●Be sure to put the transmission in the P
(Park) position because the vehicle can
move when the READY to drive indica-
tor light is on even if the gasoline en-
gine is not running. When the READY to
drive indicator light is on, do not leave
your vehicle in a shift position other
than the P (Park) position. The vehicle
will creep and start abruptly if the accel-
erator pedal is depressed by mistake.
This may cause serious injury or death.
CAUTION
●If the vehicle is parked for a long period
of time, the battery discharges gradu-
ally. To avoid this occurrence, drive the
vehicle for approximately 30 minutes at
least once every two to three months.
Otherwise, the Lithium ion (Li-ion) bat-
tery may be damaged. If the Li-ion bat-
tery is completely discharged and the
hybrid system cannot be activated, it is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI
retailer.
High-voltage parts and harnesses on the hybrid
vehicles emit approximately the same amount of
electromagnetic waves as the conventional gasoline-powered vehicles or home electronic
appliances despite their electromagnetic shield-
ings.
Charging the Li-ion battery while driving is impor-
tant. The vehicle cannot run if the Li-ion battery is
discharged. In the N (Neutral) position, the Li-ion
battery does not recharge. Leaving the transmis-
sion in the N (Neutral) position for an extended
period of time may discharge the Li-ion battery.
The Li-ion battery recharges when the shift lever
is in any position other than N (Neutral) .
An air vent is located on the rear side trim panels
Ato cool the high-voltage battery. If the vent is
covered, the battery will overheat resulting in
reduced output performance of the hybrid sys-
tem. For additional information, refer to “Lithium-
ion (Li-ion) battery air vent” in the “Appearance
and care” section of this manual.
You may hear the noise of the cooling fan from the
air vent.
CAUTION
Do not place objects over or into the air
vent. The Li-ion battery or DC/DC con-
verter may overheat and be damaged.
LPD2173
HEV OverviewHEV-13
PROGRAMMING HOMELINK® FOR
CANADIAN CUSTOMERS AND
GATE OPENERS
Canadian radio-frequency laws require transmit-
ter signals to “time-out” (or quit) after several
seconds of transmission – which may not be long
enough for HomeLink® to pick up the signal
during training. Similar to this Canadian law,
some U.S. gate operators are designed to “tim-
eout” in the same manner.
If you live in Canada or you are having difficulties
training a gate operatororgarage door opener
by using the “Training” procedures, replace
“Programming HomeLink®” Step 2with the fol-
lowing:
NOTE:
When programming a garage door opener,
etc., unplug the device during the “cycling”
process to prevent possible damage to the
garage door opener components.
1. For additional information, refer to “Pro- gramming HomeLink®” step 1 in this sec-
tion.
2. Using both hands, simultaneously press and hold the desired HomeLink® button and the
hand-held transmitter button. During train-
ing, your hand-held transmitter may auto- matically stop transmitting. Continue to
press and hold the desired HomeLink® but-
ton while you press and re-press (“cycle”)
your hand-held transmitter every 2 seconds
until the frequency signal has been learned.
The HomeLink® indicator light will flash
slowly and then rapidly after several seconds
upon successful training. DO NOT release
until the HomeLink® indicator light flashes
slowly and then rapidly. When the indicator
light flashes rapidly, both buttons may be
released. The rapid flashing indicates suc-
cessful training.
Proceed with “Programming HomeLink®”
step 3 to complete.
If the device was unplugged during the pro-
gramming procedure, remember to plug it
back in when programming is completed.
OPERATING THE HOMELINK®
UNIVERSAL TRANSCEIVER
The HomeLink® Universal Transceiver, after it is
programmed, can be used to activate the pro-
grammed device. To operate, simply press and
release the appropriate programmed
HomeLink® Universal Transceiver button. The
amber indicator light will illuminate while the sig-
nal is being transmitted.
For convenience, the hand-held transmitter of the
device may also be used at any time.
