2016 NISSAN ALTIMA Owners Manual

●Ds (Drive Sport) mode - Move the shift lever
from D (Drive) to the to Ds (Drive Sport) . The
position indicator in the meter shows a “Ds”.
In Ds (Drive Sport) mode, transmission op-
eration changes to Sporty” driving shift op-
eration, creating a more aggressive accel-
eration feeling than the D (Drive) mode and a
gear change sensation when the driver ac-
celerates or when using the shift paddles (if
so equipped) . During Ds (Drive Sport) mode
operation, the driver must move the shift
lever from Ds mode to D mode and back
again to re-select Ds (Drive Sport) mode.
● To cancel the Ds mode, return the shift lever
to the D (Drive) position. The transmission
returns to the automatic drive mode.
The CVT can operate in two manual drive modes: ● M (Manual) mode (if so equipped) - With the
shift lever in the Ds (Drive Sport) mode,
using the shift paddles (if so equipped) up
(+) or down (–) produces noticeable up-
shifts and downshifts. The position indicator
in the meter shows a “M”.
● To Ds (Drive Sport) mode return the shift
lever to the D (Drive) mode.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment. NOTE:
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.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever into a driving gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before shifting the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
The CVT is designed so the foot brake
pedal MUST be depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any drive position while
the ignition switch is in the ON position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear posi-
tions if the ignition switch is pushed to the
LOCK position. To move the shift lever:
Press the buttonAwhile depressing the
brake pedal
Press the buttonAto shift
Shift without pressing buttonA
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and move the shift lever from P (Park) to
any of the desired shift positions.
LSD2085
5-14Starting and driving

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.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or R (Reverse) 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 should be depressed 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
P (Park) or 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 to move the shift
lever from P (Park) , N (Neutral) or any drive
position 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.
Ds (Drive Sport) (if so equipped)
When the shift lever is shifted from the D (Drive)
to Ds (Drive Sport) position, the transmission
enters the Ds (Drive Sport) mode. Moving the
shift lever to the Ds (Drive Sport) position allows
you to enjoy “sporty” driving shift operation on a
winding road and feel smooth acceleration or
deceleration on a hilly road by moving in a lower gear automatically. When canceling the DS
mode, return the shift lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion. The transmission returns to the normal driv-
ing mode.
Starting and driving5-15

Manual shift mode (if so equipped)
When the shift lever is in the Ds (Drive Sport)
position, the transmission is ready for the manual
shift mode. Shift ranges can be selected manu-
ally by pulling the right-side or left-side paddle
shifter.
When shifting up, pull the right side paddle
shifter (+)
C(if so equipped) . The transmission
shifts to the higher range.
When shifting down, pull the left side paddle
shifter ()
B(if so equipped) . The transmission
shifts to the lower range. When canceling the manual shift mode, return
the shift lever to the D (Drive) position. The trans-
mission 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 sec-
onds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is dis-
played on the position indicator in the meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
1⇔
2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
M7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long slopes, or
for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
M4 (4th) , M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
Use 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 7
range. 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.)
● 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.
LSD2086
5-16Starting and driving

●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.
It will be necessary to jump start or have your
battery charged. For additional information, refer
to “Jump starting” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this manual. Contact a NISSAN dealer
or a professional towing service. To move the shift lever, complete the following
procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK posi- tion.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip ofa3mm screwdriver, remove the shift lock release
cover.
● If available, a plastic trim tool can also be
used.
4. Insert the small screwdriver in the shift lock release slot and push down.
5. Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral) posi- tion while holding down the shift lock re-
lease.
If the shift lever cannot be moved out of P (Park) ,
have a NISSAN dealer check the transmission 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.
LSD2087
Starting and driving5-17

Overdrive (O/D) OFF mode switch (if
so equipped)
When the O/D switch is pushed with the shift
lever in the D (Drive) position, the
light in
the instrument panel illuminates. For additional
information, refer to “Overdrive off indicator light”
in the “Instruments and controls” section of this
manual.
Use the Overdrive OFF mode when you need
improved engine braking.
To turn off the Overdrive OFF mode, push the
O/D OFF switch again. The
indicator light
will turn off. Each time the engine is started, or when the shift
lever is shifted to any position other than D (Drive)
and Ds (Drive Sport) , the Overdrive OFF mode
will automatically turned off.
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-safesystem 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 push 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 the transmission checked.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer 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.
Overdrive off mode
LSD2090
5-18Starting and driving

1. To engage, firmly depress the foot brake.
2. To release:●Move the shift lever to the P (Park) posi-
tion.
● Firmly depress the parking brake pedal
and it will release.
● Before driving, be sure the brake warning
light goes out.
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.
● To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high enough to
cause a significant risk of injury or
death to people and pets.
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and instruc-
tions for proper use of the BSW system
could result in serious injury or death.
● The BSW system is not a replacement
for proper driving procedures and is not
designed to prevent contact with ve-
hicles or objects. When changing lanes,
always use the side and rear mirrors
and turn and look in the direction your
vehicle will move to ensure it is safe to
change lanes. Never rely solely on the
BSW system.
The BSW system helps alert the driver of other
vehicles in adjacent lanes when changing lanes.
LSD2177
PARKING BRAKE BLIND SPOT WARNING (BSW) (if so
equipped)
Starting and driving5-19

The BSW system uses radar sensors1in-
stalled near the rear bumper to detect other ve-
hicles in an adjacent lane. The radar sensors can detect vehicles on either
side of your vehicle within the detection zone
shown as illustrated. This detection zone starts
from the outside mirror of your vehicle and ex-
tends approximately 10 ft (3.0 m) behind the rear
bumper, and approximately 10 ft (3.0 m) side-
ways.
LSD2475
Detection zone
SSD1030
5-20Starting and driving

1. Side BSW/RCTA Indicator Light
2. BSW/RCTA Indicator
BSW SYSTEM OPERATION
The BSW system operates above approximately
20 mph (32km/h) .
If the radar sensors detect a vehicle in the detec-
tion zone, the BSW/RCTA indicator light (1) illu-
minates. If the turn signal is then activated, the
system chimes (twice) and the BSW/RCTA indi-
cator light flashes. The BSW indicator light con-
tinues to flash until the detected vehicle leaves
the detection zone.
The BSW/RCTA indicator light illuminates for a
few seconds when the ignition switch is placed in
the ON position.
The brightness of the BSW/RCTA indicator light
is adjusted automatically depending on the
brightness of the ambient light.
If a vehicle comes into the detection zone after
the driver activates the turn signal, then only the
side BSW/RCTA indicator light flashes and no
chime sounds. For additional information, refer to
“BSW driving situations” in this section.
The BSW system automatically turns on every
time the engine is started, as long as it is acti-
vated using the settings menu on the vehicle
information display.
LSD2476
Starting and driving5-21