DRIVING WITH AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
Driving precautions
•Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
shifting from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R (Re-
verse), D (Drive), or M (Manual shift mode).
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.
•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 reversing. This could cause an acci-
dent 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) posi-
tion may cause serious damage to the trans-
mission.
WARNING
•Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. this may cause a loss of control.
CAUTION
•To avoid possible damage to your vehicle;
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.
•Except in an emergency, do not shift to the N
(Neutral) position while driving. Coasting
with the transmission in the N (Neutral) po-
sition may cause serious damage to the
transmission.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress thebrake pedal before shifting the shift lever to
R (Reverse), D (Drive) or Manual shift mode.
2. Keep the brake pedal depressed and push the shift lever to shift into a driving gear.
3. Release the parking brake and brake, then gradually put the vehicle in motion by press-
ing the accelerator pedal.
The automatic transmission is designed so that
the brake pedal MUSTbe depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any drive position while
the ignition switch is ON.
Shifting
P Park position with parking lock
R Reverse
N Neutral
D Drive
NSD585
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-18Starting and driving
Transmission position display:
NOTE
If the transmission position display in the ve-
hicle information display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether the
desired transmission position IS engaged. Ide-
ally, you should select transmission position D
and automatic drive program E or S.
The shift lever indicator
1located in the lower
part of the vehicle information display shows
the current position of the transmission.
It shows the P,R,N,D modes when the transmis-
sion is in auto mode or the shift position when
the transmission is in manual mode.
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 com-
pletely stopped.
Use this position when the vehicle is parked or
when starting the engine. Always make sure
that the vehicle is completely stopped before
pressing button
1to engage the P (Park)
position. For maximum safety, the brake pedal
must be depressed before engaging the P (Park)
position. Use this position together with the
parking brake. When parking on a hill, first
depress the brake pedal, apply the parking
brake and then engage the P (Park) position.
The parking lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. In order to secure the vehicle,
NSD649NSD586
Starting and driving5-19
always apply the electric parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock.
In the event of a malfunction of the vehicle’s
electronics, the transmission may lock in posi-
tion P (Park). Have the vehicle electronics
checked immediately. It is recommended you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
Park position P is automatically engaged if:
•You switch off the engine using the key and
remove the key.
•You open the driver’s door when the vehicle
is stationary or driving at very low speed and
the transmission is in position D (Drive) or R
(Reverse).
R (Reverse)
:
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the R
(Reverse) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
Use this position to back up the vehicle.
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 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 driving the vehicle.
D (Drive)
:
Use this position for all normal forward driving.
The automatic transmission changes gear auto-
matically. All forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D (Drive). Shifting is deter-
mined by:
•The selected drive program.
•The position of the accelerator pedal.
•The road speed.
Accelerator pedal position
:
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
•little throttle: early upshifts
•more throttle: late upshifts
Holding the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients
WARNING
If the transmission overheats, the electronic
management system is automatically deacti-
vated. This interrupts the power transmission
from the engine to the wheels. The vehicle
may, for example, roll backwards on gradients.
There is a risk of an accident. Never hold the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by de-
pressing the accelerator.
The transmission may overheat if you hold the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. If the transmis-
sion overheats, a warning tone sounds and the
[Stop Vehicle Shift to P Leave Engine Running]
display message appears in the vehicle infor-
mation display. You will only be able to con-
tinue your journey once the transmission has
cooled down and the display message in the
vehicle information display has disappeared.
5-20Starting and driving
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator. In-
stead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients by:
•Depressing the brake pedal.
•Engaging the electric parking brake.
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
•Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear de-
pending on the engine speed.
•Ease off the accelerator pedal once the de-
sired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Drive mode switch
The drive mode switch allows you to choose
between drive programs with different driving
characteristics.
Press drive mode switch
1. The selected drive
program appears in the vehicle information
display.
The automatic transmission switches to drive
program E each time the engine is started.
E (Economy): comfortable, economical driving
S (Sport): sporty driving style
M (Manual): manual gear shifting
For more details of the manual drive program
see Manual drive program later in this section.
Steering wheel gearshift paddles
1Left steering wheel gearshift paddle
(shifts down)
2Right steering wheel gearshift paddle
(shifts up)
In drive program M, you can change gear your-
self using the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel
gearshift paddle when in automatic drive pro-
gram E or S, the automatic transmission shifts
into drive program M for a limited time. Depend-
ing on which gearshift paddle is pulled, the
automatic transmission immediately shifts into
the next gear down or up.
NSD587NSD584
Starting and driving5-21
Automatic drive programs
Drive program E is characterized by the follow-
ing:
•Comfort-oriented engine settings.
•Optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
•The vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
•Increased sensitivity. This improves handling
on slippery road surfaces, for example.
•The automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program S is characterized by the follow-
ing:
•Sporty engine settings.
•The automatic transmission shifting up later.
•As a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-
sibly being higher.
Manual drive program
In manual drive program M, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles. For this, the transmission must
be in position D (Drive). The gear currently
selected and engaged is shown in the vehicle
information display
Manual drive program M differs from drive
programs E and S with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Using manual gears
:
3 To use the engine’s braking effect
2 To use the braking effect of the engine on downhill gradients and for driving on steep
mountain roads, in mountainous terrain or
in arduous conditions.
1 To use the braking effect of the engine on extremely steep downhill gradients and on
long downhill stretches. Activating the manual drive program
:
•Permanently: Press the drive mode switch
1repeatedly until M appears in the vehicle
information display. Manual drive program M
remains active until drive program E or S is
engaged.
•Temporarily: Pull the right or left steering
wheel gearshift paddle (see Steering wheel
gearshift paddles later in this section).
Manual drive program M is temporarily ac-
tive. Depending on which gearshift paddle is
pulled, the automatic transmission immedi-
ately shifts into the next gear down or up.
When manual drive program M is activated via
the steering wheel gearshift paddles, the tem-
porarily active manual drive program M will be
deactivated automatically after a limited time, if
NSD587
5-22Starting and driving
the driving situation permits. The automatic
transmission switches to the previously acti-
vated drive program E or S. When driving on
downhill gradients, the temporarily active
manual drive program M will only be deacti-
vated if the accelerator pedal is depressed
while the vehicle is rolling downhill.
Upshifting
:
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (seeSteering wheel gearshift paddles
earlier in this section). The automatic transmis-
sion shifts up to the next gear.
In order to prevent engine damage the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts up if
the maximum engine speed on the currently
engaged gear is reached and you depress the
accelerator pedal. Gearshift recommendation
:
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the vehicle infor-
mation display.
Shift to recommended gear
1according to
gearshift recommendation
2when shown in
the vehicle information display.
Downshifiting
:
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (see Steering wheel gearshift paddles
earlier in this section). The automatic transmis-
sion shifts down to the next gear.
If you slow down or stop without shifting down,
the automatic transmission automatically shifts
down. For maximum acceleration, pull the left-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle until the trans-
mission selects the optimum gear for the cur-
rent speed.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic trans-
mission protects against engine damage by not
shifting down.
Kickdown
:
You can also use kickdown for maximum accel-
eration in manual drive program M
•Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point The transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
•Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
NSD589
Starting and driving5-23
Deactivating the temporary manual drive pro-
gram:
Pull and hold the right steering wheel gearshift
paddle until the automatic transmission shifts
into the last active automatic drive program E or S.
When manual drive program M is deactivated,
the automatic transmission in automatic drive
program E or S may shift from the current gear
into a higher or lower gear. This is dependent
on the position of the accelerator pedal, speed
and load.
Problems with the transmission
:
Problem Possible causes/consequences and solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear The transmission is losing oil.
Have the transmission checked immediately. It is recommended you visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
The acceleration abil-
ity is deteriorating The
transmission no lon-
ger shifts into all of
the gears Reverse gear
can no longer be en-
gaged The transmission is in emergency mode.
•Stop.•Shift the transmission to position P (Park).•Switch off the engine.•Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.•Shift the transmission to position D (Drive).•Have the transmission checked immediately. It is recommended you visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
5-24Starting and driving
WARNING
•Be sure the parking brake is fully released
before driving. Failure to do so can cause
brake failure and lead to an accident.
•Do not release the parking brake from out-
side 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 assistance of others, or
pets unattended in your vehicle. Addition-
ally, the temperature 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.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or if there is a malfunction
in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake. If this is the case:
•Only park the vehicle on level ground and
secure it to prevent it from rolling away.
•Shift the automatic transmission to position
P (Park).
•It is recommended you contact an INFINITI
retailer.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
if there is a malfunction in the system. It is
recommended you contact an INFINITI retailer.
The electric parking brake carries out a function
check at regular intervals when the engine is
switched off. Noises that occur are normal.
APPLYING/RELEASING MANUALLY
The electric parking brake can be applied or
released by operating the parking brake handle
1.
To apply: Push handle
1.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the
red
indicator lamp lights up in the
combination meter.
The electric parking brake can also be applied
when the ignition switch is in the OFF position
or the key is removed.
To release: With the ignition switch in the ON
position, pull handle
1.
Before driving, check that the brake warning
light
goes out. For additional informa-
tion, see Warning lights, indicator lights and
NPA1485
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-25