5-12Starting and driving
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key i\f almo\ft
di\fcharged\b the guide light
*1of the Intelligent
Key port blink\f and the indicator appear\f on the
vehicle information di\fplay. (
“Intelligent Key
in\fertion indicator” page 2-44)
In thi\f ca\fe\b in\ferting the Intelligent Key into the
port allow\f you to \ftart the engine. Make \fure
that the mechanical key \fide face\f backward a\f
illu\ftrated. In\fert the Intelligent Key in the port
until it i\f latched and \fecured.
To remove the Intelligent Key from the port\b pu\fh
the ignition \fwitch to the OFF po\fition and pull the Intelligent Key out of the port.
NOTICE
Never place anything except the Intelli-
gent Key in the Intelligent Key port.
Doing so may cause damage to the
equipment.
NOTE:
.
Make sure the Intelligent Key is in the
correct direction when inserting it into
the Intelligent Key port. The engine
may not start if it is in the incorrect
direction.
. Remove the Intelligent Key from the
Intelligent Key port after the ignition
switch is pushed to the OFF position.
. The Intelligent Key port does not
charge the Intelligent Key battery. If
you see the low battery indicator in the
vehicle information display, replace the
battery as soon as possible.
(“Intelligent Key battery replace-
ment” page 8-27) .
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
. Check fluid levels such as en�fine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid and �bindo�b �basher fluid as
frequently as possible, or at least �bhenever
you refuel.
. Check that all �bindo�bs and li�fhts are clean.
. Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seat.
. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
. Fasten seat belts and ask all passen�fers to
do like�bise.
. Check the operation of �barnin�f li�fhts �bhen
the i�fnition s�bitch is pushed to the ON
position. (
“Warnin�f/indicator li�fhts
and audible reminders” pa�fe 2-25) NOTE:
.
This vehicle includes spark plugs that
are designed for maximum perfor-
mance. If the start time becomes long-
er, the plugs may be fouled, making the
engine difficult to start. If this occurs,
start the engine using the procedure
described in this section.
. A click sound may be heard when the
brake pedal is depressed and released.
This is normal.
. A low rattling operating sound may
occur when the engine is started or
stopped. This is because of the trans-
mission gear design, light flywheel and
dry sump lubrication system used in
this transmission. This does not indi-
cate that there is a malfunction. This
sound is likely to occur in particular if
the engine is stopped when the tem-
perature of the transmission oil is high.
Starting and driving5-13
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-14Starting and driving
1. Check the positions of the accele\fato\f pedal
*1and b\fake pedal*2. Ad\bust the stee\fing
wheel and seat positions so that the co\f\fect
d\fiving postu\fe is achieved. (
“F\font
seats” page 1-3)
2. Check that the pa\fking b\fake is engaged.
3. Check that the shift leve\f is in the
&Po\f&N
position. (&Pis \fecommended.)
4. Fi\fmly dep\fess the b\fake pedal. Without dep\fessing the accele\fato\f pedal, push the
ignition switch once to sta\ft the engine.
5. To stop the engine, move the shift leve\f to the
&Pposition, and push the ignition switch
to the OFF position. NOTE:
.
Care should be taken to avoid situa-
tions that can lead to potential battery
discharge and potential no-start condi-
tions such as:
a. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume
battery power when the engine is
not running (Phone chargers, GPS,
DVD players, etc.)
b. 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.
. If the engine is difficult to start, de-
press the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and hold it. Push the
ignition switch with the brake pedal
depressed to start cranking the engine.
After 5 or 6 seconds, stop cranking by
pushing the ignition switch to the OFF
position, and then release the accel-
erator pedal. Then perform steps 1 to 5
to start the engine. If the engine starts,
but fails to run, repeat this procedure.
. Starting and stopping the engine over a
short period of time may make the
vehicle more difficult to start. If this
occurs, wait for more than 3 minutes, and then push the ignition switch again
to start the engine.
. To maintain high performance over a
long period of time, the engine speed is
limited to 5,000 rpm when the engine is
revved with the shift lever in the
&Nor
&Pposition, and to 4,000 rpm when the
engine oil or coolant temperature is
low or higher than normal.