PROGRAMMING TROUBLE-
DIAGNOSIS
If the HomeLink® does not quickly learn the
hand-held transmitter information:
● replace the hand-held transmitter batteries
with new batteries.
● position the hand-held transmitter with its
battery area facing away from the
HomeLink® surface.
● press and hold both the HomeLink® and
hand-held transmitter buttons without inter-
ruption.
● position the hand-held transmitter1-3in(2
- 8 cm) away from the HomeLink® surface.
Hold the transmitter in that position for up to
15 seconds. If HomeLink® is not pro-
grammed within that time, try holding the
transmitter in another position – keeping the
indicator light in view at all times.
If you continue to have programming difficulties,
please contact the INFINITI Consumer Affairs
Department. The phone numbers are located in
the Foreword of this manual.
Instruments and controls2-71
●Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. Off-road vehicles can
tip over sideways much more easily
than they can forward or backward.
● Many hills are too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you may stall. If
you drive down them, you may not be
able to control your speed. If you drive
across them, you may roll over.
● Do not shift gears while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
● Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a drop-off
or other hazard that could cause an
accident.
● If your engine stalls or you cannot make
it to the top of a steep hill, never at-
tempt to turn around. Your vehicle could
tip or roll over. Always back straight
down in R (Reverse) gear and apply
brakes to control your speed.
● Heavy braking going down a hill could
cause your brakes to overheat and fade,
resulting in loss of control and an acci-
dent. Apply brakes lightly and use a low
gear to control your speed. ●
Unsecured cargo can be thrown around
when driving over rough terrain. Prop-
erly secure all cargo so it will not be
thrown forward and cause injury to you
or your passengers.
● Secure heavy loads in the cargo area as
far forward and as low as possible. Do
not equip the vehicle with tires larger
than specified in this manual. This could
cause your vehicle to roll over.
● Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel when driving off-road.
The steering wheel could move sud-
denly and injure your hands. Instead
drive with your fingers and thumbs on
the outside of the rim.
● Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers have
their seat belts fastened.
● Always drive with the floor mats in place
as the floor may become hot.
● Lower your speed when encountering
strong crosswinds. With a higher center
of gravity, your INFINITI is more af-
fected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control. ●
Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires, even with AWD
engaged.
● For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
● Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamometers
used by some states for emissions test-
ing) , or similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off the
ground. Make sure you inform test facil-
ity personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with AWD before it is placed
on a dynamometer. Using the wrong
test equipment may result in drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle move-
ment which could result in serious ve-
hicle damage or personal injury.
● When a wheel is off the ground due to
an unlevel surface, do not spin the
wheel excessively.
Starting and driving5-11
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.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
● Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) , D (Drive) , or (M)
Manual shift mode. 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.
● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. this may cause a loss of control.
● Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is re-
versing. This could cause an accident or
damage the transmission.
● 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.
CAUTION
To avoid possible damage to your vehicle,
when stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. The foot brake
should be used for this purpose.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled 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 hybrid system, fully de- press 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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-17
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever is
in any position while the hybrid system 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 hybrid
system. Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed 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
hybrid system can be started in this position.
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
manual shift mode, return the shift lever to the D
(Drive) position. The transmission returns to au-
tomatic driving mode. When the shift lever is shifted from D (Drive) to
the manual shift gate with the vehicle stopped or
while driving, the transmission enters the manual
shift mode. Shift ranges can be selected manu-
ally. In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the meter.
When shifting the shift lever to the manual shift
gate, the position indicator displays 1 (1st) up to
7 (7th) depending on vehicle speed.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
1⇔
2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
6 (6th) and 5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long slopes, or
for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
4 (4th) , 3 (3rd) and 2 (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills slowly
or when driving slowly, or for maximum engine
braking on steep downhill grades.
Starting and driving5-19
●Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than 7th
gear. This reduces fuel economy.
When shifting up
Move the shift lever to the + (up) side. (Shifts to
higher range.)
