●Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
● If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high speeds.
Your INFINITI vehicle has a higher cen-
ter of gravity than a passenger car. The
vehicle is not designed for cornering at
the same speeds as passenger cars.
Failure to operate this vehicle correctly
could result in loss of control and/or a
rollover accident.
● Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted,
or radial) , and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Install tire chains on the front
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.
● Be sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately after driving in mud or water. For
additional information, refer to “Brake
system” in this section for “Wet
brakes”.
● Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it
rolls forward, backward or sideways,
you could be injured. ●
Whenever you drive off-road through
sand, mud or water as deep as the
wheel hub, more frequent maintenance
may be required. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Periodic maintenance”
in the “INFINITI Service and Mainte-
nance Guide.”WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except in
an emergency. The INFINITI Direct Re-
sponse Hybrid® System will stop when
the ignition switch is pushed 3 consecu-
tive times or the ignition switch is pushed
and held for more than 2 seconds. If the
hybrid system is turned off while the ve-
hicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
5-12Starting and driving
●Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
● Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid, and windshield-washer fluid
as frequently as possible, or at least when-
ever you refuel.
● Check that all windows and lights are clean.
● Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
● Check that all doors are closed.
● Position seat and adjust head
restraints/headrests.
● 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 posi-
tion. For additional information, refer to
“Warning/indicator lights and audible re-
minders” in the “Instruments and controls”
section of this manual. 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) . P (Park) is recommended.
The INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid®
System is designed not to operate if
the shift lever is in any of the driving
positions.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the igni- tion switch to start the hybrid system. The
READY to drive indicator will illuminate on
the meter.
When starting the hybrid system at
very low outside temperatures, the
READY to drive indicator light will flash
and it may take longer for the READY
to drive indicator light to illuminate.
When the READY to drive indicator
light is flashing, it cannot be shifted
out of P (Park) .
NOTE:
Do not start the vehicle in the N (Neutral)
position (cold conditions only) . ● The hybrid system may not start even with
the READY to drive indicator light illumi-
nated. Once the READY to drive indicator
light is illuminated you may begin driving the
vehicle. NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential 12-volt battery
discharge and potential no-start conditions
such as:
1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not run-
ning (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 12-volt battery health.
REMOTE START (if so equipped)
Vehicles started with the remote start require the
ignition switch to be placed in the ON position
before the shift lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position. To place the ignition switch to the
ON position, follow the steps: 1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Press the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, refer to “INFINITI Intel-
ligent Key” in the “Pre-driving checks and adjust-
ments” section of this manual.
BEFORE STARTING THE INFINITI
DIRECT RESPONSE HYBRID®
SYSTEM STARTING THE INFINITI DIRECT
RESPONSE HYBRID® SYSTEM
5-16Starting and driving
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) in
your vehicle is electronically controlled to pro-
duce 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 thefoot 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. 2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and
move the shift lever to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal and then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
WARNING
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive) position.
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. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and
have an accident.
CAUTION
●When stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by de-
pressing 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.
● 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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-17
Shifting
Press the buttonAwhile depressing the
brake pedal
Press the buttonAto shift
Shift without pressingAbutton
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal, push and press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever from the P (Park) position to
any of the desired shift positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever is
in any position while the engine 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
Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position
only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped
Use the P (Park) shift lever position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal must be depressed and
the shift lever button pushed in to move the
shift lever from N (Neutral) or any drive
position to P (Park) . Apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake
first, then move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position. R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
R (Reverse) position only when the vehicle
is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up. Make
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 P (Park) , N (Neutral) or any drive po-
sition to R (Reverse) .
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged. The
engine can be started in this position. You may
shift to N (Neutral) and restart a stalled engine
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. To cancel
LSD2019
5-18Starting and driving
Shift lock release
If the 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 release cover
Aus-
ing a suitable tool.
4. Push down the shift lock release
Busing a
suitable tool. 5. Press the shift lever button
Cand move the
shift lever to the N (Neutral) position
D
while holding down the shift lock release.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location. Replace the removed shift lock re-
lease cover after the operation. If the shift
lever cannot be moved out of the P (Park)
position, have an INFINITI retailer check the
CVT system as soon as possible.
WARNING
If the shift lever cannot be moved from the
P (Park) position while the engine is run-
ning and the brake pedal is depressed, the
stop lights may not work. Malfunctioning
stop lights could cause an accident injur-
ing yourself and others.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion 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 temperatures with heavy
loads, such as when towing a trailer) , engine
power and, under some conditions, vehicle
speed will be decreased automatically 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 con-
ditions, such as excessive wheel spinning
and subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe
system may be activated. The MIL may illu-
minate to indicate the fail-safe mode is
activated. For additional information, refer
to “Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)” in the
“Instrument and controls” section of this
manual. 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 operat-
ing condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have an
INFINITI retailer check the transmission
and repair if necessary.
LSD2022
5-20Starting and driving
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature protec-
tion 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 necessary, pull to the side
of the road at a safe place and allow the
transmission to return to normal opera-
tion, or have it repaired if necessary.
WARNING
●Be sure the parking brake is fully re-
leased 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 shift lever in place of the
parking brake. When parking, be sure
the parking brake is fully engaged.
● Do not leave children unattended in a
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake and cause an accident.
To engage:Firmly depress the parking brake.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
LSD0158
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-21
– When the ICC, DCA, FCW or IBA warn-ings sound.
– When the hazard warning flashers are operated.
– When driving on a curve at a high speed.
THE BACK-UP COLLISION
INTERVENTION (BCI) SYSTEM (if so
equipped)
WARNING
● The BCI system is not a replacement for
proper driving procedure, is not de-
signed to prevent contact with vehicles
or objects and does not provide full
brake power. When backing out of park-
ing space, always use the side and rear
mirrors and turn and look in the direc-
tion you will move. Never rely solely on
the BCI system. ●
There is a limitation to the detection
capability of the radar or the sonar. Us-
ing the BCI systems under some road,
ground, lane marker, traffic or weather
conditions could lead to improper sys-
tem operation. Always rely on your own
operation to avoid accidents.
BCI SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The BCI systems can help alert the driver of an
approaching vehicle or objects behind the ve-
hicle when the driver is backing out of a parking
space.
When the shift position is R (Reverse) and the
vehicle speed is less than approximately 5 MPH
(8 km/h), the BCI system operates.
LSD2025
5-44Starting and driving
●When the shift lever is not in the D (Drive) or
Manual mode
● When the parking brake is applied
● When the brakes are operated by the driver
When the COAST/SET switch is pushed under
the following conditions, the system cannot be
set.
A warning chime will sound and a message will
pop up. ● When the SNOW mode switch is ON (To
use the ICC system, turn off the SNOW
mode switch, push the CRUISE ON/OFF
switch to turn off the ICC and reset the ICC
switch by pressing the CRUISE ON/OFF
switch again.) For additional information
about the SNOW mode switch, refer to
“Snow mode” in this section.
● When the VDC system is off (To use the ICC
system, turn on the VDC system. Push the
CRUISE ON/OFF switch to turn off the ICC
system and reset the ICC switch by pushing
the CRUISE ON/OFF switch again.)
For additional information about the VDC
system, refer to “Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) system” in this section.
● When ABS or VDC (including the TCS) is
operating ●
When a wheel is slipping (To use the ICC
system, make sure the wheels are no longer
slipping. Push the CRUISE ON/OFF switch
to turn off the ICC, and reset the ICC system
by pushing the CRUISE ON/OFF switch
again.)
1. System set display with vehicle ahead
2. System set display without vehicle ahead
LSD2122
Starting and driving5-63