1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neu-tral) . P (Park) is recommended.
The NISSAN PURE DRIVE Hybrid Sys-
tem is designed not to operate if the
shift lever is in any of the driving posi-
tions.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the igni- tion switch to start the hybrid system. The
READY to drive indicator will illuminate on
the meter.
When starting the hybrid system at
very low outside temperatures, the
READY to drive indicator light will flash
and it may take longer for the READY
to drive indicator light to illuminate.
When the READY to drive indicator
light is flashing, it cannot be shifted
out of P (Park) .
NOTE:
Do not start the vehicle in the N (Neutral)
position (in cold conditions only) . ● The hybrid system may not start even with
the READY to drive indicator light illumi-
nated. Once the READY to drive indicator
light is illuminated you may begin driving the
vehicle. 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 12-
volt battery power when the engine is
not running (Phone chargers, GPS,
DVD players, etc.)
2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or
only driven short distances.
In these cases, the 12-volt battery may
need to be charged to maintain 12-volt bat-
tery health.
REMOTE START
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 these 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 “NISSAN In-
telligent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks and
adjustments” section of this manual.
STARTING THE NISSAN PURE DRIVE
HYBRID SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-15
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 com-
pleted. 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
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. The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position while the ready light illu-
minates.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal and then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
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) position. 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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-16Starting and driving
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. Place the ignition switch in 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.
LSD2274
Starting and driving5-19
5. Press the shift lever button and move theshift lever to the N (Neutral) position while
holding down the shift lock release. The
vehicle may be moved to the desired loca-
tion. Replace the removed shift lock release
cover after the operation. If the shift lever
cannot be moved out of the P (Park) posi-
tion, have the CVT system checked as soon
as possible. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer 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
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-
ment 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
and repaired, if necessary. It is recom-
mended 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.
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 (32 km/h).
If the radar sensors detect a vehicle in the detec-
tion zone, the side BSW/RCTA indicator light (1)
illuminates. If the turn signal is then activated, the
system chimes (twice) and the side BSW/RCTA
indicator light flashes. The side BSW/RCTA indi-
cator light continues to flash until the detected
vehicle leaves the detection zone.
The side BSW/RCTA indicator light illuminates
for a few seconds when the ignition switch is
placed in the ON position.
The brightness of the side 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.
LSD2512
5-24Starting and driving
The system monitors driving style and steering
behavior over a period of time, and it detects
changes from the normal pattern. If the system
detects that driver attention is decreasing over a
period of time, the system uses audible and visual
warnings to suggest that the driver take a break.
DRIVER ATTENTION ALERT SYSTEM
OPERATION
If the system detects driver fatigue or that driver
attention is decreasing, the message “Take a
break?” appears in the vehicle information display
and a chime sounds when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 37 mph (60 km/h).
The system continuously monitors driver atten-
tion and can provide multiple warnings per trip.
The system resets and starts reassessing driving
style and steering behavior when the ignition
switch is cycled from on to off and back on.
LSD2527
Starting and driving5-75
WARNING
●Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
● Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park) . Fail-
ure to do so could cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly or roll away and re-
sult in an accident. Make sure the shift
lever has been pushed as far forward as
it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal. ●
Never leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
● 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. 1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into
traffic when parked on an incline, it is a good
practice to turn the wheels as illustrated.
● HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
A
Turn the wheels into the curb and move the
vehicle forward until the curb side wheel
gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
B
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
move the vehicle back until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb.
● HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO
CURB:
C
Turn the wheels toward the side of the road
so the vehicle will move away from the cen-
ter of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK posi- tion.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-82Starting and driving
WARNING
●If the hybrid system is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power as-
sist for the steering will not work. Steer-
ing will be harder to operate
● When the power steering warning light
illuminates with the hybrid system run-
ning, there will be no power assist for
the steering. You will still have control
of the vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
The power steering system is designed to pro-
vide power assist while driving to operate the
steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated repeatedly
or continuously while parking or driving at a very
low speed, the power assist for the steering
wheel will be reduced. This is to prevent over-
heating of the power steering system and protect
it from getting damaged. While the power assist
is reduced, steering wheel operation will become
heavy. If the steering wheel operation is still per-
formed, the power steering may stop and the
power steering warning light will illuminate. In a
safe location, stop the hybrid system and push the ignition switch to the OFF position. The tem-
perature of the power steering system will go
down after a period of time and the power assist
level will return to normal after starting the hybrid
system. The power steering warning light will go
off. Avoid repeating such steering wheel opera-
tions that could cause the power steering system
to overheat.
You may hear a noise from the front of the vehicle
when the steering wheel is operated. This is a
normal operational noise and is not a malfunction.
If the electric power steering warning light
PS
illuminates while the hybrid system is running, it
may indicate the power steering system is not
functioning properly and may need servicing.
Have the power steering system checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
When the electric power steering warning light
illuminates with the hybrid system running, there
will be no power assist for the steering but you
will still have control of the vehicle. At this time,
greater steering effort is required to operate the
steering wheel, especially in sharp turns and at
low speeds.
For additional information, refer to “Power steer-
ing warning light” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual. The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will still
have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum. If the engine stops, you can stop the
vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. However,
greater foot pressure on the brake pedal will be
required to stop the vehicle and stopping dis-
tance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the
brake pads faster, and reduce gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down a
slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may
reduce braking performance and could result in
loss of vehicle control.
POWER STEERING
BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-83