
5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving ................................ 5-3Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ...................................... 5-3
Three-way catalyst .............................................................. 5-4
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .................... 5-4
Avoiding collision and rollover ......................................... 5-7
Off-road recovery ................................................................ 5-7
Rapid air pressure loss ...................................................... 5-7
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ................................. 5-8
Driving safety precautions ................................................. 5-8
Ignition switch (models without Intelligent
Key system) ........................................................................\
..... 5-10 Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) ................ 5-11
Manual Transmission (MT) ............................................. 5-11
Key positions ..................................................................... 5-12
Push-button ignition switch (models with Intelligent
Key system) ........................................................................\
..... 5-12
Operating range for engine start function ................. 5-12
Push-button ignition switch operation ........................ 5-13
Push-button ignition switch positions ......................... 5-14
Emergency engine shut off ............................................ 5-14
Intelligent Key battery discharge .................................. 5-14
Before starting the engine ................................................... 5-15
Starting the engine ................................................................ 5-15
Models without Intelligent Key system ....................... 5-15
Models with Intelligent Key system ............................. 5-16 Driving the vehicle ................................................................. 5-17
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) ............. 5-17
Manual Transmission (MT) ........................................... 5-23
Integrated control system (if so equipped) .................... 5-25 Drive mode ...................................................................... 5-25
Parking brake ........................................................................\
.. 5-29
Cruise control ........................................................................\
. 5-30 Precautions on cruise control ..................................... 5-30
Cruise control operations ............................................ 5-30
Break-in schedule ................................................................. 5-31
Fuel Efficient Driving Tips ................................................... 5-32
Increasing fuel economy ...................................................... 5-33
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) (if so equipped) ........................ 5-33
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mode
switch operations ........................................................... 5-33
AWD warning light ........................................................ 5-35
Parking/parking on hills ........................................................ 5-37
Electric power steering system ......................................... 5-38
Brake system ........................................................................\
.. 5-39 Braking precautions ...................................................... 5-39
Brake assist ........................................................................\
.... 5-40 Brake assist ..................................................................... 5-40
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ............................... 5-40
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system ......................... 5-41
Cold weather driving ............................................................ 5-43

5-12Starting and driving
KEY POSITIONS
LOCK (0)
The key can only be removed from the ignition
switch at this position.
OFF (1)
The engine is turned off. The power supply is
turned off.
ACC (2)
The electrical accessory power activates without
the engine turned on.
ON (3)
The ignition system and the electrical accessory
power activate without the engine turned on.
START (4)
The engine starter activates and the engine will
start. The ignition switch, when released, will
automatically turn to the ON position.
CAUTION
As soon as the engine has started,
release the ignition switch immediately.
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 Continuously Variable Trans-
mission models) or the shift lever to the N
(Neutral) position (for manual transmission
models) .
SSD0436
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.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
(models with Intelligent Key system)

5-14Starting and driving
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.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical accessories
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.
Continuously Variable Transmission models: 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
position when the engine is not running
for an extended period. This can dis-
charge the battery.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency situation
while driving, perform the following 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.
SSD0860
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is discharged,
or environmental conditions interfere with the
Intelligent Key operation, start the engine
according to the following procedure:
1. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position
(for Continuously Variable Transmission
models) or the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (for manual transmission models) .
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intelligent Key as illustrated. (A chime will sound.)

4. Push the ignition switch while depressingthe brake pedal within 10 seconds after the
chime sounds. The engine will start.
After step 3 is performed, when the ignition
switch is pushed without depressing the brake
pedal, the ignition switch position will change to
ACC.
NOTE:
. When the ignition switch is pushed to
the ACC or ON position or the engine is
started by the above procedures, the
Intelligent Key system warning light
may blink in yellow even if the Intelli-
gent Key is inside the vehicle. This is
not a malfunction. To stop the warning
light from blinking, touch the ignition
switch with the Intelligent Key again.
. If the Intelligent Key system warning
light in the meter is blinking in green,
replace the battery as soon as possible.
(See “Key battery replacement” (P.8-
22) .) .
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, 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 appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seat and adjust head restraints.
. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
. Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
. Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position. (See “Warning/indicator lights and
audible reminders” (P.2-12) .)MODELS WITHOUT INTELLIGENT KEY
SYSTEM
1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed so that it does not
operate unless the shift lever is in either of
the above positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) models:
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 depressed.
3. Crank the engine with your foot off the
accelerator pedal by turning the ignition
switch to START. Release the switch when
the engine starts. If the engine starts, but
fails to run, repeat the above procedure.
.If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and hold
it and then crank the engine. Release the
accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
Starting and driving5-15
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE

