NOTE
Care should be taken to avoid situations that can
lead to potential battery discharge and potential
no-start conditions such as:
•Installation or extended use of electronic
accessories that consume battery power
when the engine is not running (Phone char-
gers, GPS, DVD players, etc.)
•Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or only
driven short distances. In these cases, the
battery may need to be charged to maintain
battery health.
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 (Re-
verse) position while the vehicle is moving
forward and P (Park) or D (Drive) position
while the vehicle is reversing. This could
cause an accident or damage the transmis-
sion.
•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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-17
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake 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 pedalMUSTbe 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 DriveTransmission 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.
NSD585NSD649
5-18Starting and driving
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
seeManual drive programlater 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.
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 han-
dling 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.
NSD587NSD584
Starting and driving5-21
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 (seeSteering wheel
gearshift paddleslater 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
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.
NSD587
5-22Starting and driving
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 (seeSteering 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 program:
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 shift-
ing gearThe transmission is losing oil.
Have the transmission checked immediately. It is recommended you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
The acceleration ability is deteriorat-
ing The transmission no longer shifts
into all of the gears Reverse gear can
no longer be engagedThe 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.
NPA1485
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-25
RADAR MAINTENANCE
The two radar sensor unitsAfor the BSW
system are located near the rear bumper. Al-
ways keep the area near the radar sensors
clean.
The radar sensors may be blocked by temporary
ambient conditions such as splashing water,
mist or fog.
The blocked condition may also be caused by
objects such as ice, frost or dirt obstructing the
radar sensors.
Check for and remove objects obstructing the
area around the radar sensors.
Do not attach stickers (including transparent
material), install accessories or apply addi-
tional paint near the radar sensors.Do not strike or damage the area around the
radar sensors. It is recommended you consult
an INFINITI retailer if the area around the radar
sensors is damaged due to a collision.
FCC NOTICE
For USA:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harm-
ful interference, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired operation.
NOTE
Changes or modification not expressly approved
by the party responsible for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate the equip-
ment.
For Canada:
This device complies with Industry Canada
license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden or towing a trailer.WARNING
For vehicles with automatic transmission, you
need to have selected manual drive program M
(seeManual drive programearlier in this sec-
tion). By doing so, you will make use of the
braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady
speed for a prolonged period. You can set the
cruise control at any road speed above 20 MPH
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the set speed.
NAA1640
CRUISE CONTROL
5-44Starting and driving