●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.
●Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
CAUTION
●To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
●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.
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal, push the shift lever button and move the
shift lever from the P (Park) position to any of the
desired shift positions.
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.
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 engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal must be depressed 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.
LSD2222
Starting and driving5-17
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.
LSD2489
5-18Starting 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 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
WARNING
●Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires. Accelerating
quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or
sudden braking may cause loss of con-
trol, 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 personal injury or vehicle
damage.
●
Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer (such
as the dynamometers used by some
states for emissions testing) or similar
equipment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure that
you inform the test facility personnel that
your vehicle is equipped with AWD be-
fore it is placed on a dynamometer. Using
the wrong test equipment may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious
personal injury or vehicle damage.
CAUTION
●Do not operate the engine on a free
roller when any of the wheels are
raised.
●If you use the free roller, rotate four
wheels with the same speed without
raising any wheels.
●If an AWD warning message is dis-
played while driving there may be a
malfunction in the AWD system. Reduce
the vehicle speed immediately and have
your vehicle checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
as soon as possible.
●The powertrain may be damaged if you
continue driving when the AWD tem-
perature or tire size incorrect messages
are displayed
●If the AWD high temperature message
is displayed while you are driving, pull
off the road in a safe area, and idle the
engine. The driving mode will change to
2WD to prevent the AWD system from
malfunctioning. If the warning message
turns off, you can drive again.●If the tire size incorrect message is dis-
played while you are driving, pull off the
road in a safe area with the engine
idling. Check that all tire sizes are the
same, that the tire pressure is correct
and that the tires are not excessively
worn.
●If a warning message continues to be
displayed after the above operations,
have your vehicle checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
5-80Starting and driving
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
Starting and driving5-81
5. Start the engine of the booster vehicle and
let it run for a few minutes.
6. Keep the engine speed of the booster ve-
hicle at about 2,000 rpm and start the en-
gine of the vehicle being jump started.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged for
more than 10 seconds. If the engine does
not start right away, place the ignition
switch in the OFF position and wait 3 to
4 seconds before trying again.
7. After starting the engine, carefully discon-
nect the negative cable and then the positive
cable.
CAUTION
●CVT models cannot be push-started or
tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
●Do not push start this vehicle. The
three-way catalyst may be damaged.
WARNING
●Do not continue to drive if your vehicle
overheats. Doing so could cause engine
damage or a vehicle fire.
●To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator or coolant
reservoir cap while the engine is still
hot. When the radiator or coolant reser-
voir cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
●Do not open the hood if steam is com-
ing out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading and
the illumination of the engine oil pressure/engine
coolant temperature high indicator light) , or if you
feel a lack of engine power, detect abnormal
noise, etc. take the following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply
the parking brake and move the shift lever to
P (Park) .
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the
windows, move the heater or air conditioner
temperature control to maximum hot and fan
control to high speed.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-11
Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) models
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be towed
with the driving wheels (front) off the ground or
place the vehicle on a flatbed truck as illustrated.
WARNING
●Never tow your vehicle with the front
wheels on the ground or four wheels on
the ground (forward or backward) , as
this may cause serious and expensive
damage to the transmission. If it is nec-
essary to tow the vehicle with the rear
wheels raised always use towing dollies
under the front wheels.●When towing with the rear wheels on
the ground or on towing dollies, place
the ignition switch in the ON position,
and secure the steering wheel in the
straight-ahead position with a rope or
similar device.
VEHICLE RECOVERY (freeing a stuck
vehicle)
WARNING
To avoid vehicle damage, serious personal
injury or death when recovering a stuck
vehicle:
●Contact a professional towing service
to recover the vehicle if you have any
questions regarding the recovery
procedure.
●Tow chains or cables must be attached
only to main structural members of the
vehicle.
●Do not use the vehicle tie-downs to tow
or free a stuck vehicle.
●Only use devices specifically designed
for vehicle recovery and follow the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) models
LCE2221
6-14In case of emergency