5-16Starting and driving
.If the engine is very hard to start becauseit is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Crank the engine for 5 - 6 seconds. After
cranking the engine, release the accel-
erator pedal. Crank the engine with your
foot off the accelerator pedal by
turning the ignition switch to START.
Release the ignition switch when the
engine starts. 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, turn the ignition switch
off and wait 10 seconds before cranking
again, 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.
5. To stop the engine, move the shift lever to the P (Park) position (CVT model) or move
the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position (MT
model) , and turn the ignition switch to the
OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery discharge
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.
MODELS WITH INTELLIGENT KEY
SYSTEM
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. 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) models:
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 depressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal (CVT models) or
the clutch pedal (MT models) 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 with the ignition switch in
any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start inextremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, 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 becauseit 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 accel-
erator pedal. Crank the enginewith your
foot off the accelerator pedal by
depressing the brake pedal 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, 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, move the shift lever to the P (Park) position (CVT models) or move
the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position (MT
models) , and push the ignition switch to the
OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery discharge
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.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANS-
MISSION (CVT)
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
in your vehicle is electronically controlled to
produce maximum power and smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for this
transmission are shown on the following pages.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the shift
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This CVT is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any driving
position while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position or if the key is removed.
Starting and driving5-17
DRIVING THE VEHICLE

5-20Starting and driving
JVS0388XPaddle shifter (if so equipped)
Manual shift mode (if so equipped)
When the shift lever is shifted from the D
position to the manual shift gate, the transmis-
sion enters the manual shift mode. Shift ranges
can be selected manually by moving the shift
lever up or down, or pulling the right-side or left-
side paddle shifter (if so equipped) .
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:
Except for NISMO and NISMO RS models:
M1
?
M2?
M3?
M4?
M5?
M6
//// /
NISMO models:
M1?
M2?
M3?
M4?
M5 ?
M6 ?
M7
///// /
NISMO RS models:
M1?
M2 ?
M3 ?
M4 ?
M5 ?
M6 ?
M7 ?
M8
////// /
.
When shifting up, move the shift lever to the
+ (up) side or pull the right-side paddle
shifter (+)
*A(if so equipped) . The
transmission shifts to a higher range.
. When shifting down, move the shift lever to
the−(down) side or pull the left-side paddle
shifter (− )
*B(if so equipped) . The
transmission shifts to a lower range.
. Moving the shift lever to the same side twice
will shift the ranges in succession. However,
if this motion is rapidly done, the second
shifting may not be completed properly.
. When canceling the manual shift mode,
return the shift lever to the D (Drive) position.
The transmission returns to the normal
driving mode.
. When you pull the paddle shifter (if so
equipped) while in the D (Drive) position, the transmission will shift to the upper or lower
range temporarily. The transmission will
automatically return to the D (Drive) position
after a short period of time. If you want to
return to the D (Drive) position manually, pull
and hold the paddle shifter for about 1.5
seconds.
M6 (6th) (except for NISMO and NISMO RS
models):
M7 (7th) (NISMO models):
M8 (8th) (NISMO RS models):
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
M5 (5th) (except for NISMO and NISMO RS
models):
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th) (NISMO models):
M7 (7th) and M6 (6th) (NISMO RS models):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving down
long slopes.
M4 (4th) , M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd) (except for
NISMO RS models):
M5 (5th) , M4 (4th) , M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
(NISMO RS models):
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,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine braking on
steep downhill grades.
.Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than M6
(except for NISMO and NISMO RS models) ,
M7 (NISMO models) or M8 (NISMO RS
models) range. This reduces fuel economy.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected
range. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light 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.
. When the CVT fluid temperature is extre-
mely low, the manual shift mode may not
work and automatically shift as a drive mode.
This is not a malfunction. In this case, return the shift lever to the D position and drive for
a while and then shift to the manual shift
mode.
. When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the
shift range may upshift at a lower engine
speed than usual. This is not a malfunction.
Accelerator downshift — In D position —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, depending
on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection mode
This transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperature with heavy
loads), engine power and, under some condi-
tions, vehicle speed will be decreased auto-
matically to reduce the chance of transmission
damage. Vehicle speed can be controlled with
the accelerator pedal, but the engine and vehicle
speed may be limited.
Fail-safe
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. The MIL
may illuminate to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. (See “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” (P.2-18) .) This will
occur even if all electrical circuits are
functioning properly. In this case, place
the ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then turn the 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 a NISSAN dealer
check the transmission and repair if ne-
cessary.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation
occurs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could
increase the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If ne-
cessary, pull to the side of the road at a
Starting and driving5-21