The Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
brakes and moves the accelerator pedal upward
according to the distance from and the relative
speed of the vehicle ahead to help assist the
driver to maintain a following distance.
WARNING
●DCA helps maintain a distance to the
vehicle in front under certain condi-
tions. It is not a collision avoidance sys-
tem. Failure to apply the brakes could
result in an accident.
● Always drive carefully and attentively
when using the DCA system. Read and
understand the Owner’s Manual thor-
oughly before using the DCA system.
Do not use the Distance Control Assist
system except in appropriate road and
traffic conditions.
● If the vehicle ahead comes to a stop, the
vehicle decelerates to a standstill
within the limitations of the system. The
system will cancel once it judges that
the vehicle has come to a standstill with
a warning chime. To prevent the vehicle
from moving, the driver must depress
the brake pedal. ●
The DCA system will not apply brake
control while the driver’s foot is on the
accelerator pedal.
PRECAUTIONS ON DCA SYSTEM
Throughout the DCA System section, the system
is intended to assist the driver to maintain a
following distance from the vehicle ahead travel-
ing in the same lane and direction.
The distance sensor is located behind the front
bumper
A. If the distance sensorAdetects a
slower moving vehicle ahead, the system will
reduce the vehicle speed to help assist the driver
to maintain an appropriate following distance.
The system automatically controls the throttle
and applies the brakes (up to 40% of vehicle
braking power) if necessary.
LSD2098
DISTANCE CONTROL ASSIST (DCA)
SYSTEM (if so equipped)
5-74Starting and driving
The detection range of the sensor is approxi-
mately 490 ft (150 m) ahead.
WARNING
●This system is only an aid to assist the
driver and is not a collision warning or
avoidance device. It is the driver’s re-
sponsibility to stay alert, drive safely
and be in control of the vehicle at all
times.
● This system will not adapt automatically
to road conditions.
The distance sensor will not detect the following
objects: ● Stationary and slow moving vehicles
● Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
● Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
● Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel lane
WARNING
●As there is a performance limit to the
distance control function, never rely
solely on the Distance Control Assist
system. This system does not correct
careless, inattentive or absent-minded
driving, or overcome poor visibility in
rain, fog, or other bad weather. Deceler-
ate the vehicle speed by depressing the
brake pedal, depending on the distance
to the vehicle ahead and the surround-
ing circumstances in order to maintain a
safe distance between vehicles.
● The system may not detect the vehicle
in front of you in certain road or weather
conditions. To avoid accidents, never
use the Distance Control Assist system
under the following conditions:
– On roads with sharp curves
– On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
– When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the sensor area of the front bumper – On steep downhill roads (frequent
braking may result in overheating the
brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
● Do not use the Distance Control Assist
system if you are towing a trailer. The
system may not detect a vehicle ahead.
● In some road or traffic conditions, a
vehicle or object can unexpectedly
come into the sensor detection zone
and cause automatic braking. You may
need to control the distance from other
vehicles using the accelerator pedal. Al-
ways stay alert and avoid using the DCA
system where not recommended in this
warning section.
Starting and driving5-75
DCA OPERATION
Always pay attention to the operation of the ve-
hicle and be ready to manually decelerate to
maintain the proper following distance. The DCA
system may not be able to decelerate the vehicle
under some circumstances.
The DCA system uses a sensor
Alocated be-
hind the front bumper of the vehicle to detect
vehicles traveling ahead. The sensor generally
detects the signals returned from the vehicle
ahead. Therefore, if the sensor cannot detect the
reflection from the vehicle ahead, the DCA sys-
tem may not operate. The following are some conditions in which the
sensor cannot detect the signals:
● When the reflector of the vehicle ahead is
covered with dirt, snow and road spray
● When dense exhaust or other smoke (black
smoke) from vehicles reduces the sensor’s
detection
● When excessively heavy baggage is loaded
in the rear seat or the luggage room of your
vehicle
The DCA system is designed to automatically
check the sensor’s operation. When the front
bumper area around the distance sensor is cov-
ered with dirt or is obstructed, the system will
automatically cancel. If the front bumper area of
the distance sensor is covered with ice, a trans-
parent or translucent vinyl bag, etc., the DCA
system may not detect them. In these instances,
the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode may
not cancel and may not be able to maintain the
selected following distance from the vehicle
ahead. Be sure to check and clean the front
bumper area around the distance sensor regu-
larly. The DCA system is designed to help assist the
driver to maintain a following distance from the
vehicle ahead. The system will decelerate as nec-
essary and if the vehicle ahead comes to a stop,
the vehicle decelerates to a standstill. However,
the DCA system can only apply up to 40% of the
vehicle’s total braking power. If a vehicle moves
into the traveling lane ahead or if a vehicle travel-
ing ahead rapidly decelerates, the distance be-
tween vehicles may become closer because the
DCA system cannot decelerate the vehicle
quickly enough. If this occurs, the DCA system
will sound a warning chime and blink the system
display to notify the driver to take necessary
action.
For additional information, refer to “Approach
warning” in this section.
This system only brakes and moves the accelera-
tor pedal upward to help assist the driver to
maintain a following distance from the vehicle
ahead. Acceleration should be operated by the
driver.