When shifting down
Move the shift lever to the (down) side. (Shifts
to lower range.)
● The transmission will automatically down-
shift the gears. (For example, if you select the
3rd range, the transmission will shift down
between the 3rd and 1st gears.)
● Moving the shift lever rapidly to the same
side twice will shift the ranges in succession.
When canceling the manual shift mode
Return the shift lever to the D (Drive) position to
return the transmission to the normal driving
mode. ● In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear.
This helps maintain driving perfor-
mance and reduces the chance of ve-
hicle damage or loss of control. ●
When this situation occurs, the CVT
position indicator light will blink and
the chime will sound.
● In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may shift up automatically to a
higher range than selected if the en-
gine speed is too high. When the ve-
hicle speed decreases, the transmis-
sion automatically shifts down and
shifts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
● CVT operation is limited to automatic drive
mode when CVT fluid temperature is ex-
tremely low even if manual shift mode is
selected. This is not a malfunction. When
CVT fluid warms up, manual mode can be
selected.
● When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the
shift range may upshift in lower rpm than
usual. This is not a malfunction.
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 using a suitable tool.
4. Push down the shift lock release using a suitable tool.
LSD2360
5-20Starting and driving
5. Push the shift lever button and move the shiftlever to the N (Neutral) position while hold-
ing down the shift lock release. The vehicle
may be moved to the desired location. Re-
place the removed shift lock release cover
after the operation.
If the shift lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position, have the CVT system checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that you visit
an INFINITI retailer for this service.
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
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the CVT will
not be shifted into the selected driving position.
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 Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) may come on to indi-
cate the fail-safe mode is activated. For
additional information, refer to “Malfunc-
tion Indicator Light (MIL)” in the “Instru-
ments 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 place the ignition
switch back in the ON position. The vehicle
should return to its normal operating con-
dition. If it does not return to its normal
operating condition, have the transmission
checked and repaired, if necessary. It is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI
retailer for this service.
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.
Starting and driving5-21
Before attempting to jump start the vehicle, make
sure the fuel tank is not empty and the correct
starting procedure is followed. For additional in-
formation, refer to “Starting the INFINITI Direct
Response Hybrid System” in the “Starting and
driving” section of this manual. Do not drive the
vehicle on battery power only if the fuel tank is
empty. The Li-ion battery will become discharged
and the hybrid system will turn off.
CONFIRM BATTERY IS
DISCHARGED
Confirm the battery is discharged by pushing the
ignition switch to the ON position. Confirm the
instrument cluster or head lights come on at the
normal brightness levels or that other accesso-
ries such as the audio system come on. Push the
ignition switch to turn the hybrid system on.
If any of the following conditions occurs, the
12-volt battery might discharged:● The instrument cluster and/or headlights are
not normal brightness.
● Audio accessories cannot be turned on.
● The hybrid system does not become READY
to drive mode.
● The ignition switch cannot be placed in the
ON position. Check the following if you notice above condi-
tions:
1. Check that the 12-volt battery terminals are tight and clean. For additional information,
refer to “12-volt battery” in the “Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual. If
the 12-volt battery terminals are loose, it is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI re-
tailer for this service.
2. If the 12-volt battery terminals are tight and clean, try to jump start the vehicle. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Jump starting” in
this section.
EMERGENCY START
When the hybrid system cannot be started, the
following procedure can be used if the hybrid
system and push-button ignition switch function
normally:
1. Put the transmission in P (Park) position.
2. Push the ignition switch to the ACC posi- tion.
3. Depress the brake pedal. 4. Push and hold the ignition switch for about
90 seconds. Even if the hybrid system starts
using this procedure, the system may be
malfunctioning. Do not continue to use this
emergency procedure to start the system.
Have the vehicle checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit an INFINITI retailer for
this service.
If the hybrid system still does not start, it is
recommended that you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
IF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT START
6-10In case of emergency