.Fifth gear:
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds. Engine braking
is weaker in this position.
. Sixth gear:
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds. Engine braking
is weakest in this position.
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 suggested for that
speed. Always observe posted speed limits, and
drive according to the road conditions that 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 36 (58)
2nd 63 (102)
3rd 91 (148)
4th —
5th —
6th —
NOTE:
The paddle shifters are made from magne-
sium alloy. Only clear coating is applied to
their surfaces to utilize the unique casting
patterns and the texture of the material
itself.
DRIVING TIPS
After starting the engine, fully depress the foot
brake pedal and push the shift lever button
before shifting the shift lever from the
&Pposition
to the&R,&N,or&A↔&Mposition. Be sure the
vehicle is fully stopped before attempting to shift
the shift lever.
The transmission is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before shifting
from
&Pto any other position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of the
&P
position and into any other position with the
ignition switch other in the LOCK, OFF or ACC
position.
When accelerating from a stop
Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and push
the shift lever button to shift into a driving gear
as following:
. To drive forward, move the shift lever to the
&A↔&Mposition. .
To back up, move the shift lever to the
&R
position.
Starting on level ground or an uphill:
1. Check the shift lever position indicator on the instrument panel to confirm that the
driving gear is selected.
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Release the foot brake pedal gradually, then slowly depress the accelerator pedal to start
the vehicle in motion.
(
“R mode start function” page 5-31)
NOTE:
. To prevent the clutch from overheating
when the parking brake is applied,
engine output is limited when the
accelerator pedal is depressed. In par-
ticular, the vehicle may not start
smoothly when the accelerator pedal
is depressed with the parking brake
applied on an uphill grade. To enable
smooth starting, release the parking
brake before moving the vehicle.
. The hill start assist function operates
when the vehicle is accelerating from a
stop on an uphill. (
“Hill Start
Assist” page 5-37)
Starting and driving5-21
19) even on road conditions with con-
tinuous and sudden hills or curves.
However, when the transmission oil
temperature is low immediately after
starting the vehicle or high when enga-
ging in high performance driving, there
may be some cases where the system
cannot control shifting. When this oc-
curs, switch to the
&Mposition and
select a lower gear, depending on the
gradient of the hill.
When stopping the vehicle
Leave the shift lever in the&A↔&Mor&Rposition
and firmly depress the foot brake pedal.
If the vehicle will be stopped for a long period of
time, apply the parking brake and move the shift
lever to the
&Por&Nposition as necessary.
WARNING
. Do not race the engine while the
vehicle is stopped. Doing so may
accelerate the vehicle suddenly and
cause an accident when shifting to a
driving gear.
. While the engine is running, the
propeller shaft that transmits torque from the engine to the transmission
is turning at all times. Crawling or
reaching under the vehicle while the
engine is running may result in
serious injury.
NOTICE
When the vehicle is stopped on a hill,
do not hold the vehicle in place by
depressing the accelerator pedal. Doing
so may cause the clutch to overheat and
result in transmission damage. Use the
brakes to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
When parking the vehicle
WARNING
Follow the instructions below when
parking the vehicle to help prevent the
brake rotor and brake pads from rust-
ing together. Failure to follow the
instructions could cause the rotor and
pads to rust together. If the rotor and
pads rust together, there may be a
popping noise and some vibrationwhen the vehicle is driven, a wheel
may not roll correctly, or the brake pads
could be damaged. If the pads are
damaged, this may reduce the effec-
tiveness of the brake system which
could cause a collision, serious perso-
nal injury or death.
The GT-R uses brake pad materials that have
high metallic content. The brake pad material
helps maintain braking performance in a wide
range of weather and driving conditions.
For the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of the
vehicle’s service life, and for the first 3,000 miles
(5,000km) after a brake replacement, the brake
pad to brake rotor clearance is very small. When
parking, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to the
&Pposition. Idle the engine for
more than 20 seconds without depressing the
brake pedal. This allows the brake pads to move
away from the rotor so the pad does not contact
the rotor.
