5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving...........5-2
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .......5-2
Avoiding collision and rollover ..............5-5
Off-road recovery .................... .5-6
Rapid air pressure loss ................. .5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ...........5-7
Push-button power switch ................. .5-7
NISSAN Intelligent Key® system ............5-7
Operating range for EV start function .........5-8
Power switch operation ................ .5-9
Power switch positions ................ .5-10
Emergency EV shut off ................ .5-10
NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery discharge .....5-10
Before starting the EV system ...............5-11
Starting the EV system .................. .5-11
Driving the vehicle ..................... .5-12
Electric shift control system ..............5-12
Parking brake ....................... .5-15
Cruise control ....................... .5-16Precautions on cruise control
.............5-16
Cruise control operation ................5-17
Increasing power economy ................5-18
Parking/parking on hills .................. .5-18
Power steering system .................. .5-19
Brake system ........................ .5-20
Brake precautions ................... .5-20
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ...........5-22
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system .........5-23
Hill start assist system .................. .5-24
Cold weather driving ................... .5-25
Freeing a frozen door lock ...............5-26
Antifreeze ........................ .5-26
12-volt battery ..................... .5-26
Draining of coolant water ................5-26
Tire
equipment ..................... .5-26
Special winter equipment ...............5-26
Driving on snow or ice ................ .5-26
Freeing a frozen charge port lid ............5-27
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply deicer
through the key hole. If the lock becomes frozen,
heat the key before inserting it into the key hole or
use the remote keyless entry key fob.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is possible that the outside
temperature will drop below 32°F (0°C) , check
the antifreeze to ensure proper winter protection.
For additional information, refer to “Cooling sys-
tem” in the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” sec-
tion of this manual.
12-VOLT BATTERY
If the 12-volt battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the 12-volt
battery fluid may freeze and damage the 12-volt
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency, the 12-
volt battery should be checked regularly. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “12-volt battery” in
the “Maintenance and do-it-yourself” section of
this manual.
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without anti-
freeze, drain the cooling system. Refill beforeoperating the vehicle. For additional information,
refer to “Cooling system” in the “Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to provide
superior performance on dry pavement. How-
ever, the performance of these tires will be sub-
stantially reduced in snowy and icy conditions. If
you operate your vehicle on snowy or icy roads,
NISSAN recommends the use of MUD & SNOW
or ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels. Consult
a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer for the tire type,
size, speed rating and availability information.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded tires
may be used. However, some U.S. states and
Canadian provinces prohibit their use. Check
local, state and provincial laws before installing
studded tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow tires.
Tire chains may be used. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Tire chains” in the “Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items be
carried in the vehicle during winter:
• A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to remove ice
and snow from the windows and wiper blades.
• A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow-drifts.
• Extra windshield-washer fluid to refill the reser- voir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
• Wet ice (32°F, 0°C and freezing rain) , very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip” under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
• Whatever the conditions, drive with caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating too fast, the
drive wheels will lose even more trac-
tion.
• Allow more stopping distance under these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
5-26Starting and driving