The DCA system does not control vehicle speed
or warn you when you approach stationary and
slow moving vehicles. You must pay attention to
vehicle operation to maintain proper distance
from vehicles ahead.
LSD2098
5-76Starting and driving
The detection zone of the sensor is limited. A
vehicle ahead must be in the detection zone for
the system to operate.
A vehicle ahead may move outside of the detec-
tion zone due to its position within the same lane
of travel. Motorcycles may not be detected in the
same lane ahead if they are traveling offset from
the centerline of the lane. A vehicle that is enter-
ing the lane ahead may not be detected until the
vehicle has completely moved into the lane.If
this occurs, the system may warn you by
blinking the system indicator and sounding
the chime. The driver may have to manually control the proper distance away from ve-
hicle traveling ahead.
DCA Detection Zone
SSD0252
Starting and driving5-77
When driving on some roads, such as winding,
hilly, curved, narrow roads, or roads which are
under construction, the sensor may detect ve-
hicles in a different lane, or may temporarily not
detect a vehicle traveling ahead. This may cause
the system to work inappropriately.
The detection of vehicles may also be affected by
vehicle operation (steering maneuver or traveling
position in the lane, etc.) or vehicle condition.If
this occurs, the system may warn you by
blinking the system indicator and sounding
the chime unexpectedly. You will have to
manually control the proper distance away
from the vehicle traveling ahead.DCA system display and indicators
The display is located between the speedometer
and tachometer.
1. DCA system switch indicator: Indicates that the dynamic driver assistance
switch is on.
DCA Detection Zones On Winding Roads
SSD0253
DCA Indicators
LSD2068
5-78Starting and driving
Approach warning
If your vehicle comes closer to the vehicle ahead
due to rapid deceleration of that vehicle or if
another vehicle cuts in, the system warns the
driver with the chime and DCA system display.
Decelerate by depressing the brake pedal to
maintain a safe vehicle distance if:● The chime sounds.
● The vehicle ahead detection indicator blinks.
The warning chime may not sound in some cases
when there is a short distance between vehicles.
Some examples are: ● When the vehicles are traveling at the same
speed and the distance between vehicles is
not changing
● When the vehicle ahead is traveling faster
and the distance between vehicles is in-
creasing
● When a vehicle cuts in near your vehicle
The warning chime will not sound when your
vehicle approaches vehicles that are parked or
moving slowly. NOTE:
The approach warning chime may sound
and the system display may blink when ICC
sensor detects vehicles in other lanes
Aor
objects on the side of the road
A. This may
cause the DCA system to operate inappro-
priately. The ICC sensor may detect these
objects when the vehicle is driven on wind-
ing roads, narrow roads, hilly roads or when
entering or exiting a curve. In these cases
you will have to manually control the
proper distance ahead of your vehicle. Also, the sensor sensitivity can be affected by
vehicle operation (steering maneuver or driving
position in the lane) or traffic or vehicle condition
(for example, if a vehicle is being driven with some
damage) .
Automatic cancellation
Condition A:
Under the following conditions, the DCA system
is automatically canceled. The chime will sound
and the DCA cancellation message will display.
SSD0284A
5-82Starting and driving
●When the VDC system is turned off
● When the VDC or ABS (including the TCS)
operates
● When the SNOW mode switch is turned
ON
Action to take:
When the conditions listed above are no longer
present, turn the system off with the dynamic
driver assistance switch. Turn the DCA system
back on to use the system. Condition B:
When the sensor area of the front bumper is dirty,
making it impossible to detect a vehicle ahead,
the DCA system is automatically canceled.
The chime sounds and the system warning light
(orange) will come on and the “Sensor Blocked”
indicator will appear.
Action to take:
If the warning light comes on, park the vehicle in a
safe place, turn the engine off. Clean the sensor
area of the bumper and then perform the settings
again.
Condition C:
When the DCA system is not operating properly,
the chime sounds and the system warning light
(“DCA” orange) will come on.
Action to take:
If the warning light comes on, park the vehicle in a
safe place. Turn the engine off, restart the engine,
and turn on the DCA system again.
LSD2080
DCA warning light (orange)
LSD2081
Starting and driving5-83
If it is not possible to set the system or the
indicator stays on, it may indicate that the
system is malfunctioning. Although the ve-
hicle is still driveable under normal condi-
tions, have the vehicle checked at an
INFINITI retailer.
Sensor maintenance
How to handle the sensor:
The sensor for the DCA system is common with
ICC and is located behind the front bumper.
For additional information, refer to “Intelligent
Cruise Control (ICC) system (Full speed range)”
in this section.The Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system
will warn the driver by a warning light and chime
when your vehicle is getting close to the vehicle
ahead in the traveling lane.
The FCW system will function when your vehicle
is driven at speeds of approximately 10 MPH
(15 km/h) and above.
The FCW system uses the distance sensor
A
located behind the front bumper to measure the
distance to the vehicle ahead. When the system
judges that your vehicle is getting close to the
vehicle ahead in the travel lane, the vehicle ahead
detection indicator light on the instrument panel
blinks and a warning chime sounds.
The FCW system can be turned on/off by push-
ing the warning systems switch. The warning
systems ON indicator light
1on the switch will
illuminate when the system is ON.
LSD2098
FORWARD COLLISION WARNING
(FCW) SYSTEM (if so equipped)
5-84Starting and driving