Additionally, the brakes must be dry before
parking the vehicle after driving on wet roads or
after washing the vehicle. If the roads are wet,
lightly apply the brakes for a short distance
before parking the vehicle to dry the brakes.
After washing the vehicle, dry the brakes by
driving on a dry road for a few miles and apply
Starting and driving5-23
5-24Starting and driving
the brakes normally based on traffic and road
conditions.
The metallic brake pads and brake disc rotor
may rust together when the brakes are not
applied:
.If the vehicle is not idled for 20 seconds
without the brakes applied, or if the brakes
are applied when the vehicle is shut off, the
rotor and pads can rust together, even when
the brake pads are dry.
. If the brakes are wet when the vehicle is
parked and the parking brake is applied for a
long time.
Contact a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer if the
brake pads and brake rotor have rusted
together.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the foot brake pedal depressed, apply the parking brake.
3. Move the shift lever to the
&Pposition.
4. Check the shift lever position indicator on the instrument panel to confirm that the
&P
position is selected.
5. Push the ignition switch to stop the engine.
WARNING
Before exiting the vehicle, be sure to
move the shift lever to the&Pposition
and stop the engine. If the engine is
running and the shift lever is not in the
&Pposition, the vehicle may start mov-
ing due to partial engagement of the
clutch or to the effects of gravity on a
slope, or the vehicle may suddenly
accelerate due to accidental operation
of the accelerator pedal, possibly caus-
ing an accident.
The control of the dual clutch transmission,
Bilstein DampTronic®electronically controlled
shock absorbers and Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) can be changed to the desired modes by
operating the setup switches. Select the desired
mode best suited to the driving conditions.
NOTE:
Bilstein DampTronic
®is a registered trade-
mark of ThyssenKrupp Bilstein Suspen-
sion GmbH.
VDC, TRANSMISSION AND
SUSPENSION SETUP SWITCHES
5-32Starting and driving
abled, the warning light illuminates.
When the warning light illuminates,
perform cool down driving.
(
“Cool down” page GTR-13)
When the warning light turns off,
the function can be used again.
. The performance of start may vary
depending on the amount of wheel
spin ,or increase and decrease of
the engine output in response to the
outside temperature. (This vehicle
was set up according to the road
surface conditions of the straight
sections of the Sendai Highland
Raceway course in Japan at 598F
(158C) .)
. For safety reasons, VDC control may
activate automatically when driving
on a slippery road surface, such as a
wet road, in order to apply the
brakes or limit the engine output.
. Frequent use of the R mode start
function increases the load on the
powertrain related parts such as the
clutch and transmission compared
to normal driving. In particular, the
clutch will wear out more quickly.
HOW TO USE R MODE START
FUNCTION
1. Move the shift lever to the&Aor&Mposition.
2. Select the R mode with the transmission setup switch. (
“VDC, transmission and
suspension setup switches” page 5-24)
3. Select the R mode with the VDC setup switch.
4. Depress the brake pedal firmly with your left foot and keep depressing the brake pedal.
5. Depress the accelerator pedal quickly to the floor with your right foot while the brake
pedal is depressed. The engine speed will
increase to approximately 4,000 rpm and
will be maintained.
6. Within 3 seconds after depressing the accelerator pedal, release the brake pedal.
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 gear shift in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
. Do not leave children unattended in
PARKING BRAKE
a vehicle. They could release the
parking brake and cause an acci-
dent.
To apply: Pull the parking brake lever up.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, push the button
*Aand lower the
lever completely.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
The cruise control allows driving at speeds
above 25 MPH (40 km/h) without keeping your
foot on the accelerator pedal.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when
driving under the following conditions.
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle
control and result in an accident.
.When it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed.
. In heavy traffic or in traffic that
varies in speed.
. On winding or hilly roads.
. On slippery roads (rain, snow, ice,
etc.) .
. In very windy areas.
