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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
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.
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 (first) up to
7 (seventh) depending on vehicle speed.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
1⇔2⇔3⇔4⇔5⇔6⇔7
7 (Seventh)
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
6 (Sixth) and 5 (Fifth)
Use this position when driving up long slopes, or
for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
4 (Fourth) , 3 (Third) and 2 (Second)
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1 (First)
Use this position when climbing steep hills slowly
or when driving slowly, or for maximum engine
braking on steep downhill grades.
●Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than 7th
gear. This reduces fuel economy.
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5-18Starting and driving
Page 274 of 465

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
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5. Press the shift lever button and move the
shift 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. Ifit 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