. If the ignition switch is pushed before
the shift lever is moved to the
&P
position, the ignition switch will not
change to the OFF position. If this
occurs, the SHIFT
&Pwarning display
appears on the vehicle information
display. When stopping the engine, be
sure to move the shift lever to the
&P
position and then push the ignition
switch. Failure to do so may result in
discharge of the battery. (
“Shift
“P” warning” page 2-43)
. If the shift lever was in the
&AF&Mor&R
position when the engine was stopped,
then be sure to move the shift lever to
the
&Pposition before starting the
engine the next time. If the engine is
started with the shift lever in the
&N
position, then it may not be possible to
drive the vehicle even when the shift
lever is moved to the&AF&Mor&R
position. If this occurs, the SHIFT&P
warning appears on the vehicle infor-
mation display. (“Shift “P” warn-
ing” page 2-43)
CAUTION
If the engine was stopped soon when
the engine is hot, the cooling fan may
operate for approximately 2 minutes
after the engine was stopped to cool
the components in the engine compart-
ment. When the cooling fan is operat-
ing, be sure that hands or other items
do not get caught in it.
DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION
The GT-R dual clutch transmission is a newl\f-
developed s\fstem that uses an electronicall\f
controlled multiple-disc wet clutch attached to
the highl\f e\b\bicient manual transmission. This
transmission has two driving modes.
.
&Aposition (Automatic gearshi\bt):
allows automatic shi\bting o\b the manual
transmission.
.
&Mposition (Manual gearshi\bt):
allows quick shi\bting o\b the manual transmis-
sion.
NOTE:
When starting or driving on a steep uphill
grade, shift to the
&Mposition and operate
the paddle shifter to shift down to 1st gear
similar to a manual transmission vehicle.
The GT-R dual clutch transmission was devel-
oped speci\bicall\f to maximize vehicle per\bor-
mance and driving enjo\fment. The GT-R
transmission components were designed using
di\b\berent engineering standards than t\fpical
passenger car transmissions. Because o\b this,
the GT-R has di\b\berent operating characteristics,
and various rattle noises ma\f be heard during
some driving conditions because o\b the \bollow-
ing items: .
Gear clearances
. Ultralight \bl\fwheel
. Dr\f sump lubrication
These noises do not indicate that there is a
mal\bunction.
WARNING
. Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting from the&Por
&Nposition to the&Ror&AF&M
position. Always depress the brake
pedal until shifting is completed.
Failure to do so could cause loss
of control and 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 the
&Por&Rposition
while the vehicle is moving forward.
Never shift to the
&Por&AF&M
position while the vehicle is moving
rearward. Doing so could cause loss
of control and an accident.
. The shift lever contains a powerful
magnet. Do not place electronic
Starting and driving5-15
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-16Starting and driving
medical devices or other electronic
products that are susceptible to
magnetic force close to the shift
lever.
. Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
. If the shift lever is moved from
&Rto
&AF&Mposition, or&AF&Mto&R
position before the vehicle stops,
you may not be able to shift gear or
it may take longer to shift gear.
Make sure to depress the brake
pedal and check that the vehicle
has stopped before shifting.
CAUTION
.Because the vehicle includes a dual
clutch transmission that automati-
cally controls the clutch and shifting
operation of the manual transmis-
sion, whenever the shift lever is in a
position other then
&Por&N, the
vehicle will begin to move slowly, in
the same way as when the clutch in
a manual transmission vehicle is partially engaged. Keep the brake
pedal firmly depressed when the
vehicle is stopped. In some circum-
stances the vehicle may not start
moving on its own, however this
does not indicate that there is a
malfunction.
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.
. The GT-R dual clutch transmission is
provided with a dry sump lubrication
system that improves efficiency and
ensures reliability under high g-
force conditions. When oil viscosity
is high at low temperatures, it takes
longer for all components to be
sufficiently lubricated. Thus, when
the transmission temperature is low
(approximately 104 8F (408C) , do not
accelerate rapidly or run the engine faster than 4,000 rpm.
Operating the shift lever
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and �fove the shift lever fro�f the&P
position to the&R,&N, or&AF&Mposition. �bush
the button to shift into the&Por&Rposition. All
other positions can be selected without pushing
the button.
Shift lever operation
�bush the button while depressing the
brake pedal.
�bush the button.
Just �fove the shift lever.
Auto�fatically returns.
&Pposition:
Use this position for parking and starting the
engine. The ignition switch will be changed to
the OFF or LOCK position.
CAUTION
Use the&Pposition only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
&Rposition:
Use this position for driving in reverse. A chi�fe
will sound inside the vehicle and a warning will
appear in the vehicle infor�fation display if the
shift lever is in the
&Rposition for �fore than 5
�finutes, or when the driver’s door is opened
while the shift lever is in the
&Rposition.
&Nposition:
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
&AF&Mposition:
Use this position for all nor�fal forward driving.
The shift lever can be �foved between
&Aand
&Mto alternately change each other. The
position indicator indicates the gear position
with the indication of “A” or “M”.