NOTE:
. When the SAVE mode is selected with
the transmission setup switch, the
acceleration and deceleration can be
controlled smoothly. When the SAVE
mode is selected, the maximum setting
speed is lower than the one in the
normal mode. When the vehicle ap- proaches a gentle uphill, there may be
a slight delay as the vehicle returns to
the preset speed. However, the vehicle
will gradually accelerate and return to
the preset speed.
Starting and driving5-33
CRUISE CONTROL
WARNING
.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.
. Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
. Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could un-
knowingly activate switches or con-
trols. Unattended children could
become involved in serious acci- dents.
. Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be
applied and the transmission placed
into the
&Pposition. Failure to do so
could cause the vehicle to move
unexpectedly or roll away and result
in an accident.
. Make sure the shift lever has been
pushed as far forward as it can go
and cannot be moved without de-
pressing the foot brake pedal.
. Follow the instructions below when parking the vehicle to help prevent
the brake rotor and brake pads from
rusting together. Failure to follow
the instructions could cause the
rotor and pads to rust together. If
the rotor and pads rust together,
there may be a popping noise and
some vibration when the vehicle is
driven, a wheel may not roll cor-
rectly, or the brake pads could be
damaged. If the pads are damaged,
this may reduce the effectiveness of
the brake system which could cause
a collision, serious personal injury
or death.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the
&Pposition.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into the street when parked on a sloping drive
way, it is a good practice to turn the wheels
as illustrated.
.HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:*1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
.HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:*2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
Starting and driving5-45
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-46Starting and driving
wheel gently touches the curb.
.HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
*3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away from
the center of the road if it moves.
4. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
The GT-R uses brake pad materials that have
high metallic content. The brake pad material
helps maintain braking performance in a wide
range of weather and driving conditions.
For the first 3,000 - 6,000 miles (5,000 -
10,000 km) of the vehicle’s service life, and for
the first 3,000 - 6,000 miles (5,000 - 10,000
km) after a brake replacement, the brake pad to
brake rotor clearance is very small. When
parking, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to the
&Pposition. Idle the engine for
more than 20 seconds without depressing the
brake pedal. This allows the brake pads to move
away from the rotor so the pad does not contact
the rotor.
Additionally, the brakes must be dry before
parking the vehicle after driving on wet roads or
after washing the vehicle. If the roads are wet,
lightly apply the brakes for a short distance
before parking the vehicle to dry the brakes.
After washing the vehicle, dry the brakes by driving on a dry road for a few miles and apply
the brakes normally based on traffic and road
conditions.
The metallic brake pads and brake disc rotor
may rust together when the brakes are not
applied:
.
If the vehicle is not idled for 20 seconds
without the brakes applied, or if the brakes
are applied when the vehicle is shut off, the
rotor and pads can rust together, even when
the brake pads are dry.
. If the brakes are wet when the vehicle is
parked and the parking brake is applied for a
long time.
Contact a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer if the
brake pads and brake rotor have rusted
together.
WARNING
If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering will
be harder to operate.
The power assisted steering uses a hydraulic
pump, driven by the engine, to assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt breaks, you
will still have control of the vehicle. However,
much greater steering effort is needed, espe-
cially in sharp turns and at low speeds.
POWER STEERING
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
You may feel a small click and hear a sound
when the brake pedal is fully depressed slowly.
This is not a malfunction and indicates that the
brake assist mechanism is operating properly.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be
required to stop the vehicle and the stopping
distance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your
braking distance will be longer and the vehicle
may pull to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly tapping the brake pedal to heat-up
the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to
normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds
until the brakes function correctly.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will cause overheating of the
brakes, wearing out the brake and pads faster
and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result in
loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
.While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerat-
ing or downshifting. Abrupt braking
or accelerating could cause the
wheels to skid and result in an
accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the brakes will not work.
Braking will be harder.
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever the
stopping effect of the parking brake is weakened
or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or
drums/rotors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual and can be performed by a
GT-R certified NISSAN dealer.
Starting and driving5-47
BRAKE SYSTEM