of this manual.
For all-wheel drive
If you install snow tires, they must also be
the same size, brand, construction and
tread pattern on all four wheels.
Starting and driving5-87
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-88Starting and driving
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
.A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to
remove ice and snow from the windows
and wiper blades.
. A sturdy, flat board to be placed under
the jack to give it firm support.
. A shovel to dig the vehicle out of
snowdrifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
. Wet ice (328F, 0 8C and freezing rain),
very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip”under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving on
wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
. Whatever the condition, drive with cau-
tion. Accelerate and slow down with
care. If accelerating or downshifting too
fast, the drive wheels will lose even more traction.
. Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
. Allow greater following distances on
slippery roads.
. Watch for slippery spots (glare ice).
These may appear on an otherwise clear
road in shaded areas. If a patch of ice is
seen ahead, brake before reaching it. Try
not to brake while on the ice, and avoid
any sudden steering maneuvers.
. Do not use the cruise control on slippery
roads.
. Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases
under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of
the exhaust pipe and from around your
vehicle.
ENGINE BLOCK HEATER (if so
equipped)
Engine block heaters are used to assist
with cold temperature starting.
The engine block heater should be used
when the outside temperature is 208 F
(−78C) or lower.
To use the engine block heater
1. Turn the engine off.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the engine block heater cord.
3. Plug the engine block heater cord into a grounded 3-wire, 3-pronged extension
cord.
4. Plug the extension cord into a Ground Fault Interrupt (GFI) protected,
grounded 110-volt AC (VAC) outlet.
5. The engine block heater must be plugged in for at least 2 - 4 hours,
depending on outside temperatures, to
properly warm the engine coolant. Use
an appropriate timer to turn the engine
block heater on.
6. Before starting the engine, unplug and properly store the cord to keep it away
from moving parts.
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.TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
This vehicle is equipped with the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). It
monitors tire pressure of all tires except
the spare. When the low tire pressure
warning light is lit and the CHECK TIRE
PRESSURE warning appears on the dot
matrix liquid crystal display, one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
If the vehicle is being driven with low tire
pressure, the TPMS will activate and warn
you of it by the low tire pressure warning
light. This system will activate only when
the vehicle is driven at speeds above 16
MPH (25 km/h). For more details, see
“Warning/indicator lights and audible re-
minders” (P.2-13),“Tire Pressure informa-
tion” (P.4-11) and “Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS)” (P.5-4).
WARNING
.If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates or LOW PRESSURE informa-
tion is displayed on the monitor screen
while driving, avoid sudden steering
maneuvers or abrupt braking, reduce
vehicle speed, pull off the road to a safe location and stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. Driving with under-inflated
tires may permanently damage the tires
and increase the likelihood of tire fail-
ure. Serious vehicle damage could occur
and may lead to an accident and could
result in serious personal injury. Check
the tire pressure for all four tires. Adjust
the tire pressure to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the Tire
and Loading Information label to turn
the low tire pressure warning light OFF. If
the light still illuminates while driving
after adjusting the tire pressure, a tire
may be flat. If you have a flat tire,
replace it with a spare tire as soon as
possible.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel
is replaced, the TPMS will not function
and the low tire pressure warning light
will flash for approximately 1 minute.
The light will remain on after 1 minute.
Contact your INFINITI retailer as soon as
possible for tire replacement and/or
system resetting.
. Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
In case of emergency6-3
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF FLAT TIRE
6-4In case of emergency
.Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pressure
sensors.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instruc-
tions below.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road
and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic, and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the vehicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
. Make sure the parking brake is securely
applied and the automatic transmission
is in the P (Park) position.
. Never change tires when the vehicle is
on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
. Never change tires if oncoming traffic is
close to your vehicle. Wait for profes-
sional road assistance.
MCE0001A
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks*1at both the front
and back of the wheel diagonally opposite
the flat tire to prevent the vehicle from
moving when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the vehicle
may move and result in personal injury.
SCE0504
2. Loosen each wheel nut one or two turnsby turning counterclockwise with the
wheel nut wrench. Do not remove the
wheel nuts until the tire is off the
ground.
3. Carefully raise the vehicle until the tire clears the ground. To lift the vehicle,
securely hold the jack lever and rod
with both hands as shown above.
Remove the wheel nuts, and then
remove the tire.
SCE0661
Installing the spare tire
The T-type spare tire is designed for
emergency use. (See specific instructions
under the heading “Wheels and tires” (P.8-
32).)
1. Clean any mud or dirt from the surface between the wheel and hub.
2. Carefully put the spare tire on and tighten the wheel nuts finger tight.
3. With the wheel nut wrench, tighten wheel nuts alternately and evenly in the
sequence as illustrated (
*1,*2,*3,
*4,*5) until they are tight.
In case of emergency6-7
6-8In case of emergency
4. Lower the vehicle slowly until the tiretouches the ground. Then, with the
wheel nut wrench, tighten the wheel
nuts securely in the sequence as
illustrated. Lower the vehicle comple-
tely.
WARNING
. Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tigh-
tened wheel nuts can cause the wheel to
become loose or come off. This could
cause an accident.
. Do not use oil or grease on the wheel
studs or nuts. This could cause the nuts
to become loose.
. Retighten the wheel nuts when the
vehicle has been driven for 600 miles
(1,000 km) (also in cases of a flat tire,
etc.).
.As soon as possible, tighten the
wheel nuts to the specified torque
with a torque wrench.
Wheel nut tightening torque: 80 ft-lb (108 N·m)
The wheel nuts must be kept tigh-
tened to specification at all times. It is recommended that wheel nuts be
tightened to specifications at each
lubrication interval.
.Adjust tire pressure to the COLD
pressure.
COLD pressure:
After the vehicle has been parked
for three hours or more or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
COLD tire pressures are shown on
the Tire and Loading Information
label affixed to the driver side center
pillar.
After adjusting tire pressure to the COLD
tire pressure, the display of the tire
pressure information may show higher
pressure than the COLD tire pressure after
the vehicle has been driven more than 1
mile (1.6 km). This is because the tire
pressurizes as the tire temperature rises.
This does not indicate a system malfunc-
tion.
Stowing the damaged tire and tools
1. Securely store the damaged tire, jack and tools in the storage area.
2. Close the luggage floor cover.
3. Close the lift gate.
WARNING
. Always make sure that the spare tire and
jacking equipment are properly secured
after use. Such items can become
dangerous projectiles in an accident or
sudden stop.
. The T-type spare tire and small size
spare tire are designed for emergency
use. See specific instructions under the
heading “Wheels and tires” (P.8-32).
6-14In case of emergency
SCE0768
Two-wheel drive models
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY INFINITI
Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) models
INFINITI recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (rear) wheels off the
ground or place the vehicle on a flat bed
truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
.Never tow automatic transmission mod-
els with the rear wheels on the ground
or four wheels on the ground (forward or
backward), as this may cause serious and expensive damage to the transmis-
sion. If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with the front wheels raised, always use
towing dollies under the rear wheels.
. When towing rear wheel drive models
with the front wheels on the ground or
on towing dollies: Push the ignition
switch to the ACC or ON position, and
secure the steering wheel in a straight-
ahead position with a rope or similar
device.