.
&Aposition: Use this position for ordinary
driving, with the gears shifted auto�fatically
fro�f first gear to sixth gear according to the
speed and driving conditions.
.
&Mposition: Operate the paddle shifter to
drive in first gear to sixth gear as desired.
. The position indicator blinks if it is not
possible to shift the gear.
(
“Trans�fission position indicator”
page 2-9)
Starting and driving5-17
.First gear:
Use this position when accelerating from a
stop�f climbing a steep hill slowly or engine
braking at low spee�bs.
. Secon�b gear:
Use this position when accelerating or
engine braking at mi�b-low spee�bs.
. Thir�b gear:
Use this position when accelerating or
gently engine braking at mi�b�ble spee�bs.
. Fourth gear:
Use this position when accelerating or
gently engine braking at mi�b-high spee�bs. .
Fifth gear:
Use this position for all normal forwar�b
�briving at highway spee�bs. Engine braking
is weaker in this position.
. Sixth gear:
Use this position for all normal forwar�b
�briving at highway spee�bs. 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�f or if you nee�b to accelerate.
Do not excee�b the maximum suggeste�b spee�b
(shown below) in any gear. For level roa�b
�briving�f use the highest gear suggeste�b for that
spee�b. Always observe poste�b spee�b limits�f an�b
�brive accor�bing to the roa�b con�bitions that will
ensure safe operation. Do not over-rev the
engine when shifting to a lower gear as it may
cause engine �bamage or loss of vehicle control.
Gear MPH (km/h)
1st 36 (58)
2n�b 63 (102)
3r�b 91 (148)
4th —
5th —
6th —
DRIVING TIPS
After starting the engine�f fully �bepress the foot
brake pe�bal an�b push the shift lever button
before shifting the shift lever from the
&Pposition
to the&R�f&N�f or&AF&Mposition. Be sure the
vehicle is fully stoppe�b before attempting to shift
the shift lever.
The transmission is �besigne�b so that the foot
brake pe�bal must be �bepresse�b before shifting
from
&Pto any other position.
The shift lever cannot be move�b out of the
&P
position an�b into any other position with the
ignition switch other in the LOCK�f OFF or ACC
position.
When accelerating from a stop
Keep the foot brake pe�bal �bepresse�b an�b push
the shift lever button to shift into a �briving gear
as following:
. To �brive forwar�b�f move the shift lever to the
&AF&Mposition.
. To back up�f move the shift lever to the
&R
position.
Starting on level ground or an uphill:
1. Check the shift lever position in�bicator on the instrument panel to confirm that the
�briving gear is selecte�b.
Starting and driving5-21
5-22Starting and driving
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Release the �foot brake pedal graduall�b, thenslowl�b depress the accelerator pedal to start
the vehicle in motion.
(
“R mode start �function” page 5-32)
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 5-38)
When driving the vehicle
WARNING
Do not move the shift lever to the&N
position while driving. Doing so may
result in an accident due to loss of
engine braking. It may also damage the
transmission.
Normal driving:
Drive with the shi�ft lever in the
&Aposition.
The appropriate gear will be automaticall�b
shi�fted according to the position o�f the accel-
erator pedal, the driving speed and driving
conditions.
Passing:
.
&Aposition:
Full�b depress the accelerator pedal to the �floor.
This shi�fts the transmission down into a lower
gear depending on the vehicle speed. Then
depress the accelerator pedal as needed to
adjust vehicle speed.
.
&Mposition:
Use the paddle shi�fter to down shi�ft, then �full�b
depress the accelerator pedal to the �floor. Then
depress the accelerator pedal as needed to adjust vehicle speed.
Hill climbing:
.
When the vehicle speed decreases, de-
press the accelerator pedal to the �floor with
the shi�ft lever in the
&Aposition. This
automaticall�b shi�fts the transmission into a
lower gear and maintains this position
depending on the gradient o�f the hill.
. The s�bstem ma�b down shi�ft according to the
accelerator pedal position and the vehicle
speed.
. I�f the transmission is �frequentl�b changing
gears while driving, switch to the
&Mposition
and select the appropriate gear �for the
driving conditions.
Driving on a downhill:
.
&Aposition:
The s�bstem shi�fts down according to the degree
o�f downhills to increase the e�f�fectiveness o�f the
engine brake.
.
&Mposition:
When driving on a long slope, selecting the
&M
position and 4th or 3rd gear will provide gentle
engine braking.
When driving on a steep downhill, selecting the
&Mposition and 2nd or 1st gear will provide
power�ful engine braking.